I’m wondering how FIRST assigns FRC team numbers. I was thinking that it would be in chronological order of date registered, but it wouldn’t make sense that in '92 there were 24 teams & MORT joined in '97.
39 formed in 2006
So back before 1998, every team’s number changed according to alphabetical order, causing many team’s numbers to change every year if a new team came in that was above them in alphabetical order. However, in 1998, FIRST decided to freeze the numbers where they were. This is why team 190, while being an original and sustaining team has a “high” number (the W in WPI puts us right above the X in Xerox and team 191).
New team numbers are given on a first come, first serve basis (for the most part) starting with the current highest number. There are exceptions for teams that spring off of other teams (39) and the like, as well as for teams that disappear for a year and come back.
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In the very early years, there were no team numbers, just names. Then for a few years teams got new numbers every year. Starting in 1998 permanent team numbers were assigned. Those already in the program were assigned alphabetically. Juggernauts became team #1 because their sponsor that year started with a number, and sorted lowest.
• Teams #1-#208 were rookies in or before 1998 (this is due to FIRST giving teams new numbers every year previously).
• Teams #209-#335 were rookies in 1999.
• Teams #336-#491 were rookies in 2000.
• Teams #492-#716 were rookies in 2001.
• Teams #717-#999 were rookies in 2002
• Teams #1000-#1238 were rookies in 2003.
• Teams #1239-#1497 were rookies in 2004.
• Teams #1498-#1709 were rookies in 2005.
• Teams #1710-#1980 were rookies in 2006.
• Teams #1981-#2287 were rookies in 2007.
• Teams #2330-#2681 were rookies in 2008.
• Teams #2702-#3122 were rookies in 2009 (no even numbers between 2702 and 2826).
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It’s a complicated question…
Back when FIRST started, teams didn’t have numbers. By 1998, numbers were assigned based on sponsor’s names, alphabetically. (Team #1 had 3-Dimensional Services as a sponsor.) After 1999, any teams that still competed from 1999 got to keep their numbers permanently, and any new teams got numbers in order of registration (hence Israel having a block of numbers–they like to register at the same time).
But, there are some teams (like 39 and 4) that did not form as rookies. They split from a veteran team. In this situation, FIRST assigns unused numbers from the original team’s rookie year.
So, M.O.R.T. got their number due to their sponsors’ name in the late 90’s and wound up with it locked into 11.
BeachBot is 330, but was originally known as team 82 (in 1998). Then a key sponsor had a name change, and they became 330 in 1999. Then the numbers locked.
At least, that’s how I remember the numbering working.
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Or everyone will beat me to it before I even post.
=p
Have numbers everbeen reused after the team officially retires
No number that was ever used by an active team and been inactive for three or more years has been reused to our database’s knowledge.
Team’s have sat out a year or three and still retained their old team number when they’ve returned.
And another perennial question (that has to be on CD somewhere, but I can’t find it) is, do we have the complete list of teams that have competed since the Great Renumbering of 1998?
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Yes, Team 425 receive one of these numbers because when they started they had a student on the new team that had been on another team
Mark corrected me look 2 posts down
Yup so back before '98 we were team 8 in our rookie year due to our primary sponsor BASF. Then 11 since its alphabetical by main sponsor’s name. Hence Baxter Bomb Squad being 16.
425 was a number that had never been assigned to any team before 2007.
I have a little list…
We have a searchable database of historical teams at team_lookup, but it’s on an individual team number basis.
I also have team lists for each year that I use to support some statistical analysis I while away the hours with.
We look at how many teams drop out each year, how many defunct veterans later return to the FIRST fold, that kind of thing.
Back when FIRST assigned team numbers, the Juggernauts were sponsored by 3-Dimensional Services. (3XXXXX was never our sponsor :P) All teams were sorted by sponsor names, with letters coming before numbers. Thus, we were listed first and were assigned to the number 1.
Having the #1 is a honor; living up to the number is always on our minds. It’s also funny to talk to people, often at Championships, who come up to our pit just who see who this team #1 is.
Also, being team #1 has another nice benefit: at tournaments, we are often assigned to the end of a row, making our pit easier to find. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
I thought is was 3M, which I knew wasn’t right. So I put some filler in. I’ll fix it in the original post.
Lol yea same thing happens to us, I hate explaining the original numbering system so that the real original teams get the credit they deserve.
Being pit buddies with 1 and 27 was AWESOME last year. Definitely hope to do it again. 
There is one HUGE disadvantage with keeping your team no.
When you go to CMP, you’re never in the same division with the team that started before and after you.
Example: Always wanted to be teammates with Mark and his team 358 and will never be teammates with team 360 in the same division.
FIRST should explore changing how then assign divisions to give it a new flavor sometimes. 
We are a new team this year and we requested a lower number so we would be close to our other team.
New Team 216
Org Team 288
Both from Grandville High School
Thanks, Mark.
There was only one numbered year before the numbers were locked, IIRC. I was on team 17 in 1997 and team 23 in 1998-1999 (Boston Edison was our sponsor in 98 when numbers locked, but changed to Entergy in 1999 after numbers locked. The team itself was a rookie in 1995 (National rookie all-stars that year).
The team transitioned out of FIRST after 1999, but our mentor (WFA winner) is still active in WFA judging and ran the parts table in Seattle last year.
I’m curious if FIRST still does a trial competition with a few teams before kickoff. One of my college classmates did FIRST as a prototype team. They held a mini regional before kickoff to test the rules. If so, I bet they are not numbered teams.