U.S. Drone Soccer

Drone soccer is a thrilling indoor team sport played with remote controlled hobby quadcopters that are safely enclosed in protective plastic spheres (“soccer balls”). Teams attempt to protect their goal by flying and colliding into the opposing team, while helping to carve a path for their designated “striker” drone to score through the opposing goal. The standard playing area for the 20cm drone soccer ball can fit inside a classroom – a 10’x20’ (3mx6m) court, with a raised vertical hoops on both ends to serve as goals. Participation emphasizes both STEM education and teamwork; students are responsible for building, flying, and repairing drones for competition. Both lessons and competitive events can be conducted to allow for safe social distancing. The U.S. Drone Soccer League is a national community of participating schools (grades 6-12) and community organizations that provide high-engagement exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Lessons and competitions emphasize hands-on learning with aerospace engineering, computer programming, and aviation.