Eddy County Drone Soccer League

The Eddy County Drone Soccer League at SENMC is a competitive, high-tech sport for children aged 10-18 that blends robotics with teamwork. This program is designed as a potential direct pathway to advanced workforce training in aerospace, electronics, and FAA-compliant drone operations. Play is facilitated through their school or other youth activity centers.

Grant Funding & Provided Equipment

Through the Skyward Opportunities Grant, SENMC provides participating teams with the essential equipment and training resources needed to launch their programs. This comprehensive package includes:

• Hardware: Complete drone kits ready for student assembly.
• Field Equipment: A full-size inflatable arena and protective mat flooring.
• Educational Resources: Access to online training portals for coaches, instructors, and referees (instructor access code required).

For Parents & Students

Drone soccer is a fast-paced team sport played inside a protective containment arena. Student teams build, program, repair, and fly block-framed drones designed to take high-speed hits

What Students Learn:

• • Technical Skills: Hands-on hardware assembly, electronics repair, and mechanical troubleshooting.
  • Aviation Credentials: Students prepare for and take the mandatory FAA TRUST safety exam.
  • Teamwork: Operating as a cohesive unit to manage flight strategies, defense, and rapid "pit crew" repairs between rounds.

2026 - 2027 Season Schedule & Format:

Matches maintain the standard format of 3 rounds lasting 3 minutes each. However, instead of spreading single matches across months, our league features high-density game days where four teams play each other all in one day. Bye weeks are intentionally built into the schedule between these game days to allow teams ample time for repairs, maintenance, and extra practices.

• August: Students learn to build and fly drones.
• September: Intraschool matches begin. Students transition from basic flight mechanics to learning game rules and practicing with officials present.
• Early October: Preseason Scrimmage. Teams face outside opponents for the first time in a multi-team scrimmage where scores are kept.
• October – December: Regular Season. Traveling multi-match league days hosted at participating local sites, separated by repair and practice bye weeks.
• Early 2027: The season concludes with the League Championship tournament hosted at SENMC.

How We Differ from USDSA

The Eddy County Drone Soccer League operates independently of the national association (USDSA). While we adopt standard U.S. Drone Soccer guidelines for gameplay, scoring, and settling disputes, we have adapted our local league rules to better serve the realities of our community:

• Age Eligibility: We open registration to children ages 10–18, expanding access younger than the traditional 12–18 national bracket.
• Adaptive Equipment: We welcome the use of sensory helmets or any other non-uniform equipment necessary to accommodate our players' sensory sensitivities.
• Roster Flexibility: While we highly encourage a diverse mix of participants, we understand the logistical realities of our small geographic area. Unlike strict national tournament requirements, our local league will never disqualify a team for not meeting specific gender splits on their roster.
• More Match Play: Our compressed regular season schedule guarantees that teams play multiple matches per event, maximizing flight time and competitive experience.

For Volunteers & League Officials

We are recruiting Referees and Scorers for our inaugural season. You do not need a background in aviation or robotics to participate.

Positions & Training:

• Referees: Responsible for managing the arena, overseeing match safety, and calling fouls. SENMC does not provide referee training; volunteers must complete the official course independently. Grant-funded access codes are available for our volunteers.
  • 🔗 Complete your certification here: U.S. Drone Soccer Referee Training
• Scorers: Responsible for tracking the "Striker" drones and managing the official match clock. Scorers do not require outside certification and will have the opportunity to attend team practices starting in September to learn the scoring guidelines.