How does the live picklist work during alliance selection?
Last verified October 18, 2026
Each event gets one picklist for your team that everyone sees update live. Drag teams into order, mark do-not-picks, then Lock it so nobody can change it while you're on the field, and use Read off or Print to call picks.
You need: Build picklists & scouting notes (to edit; anyone on the team can view)
Open it
Open your event in Scouting and go to the Picklist tab. Once quals finish, the card at the top of This event also points you there with Rank and lock your picklist.
How the list starts
The first time anyone opens it, the list holds every team at the event except yours, in recommended order. After that, the order is yours. New scouting data updates each team's score and badges but never moves a team, so a list you ranked in the morning stays put.
Re-rank throws away your order and rebuilds it from the current data. It asks first.
The Score column (0 to 100) is the recommendation. It blends overall strength, how well a team covers what your robot lacks, consistency, their pit sheet and match observations, each compared only against teams at this event. For the details, tap the info icon next to Score in a team's details or in the Every team, by the numbers table below the list. What we need lets you set how much each part of the game matters to you, from 0 to 1.
Rank it together
Everyone on your team sees the same board, and changes show up for everyone within moments.
- On a computer, drag a team to a new spot. On any device, the up and down arrows (Move up, Move down) work too.
- Tap a team to open its details. Move to rank jumps it to a number. You can also star, tag, write notes and fill in a missing pit sheet from there.
- While a teammate is dragging a row, it shows their name and can't be moved by anyone else.
Dividers mark where round 1 and round 2 of picks usually end, based on the number of alliances at the event.
Do not pick
Tap the X at the end of a team's row (Do not pick), or swipe the row left on a phone. It moves to a separate Do not pick list. An Undo appears for a moment, and you can take a team off the list again at any time.
When FIRST publishes the alliances, teams that were picked are dimmed and labelled with their alliance number. That can lag behind what's happening on the field, so keep someone watching the selection.
Lock it before you walk out
Click Lock and confirm. The list becomes read-only for everyone on your team until someone clicks Unlock.
At the field:
- Read off shows the top 12 in big type for calling out picks. Show all lists the rest.
- Print gives you a paper copy.
- CSV downloads the list.
Add teammates fast
Click Invite to show a QR code. Scanning it signs the person in, adds them to your team and opens this picklist. Each invite works for 12 hours and for up to 15 people. Revoke one from the Invite links panel; people who already joined stay on the team.