The World Games 2025 - Drone Racing

The Drone Racing event is based on three stages (Qualification - Elimination - Final)

Qualification stage

Pilots first fly in a series of qualifying rounds, each consisting of 8 races, with 4 pilots in each race. The composition of the groups of 4 pilots is determined by drawing lots. The schedule provides for five qualifying rounds, but this number might have to be reduced, due to bad weather or other unforeseen problems.

In each race, the athletes are allowed up to three minutes of flight time to complete 3 consecutive laps.

The average of each athlete’s 3 fastest recorded times for a single lap in all qualifying rounds will be used as the figure to determine the ranking order of all 32 pilots in the qualification stage.

This ranking (similar to seeding in tennis) determines the composition of the groups for the first round of 8 elimination races.

Elimination stage

The elimination stage consists of a knock-out tournament, starting with a first round of 8 races (with 4 pilots in each race). In the quarter-final round, 16 pilots remain (4 races of 4 pilots), and in the semi-finals there are two races, each with 4 pilots (8 pilots in total). At the end of each round, the two best-placed pilots in each race are automatically selected to move on to the next round. However, the pilots who are placed third and fourth in the early qualification rounds are not immediately eliminated. Instead, they drop down into a parallel “second-chance” sequence of “repechage” races. Those who place first and second in these races will, in the next “second-chance” round, come up against those placed third and fourth in the main elimination sequence races. Athletes placed third and fourth in any of the second-tier repechage races are definitively eliminated. This system ensures that the “luck-of-the-draw” factor is minimized, and only the very best pilots get through to the final. The two athletes placed first and second in the final second-tier elimination race gain access to the final stage.  

The pilots in all races in the two elimination sequences have to complete 3 consecutive laps within the allowed three-minute flight time period. Once the athlete has completed three laps or when the permitted flight time is over, he/she must land the model.

The first athlete to cross the finish line after completing 3 laps is placed first in the race, and so on. Those who do not complete 3 laps will be placed in the race according to the number of laps they did complete and the registered time in which those laps were completed. Disqualified competitor(s) will be placed after the competitors who obtained a registered time or failed to complete their first lap.

In case of a tie for the second place, the pilots’ placings in the qualification stage ranking will be used to determine who is selected for the next round.

Final stage

The two best-placed athletes in the last main elimination round (one race) and the two best- placed in the last round of the second-tier repechage sequence (one race) are selected for the final stage, which determines their final rankings, from 1st to 4th place.

The final stage consists of at least two successive final races. The final is over as soon as one of the athletes has won two final races. This athlete will then be declared the winner of the TWG 2025 Drone Racing event.

For the final rankings from 2nd to 4th places, points will be allocated as follows in each of the final races: 1 point for the first-placed, 2 points for the second, 3 points for the third and 4 points for the fourth. The finalists concerned will be ranked by calculating the total sum of their points in all the final races, the finalist with the lowest sum of points being placed 2nd, and so on. In case of a tie, placings in the last final race will be used to split the tie for the finalists concerned.

Rundown of competition

In each race, the four pilots will be seated on the pilots’ platform, with their helpers alongside, and with four judges placed behind the pilots. The platform is equipped with armchairs for the pilots, and tables and chairs for the judges, and must be easily accessible for pilot(s) flying in a wheelchair.

The drones are remotely controlled by their pilots. The pilots can do this because they all wear goggles that display the video feed received from the cameras on board the drones.

For the start of each race, the four competing drones are placed on pods on the racing-circuit start line.

Field of play

A football stadium is perfectly suitable as the field of play for Drone Racing.

A racing-circuit length (measured along the centreline of the optimum 3D flight path) of about 500 to 600 m is recommended in order to obtain a race time of about 2 minutes for 3 consecutive laps.

The circuit contains a start area equipped with 4 pods for the drones, gates (including the start/finish gate) to fly through, and additional obstacles (natural or artificial) to be crossed or avoided. Obstacles can be located at any height and position. The flight path between obstacles must allow a smooth flight. Obstacles must contrast with the background and be perfectly visible with a standard FPV video device at a distance of 30 m.

A pick-up area after the finish gate enables pilots to land their drones and recover them easily after the race. This area must be situated where it does not interfere with the flights of the pilots who continue flying after crossing the finish line.

For night flight, LED light devices should be installed along the track path and on the gates/obstacles.

Glossary of terms

Racing circuit: 3D flight path including obstacles to be crossed or avoided.

Racing drone: Frame in carbon fibre - Four electric motors powered by a battery pack of up to 6 elements with a voltage per element of maximum 4.25 V when fully charged - The drone is equipped with a flight controller, a camera and a video transmitter

• The drones will be equipped with a LED light device with possibility to select colours, so that the drones in flight may be identified with different colours.

Electronic Timing System

Each drone is timed during the races by means of an electronic timing system connected to the video output signal.

Radio Control equipment: To allow the athlete to pilot their drone by using joysticks with one finger from each hand.

FPV: First Person View flight from an on-board camera transmitting a video signal to the goggles worn by the pilot.