MCTF Game Rules & Scoring

Maritime Capture-the-Flag (MCTF) is a team-based competition in which autonomous marine vehicles compete to capture the opponent’s flag while defending their own. Games are played within a bounded maritime environment and run for a fixed (10 minute) duration.

Game Overview

The playing field is a rectangular area measuring 160 m × 80 m, divided into two equal halves of 80 m × 80 m. Two teams, Red and Blue, compete in each match. Each team consists of three autonomous agents.

Each team has two quarter circle home base located in the furthest two corners from the midpoint line agents must be within 10 m diameter from the corners to successfully capture/untag.

Agents may move freely within the playing field. Any agent that exits the field boundaries is automatically returned to the closest home base.

Game Events

Tag

A tag occurs when an agent comes within 10 meters of an opposing agent inside its own team’s half of the field. Both agents must be in the same half for a tag to be awarded.

When tagged, an agent must return to one of its home base to become untagged (Game will automatically drive you back control is returned when the agent is no longer tagged). If the agent was carrying the opponent’s flag, the flag is immediately returned to the opponent’s home base.

Flag Grab

An agent may grab the opponent’s flag by getting within 10 meters of the opposing teams flag (Blue and Red circles) while in an untagged state, provided the flag is present.

Flag Capture

A flag capture occurs when an agent successfully returns to one of its home bases while carrying the opponent’s flag and not in a tagged state.

Auto-Tag

If an agent exits the boundaries of the playing field, an automatic tag is enforced. The agent is immediately returned to the closest home base.

Untagging

Agents that are tagged—either by an opponent or via auto-tag—must return to their home base to become untagged. Tagged agents cannot tag opponents or interact with flags.

When an agent is tagged, the game controller temporarily overrides the agent’s controls and navigates it back to its home base.

Powerplay Rules

Each team is granted one Powerplay per game. A Powerplay lasts 2 minutes, and Powerplay periods for opposing teams do not overlap.

  • During a team’s Powerplay, one agent on the opposing team is disabled.
  • The disabled agent cannot move, tag, or interact with flags.
  • The disabled agent is automatically re-enabled once the Powerplay ends.
  • Powerplays are enforced by the game controller.

Game Duration & Scoring

Each game lasts a total of 10 minutes.

Primary Score

Primary Score =
  Team Flag Captures
- Opponent Flag Capture

Tie-Breaker

  1. Grabs (highest)
  2. Collisions (fewest)

Scoring Definitions

  • Flag Capture: Returning the opponent’s flag to home base
  • Flag Grab: Successfully picking up the opponent’s flag
  • Tag: Tagging an opponent agent within tagging distance
  • Collision: Any instance where an agent comes within 4 meters of another agent (teammate or opponent)

Competition Rounds

Simulation

Each submitted agent is evaluated by playing a round-robin tournament against the current top 10 teams. Rankings are updated on the leaderboard accordingly. If a submission places within the top 10, the evaluation is repeated to recompute standings among the top 10 teams and ensure consistent ranking.

Hardware

The top 10 teams from the simulation round will then compete in a round robin tournament on unmanned surface vehicles(USV) at the United States Military Academy (USMA).

Results

Results are recorded and displayed on the MCTF 2026 home page for both the simulation and hardware competitions. The top 10 performing teams will then be invited to participate in a academic paper highlighting algorithms/approaches and results of the competition.

There are no monetary or non-monetary prizes for participation or placement.

Disqualification & Legal Terms

The competition organizers reserve the right to disqualify any submission that violates the competition rules or eligibility requirements. Participants may not create multiple accounts.

Participation does not obligate the organizers or affiliated institutions to procure any submitted solutions. All participants agree to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Eligibility Requirements

You are eligible to register and compete in this challenge only if you meet all of the following requirements:

  1. You agree to the rules outlined within the challenge. Any participant who submits marterials for consideration implicitly agrees to the rules outlined within the challenge.
  2. You are 18 years of age or older.
  3. Regulations included in the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) saction page. Residents of these countries/regions that are non-government employees are eligible to participate.
  4. You are currently not listed on the U.S. Statutory Debarment List of DDTC (Directorate of Defense Trade Controls).
  • If you are a federal entity or Federal employee, you may participate in the MCTF competition
  • Participants must be registered as mutually exclusive teams. Each team is allowed to submit only one final entry (Unless approved by a competition organizer).
  • The competition organizers are not responsible for entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for entries that we receive but result in an error during execution.

Release of Claims

The Submitter agrees to release and forever discharge any and all manner of claims, equitable adjustments, actions, suits, debts, appeals, and all other obligations of any kind, whether past or present, known or unknown, that have or may arise from, are related to or are in connection with, directly or indirectly, this Challenge or the Submitter’s submission.

Compliance with Laws

The Submitter agrees to follow and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.

Governing Law

This Competition is subject to all applicable federal laws and regulations. ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE FEDERAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Limits on Exchanges

Government personnel involved in the MCTF Competition shall not engage in conduct that favors one competitor over another to ensure all competitors have equal opportunity and access to resources.

Contact: john.kliem3.civ@us.navy.mil  |  Slack