Robots are on a collision course with Niles this weekend, and they are coming to play basketball.

For the second straight year, Niles High School will be hosting the Niles FIRST Robotics District Competition in the high school’s gymnasium.

The action tips off at 11 a.m. Friday and continues at 9 a.m. Saturday.

More than 800 students and 41 teams from all over Michigan are scheduled to compete in the tournament, which is designed to see which team’s robot is best at shooting hoops.

The event is free to the public.

“It is difficult to describe,” Niles High School Robotics coach Wayne Borr said. “These are really smart kids working hard and having a good time all at the same time. We like to call it ‘hard fun.’”

Area teams competing include Niles High School Team 3,509; Cassopolis High School Team 4,325; Lake Michigan College Team 2,474; and Lake Michigan College 2 Team 4,409.

The game, dubbed “Rebound Rumble,” is played by two competing alliances on a flat 27-by-54-foot field. Each alliance consists of three robots. They compete to score as many basketballs into their hoops as they can during a 2:15 match. There are multiple hoops and a basket made in a higher hoop yields more points.

Each team had the same amount of time to design and build their robot for the FIRST Robotics season. There are five weeks in the season and each team must compete at least twice to earn points for state. The top 60 teams qualify for state.

Qualifying district matches will take place all day Friday and Saturday morning. When qualifying matches are finished, the top eight teams each choose two other teams to join their alliance. The eight alliances then face off in elimination matches to determine a winner.

Elimination matches take place from 2-5 p.m. Saturday.

Niles FIRST Robotics District Competition

At Niles High School

Friday, Saturday

Schedule of events

Thursday

6-10 p.m. — Pits and inspection open

Friday

8 a.m. — Pits and machine shop open

8-10 a.m. — Inspection and open practice

10:30 a.m. — Opening ceremonies

11 a.m. — Matches begin

1-2 p.m. — Lunch

2:30-7 p.m. — Matches

8 p.m. — Pits close

Saturday

8 a.m. — Pits and machine shop open

9 a.m. — Opening ceremonies

9:30 a.m. — Matches

12:30-1 p.m. — Alliance selections

1-2 p.m. — Lunch

2-5 p.m. — Elimination matches

5-5:45 p.m. — Awards ceremony

6:30 p.m. — Pits close