The Trial

The Trial was a challenge set in the second round of each heat in the first two series of Robot Wars. After one robot had been eliminated in the Gauntlet, the five remaining robots would compete in one of eleven different Trial events, which would alternate from week to week. The losing robot would be eliminated, leaving four robots to move onto the Arena. Both the Trial and the Gauntlet was scrapped after the second series of the show when the format was changed to a straight knock-out competition. However, some of the events remained as side competitions in future series.

British Bulldog
British Bulldog appeared in the first series and was based on the school playground game of the same name. The five robots would enter the arena together and try to get from one side to the other in the shortest time possible. The house robots would try to prevent them from getting across, along with a set of stationary obstacles. The robot that travelled the least distance across the arena was eliminated from the competition. In the event that all five robots made it across, the robot that took the longest would be eliminated.

Football
Football appeared in the first and second series as a robotic version of the popular sport. The five robots would enter the arena together with the aim of pushing the ball into the goal which was defended by the house robots. After a robot scored it would be removed from the arena and the rest would be left to continue. The last robot left in the arena would be eliminated from the competition. If time ran out with robots still yet to score, the least active robot would be eliminated. In the first series the goalkeeper was Dead Metal and in the second series it was Sgt. Bash with Matilda added to the game as a defender.

Football returned as a side competition in The Third Wars. Dead Metal was back in goal with Matilda defending and the winner in each round was the first robot to score. The final finished with no score but Evil Weevil was named as the winner by the judges having been the most active competitor.

Labyrinth
The Labyrinth appeared in the first series as a giant metal maze. The robots would start at one end of the maze and had 90 seconds to get to the other side. The task was made more difficult as the house robots were stationed in the maze to slow the competitors down. The robot that travelled the least distance would be eliminated from the competition. If all five robots made it to the other side of the maze, the one that completed it in the slowest time would be eliminated.

Snooker
Snooker appeared in the first series as a robotic version of the popular cue sport. Each robot was assigned a 'pocket' into which they had to push as many balls as they could before time ran out. Robots could push the balls into any of the five pockets but they would only get points for balls pushed into their own pockets and would score points for their opponents if the balls went into the wrong pocket. The robot with the fewest balls in its pocket when time ran out would be eliminated from the competition. In the event of a tie, the least active robot would be eliminated.

Stock Car
Stock Car appeared in the first series as a test of speed and manoeuvrability. The five robots were lined up on the grid in order of their performance in the Gauntlet and had to complete three laps of the figure-of-eight course in the quickest possible time. The race ended when the first robot completed three laps and the robot that covered the least distance at that point would be eliminated from the competition.

Sumo
Sumo appeared in the first and second series as a test of a robot's brute strength and pushing power. Each robot would take turns to enter a small circular stage with one of the house robots, with the aim being to push the house robot out of the ring or otherwise remain on the stage for a full 60 seconds. The robot that survived for the least amount of time was eliminated from the competition. In the first series, the robots competed against Shunt and in the second series it was Dead Metal.

Sumo returned as a side competition in The Fourth Wars. Shunt returned to face the competing robots. The winner of the event was Panic Attack, who dodged an attack by Shunt causing the house robot to fall out of the ring after 21 seconds.

 