FIRST® LEGO® League Tournament Manual

8/24/2021

FIRST

LEGO

League

Tournament Manual

(updated September 1, 2019)

ANEXOIV

Table of Contents

1. FIRST

, the LEGO

Group and FIRST LEGO League

2. Leadership –Your Planning Team

3. The Venue

4. Supplies and Equipment

5. Preparation Timeline

6. Volunteers

7. Budget

8. Teams and Communications

9. Scheduling

10. Documents and Signage

11. Event Safety, Accessibility and Cancellation

12. Production

13. Judging Overview

14. Robot Game Overview

15. Event Promotion

16. Post Event

The purpose of this manual is to provide an overview of the basic framework necessary to prepare and deliver an official

FIRST

LEGO

League tournament.

FIRST LEGO League tournaments vary from region to region. What is included in this manual are those common

denominators among tournaments and those items FIRST LEGO League would require or recommend at an official

tournament.

In this manual, Tournament Director refers to the individual responsible for the tournament.

The intended audience for this FIRST LEGOLeague Tournament Manual is the Tournament Director and members of

his/her planning team.

The term FIRST LEGO League Partner refers to the organization or individual who is responsible to either FIRST

(US/Canada) or LEGO Education (outside US/Canada) for managing and delivering the FIRST LEGO League program in a

particular region. All official tournaments in a particular region are under the leadership of that region’s FIRST LEGO League

Partner.

The Tournament Director should remember that he/she is responsible to the region’s FIRST LEGOLeague Partner. This

manual does not supersede that responsibility. Make arrangements according to your Partner’s policies and procedures,

and communicate regularly with your Partner.

FIRST

, FIRST logo, Gracious Professionalism

, and Coopertition

are registered trademarks of

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST). LEGO

is a registered trademark of The LEGO Group.

FIRST

LEGO

League is a jointly held trademark of FIRST and The LEGO Group.

As you read and use this manual, make adjustments

when it makes sense to do so in order to satisfy your

specific circumstances, needs and resources.

Marks an item that is a FIRST LEGO League Global Standard

Marks an item that the FIRST LEGO League Global Standards

identify as a Best Practice

8/24/2021

If you have feedback about this manual,

we want to hear from you.

Please email:

Kathy Levine, klevine@firstinspires.org

Dan Maggio, [email protected]

September 1, 2019

Chapter 1

FIRST

, the LEGO

Group and

FIRST LEGO League

FIRST is a 501(c)(3) public charity, founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, based in

Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

The FIRST mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology

leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build

science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that

foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication,

and leadership.

Gracious Professionalism

is a founding principle of FIRST. It is a way of

doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of

others, and respects individuals and the community.

Learn more about FIRST

nspiration and

ecognition of

cience and

echnology (FIRST)

FIRST

Progression of Programs

FIRST LEGO League Jr.

FIRST LEGO League

FIRST Tech Challenge

FIRST Robotics Competition

8/24/2021

What is FIRST

LEGO

League?

FIRST LEGO League was formed in 1998 as an alliance between

FIRST and the LEGO Group. There are now more than 35,000

teams in over 100 countries.

Guided by adult coaches, FIRST LEGO League teams research a

real-world problem such as food safety, recycling, energy, etc., and

are challenged to develop a solution. They also must design, build,

program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology, then

compete on a table-top playing field.

It all adds up to tons of fun while they learn to apply science,

technology, engineering, and math concepts (STEM), plus a big dose

of imagination, to solve a problem. Along their discovery journey, they

develop critical thinking and team-building skills, basic STEM

applications, and even presentation skills, as they must present their

solutions with a dash of creativity to judges. They also practice the

Program’s signature Core Values.

What is a FIRST

LEGO

League Tournament?

A FIRST LEGO League tournament is an exciting,

high-energy, sports-like event celebrating the kids’

accomplishments with dancing, music, and play-by-

play game announcing. While some tournaments are

highly-produced, this is not a requirement for a

successful event.

FIRST LEGO League teams will

 Compete with their robots, a result of many weeks

of hard work designing, building, programming and

testing.

 Present and share their Innovation Project research

and innovative solution.

 Demonstrate their ability to work as a team and

their FIRST Core Values.

 Show how exciting science, math and technology

can be.

Elements of a FIRST

LEGO

League Tournament

MAKE IT FUN! This is a celebration, and it should feel

like a celebration. Included are Opening and

Closing/Awards Ceremonies

RESPECT THE WORK OF THE CHILDREN! Te am s

work very hard to reach the tournament, and they should

always feel that the Judges, Referees and other

volunteers understand that their work is important.

BE AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE, WHILE TRYING TO

MINIMIZE GRIEF OR DISAPPOINTMENT. Sometimes, a

little creative thinking or the right philosophy can make an

obstacle into a success. Give the benefit of the doubt,

when in doubt.

IT IS INSPIRATIONAL. FIRST and the LEGO Group aim to excite kids about science and technology, and provide

valuable life skills.

IT IS A COMPETITION. The public shares the excitement as teams compete at least three times against their own

best scores.

THERE IS JUDGING. Teams will be judged in three judging sessions for Robot Design, Innovation Project and Core

Values -- usually not viewable by the public.

Check out FIRST LEGO League on YouTube

September 1, 2019

Chapter 2

Leadership – Your Planning Team

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Judge Advisor, Head Referee, Volunteer Coordinator, Technical

Advisor, Teams Coordinator, Materials Coordinator, Facilities Coordinator, Food Coordinator, Production

Coordinator, Media Coordinator, Fundraising Coordinator

910

11 12

8/24/2021

A Tournament Director Will Need Help

Common Tournament Roles or Tasks

Must fill these two roles. Should be

each person’s only role.

A critical role with the Head Referee

and Judge Advisor.

Each of these roles contributes to the

preparation of the event.

Optional, depending on your situation.

Head

Referee

Volunteer

Coordinator

Judge

Advisor

Technical

Advisor

Food

Coordinator

Materials

Coordinator

Teams

Coordinator

Facilities

Coordinator

Tournament

Director

Fundraising

Coordinator

Production

Coordinator

Media

Coordinator

The organizer and leader.

Think of it This Way

Head

Referee

Volunteer

Coordinator

Judge

Advisor

Technical

Advisor

Food

Coordinator

Materials

Coordinator

Teams

Coordinator

Facilities

Coordinator

Tournament

Director

You may have 4, 5 or 8

people so one person may

need to wear multiple hats

– this is not unusual.

JOBS that need to be done PEOPLE willing to help

Production

Coordinator

Primary Roles

You will need four separate people for these key roles.

Head

Referee

Volunteer

Coordinator

Judge

Advisor

Tournament

Director

Technical

Advisor

Food

Coordinator

Materials

Coordinator

Teams

Coordinator

Facilities

Coordinator

Production

Coordinator

Secondary Roles

Fundraising

Coordinator

Media

Coordinator

Optional Roles

This is the

common

denominator

among all

tournaments

13 14

15 16

8/24/2021

A Few Conditions

 Your Planning Team should have at least four people.

 The Judge Advisor should only do that role.

 The Head Referee should only do that role.

 The Volunteer Coordinator can handle other roles but should not

be the Tournament Director.

Bigger Challenges

Finding a Head Referee and Judge Advisor

Here’s an Example

Head

Referee

Volunteer

Coordinator

Judge

Advisor

Materials

Food

Technical

Teams

Facilities

Tournament

Director

Notice – these two

should only have

one role each!

These

secondary

roles can be

distributed

differently

Production

The common

denominator

Here is Another Example

Head

Referee

Volunteer

Coordinator

Judge

Advisor

Materials

Food

Technical

Teams

Facilities

Tournament

Director

Production

The common

denominator

Role Descriptions

 Works directly with the Partner to determine

budget, equipment support, date, capacity, venue

 Organizes the Planning Team

 Oversees the entire operation of the tournament

 Responsible for developing the tournament

schedule

 Oversees that all areas are staffed, trained,

informed

 Makes sure the tournament runs on schedule

 Works with the judge advisor and production

coordinator to arrange the opening and

closing/awards ceremonies

 Works to make sure everyone involved has a

positive experience

 At the tournament, is the point of contact for

elevated issues

 Sees that the FLL Global Standards are being met

 Could handle secondary roles

 Oversees the Robot Game prior to and during event,

including final decisions if scoring is in dispute

 Assists in recruiting and training of referees, and

oversees all referees at the event

 Responsible for proper construction, quality and

maintenance of the Robot Game tables, mats and

models

 Reviews all referee-related material for that

Challenge season

 Participates in head referee training

 Arranges supplies for referee training and the

tournament

 Coordinates with emcee, scorekeeper and field

manager

 Provides field input to judge advisor for deliberations

 Abides by FLL Global Standards

 TAKES ON NO OTHER ROLES

TournamentDirector HeadReferee

17 18

19 20

8/24/2021

 Oversees the judging process prior to and during

event, including awards deliberations

 Oversees the judging area setup for the tournament

 Assists in recruiting and training of judges

 Arranges details and supplies for judge training and

the tournament

 Reviews judge-related material for that season

 Successfully completes the judge advisor training and

certification

 Works with the Tournament Director on scheduling

judging sessions

 Facilitates judge deliberations

 Works with the production coordinator to coordinate

the awards scripts

 Abides by the FLL Global Standards

 TAKES ON NO OTHER ROLE

 (US/CAN only) Knows the Youth Protection Program

guidelines and ensures that the tournament is

adhering to these guidelines

 (Outside US/CAN) Knows the local youth protection

requirements and rules, and any required volunteer

screening.

 Identifies volunteer roles needed for the event

 Recruits volunteers for roles -- judges, referees and

event-day volunteers. Note: sometimes the judge

advisor will recruit/help recruit judges, and the head

referee will recruit/help recruit referees.

 Assigns volunteers to roles

 Communicates with volunteers prior to event about

role clarification, training, dress code, venue

information, etc.

 Coordinates the volunteers during the event – assists

with volunteer check-in and volunteer management

 Holds a volunteer training meeting/call or sends out

training information

 At the event, supervises all event-day volunteers

JudgeAdvisor VolunteerCoordinator

Role Descriptions

 Works closely with Tournament Director

 Oversees DJ, audio, visual, lighting, computer

needs and software from setup to teardown

 Ensures technical systems are functional, safe, and

meet event needs

 Understands the hardware needs for the software

used for scoring and/or display

 For tournament staff, this person is the go-to person

when computer problems arise

TechnicalAdvisor Tea m sCoordinator

 Coordinates communications with teams

 Often oversees team check in and/or pit admin

 Produces event-related team materials including

team registration packets

 Works closely with the Tournament Director

 Point of contact for special needs requests

FoodCoordinator

 Coordinates food and beverage needs for all

volunteers

 Coordinates team lunches, if applicable

 (US/CAN only) Works with the Partner to ensure

Youth Protection Program requirements are fulfilled

relative to hired food vendors (they are qualified and

licensed)

Role Descriptions

MaterialsCoordinator

 Orders event merchandise

 Arranges the production of team materials

 Handles printing and copying of materials

 Produces event signage

 Procures event supplies

 Handles development and printing of the program

book

FacilitiesCoordinator

 Deals with issues relating to facility usage

including contracts and any required insurance

 Serves as a liaison to facility management and

workers, including custodial

 Arranges for building access

 Arranges for building usage - power, tables,

rooms, custodial, building access, etc.

ProductionCoordinator

 Creates, plans and produces the ceremonies

 Arranges for videos that need to be shown

 Arranges for guest speakers

 Coordinates the parade of teams (if applicable)

Sources for Planning Team Members

 Staff of other FIRST LEGO League tournaments

 Established FIRST coaches

 Tournament sponsors

 Friends or co-workers

 Elementary and middle school teachers

 Engineering and science students (from your

local universities)

 Elementary education majors (from your local

universities)

 Local STEM action groups

 Parents of competition teams

 Former FIRST LEGO League participants

21 22

23 24

8/24/2021

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter2HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 3

The Venue

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Technical Advisor, Facilities Coordinator

Seven Primary Areas

Every FIRST

LEGO

League tournament should have these areas in common.

1. Opening and

Closing Ceremonies

2. Robot Competition 3. Team Judging

4. Judge Deliberation

Room

5. Team Pits

6. Referee and

Event-Day Volunteer

Room

7. Welcome /

Team Check In /

Volunteer Check In

1. Opening and Closing Ceremonies Area

Team and spectator seating

What to consider

• Ample seating (240-300 seats

per 12 teams)

• Built-in audio

• Video capabilities

• Access to electricity

• Space for teams to receive

awards

Examples

• School gym

• Auditorium

•Atrium

• Large lecture hall

• Large conference space or

multi-purpose room

• Student union

A stage or

podium for

speakers.

Space for parade of teams for the opening and a high-five line for the

closing ceremonies.

Possibly

video

25 26

27 28

8/24/2021

Opening & Closing Ceremonies

2. Robot Competition Area

This area often doubles as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies Area

Seating,assume240‐ 300peopleper12teams

What to consider

• Ample seating for

spectators

• Built-in audio and video

capabilities

• Access to electricity

• Ample space for

competition tables

• Staging area

• Space for scorekeeper,

timekeeper, A/V,

music

Staging

area

Tournament Table

Barrier

Examples

• School gym

• Auditorium

•Atrium

• Large lecture hall

• Large conference room

• Student Union

• Large multi-purpose

room

Power

Tables for

scorekeeper,

timekeeper,

DJ, A/V

Check-in

table

Chairs

6 foot / 1.8

meters wide

buffer zone

Screen for display

Robot Competition Area

3. Team Judging Area

This diagram illustrates two judging lanes, as an example.

Access to power

(optional)

What to consider:

• Rooms/spaces, about 15 ft. by 15

ft. or 4.6 m by 4.6 m at a minimum.

• Separate rooms are desirable, if

possible.

• One set of three “spaces” (a “lane”)

preferred per 12 teams

• Ability to make the space as quiet

as possible

• Rooms need to fit 2 judges, up to

10 kids and possibly 2 adults

• Judges need a table & chairs

• It is helpful if all judging rooms are

close to each other

• Can large rooms be partitioned to

make smaller rooms?

• In the Innovation Project room, a

projector and power might be

helpful for some teams, if available

Robot Design 1Innovation Project 1

Core Values 1

Robot Design 2Innovation Project 2

Core Values 2

Lane 1

Table / Work Surface,

varies based on teamwork

activity

Practice Table

(if used, not

required)

Table and

chairs for

judges

Table for

teams to use

Examples

• Classrooms

• Pipe & drape created spaces

• Meeting rooms

•Offices

Lane 2

29 30

31 32

8/24/2021

RobotDesign

InnovationProject

RobotDesignInnovationProject

CoreValues

Team Judging Area

Seating for

three groups

of judges

4. Judge Deliberation Room

Room for food

service

Whiteboard for

writing or a screen

for projecting on

with projector or a

wall on which to

post

What to consider:

• Seating to accommodate

three groups of judges

• Space for the judge advisor

• Ability to accommodate food

service

• White board or screen

• This room is private. It

should be away from teams

and spectators, and have a

door that can be closed.

Examples:

• Large classroom

• Conference room

Table for the

judge advisor

Judge Deliberation Room

5. Team Pit Area

An area for each team

with a table and access

to power. Minimally 8 ft.

by 8 ft. or 2.4 m by 2.4 m

Space for

Practice Tables

Power at the pits, or nearby charging

stations also work

What to consider

• Large open space

• Good traffic flow

• Access to electricity!

• Is food permitted? Teams

will want to eat snacks in

the Pit area

• Audio system

• Tables and chairs

• Space for Practice Tables --

usually one per 6-8 teams

Examples

• Cafeteria

•Gym

•Atrium

• Classrooms

• Hallways

• A large space partitioned

with walls, similar to an

exhibition space

Table, or work surface,

and a few chairs

Pit Admin table

Trash

cans

33 34

35 36

8/24/2021

Team Pit Area

6. Referee & Event-Day Volunteer Room

Room for food

service

What to consider:

• Accommodate food service

• Seating all event day volunteers

and referees

• Space for coats

• Secure, monitored space

Examples:

• Large classroom

• Large meeting room

• Cafeteria

7. Welcome / Team Check-In / Volunteer Check-In Area

Main Entrance

Space for tables

and chairs

What to consider:

• Near the main entrance

• Easy to find

• High visibility

• Room for several tables

Message board

for teams

Team and Spectator Lunch Area

Where will teams and spectators eat lunch?

 A dedicated area may not be necessary, but you need to be able to answer this question.

 The team pit area could work as well as the seating in the competition area.

 Check with your facility’s food policy first before you make any decisions. Can food be brought onsite?

Other considerations:

 Coordinate with a local food establishment to provide a lunch option for teams. Work out a pre-order, pre-pay plan.

 If food cannot be provided on-site, a designated hour lunch break will be required so that teams can leave the

venue to eat. Make sure you give the teams information about local food places close to the venue.

OtherFIRST ProgramsArea

FIRST RoboticsCompetitionFIRST LEGOLeagueJr. FIRST Tech Challenge

37 38

39 40

8/24/2021

Traffic Flow

As you consider a venue, consider how traffic will flow between these five areas.

Will it be easy for teams to get from one area to another?

Welcome

Area

Robot

Competition

Area

Team Pits

Team

Judging

Area

Team Lunch

Area

Other Site Considerations

 Parking. Where will teams, guests, and volunteers park? Is there ample parking?

 Access Times. When will you need access to the site for event setup and for teardown?

Make sure your site contact and/or contract confirms. This is especially critical for setup.

Make sure your access to the venue provides ample time for setup.

 Custodial. Will you need custodial services during the event? Talk to the venue contact

 Emergency Services / Procedures. Does this venue require a trained first-aid person to

be onsite? Are there space capacity limits that might affect your plans?

 A/V Support. What is available in-house and at what cost?

 Contract. Does the venue owner require that you sign a contract? Who will sign?

 Security Personnel. Does the venue require security personnel for your event?

Space Summary

12Teams 24Tea ms

CeremoniesArea 240‐ 300people 480‐ 600people

RobotCompetition 1‐2TournamentTa ble s 2TournamentTabl es

Team JudgingRooms 3rooms 6rooms

JudgesDeliberationRoom 6judges+1 judgeadvisor 12judges+1 judgeadvisor

PitArea 12teams +2PracticeTabl es 24 teams +3‐4PracticeTa ble s

Referee&EventDay

VolunteerRoom

25people 45people

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter3HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

41 42

43 44

8/24/2021

September 1, 2019

Chapter 4

Supplies and Equipment

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Materials Coordinator

Supplies and Equipment

As you create your supply/equipment list, consider how you

will acquire and store it all. Below are sample

considerations:

• One-time acquisitions – use again and again

 Signage (See FIRST Branding and Design Standards and

“Chapter 10: Documents and Signage”)

 Competition tables & legs/stands

 Extension cords

 First-aid kit

 Referee shirts

 Easels

 White boards/flip charts

 Computers (scoring, music, judging)

• Items that can be borrowed, gifted, rented:

 Audio/Visual equipment

 Screens

 Standard tables & chairs

• Items that must be replenished for each

season/tournament:

 Challenge Sets

 Volunteer identification/shirts

 Team-only area access badges (optional)

 Program books (See “Chapter 10: Documents and Signage”)

 Tournament documents (See “Chapter 10”)

Supply “Box” for the Following Areas:

WelcomeArea PitArea

JudgingArea

Competition/Ceremonies

Area

TIP: To make load in

easier, color-code your

supply boxes by area.

This manual attributes

the colors shown here to

each area.

Supplies/Equipment Boxes: Welcome Area

Consider supplies and equipment for:

– Volunteer Check In

– Team Check In

– General Information

TIP: Keep refreshments (like water, coffee, healthy food) in this area for

your volunteers.

45 46

47 48

8/24/2021

Supplies and Equipment: Welcome Area

For a 12 Team Tournament – supplies for

Volunteers & Information

Item Description Qty.

Outside signs Directions to parking & building entry (See “Chapter 10”) 2-4

Check In signs Area identification signs: Volunteer Check In, Information

(See Chapter 10”)

Easels To hold area signs 2

Standard-sized tables To hold registration materials 1

Chairs For check in and information volunteers 2

Table covers (optional) To cover volunteer check-in/information table 1

Volunteer identification Volunteer badges (name tags, lanyards) and/or volunteer shirts 45

VIP/sponsor badges For sponsors or host site leadership 5

Media packet See “Chapter 15: Event Promotion” for contents

Office supplies Paper, post-in notes, scissors, paperclips, tape, stapler, pens, etc. Variety

Staff radios (optional) For pickup for all areas (judge advisor, field manager, pit manager,

check-in area, information, volunteer coordinator, tournament director,

facilities); cell phones can be used if you do not have access to radios;

however, some facilities have poor cell phone reception.

Refreshments Available for volunteers Variety

Supplies and Equipment: Welcome Area

For a 12 Team Tournament – supplies for

Team Check In

Item Description Qty.

Check-In sign Area identification sign: Team Check In (See “Chapter 10”) 1

Easel To hold area sign 1

Standard-sized table To hold registration materials 1

Chair For team check-in volunteers 2

Table cover (optional) To cover check-in tables 1

Team packet For each team - see “Chapter 8: Teams and Communications” for

contents

Team badge (optional) “Team Only” area access badges – one for each team member ~120

Coach badge (same as above) “Team Only” area access badges for two coaches for each team 24

T-Shirts (optional) Tournament shirts – pre-orders or for sale on site 60-100

Cash box/lock box (if applicable) For money collection (e.g. tournament registration fees, shirt sales, etc.) 1

Office supplies Paper, folders or large envelopes to hold Team Registration Packet, post-

in notes, scissors, paperclips, tape, stapler, pens, etc.

Variety

Supplies/Equipment Boxes: Pit Area

Consider supplies and equipment for:

– Teams

• Information updates

• Extra tournament documents (See “Chapter 10”)

• Pit tables

• Practice Table area

– Volunteers working this area

– General public

TIP: Keep refreshments in this area for your volunteers.

Supplies and Equipment: Pit Area

For a 12 Team Tournament

Item Description Qty.

Area sign Area identification signs: Pit Area & Practice Tables signs/easels 2 each

Practice Table Single, 4 foot x 8 foot competition table 2

Table legs, saw horses, or milk

crates

To hold Practice Tables (4 for each table – see definition above) 8

Challenge Set Challenge playing field with mat and LEGO® mission models 2

Practice Table Reservation

System (optional)

Some tournaments use a sign-up board/system for teams to reserve

Practice Tables – see “Practice Table Reservation System” document in

Tools and Templates in “Chapter 4” for a sample system

Crowd control Stanchions, pipe & drape, bicycle racks for Practice Table area Varies

Standard-sized table For teams and pit manager 13

Table sign/placard Pit table number or team name for pit table identification 12

Chair At least 2 for each team’s pit table and 2 for pit manager table 26

Extension cord & splitter Power to each team’s pit table; 3 to pit administration. Recommendation:

Ask each team to bring their own

First-aid kit Include 4 copies each of Report of Medical Incident and Report of

Safety Concern or Non-Medical Incident forms in the first aid kit

Red emergency folder

(recommended)

Venue/Event Emergency Plan – See “Chapter 11” for details

P/A system (optional) For pit announcements 1

49 50

51 52

8/24/2021

Supplies and Equipment: Pit Area

(continued)

For a 12 Team Tournament

Item Description Qty.

White board/flip chart For messages 2

Garbage can & trash bag Your venue should support this – make sure there are plenty of trash

cans, especially if teams will be eating in the Pit

Gaffers tape - black To tape down cords for safety 2 rolls

Gaffers tape - yellow To tape down cords in trip hazard areas 1 roll

Computer, projector & screen

(optional)

To project scores or schedule updates 1 each

Coat rack (optional) For teams to hang coats – helps to keep the Pit neat and organized 2

Office Supplies Paper, post it notes, pens, sharpies, scissors, paper clips, Variety

Createyourownsystem–see

howinToolsandTe mpl a te s

Supplies/Equipment Boxes: Judging Area

Consider supplies and equipment for:

– Each Judging Room

• Innovation Project Judging

• Robot Design Judging

• Core Values Judging

– Judge Deliberation Room

TIP: Keep refreshments in the Judge Deliberation room for your volunteers.

InnovationProjectJudging

RobotDesignJudging CoreValuesJudging

JudgeDeliberations

Supplies and Equipment: Judging Rooms

For a 12 Team Tournament (One Judging Lane)

Item Description Qty.

Room signs For each judging room (See “Chapter 10”) 3

Practice Table (optional) Practice Table – for Robot Design Judging 1

Table legs, table, saw horses, or

milk crate (optional)

To hold Practice Table (4 for each table) for Robot Design Judging 4

Challenge Set (optional) Challenge field with mat and LEGO® mission models for Robot Design 1

Extension cord & power strip

(optional)

One set for each Innovation Project Judging room 1 each

Projector (optional) For Innovation Project Judging room 1

Screen (optional) For Innovation Project Judging room 1

Standard-sized table One for Robot Design; two for Innovation Project; two for Core Values 5

Chair Two per room for judges; four additional in Innovation Project judging

(for props)

Teamwork Activity Activity materials for Core Values Judging 1

Office supplies Pens, pencils, highlighters, paper, post-it notes, paperclips Variety

Clipboard (optional) One for each judge (for optional pit visits) 6

Supplies and Equipment: Judging Deliberation

For a 12 Team Tournament

Item Description Qty.

Area sign Area identification sign: “Judging Area” (See “Chapter 10”) 1

Easel For “Judging Area” sign 1

Judge Room sign Sign for Judge Deliberation room – small (See “Chapter 10”) 1

Copier/printer For printing awards script 1

Extension cord and power strip For computer, printer, and projector, if used 1

Standard-sized table For judge advisor, each judging area (RD, CV, P), and food service 6

Chair One for each judge and judge assistant 8

Office supplies Paper, pens, pencils, highlighters, post-it notes, paperclips, tape Variety

Refreshments Freely available for judges throughout the day – water, coffee, healthy

snacks

Variety

Computer with Judging Lite

software (optional)

Deliberations tool 1

Projector & screen (optional) Deliberations tool 1 each

White board w/ dry erase

markers (optional)

Deliberations tool 1

Flip charts w/ markers (optional) Deliberations tool 1

Big Post-It notes & markers

(optional)

Deliberations tool 1

53 54

55 56

8/24/2021

Supplies/Equipment Boxes: Competition Area

Consider supplies and equipment for:

– Competition area

• Tournament Tables

• Challenge Sets

• Scoring area

– Spectators

• Can the audience see the action?

• Can you keep spectators out of the competition area?

TIP: Keep refreshments in this area for your volunteers.

Supplies and Equipment: Robot Competition Area

For a 12 Team Tournament (For two Tournament Tables)

Item Description Qty.

Area sign and easel Area identification sign: “Robot Competition Area” with easel 1 each

Tournament Table One Tournament Table = two, 4’ x 8’ tables together 1-2

Wood screw To hold Robot Game tables together 4

Table legs, tables, saw horses,

or milk crates

To hold the Tournament Table (4 for each Practice Table) 16

Challenge Set Challenge field with mat and LEGO® mission models 2-4

Extension cord & power strip For audio/visual, video camera, and scoring support 4

Computer For audio/visual and scoring 2

Standard-sized table For queuing, audio/visual, scoring, timing, awards – one table for each 5

Table cloth (optional) For above referenced tables 5

Chair 2 each for queuing, audio/visual, scoring, and timing tables 8

Stanchions, pipe & drape, or

bicycle racks

Crowd control – to create a barrier between the public and the

competition area

Varies

Audience seating Stadium seating, bleachers, risers, chairs – may be in venue, or you

may need to rent/borrow and set up

~250 seats

Audio system Audio system, including speakers and microphones (consider wireless

and hands-free options – recommend 2 microphones)

1system

Projector & screen (optional) For scores and video feed for robot game 1 – 3 each

Video camera (optional) For projecting Robot Game and ceremonies images onto screens 1 – 2

Supplies and Equipment: Competition Area

(Continued)

For a 12 Team Tournament

Item Description Qty.

Small sign (letter sized) Sign to place on each competition field (See “Chapter 10”) 4

Small Parts Bag Small models that can be lost easily – check with Partner 1 bag

Robot height measuring stick 12 inch/30.48 centimeter stick to ensure robot does not exceed height

limit

Tape measure For accurate placement of mat and mission models on the field 1

Clipboard For each Referee and Master of Ceremonies 6

Vacuum or duster To keep playing field clean 1

Referee shirt or sport pinnie One for each Referee and Head Referee 5

Timer (if applicable) For timing match blocks and/or 2.5 minute matches – the Scoring

Display software has a timer

T.V. stand or chair For teams to use at base for housekeeping during the match 4

Gaffer’s tape To tape down cords – use yellow for traffic areas to denote trip hazards 3 rolls

Gaffer’s spike tape To use to tape queuing lanes and competition line for team members

to stand behind on floor – select a bright color

1roll

Dual Lock To affix mission models to mat, per Field Setup Instructions Varies

Black paint & paint brush To touch up competition table borders 1 pint can

Table skirt (optional) Skirting for Tournament Tables – for appearances only 4

Air horn or whistle (optional) To signal the start of each time block 1

Supplies and Equipment: Competition Area

(Continued)

For a 12 Team Tournament

Item Description Qty.

Garbage can and trash bag Venue should supply this 2

Red Emergency Folder

(Recommended)

Venue/Event Emergency Plan – See “Chapter 11” for details

Pens and Pencils Assorted to support competition volunteers 20

Refreshments To support competition volunteers Variety

NOTE:Foreacharea,referto“Chapter10:DocumentsandSignage”fora

listofthedocumentsrecommendedforeachareaandtemplatesyoucan

usetocreatesignage.

57 58

59 60

8/24/2021

Supplies/Equipment Boxes: Ceremonies Area

Consider supplies and equipment for:

– Opening Ceremonies

• National flag (per local protocol)

• National anthem recording or performer

(per local protocol)

• Podium for speaker or other staging

• Audio/Visual support

– Closing Ceremonies

•Awards

• Podium for speaker or other staging

• Audio/Visual support

Supplies and Equipment: Ceremonies Area

For a 12 Team Tournament

Item Description Qty.

National flag (per local protocol) For opening ceremony national anthem (per local protocol) 1

Video and audio recordings National anthem (if not performed live and per local protocol), FIRST® Videos,

music, etc.

1 each

Audio system Audio system, including speakers and microphones (consider wireless and

hands-free options – recommend 2 microphones)

1 Audio system

Extension cord & power strip For audio/visual and video camera support (varies, depending on tech used) 2 – 6

Computer For audio/visual – to play video, music, or presentations 1

Standard-sized table Audio/visual support and awards 2

Table cloth (optional) For above referenced tables 2

Chair For Master of Ceremonies, guest speaker, and other dignitaries ~15

Stanchions, pipe & drape or

bicycle racks

Crowd control – to create a barrier between the public and the ceremonies area Varies

Audience seating Stadium seating, bleachers, risers, chairs – may be in venue, or you may need to

rent/borrow and set up

~250 seats

Awards and medals or other

participant recognitions

Awards and one recognition per team member (check with your Partner) Varies

Podium (optional) For Master of Ceremonies and/or guest speaker 1

Projector & screen (optional) For enlarging Master of Ceremonies/guest speaker image and playing video 1 each

Video camera (optional) For enlarging Master of Ceremonies/guest speaker image and playing video 1

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter4HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 5

Preparation Timeline

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Judge Advisor, Head Referee, Volunteer Coordinator, Technical Advisor,

Teams Coordinator, Materials Coordinator, Facilities Coordinator, Food Coordinator, Production Coordinator, Media

Coordinator, Fundraising Coordinator

61 62

63 64

8/24/2021

Early Key Decisions

Eight to twelve months before the event,

 Reserve and confirm your venue. Date and location.

 Write your budget. Know your venue costs. Develop a

fundraising plan, and begin to implement it.

Four to six months before the event,

 Identify your Judge Advisor.

 Identify your Head Referee.

 Identify your Volunteer Coordinator.

Preparation Task Lists

ThistimelineisavailableontheChapter5Homepage inanExcelfile

When Area

Item

4‐6months Facilities

Confirmyourvenue reservation andifnecessary,haveanyrequired contractssigned

4‐6months Facilities

Reviewanylaborrequirements bythe venue(forexample,doyouhavetopayforcustodial,security,audio‐visual

support,etc.)

4‐6months Facilities

Reserveanyrooms,locations,spaces

2‐3months Facilities

Reservevenueequipment owned

bythevenue thatyouareabletouse‐ tables,seating,linens,stanchions,etc.

1month Facilities

Confirmsiteparkingforteamsandvolunteers; Consideroutsidesignagerecommendations,seeChapter10

1month Facilities

Prepareyouremergency/evacuationplanandyour emergencyfolders,ifapplicable;Reviewwithyourvenue

contact;SeeChapter11

1month Facilities

Verifywith

yourvenuecontacttheaccesstimesforsetupandtournamentday;Whencanyougetin?Howlatecan

youstay?Whoisthevenue contactduringtheeventandhowcanthispersonbereached?Whenwillthebuilding

beopenonthemorning ofthetournament?

1month Facilities

Exchange

cellphonenumberswithyour venuecontactand/orthe personwho cangrantbuilding access

1month Facilities

Verifywiththevenueallarrangementsthathavebeenmadeforfacilityusage(suchasrooms)andequipment

(suchastables)

2‐3months Food

Decideonyourfoodserviceandbeverageneedsforallthevolunteers,

staffandguests;Begintomakenecessary

arrangements

2‐3months Food

Decideonanyfoodserviceopportunitiesforteams,ifapplicable;Youdon’thavetoprovidelunchforteams,but

youmightwanttosellfoodtoteams;Anoutsidefoodvendor,ifused,shouldbelicensedtodoso;If

foodis

coordinated in‐house, workwith Volunteer Coordtoarrangeanyneededvolunteers

1month Food

Verifyfinalnumberofvolunteersandstaffyouwillneedtoservice

1month Food

Confirmthatallfoodandbeveragearrangementsthatneedtobemade,havebeenmade

1month Food

Confirmandpurchasefood‐relatedsupplies;

Confirmwhoshouldbemakingthepurchases

1month Food

Makesureenoughbottledwaterwillbeavailable

4‐6months Fundraising

Reviewthecompletedbudgetanddetermine ifyouneedtofundraise; Continueraisingfunds, ifnecessary.

2‐3months Fundraising

Continueraisingfunds,ifnecessary.

2‐3months Fundraising

Revisitbudgetandupdatefiguresifnecessary

1

month Fundraising

ReviewwiththeMaterialsCoordinator, ProductionCoordinatorandTournamentDirectoranysponsorrecognitions

thatneedtooccur

1month Fundraising

Ifapplicable,confirmifanydonors/supporters willbe attending thetournament;Considerhow youwantto

accommodatethemduringtheirvisit

Preparation Task Lists

ThistimelineisavailableontheChapter5Homepage inanExcelfile

When Area

Item

4‐6months HeadReferee

TheHeadRefereeshouldbuildoneChallenge Set,ifpossible

2‐3months HeadReferee

TheHeadRefereeshouldreview(1)the RobotGamedocumentsand(2)anyreferee supportmaterialsortraining

providedbyFIRSTorbytheRegionalHeadReferee(askyourPartner)

2‐3months HeadReferee

WorkwiththeVolunteerCoordinatoronrecruitingreferees

2‐3months HeadReferee

TheHeadRefereeshouldattendanytraining provided bytheRegionalHeadReferee,ifapplicable

2‐3months HeadReferee

LocateandinspecttheRobotGametablesandmakeanyrecommendationstotheTournament Director

1month HeadReferee

Conductanytraining sessionsfor

Referees;Includeareviewoftheeventandexpectations

1month HeadReferee

ConfirmarrangementsforyourChallenge Sets;Ifyouhavetobuildthem,theyshouldbebuiltbynow;Iftheyare

notinyourpossession,howandwhenwillyougetthem;Ifyouaresharing,rememberthat you

willneedadayto

performaqualitycontrolreviewofthemodels

1month HeadReferee

MakesuretocheckforRobotGameupdatesonaregular basis

1month HeadReferee

Considervolunteering atnearbytournaments fortheexperience;Suggestthesametoyour referees

4‐6months JudgeAdvisor

JudgeAdvisorpassesorrenews

certificationthroughFIRST

2‐3months JudgeAdvisor

TheJudgeAdvisorshouldattendanytrainingprovided bythe RegionalJudgeAdvisor,ifapplicable

2‐3months JudgeAdvisor

WorkwiththeVolunteerCoordinatoronrecruitingjudges

2‐3months JudgeAdvisor

ReviewalljudgingmaterialsavailablethroughFIRST

1month JudgeAdvisor

(US/CANonly)WorkwiththeVolunteer

CoordinatortohavejudgescreateaFIRSTaccountat

www.firstinspires.org, completeVolunteerRegistrationandcompletejudgetraining

1month JudgeAdvisor

Conductanylocaltrainingsessionsforyourjudges

1month JudgeAdvisor

ReviewwiththeTournament Directoryourawardslistandforqualifiers,thenumberofadvancingteams

1month JudgeAdvisor

ReviewwiththeMaterials

Coordinatorthesuppliesyouwill need

1month JudgeAdvisor

Decideontheteamworkactivitytobeusedinjudging;Arrangeforanynecessarysupplies

1month JudgeAdvisor

Oncealljudges havebeenidentified,createfinallistofjudgingpairsandroomassignments

1month JudgeAdvisor

IftheJudgeAdvisorisutilizing threeHead

Judges(notrequired), considerameetingwithyourHead Judgesto

reviewtheirroles

1month JudgeAdvisor

Considervolunteering atnearbytournaments fortheexperience;Suggestthesametoyour judges

Preparation Task Lists

ThistimelineisavailableontheChapter5Homepage inanExcelfile

When Area

Item

2‐3months Materials

Startyourtournament program; SeeChapter10fortemplates

2‐3months Materials

Ordertrophies,andanyotherrecognition items

2‐3months Materials

Confirmhowvolunteerswillbeidentified–shirts, hats,nametags,etc.;Placeanyorders.

1month Materials

Completedesignoftournamentprogramandprint

1month Materials

Gathersupplylistsfrom

otherteammembers

1month Materials

Doyouhaveallyour supplies?Finishpackingyoursupplyboxes;SeeChapter4forrecommendations

1month Materials

Designandproducesigns;SeeChapter10fortemplates

1month Materials

Copyalleventmaterial;SeeChapter10forprintingrecommendations

1month Materials

Doublecheckyoursupplylists;SeeChapter4for

checklists

2‐3months Media

Developa"targetmedia list"tohelpgettheword outandamediapacket;SeeChapter15

1month Media

Announcetournament tolocalmedia;Youmaycoordinating withyourPartner

1month Media

Sendoutanymediaannouncements;SeeChapter15 fortheMediaToolkitandpressreleasetemplates

month Media

Respondtoanymediainquiries

1month Media

Executeyourmediaplan

4‐6months Production

BeginCeremonyspeakerrecruitment–consider hostsiteleadership, sponsors,localleadersorChallengeexperts

4‐6months Production

BeginrecruitmentofMasterofCeremonies

2‐3months Production

Determine,withtheTournamentDirector,theamountoftimeallottedfortheCeremonies

2‐

3months Production

BegindraftingtheCeremonyscripts;SeeChapter12fortemplates

2‐3months Production

Determineaudio/visualneedsandcommunicatethesetothe TechnicalAdvisor

2‐3months Production

Determinesupplyrequirements,liketablecloths,countryflag(ifapplicable),etc.

2‐3months Production

Determineproductionstaging–wherewillspeakerssit? Howwilltheymovetoand

fromthestageor

microphone? Willtherebe aparadeofteams? Wherewill teamsenter?Exit? Wherewillthey sit?

2‐3months Production

DeterminevolunteerneedsfortheCeremoniesandcommunicatethistotheVolunteer Coordinator.

2‐3months Production

SelectmusictoplayforCeremonies;ReviewwiththeTechnical Advisor

1month Production

Reviewscripts

forOpeningandClosing/AwardsCeremonies;SeeChapter12fortemplates

1month Production

Confirmanyspeakers–sharehowlongthespeechshouldbeandprepareremarks

1month Production

Orderallsupplies;Workwiththe MaterialsCoordinator

1month Production

Finalizescripts

65 66

67 68

8/24/2021

Preparation Task Lists

ThistimelineisavailableontheChapter5Homepage inanExcelfile

When Area

Item

2‐3months Teams

Monitortheemailaddressusedbyteamsandrespondinatimely manner

2‐3months Teams

Whendoyouneedtostartemailing yourteams?Seechapter8:TeamsandCommunicationsfortemplates

1month Teams

Monitortheemailaddressusedbyteamsandrespondinatimely manner

1month Teams

Confirmthatteamsonyourrosterplantoattendyourtournament

1month Teams

Emailteamswithtournament information(forexample,schedule,agenda, sitemap,siteparking info);See

Chapter8TeamInformationPackettemplate

1month Teams

Designandproduceteamcheckinpackets;SeeChapter8

2‐3months TechnicalAdvisor

Review

withyourHeadRefereeandTournament Directorthescoringsheetandcalculatorsoftwaretobeused;

FIRSThasRobotGamesoftware(askyourPartner)

1month TechnicalAdvisor

InstalltheRobotGamesoftwareandverifyitworks

1month TechnicalAdvisor

BetheexpertontheRobotGamesoftware,testitoutandbecome

comfortablewithit

1month TechnicalAdvisor

Trainanyonewhowill beusingtheRobotGamesoftware

1month TechnicalAdvisor

Decideonthetimertobeusedfortherobotrounds;ThereistimingcapabilitybuiltintotheFIRSTRobotGame

software(askyourPartner)

1month TechnicalAdvisor

Determinetechnicalsuppliesneeded(computer,printer,cables,

etc.)andcommunicatethattothe Tournament

Director

1month TechnicalAdvisor

Reviewtheaudioandvideo needs;Reviewwheresuppliesarecomingfrom;Acquaintyourselfwiththe

equipment

1month TechnicalAdvisor

Contactwhomeverisprovidingmusicandreviewtheirtechnicalneeds

Preparation Task Lists

ThistimelineisavailableontheChapter5Homepage inanExcelfile

When Area

Item

4‐6months TournamentDirector

Begintodevelopvenue layoutmap;ReviewwithyourPlanningTeam;SeeChapter3

4‐6months TournamentDirector

RecruitadditionalPlanning Teammembersasneeded

4‐6months TournamentDirector

BuildRobotGametablesifneeded,orarrangetoborrow

4‐6months TournamentDirector

ReviewwithyourPartnerhowteams

willapplytoyoureventandprepareaccordingly

4‐6months TournamentDirector

Determineifsiteinsuranceisneeded,makenecessaryarrangements;Talktoyour Partner

4‐6months TournamentDirector

ParticipateinanyTournament DirectorcallsrequiredbyyourPartner.

4‐6months TournamentDirector

Determinemeetingplanwithyour PlanningTeamandschedule thecalls/meetings;

Markyourcalendars

includinganyconferencecallinfo

4‐6months TournamentDirector

Writeabudget

2‐3months TournamentDirector

WorkwithyourPartnertoverifysourceofyourChallengeSets; Ifyouhavetobuildthem,arrangeforbuilders;

Don’tdelay onthisissue!

2‐3months TournamentDirector

Makereservationsforanyneeded

rentalsfromoutsidevendors(forexample,banquets tables, chairs,aDJ)

2‐3months TournamentDirector

Decidewhoishandling thetournamentschedule;Beginwritingtheschedule;SeeChapter9fortemplates

2‐3months TournamentDirector

ParticipateinanyTournament DirectorcallsrequiredbyyourPartner.

2‐3months TournamentDirector

Holdanyscheduled meetingswith

yourPlanningTeam

1month Tournament Director

Holdanyscheduled meetingswithyourPlanningTeam

1month Tournament Director

Finalizethe schedule

1month Tournament Director

Finalizesitelayout map;Reviewwith,andsubmitacopyto,yourvenuecontact

1month Tournament Director

Confirmanyvendororders,including rentalsyoumayhave secured

1month Tournament Director

Sitewalkthrough

withthePlanningTeam,includingtheTechnicalAdvisor

1month Tournament Director

Reviewthemorningcheck‐inprocessforteamsandvolunteerswith yourTeams CoordinatorandVolunteer

Coordinator(orwhoeverisoverseeingthisarea)

1month Tournament Director

Finalizeteamlist;WorkwithTeamsCoordinatortoconfirmteamlist

Preparation Task Lists

ThistimelineisavailableontheChapter5Homepage inanExcelfile

When Area

Item

4‐6months VolunteerCoord

ReviewwithyourPartneryourregion’sdesiredtrainingrequirementsforjudges,refereesandvolunteers

4‐6months VolunteerCoord

ReviewwithyourPartnerrequirements fortheFIRSTYouthProtectionProgram

4‐6months VolunteerCoord

Beginjudgeandrefereerecruitmentincollaborationwiththe HeadRefereeandJudgeAdvisor

2‐3

months VolunteerCoord

ContinueJudgeandRefereerecruitment incollaborationwith theHeadRefereeandJudgeAdvisor

2‐3months VolunteerCoord

Determinealltherolesforwhichyouwillneedavolunteer

2‐3months VolunteerCoord

(US/CANonly)ReviewtheFIRSTVolunteer ManagementSystem(VMS)

2‐3months VolunteerCoord

(US/CANonly)DirectVolunteers tocreate

orupdateaccountsintheFIRSTVolunteer RegistrationSystem

(formerly,VIMS)

2‐3months VolunteerCoord

Beginevent‐dayvolunteer recruitment

2‐3months VolunteerCoord

Recruiteventannouncer/master ofceremonies

2‐3months VolunteerCoord

Determineyourtraining plansforjudges,refereesandevent‐dayvolunteers

1month VolunteerCoord

Finalizeallyourevent‐dayvolunteer

assignments

1month VolunteerCoord

Sendoutjudgeandrefereetrainingmaterialandinformation

1month VolunteerCoord

Conductanytraining sessionsforevent‐dayvolunteers;Considerteleconferencecallsforthoseunable toattend

anyin‐persontrainings

1month VolunteerCoord

Confirmjudgeandrefereeattendance

1month VolunteerCoord

Determinewhichsupplies youneed,andcommunicatethat

totheMaterialsCoordinator;Don'tforgetnametags

1month VolunteerCoord

DirectvolunteerstocreateorupdateaccountsintheFIRSTVolunteerRegistrationSystem(formerly,VIMS)

Setting Up Before the Tournament

Robot Competition Area

 Typically led by the technical

advisor, head referee and/or field

manager

 Unpack Referee, Robot

Competition, Staging Area, General

Supply Boxes

 Set up the Tournament Tables and

Fields.

 Attach table signs to Tournament

Tables

 Set up the staging area for the

robot competition rounds – chairs,

signage, barriers, etc.

 Hang flags, banners, other signage

 Set up and test audio, video, and

electrical

 Set up and test scoring station and

timer

 Cover all wiring

 Setup crowd control for competition

 Unpack and prepare trophies and

medals

Judges Deliberation Room

 Typically led by the judge advisor

 Unpack Judging Area Supply Box

 Setup food tables

 Layout supplies (pens, paper,

clipboards, markers for white board,

etc.)

 Layout judging rubrics, judge prep

packs, programs, team list,

schedules, venue maps

 Layout judge shirts, if applicable

 Setup computer for judging room, if

applicable. Or, whiteboard with

markers

 Hang any signage

Ceremonies Area

 Note: If the Robot Competition

Area also serves as the

Ceremonies Area, much of this may

be done.

 Setup and test audio

 Setup podium, if applicable

 Setup and test video, if applicable

 Review team flow during the

opening and closing ceremonies

69 70

71 72

8/24/2021

Setting Up Before the Tournament

Referee & Event Day Volunteer Room

 Typically lead by the volunteer

coordinator

 Unpack Volunteer Room Supply Box

 Setup food and beverage tables

 Coat rack

 Hang any signage

Team Pit Area

 Typically led by the pit admin and/or

teams coordinator

 Unpack Pit Area Supply Box

 Setup team tables with team signs

 Setup Practice Tables with Fields

 Setup and test public address

system, if used

 Setup pit admin tables plus chairs

 Layout electrical distribution, cover

cords with tape

 At pit admin table, place emergency

procedure folder, if applicable

 Trash cans

 Hang any signage

Team Judging Rooms

 Typically led by the judge advisor

 Setup each team judging room

 Innovation Project: Table and

seating for judges, power easily

accessible, table for teams to use

 Robot Design: Practice Table (if

used) and seating for judges

 Core Values: Table and seating for

judges, a space or setup for

teamwork task (if applicable)

 Supplies for each room: extra pens,

Kleenex, blank paper for notes,

extra rubrics, etc.

 Door signs for each judging room

Team Check-In/Volunteer Check-

In/Welcome Area

 Typically lead by the volunteer

coordinator

 Unpack Team Registration and

Welcome Area Supply Box

 Setup registration & welcome tables

plus table covers

 Lay out schedules, programs, team

lists, team registration packets, etc.

 Layout sponsor, host site or FIRST

literature

 Layout info on local restaurants

 Layout volunteer shirts

 Hang any signage

 Setup any exterior signage

Team Lunch & Refreshment Area

 Tables and chairs

 Trash cans

 Signage

 Tables for selling food, if applicable

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter5HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 6

Volunteers

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Volunteer Coordinator

Volunteer Position Requirements

Howmanypeopledoyouneed?

Note:Atasmall,12Tea m

tournament,youmaynot

needafieldmanager.In

thiscase,thehead

refereewouldassumethe

leadroleinthisarea.

DocumentlocatedinToolsand

Tem p l ate sonChapter6landing

page.

73 74

75 76

8/24/2021

Volunteer Position Descriptions

What jobs need to be done?

Note:Asmall

tournamentmightnot

useanaudio/video

operator,aproduction

coordinator,orvideo

cameras.Adjustyour

volunteerrolessothey

makesenseforyour

tournamentsize,venue,

budget,andvolunteer

support.

Critical Volunteer Leadership

• Key Volunteer Roles

 Tournament Director

 Volunteer Coordinator

 Judge Advisor

 Head Referee

 Field Manager (optional but recommended for large events)

 Pit Manager (optional but recommended for large events)

 Production Coordinator (optional)

 Technical Advisor (optional)

• Key Volunteers are volunteers who

 Have critical tournament delivery skills

 Assume leadership roles at the tournament

• Pre-tournament Training Required of

 Tournament Director – Training & meetings required per Partner

 Judge Advisor – Training and certification required

 Head Referee – Training required per Partner

 Judges (all areas) – Local regional training required (check with Partner);

certification required for Championships

 Referees – Local regional training required (check with Partner)

 Volunteer Coordinator – Training required per Partner. Review FIRST®

Volunteer Management system training (for US/Canada), reference FIRST

Youth Protection and Volunteer Management policies

• Special Skills Needed of

 Tournament Director – Leadership and organizational skills

 Technical Advisor – Technical knowledge and skills

 Master of Ceremonies – Public speaking skills

Training – The Judge Advisor Prepares the Judges

Partner

Qualifying

Tournament

Manager*

Tournament

Directors

Tournament

PlanningTea m

Regional

Volunteer

Coordinator

Tournament

Volunteer

Coordinators

EventDay

Volunteers

RegionalJudge

Advisor

Tournament

JudgeAdvisors

Judges

RegionalHead

Referee

TournamentHead

Referees

Education&

Training

Manager*

TechnicalAdvisors

Scorekeeper

Judge Training

Judge advisor should provide guidance and direction to the

tournament judges. The judge advisor should:

– Ensure that all judges are trained and certified (for Championships

or if required by the regional judge advisor for qualifying tournaments)

– Send judges a prep pack of their judging area prior to the event and

ask them to review the information

– Ask the judges to review the Challenge updates

– Conduct an orientation on the morning of the tournament. Ask

judges to arrive an hour or more before the start of judging

77 78

79 80

8/24/2021

NOTE:Evenifyourregiondoesnotrequirethat

judgesbetrainedandcertifiedatQTevents,the

judgeadvisorcanrecommend thatthejudges

supportinghereventtakethetraining.

EventDayJudgeOrientationAgendatemplate

available.SeeChapter6ToolsandTemplates.

Training - The Head Referee Prepares the Referee

Partner

Qualifying

Tournament

Manager*

Tournament

Directors

Tournament

PlanningTea m

Regional

Volunteer

Coordinator

Tournament

Volunteer

Coordinators

EventDay

Volunteers

RegionalJudge

Advisor

Tournament

JudgeAdvisors

Judges

RegionalHead

Referee

TournamentHead

Referees

Education&

Training

Manager*

TechnicalAdvisors

Scorekeeper

Referee Training

The head referee should train referees. The

head referee should:

• Ask referees to review the following on their

own (located in the Referee Workspace in

the Wiki. Contact your Partner and ask for

your Referees to be granted Wiki access)

– Review all Robot Game documents

– “Referee Preparation Training” video

– “Referee Event Day Training” video

– “Robot Game Rules” video

– “Robot Game Review” webinar

– Encourage referees to join the public forum

• Conduct a training on the evening prior to

(recommended) or the morning of the

tournament. Ask referees to arrive an hour

or more before the start of the Robot Game

NOTE:TheHeadRefereeshouldtakenoticeofa

Refereewhoisnotgraspingtheinformationreadily

andplantomonitorandmentorthatRefereeduring

anypracticeround.

Eventdaytrainingagendaavailable–seeChapter6!

81 82

83 84

8/24/2021

The Volunteer Coordinator Prepares Event-Day

Volunteers

Partner

Qualifying

Tournament

Manager*

Tournament

Directors

Tournament

PlanningTea m

Regional

Volunteer

Coordinator

Tournament

Volunteer

Coordinators

EventDay

Volunteers

RegionalJudge

Advisor

Tournament

JudgeAdvisors

Judges

RegionalHead

Referee

TournamentHead

Referees

Education&

Training

Manager*

TechnicalAdvisors

Scorekeeper

Volunteer Coordinator Prepares Event-Day Volunteers

Volunteer coordinator should prepare the event-day volunteers

that are not receiving guidance from area leads. The volunteer

coordinator should:

• Send a Volunteer Information Packet prior to the event (template

available)

• Send volunteers a position description of their assigned role

• Host a volunteer call the week prior to the event

• Host a position orientation the evening before or the morning of the

tournament

Tem p l ate savailable.

Documentslinkto“Volunteers”

chapterinTournamentManual

Agendatemplateavailableon

Chapter6landingpage!

Volunteer Positions: Robot Game

• Leadership

 Field Manager

 Head Referee

• Event Day

 Audio/Visual Operator/DJ

 Field Resetter

 MC/Game Announcer

 Pit Runner

 Referee

 Robot Game Queuer

 Scorekeeper

 Score Runner

 Timer

 Video Camera Operator (optional)

85 86

87 88

8/24/2021

Volunteer Positions: Judging

• Leadership

 Judge Advisor

 Head Core Values

Judge (optional)

 Head Innovation

Project Judge

(optional)

 Head Robot Design

Judge (optional)

• Event Day

 Core Values Judge

 Innovation Project

Judge

 Robot Design Judge

 Judge Assistant

 Judging Queuer

Volunteer Positions: Welcome Area

• Leadership

 Volunteer Coordinator

• Event Day

 Information Volunteer

 Team Registration

 Volunteer Registration

Volunteer Positions: Pit Area

• Leadership

 Pit Manager

• Event Day

 Practice Table Coordinator

 Practice Table Assistant

(For tournaments that use a Practice Table

Reservation system – see below)

Volunteer Positions: Ceremonies Production

• Leadership

 Production Coordinator (optional)

• Event Day

 Audio/Visual Operator or DJ

 Guest Speaker

 Master of Ceremonies

 National Anthem Performer (per local protocol)

 Video Camera Operator (optional)

89 90

91 92

8/24/2021

Other Volunteer Positions

• Leadership

 Volunteer Coordinator

• Event Day

 Floater

 Photographer

 Set up

 Tear Down

 Traffic Control/Security

Volunteer Hierarchy

• The judge advisor, field manager, head referee, pit administrator, and

volunteer coordinator are the leaders for each of your volunteer areas and

volunteer groups. These anchor positions are important because they:

– Provide position training for event-day volunteers

– Supervise walk-on volunteers

– Handle situations that the event day volunteer should not, such as

• Questions beyond the ordinary

• Requests that can’t be accommodated by the event day volunteer, such as access to restricted areas

• Angry or difficult parent, coach, participant, volunteer, or member of the public

• Emergencies

Note:Allsignificantincidents,injuries,or

emergenciesmustbedocumentedand

reportedtotheFIRST LEGOLeague

PartnerandtoFIRST headquarters!

Situation Escalation Policy

Develop a Situation Escalation Policy

If the lead for each area (judge advisor, field manager, head referee, pit manager, volunteer

coordinator) is confronted with a situation that cannot be resolved at that level, the tournament

director should be contacted. Consider the following as a part of your policy:

• Concerns that cannot be resolved by the area lead – contact tournament director

• Dangerous or threatening situation – call emergency services, inform tournament

director, and complete a Non-medical Incident Report Form.

• Minor injury – contact tournament director and complete a Medical Incident Report

Form

• Major injury – call emergency services, inform tournament director, and complete a

Medical Incident Report Form

It is important that no volunteer be asked to take on a level of authority that he/she is not

prepared to assume!

Volunteer Hierarchy: Reporting to the Tournament

Director

Tournament

Director

Field Manager Judge Advisor Pit Manager

Volunteer

Coordinator

93 94

95 96

8/24/2021

Volunteer Hierarchy: Robot Competition Area

Field Manager

Head Referee

Referee

Field Resetter

Head Queuer

Robot Game

Queuer

Pit Runner

Score Keeper

Score Runner

Timer

Production

Coordinator

Master of

Ceremonies

A/V Operator

Camera

Operator

(optional)

Volunteer Hierarchy: Judging

Judge Advisor

Head Robot

Design Judge

Robot Design

Judge

Head Innovation

Project Judge

Innovation Project

Judge

Head Core Values

Judge

Core Values Judge

Judge Assistant

Judging Queuer

Note: The head judge

roles are optional. Check

with your judge advisor

Volunteer Hierarchy: Pits & Other

Pit Manager

Teams

Practice Table

Coordinator

Practice Table

Assistant

Volunteer

Coordinator

Volunteer

Check In

Team Check In Information Traffic Control Photographer

Set up & Tear

down

NOTE: These roles

are required if a

practice table

reservation system

is used

Volunteer Identification

• Your volunteers must be

identifiable at your tournament

because

– Other volunteers need to be able to

recognize volunteers with whom

they will work

– Teams and the public need to be

able to recognize the tournament

staff

• Volunteers can be identified by

– Volunteer shirts

– Judge shirts

– Referee shirts

– Sports pinnies

– Volunteer hats

– Volunteer access badges (name

tags, lanyards)

97 98

99 100

8/24/2021

Volunteer Recruitment: Where can you find them?

Ask the Host Site for Help

•A museum may have a volunteer

program and a volunteer

coordinator. Ask if they will help.

• Schools may have student

organizations that require volunteer

service hours. Ask your school

contact to message these groups on

your behalf.

Area FIRST Teams

• Ask the regional volunteer

coordinator to send a request to

area FIRST high school teams to

help

• Ask FIRST LEGO League teams

who are not competing at this event

to help – the Partner can assist with

these messages

Participating FIRST LEGO League

Teams

Ask family members of teams that attend your

event to provide adult volunteers (for roles other

than judge, referee or score keeper). Examples:

•Robot Game Queuer or Judging Queuer

•Practice Table Assistant

•Pit Runner

•Field Resetter

•Team/Volunteer Registration/Information

Note:Mosttournaments

willrecruitevent‐day

volunteerslocally .

Standardbestpractices

areprovidedforyouhere.

Volunteer Recruitment: More options…

Educational/Community

Organizations

•4-H Clubs

•Boys and Girls Clubs of America

•Boy Scouts

•Girl Scouts

•YMCA

Event Sponsor

Organizations

•BAE

•NI

•Rockwell Automation

•SAIC

•3M

Professional Organizations

•American Society of Mechanical

Engineers (ASME)

•National Society of Black Engineers

(NSBE)

•Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

Schools/Colleges

•Alpha Phi Omega – Service Fraternity

•Engineering Clubs

•National Honor Society

•Student Government

Service Organizations

• Lions Club

•MIT Alumni

• Rotary Club

• United Way

Volunteer Recruitment

Websites

(United States examples)

•Idealist (2 million website visits per

month – free to post volunteer

opportunities)

•Create the Good (Free for nonprofits)

•VolunteerMatch (Fees could apply)

Note:Your

countryor

regionmay

haveunique

educational

organizations,

institutions,

government

agencies,etc.

thatcould

supportyour

efforts.

Thesearejust

examples.

Volunteer Communications Timeline

Now that you have identified your volunteer force, stay connected with them or risk losing

them to other activities. You will work closely with the regional volunteer coordinator (RVC)

and share messaging responsibilities.

August (RVC)

•“Welcome to the Season”

•Reminder of Challenge release

date

•Request volunteer support of pre-

season activities

•Share “Save the Date” information

for upcoming tournaments

September (RVC)

• Invite volunteers to set up a FIRST

account (for United States and

Canada) and select preferred

tournaments to support (per Youth

Protection Program requirements,

for United States and Canada)

October (RVC)

•Send training information for key

volunteer positions

4 to 6 weeks out (TVC)

•Tournament Volunteer Coordinator

(TVC) will use the FIRST Volunteer

Management System to ensure that

the volunteer has passed screening

(US/Canada) before emailing the

volunteer to confirm commitment

and outline the timeline for

additional messages.

2 to 3 weeks out (TVC)

•TVC confirms the volunteer role,

sends volunteer position description

and any pre-tournament training

requirements.

1 to 2 weeks out (TVC)

•TVC sends the Volunteer Packet of

information to all volunteers (See

Volunteer Information Packet in

“Chapter 6: Volunteers,” Tools and

Templates)

Post Tournament (TVC)

• Send “thank you” to volunteers for

supporting the event!

•Request feedback

NOTE:Thetournamentvolunteercoordinator

(TVC)messagesthevolunteeraboutevent‐specific

informationandforwardsmessagesfromthe

regionalvolunteercoordinatortolocalvolunteers.

Volunteer Retention & Recognition

Give them a Great Experience!

Before

the

Season

• Routinely check the email account used for

volunteers and respond in a timely manner to

inquiries

• Confirm commitment for upcoming season

• Direct volunteers to create or update their FIRST

account and agree to screening (US/Canada)

• Provide in-person training (for judges and referees)

• Coordinate a Challenge Set build party (optional)

ChallengeSetBuildParty

RefereeTraining

101 102

103 104

8/24/2021

Volunteer Retention & Recognition

Give them a Great Experience!

Before the

Tournament

• Communicate consistently

• Build a relationship with the individual

• Acknowledge past support and

experience

• Take into account physical limitations

or time constraints when making

position assignments

• Engage in an open dialogue about the

volunteer’s support preferences –

maybe the longtime referee wants to

try judging

• Listen and respond to volunteer

concerns

EmailaPositionDescription

SendanInformationPacket

•Templateavailable–seeChapter6!

Volunteer Retention & Recognition

Give them a Great Experience!

At the

Tournament

• Make the volunteer feel welcome

• Create an organized and efficient

check-in process

• Provide name tags and address

volunteers by name

• Check in with volunteers throughout

the day – Thank them!

• Provide meals, snacks, and drinks

• Provide volunteer service pins (ask

your Partner or Regional VC)

• Provide volunteer gift (optional)

Refreshments

VolunteerCheckIn:

• Schedule

•Shirt

•Namebadge

•Gift

• Smile

•Readytogo!

Volunteer Retention & Recognition

Give them a Great Experience! Some small gift ideas for tournament day (optional) …

TournamentSurvivalKit

LanyardPouchtoholdname

badgeandpersonalitems

TIP:Tocutcosts,offeralargebasketfilledwithavarietyof

items.Thatway,volunteerstakeonlywhattheywantorneed.

Volunteer Retention & Recognition

Give them a Great Experience!

After the

Tournament

• Send appreciation email

• Request tournament feedback

• Mail a thank you letter, certificate,

photo, gift, etc.

• Maintain volunteer database to

document service

• Provide an end of season social/party

(optional)

• Coordinate with your Partner or RVC.

There may be a process in place for

thanking volunteers after your event.

VolunteerPhotoGift

VolunteerAppreciationLuncheon

VolunteerAwards

105 106

107 108

8/24/2021

Volunteer Registration -

for United States and Canada ONLY

• All volunteers, 13 years of age and older, are required to set up a FIRST account on the

FIRST website.

• Instruct your volunteers to select your tournament & complete screening (good for 4 years).

• All event volunteers who are 18 years of age or older are required to have Youth Protection

Clearance (YPC).

• All walk-on adult volunteers and volunteers under 18 years of age must complete an Event

Walk-On Policy and Application Form and be supervised by a volunteer who has Youth

Protection Clearance.

• Refer to the FIRST Youth Protection Program for complete guidelines

Log into or create your

FIRST account on the

www.firstinspires.org

website

Volunteer Management System (VMS) –

for United States

and Canada ONLY

• The Volunteer Management System (VMS) is a FIRST

system that allows tournament directors and volunteer

coordinators, with permission from the Partner, to manage

the volunteers for their events

• VMS will show if your volunteer has received Youth

Protection Clearance (YPD)

• VMS allows the volunteer coordinator to assign volunteers

to volunteer positions within the system

• Volunteer coordinators can message their event volunteers

through the system

• Check with your Partner and regional volunteer coordinator

for more information

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter6HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 7

Budget

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Fundraising Coordinator

109 110

111 112

8/24/2021

The Budget

 Develop your budget early. See budget worksheet on the

Chapter 7 Homepage.

 Involve your FIRST LEGO League Partner in budget

development

 Adhere to any requirements by your Partner

 Especially for qualifiers, your Partner should tell you what

he/she will provide and what you are required to provide.

 For a typical tournament, the largest costs tend to be

o Awards/medals

o Food for volunteers

o Venue costs

o Volunteer shirts

 Your venue costs can range from nothing (if all is donated or in-

kind) to your largest budget item. Have a clear understanding

of your venue costs.

o Venue rental / Charges for room usage

o Charges for audio and/or video equipment and staffing

o Custodial fees

o Security fees

o Other charges

Examples of Common Budget Items

Also review Chapter 6: Supplies for more detailed supply lists and

Chapter 10: Documents and Signage for a detailed list of printer materials.

Reusable

 Competition Tables

 Signs

 Referee shirts

 Timers

 Extension cords

 Clipboards

 First-aid kit

 Some general supplies

Consumables

 Challenge Sets

 Trophies

 Food for volunteers

 Printing

 Volunteer Identification

 Team recognition

 Gaffers tape

 Some general supplies

Equipment/Fees/In-Kind/Borrow

 Audio

 Video

 Venue usage fees

 A/V fees

 Rentals, such as tables/chairs

 Computers

 Printer

 Some general supplies

Budget Worksheet

Category Expenses to be Considered Notes Amount

Audio / Video DJ / Music R Hire a professional, or get a volunteer $ -

Audio / Video Video for Robot Competition and Ceremonies

areas

O Projector, screens, cameras, related equipment $ -

Audio / Video Public announcement system in the pits O Public address system for the Pit Area. $ -

Audio / Video Sound system for Robot Competition and

Ceremonies areas

R Microphones and speakers $ -

Awards Award recognition/trophies R Qualifying tournaments are not required to give trophies to award

winners (your policy is determined by your region's FLL Partner),

but Championship Tournaments are required to use the official

LEGO trophies. FLL offers trophy options for qualifiers, but

certificates are an acceptable alternative.

$ -

Awards Medals or other individual recognitions O Individual recognition is required at Championships, and

recommended for qualifiers.

$ -

General Supplies Computers and printer R You are going to need at least a few computers. For example,

consider your needs for robot game scoring, playing music and

videos, judging deliberation software, team check in area.

$ -

General Supplies Gaffer's tape/Carpets/Rubber mats/Cable

protectors

R Covering exposed cords in the Robot Competition and Pit areas $ -

General Supplies Clipboards R For referees in particular. Other volunteers may need as well. $ -

General Supplies First-aid kit R Your venue may have these available for you $ -

General Supplies Office supplies (pens, pencils, scissors,

staplers, pads of paper, sharpies, scotch tape,

masking tape, tissue, markers, big post-its,

printer paper, envelopes, dry erase markers,

etc.)

R $ -

General Supplies Communication devices O Communication between Pit, Judging, Ceremonies and Robot

Competition areas. Will you need communication devices? Will

cell phones work?

$ -

General Supplies Timers/Stopwatches R For judging assistants $ -

Access this budget worksheet on the Chapter 7 Homepage.

Fundraising

 Sponsorship. Seek out local businesses that might donate goods,

services or provide a cash donation. For those who pursue this option,

have a plan for what benefits the sponsor can expect in return for a

certain level of donation. For example, a business could sponsor a

trophy – Innovative Solution Award presented by Acme Solutions.

 Tournament Fees. Talk to your Partner about how tournament fees

are used to support tournaments in the region.

 Raffles. Hold a 50/50, or raffle donated items/services. Check with

your facility if raffles are permitted on the premises and are

permitted by the Affiliate Partner organization.

 Run Concessions. Spectators and teams will want snacks or lunches.

As an example, find a food establishment nearby that might be willing

to sell a large number of items (sandwiches, for example) at a discount,

then you could resell them at the tournament.

 Sell Tournament T-shirts.

 Sell "Shout Outs“. For a small fee, spectators can have the Emcee

shout out words of encouragement to teams just before they begin their

competition match.

113 114

115 116

8/24/2021

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter7HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 8

Teams and Communications

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Teams Coordinator

Teams: Communications & Timeline

Before the Event

• Communications will transfer from the Partner to the tournament director with

the confirmation of the Team’s tournament placement.

• Tournament specific email communications (templates available – Chapter 8

landing page)

– Email 1: Welcome to the Event (as soon as tournament assignments are final)

– Email 2: Team Information Packet (2 to 3 weeks prior) – template available!

– Email 3: Match Schedule and Team Schedule (1 week prior) – schedule templates can be

found in Chapter 9, Tools and Templates.

Attachment

Attachments

(ForU.S.and Canadianregions)TeamRoster

Robot,attachments,extraparts

Freshbatteries/sparebatteries/rechargeablebatterycharger

Computerandbattery(ifavailable)andpower cord

USBdownloadcable(Bluetoothuse is NOTpermittedatthetournament!)

Extensioncordandpower strip

BoxtocarryRobottocompetitionfield

Provisions forlunch(checkwithtournamentdirectorforoptions)

Binto

holdpersonal andteamitems(coats,games,etc.)tofitunderpittable

InnovationProj ectjudgingmaterials,props, anddisplays

Graphicsdemonstrating programming strategyforRobotDesignJudging

Teamgamesoractivitiesfordowntimes (optional)

Teambanner orpostertocarryforceremoniesorforpitspace(optional)

Teamgiveaways(optional)

*Note: The Core Values Poster may or may not be required as a part of Core Values Judging. Check with your

Partner.

Competition Day Checklist – Teams Should Bring

117 118

119 120

8/24/2021

Item Description

Match schedule & team

schedule

The match & team schedules should also be provided to teams prior to the tournament

Program book A program book that explains the day’s events and introduces the teams. Template

support available.

Emergency procedures Share emergency procedures for this event.

Maps Pit map and/or venue map

Practice Table use

instructions

What are the rules for using the Practice Tables in the pits? Is there a sign up? Time

limit?

Team badges (optional) One for each team member & two coaches, for Team Only area access

Ceremonies instructions

(optional)

Will there be a parade of teams? Designated seating area for teams? Are banners

and signs permitted?

Call-back instructions

(optional)

Will this tournament have call backs? Perhaps judges will visit teams informally in the

pits.

Coach Award nomination

form (optional)

Award nomination forms, for coaches, or other local awards that your tournament may

give, if you want to encourage teams to submit nominations

FIRST® promotional literature

(optional)

If applicable, include information about opportunities for teams interested in moving up

to FIRST Tech Challenge or FIRST Robotics Competition.

Survey (optional) You could ask teams for their feedback – What three (3) things worked well that should

not be changed? What three (3) things did not work well and should be changed?

Check-In Packets

Prepared for teams to pick up at team check in

What Teams Receive

After the event

Tea msshouldleave yourtournamentwiththefollowing:

Awards,aspromotedandperFIRSTLEGOLeagueGlobalProgramStandards(notevery

teamwillreceiveone–checkwithyourPartnerfortheawardsthatwillbedistributed

atyourtournament)

Advancements,as promotedandperFIRST LEGOLeagueGlobal ProgramStandards

(onlyapercentageofteams

willadvance–checkwithyourPartnerforthepercentage

ofteamsthatwilladvancefromyourtournament)

RubricFeedbackSheets(oneeach)fromRobotDesign, InnovationProject,andCore

ValuesJudginggroups–everyteamshouldreceivetheirrubricfeedbacksheets

Individualcertificates,ribbons,keychains,medals,or other–for“HighFives”Lineis

requiredat

Championships(CheckwithyourPartnerfordirection)–ifpossible,

everyteammembershouldreceivearecognitionataqualifyingevent

Proprietary Information

• Protect team contact information

• Share team contact information only with those

who will communicate to the teams about your

event.

• Team contact information may only be used to

message teams about your official FIRST LEGO

League tournament.

• If you would like to message teams about

additional FIRST opportunities, please contact

your Partner.

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter8HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

121 122

123 124

8/24/2021

September 1, 2019

Chapter 9

Scheduling

Recommended for: Tournament Director

Schedule Considerations

• Length of Tournament Day

– Full day (Judging panels see 12 teams; practice round in morning)

– Two-day schedule (Judging day one; practice and official rounds day two)

• Number of Judging Lanes: One (1) Lane = One (1) Robot Design,

one (1) Innovation Project, one (1) Core Values Judging Panel

– Recommend no more than 12 teams per Judging Lane

• One (1) Judging Lane for 12 teams

• Two (2) Judging Lanes for 13 - 24 teams

• Three (3) Judging Lanes for 25 - 36 teams

• Four (4) Judging Lanes for 37 - 48 teams

• Number of Competition Tables: One (1) Tournament Table = Two (2)

half (practice) Tables screwed together – see Field Setup Instructions

for details

– Recommend two (2) Tournament Tables for tournaments of 12 – 24 teams

– Recommend three (3) Tournament Tables for tournaments of 25 – 36 teams

– Recommend four (4) Tournament Tables for tournaments of 37 – 48 teams

Schedule – Flow of Day

Welcome,

CheckIn,

Training,

Meetings

• Tea msandVolunteersCheck In

• Tea mssetupPitandorientthemselves

• Coachmeeting(ledbyTournamentDirector&HeadReferee);Judgemeeting(ledbyJudgeAdvisor);

Refereemeeting(ledbyHeadReferee);Pitareaorientation(ledbyPitAdministrator);Opening

Ceremonyrehearsal(ledbyProductionCoordinator);

Competitionareaorientation(ledbyField

Manager);GeneralVolunteerorientation(ledbyVolunteerCoordinator)

Morning • Judging sessions

• Practiceround

Lunch • Robotgamestaff–eatpriortothe OpeningCeremony

• Judgesconferenceoverlunch

• Someschedulesrequireteamsandvolunteerstoeatastheirschedulepermits

Opening

Ceremony

• Te am parade(optional)andintroduction

• Acknowledge andthank

sponsors,hostsiteandvolunteers

• Specialguestspeaker(optional)

• Competitionoverview(Game,judging,awards,advancements,etc.)

• Nationalanthem(perlocalprotocol)

Afternoon • RobotCompetition– rounds1,2and3

• Judgesdeliberate

• Judgesmakeawarddecisions,determineadvancements, writeawardscripts

• Volunteersteardownteamjudgingrooms

Awards

Ceremony

Preparation

• Competitionareavolunteerstear

downspaceto prepareforawardsceremony

• Prepareawardpresentationareaasneeded(e.g.podium,stageawards,etc.)

• DJ/AVOperatorplaysdancemusictokeepthecrowdbusyandenergized

• Te am scleanupPit

Award&

Closing

Ceremony

• Te am parade,teamrecognition, and“HighFives”fromJudges&Referees

• Recognitionofsponsors,volunteers,

hostsite,coaches,mentors,andparents

• Awardspresentation

Note: Tournament

elements can be

arranged differently.

For instance, the

Opening Ceremony

can happen first

thing in the morning.

The schedule

provided here is the

one we chose to

support for simplicity

and user ease – see

template schedules

in Tools and

Templates.

Start of Day Launch

Training and Orientation Times (6:45 – 8:30 AM)

6:45AM

Volunteer

Coordinator

Volunteer

CheckIn

TeamCheckIn

7:45AM

Tournament

Director&Head

Referee

CoachesMeeting

7:00AM

PitManager

PracticeTable

Assistant

7:30AM

JudgeAdvisor

Judges

Judge

Assistants

8:00AM

Volunteer

Coordinator

Judging

Queuers

8:00AM

Production

Coordinator

Masterof

Ceremonies

Camera

Operators

(optional)

DJ/AVOperator

8:30AM

HeadReferee

Referees FieldReset

8:30AM

FieldManager

RobotGame

Queuer

Scorekeepers ScoreRunners PitRunners Timer

TrafficControl

(Competition

Area)

125 126

127 128

8/24/2021

Sample Overall Schedule

1 Judging Lane (10 minute judged session + 5 minute break = 15 minute judging blocks)

2 Tournament Table (2.5 minute robot match + 2.5 minute buffer = 5 minute robot game match blocks)

Qualifier Timeline 12 team

Set up

Before the

tournament

Doors open – finalize set up, check in volunteers arrive 6:30-7:00 am

Meetings - Coaches, Judges, Referees, Volunteers 7:00-8:30

Check In - Teams settle in the Pits 7:30-8:30

Judging Sessions 8:30-11:45

Practice Round 9:00-10:15

Lunch **

Opening Ceremony

11:00-1:00

11:45–12:15

Robot Competition – Official Rounds 12:30-2:10

Judge Deliberations 12:15-2:15

Awards/Closing Ceremony 2:30-3:00

** Refereeseatlunchbeforerobotmatches.Judgeseatduringaworkinglunchastheyattendjudgedeliberations.

Tea m seatlunchtoaccommodatetheirindividualrobotgameandjudgingschedules.

Detailed Overview

NOTE:Thisdetailedscheduleoverviewisavailableaspartofthescheduletemplate

packageslocatedinToolsandTe mpl a te s .

Other Schedules

Tea mSchedule

MatchSchedule

JudgingSchedule

Sametournamentinformation,organized

andpresentedtosupportdifferent

audiences.

NOTE:Theseschedulesareavailableaspartoftheschedule

templatepackageslocatedinToolsandTempl ates.

Organize the same tournament information in various

ways…

• Consider the flow of your day

• Consider who needs what information

Schedule Type Who needs it?

Detailed Overview

Schedule

Tournament Director, Volunteer Coordinator,

Field Manager, Pit Administrator, Technical

Advisor, other Key Volunteer and

Tournament Planning Team Members

Schedule by Team Teams, Spectators, Media

Judging Schedule Judges, Judging Queuers, Judge Assistants,

Pit Administrator

Match Schedule Referees, Field Manager, Scorekeeper,

Master of Ceremonies, Robot Game

Queuer, Pit Runners, Timer, Spectators

129 130

131 132

8/24/2021

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter9HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 10

Documents and Signage

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Materials Coordinator

Documents and Signage - Overview

Prepare for your tournament by producing or borrowing the following:

– Tournament documents

– FIRST branded materials

– Sponsor banners/signs/displays

– Exterior parking and directional signs

– Large interior signs

– Small room or small area signage

– Program book

Printed Documents: Total Printing Needs

Copies recommended to support a 12 Team Tournament (Double numbers for 24 Teams)

The first column is the total number of copies needed. The other columns show where to

distribute the documents at the event.

Document

Total

Welcome

Area

Team

Packet

Competition

Area

Judging

Area

Pit

Area

Mission Model Building Instructions 1 0 0 1 0 0

Game Guide (Missions/Rules/Field Setup) 6 0 0 6 0 0

Challenge Updates 5 0 0 5 0 0

Robot Game Score Sheet (for 3 official

rounds & 1 practice round)

48 0 0 48 0 0

Match Schedule 253 150 12 20 11 60

Team Schedule 72 30 12 0 0 30

Medical Incident Report Form (required

forms vary by region)

620 2 02

Non Medical Incident Report Form

(required forms vary by region)

620 2 02

Core Values Input Form 24 6 0 6 6 6

133 134

135 136

8/24/2021

Printed Documents: Total Printing Needs

Copies recommended to support a 12 Team Tournament (*Program Book Template can be

found in the Tools and Templates section of “Chapter 10: Documents and Signage”)

Document

Total

Welcome

Area

Team

Packet

Competition

Area

Judging

Area

Pit

Area

Event Walk-On Volunteer Policy and

Application Form

12 12 0 0 0 0

*Program Book 300 168 12 0 0 120

Pit/Venue Map 233 150 12 0 11 60

FIRST® Promotional Literature (Varies) 32 20 12 0 0 0

Emergency Procedures 16 1 12 1 1 1

Practice Table Use Procedures 24 0 12 0 0 14

Team Badges (optional) (For each team

member & 2 coaches)

~144 0 ~144 0 0 0

Coach Award Nomination Form (optional) 12 0 12 0 0 0

Printed Documents: Total Printing Needs

Copies recommended to support a 12 Team Tournament (*Schedule-related documents come

from the Schedule Templates, available in the Tools and Templates in “Chapter 9: Scheduling”)

Document

Total

Welcome

Area

Team

Packet

Competition

Area

Judging

Area

Pit

Area

FIRST LEGO League to FIRST Tech

Challenge/FIRST Robotics Competition Promotional

Literature (not applicable for every region)

24 0 12 0 0 12

Ceremonies Procedures (optional) 20 0 12 6 0 2

Judging Call Back Information (optional) 34 0 12 0 8 14

Survey (optional) 12 0 12 0 0 0

Deliberations Flow Chart 1 0 0 0 1 0

Award Descriptions 1 0 0 0 1 0

Awards Script 2 0 0 0 2 0

*Judging Schedule (Overview) 10 2 0 0 8 0

*Judging Room Team Schedule 14 2 0 0 11 1

Core Values Prep Pack 3 0 0 0 3 0

Core Values Award Nomination Worksheet 1 0 0 0 1 0

Printed Documents: Total Printing Needs

Copies recommended to support a 12 Team Tournament

Document

Total

Welcome

Area

Team

Packet

Competition

Area

Judging

Area

Pit

Area

Core Values Award Rankings 2 0 0 0 2 0

Core Values Rubric 12 0 0 0 12 0

Innovation Project Prep Pack 3 0 0 0 3 0

Innovation Project Award Nomination Work. 1 0 0 0 1 0

Innovation Project Award Rankings 2 0 0 0 2 0

Innovation Project Rubric 12 0 0 0 12 0

Robot Design Prep Pack 3 0 0 0 3 0

Robot Design Award Nomination Worksheet 1 0 0 0 1 0

Robot Design Award Rankings 2 0 0 0 2 0

Robot Design Rubric 12 0 0 0 12 0

Printed Documents: Total Printing Needs

Copies recommended to support a 12 Team Tournament

The Volunteer position descriptions can be emailed to each Volunteer prior to the event but

providing each Volunteer with a printed copy at check in is nice but optional. These

descriptions can be found in the Volunteer Chapter landing page in Other Relevant Materials.

Document

Total

Welcome

Area

Team

Packet

Competition

Area

Judging

Area

Pit

Area

Volunteer Badges ~40 40 0 0 0 0

Job description: Field Manager 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Head Referee 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Referee 4 4 0 0 0 0

Job description: Master of Ceremonies 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Field Resetter 4 4 0 0 0 0

Job description: Score Keeper 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Timer 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Robot Game Queuer 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: A/V Operator (DJ) 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Production Coordinator 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Video Camera Operator

(optional)

22 0 0 0 0

137 138

139 140

8/24/2021

Printed Documents: Total Printing Needs

Copies recommended to support a 12 Team Tournament

Document

Total

Welcome

Area

Team

Packet

Competition

Area

Judging

Area

Pit

Area

Job description: Judge Advisor 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Core Values Judge 2 2 0 0 0 0

Job description: Robot Design Judge 2 2 0 0 0 0

Job description: Innovation Project Judge 2 2 0 0 0 0

Job description: Judge Assistant 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Judging Queuer 3 3 0 0 0 0

Job description: Pit Administrator 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Practice Table Assistant 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Pit Runner 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Check In Volunteer 4 4 0 0 0 0

Job description: Information 1 1 0 0 0 0

Job description: Photographer 1 1 0 0 0 0

A FIRST Event

Check with your Partner. You might be able to borrow FIRST

branded material for your tournament.

Sponsor Recognition

There are many ways to recognize sponsors at your event.

Sponsor banners might be required if you have promised this

recognition for sponsors that donate at an agreed upon price point.

ProjectedduringCeremonies

ScrollingontheScoringDisplay

OnSignsandBanners

Signage: Parking & Entrance

• Parking and other outside directional signs identify your venue as the tournament site

and directs your Volunteers, Teams, and spectators to designated parking and entry

points.

• Welcome signs at the entrance (inside the building) confirms to people that they are

in the right place.

141 142

143 144

8/24/2021

Signage: Area Signage

Identify your tournament areas with signs that can be placed on easels or taped to walls (with facility

permission).

Signage: Area Signage

These templates can be found in the “Chapter 10: Documents and Signage.”

Signage: Room or Small Areas

Small signs can designate rooms, competition tables, Pit tables, practice tables, and other small areas.

Signage: Room or Small Areas

Small signs can be printed on standard letter-sized paper. These templates, which can be easily

edited, can be found in the Tools and Templates section of “Chapter 10: Documents and Signage.”

TIP:Printonletterpaperandlaminatethemtouseyearafteryear.

145 146

147 148

8/24/2021

Program Book –

Templates and Tools are Available

• Program Book Elements

– Team Information

– FIRST®, LEGO® and FIRST

LEGO League information

– Basic tournament information

– FIRST LEGO League

Challenge information

–Awards

– Advancements

– Tournament sponsors

– Key volunteers

– Information on moving to

another FIRST program

– Global Innovation Award

Information

• Program Book Template

Use Reminders

– Pages must be in multiples of 4

– Templates use 3 or 4 sheets of

paper

– Toolkit available for custom

books

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter10HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 11

Event Safety, Accessibility & Cancellation

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Volunteer Coordinator, Facilities Coordinator

Emergency and Evacuation Plans

The Planning Team should know the emergency and evacuation

procedures at their venue ahead of time.

It is recommended that an emergency folder be created for members of

the Planning Team and key volunteers, such as the Pit Admin and Field

Managers, listing these procedures and protocols.

What would you do in case of ….

 A lost child

 A tornado

 Fire

 Loss of power

 An earthquake

 A snow or ice storm

 A medical emergency

 A tsunami

 A violent person

149 150

151 152

8/24/2021

Safety

 Be mindful to tape down or hide cords and wires. Gaffer’s

tape is excellent for this job. Always check with your venue

before applying tape to floors.

 Be aware of room capacity limits.

 Do a walk through of your venue looking for trip hazards,

especially in high traffic areas.

 Be careful not to block exits.

 Work with your facility’s contact to understand

o any relevant building or fire codes

o any safety and health requirements or regulations

o any local and applicable laws

 Make sure paths remain clear and open.

 Are you required to hire security personnel?

Incidents

 Review with your venue contact the venue’s procedure if

someone gets hurt.

 If there is immediate danger, injury or risk of injury – call

emergency services immediately. (For example, in the

US/CAN, call 911)

 If there is a significant incident, the FIRST LEGO League

Partner should be contacted immediately after you

contact emergency services.

 Should there be an incident, a completed incident

report form should be given to your Partner.

 There are two types of incidents that need to be reported -

- Medical and Non-Medical. Report forms can be found

on the Youth Protection Program page. Instructions are

included on the forms. Several copies should be printed

and made available.

 Review the incident report forms ahead of time.

 Will everyone be able to participate in your

tournament? Will you have team members or

volunteers with special needs?

 Inform teams in advance of any limitations as to

access. For example, if the venue does not have

a ramp to the Ceremonies stage, only stairs.

 Ask the coaches if any of their students have

special needs, and what accommodations are

being requested.

 Ask your volunteers the same.

 Your venue should meet all accessibility

requirements or regulations.

Accessibility

 No one likes to think about this possibility. Plan ahead. The safety

of the teams is most important.

 Know in advance the answer to this question: Under what

conditions will you have to cancel your event?

o More than 4 inches/10 cm of snow?

o An ice storm? Remember that teams have to travel

o Communicable health concern?

o Loss of power?

 If you are using a school, check with your venue contact because

schools may be required to close under certain circumstances.

 Work with your Partner to create a comprehensive cancellation

policy - template available.

Cancellation Policy

 Tell teams exactly how they will be notified in case of cancellation. Email, website, text message.

 Decide with your Planning Team if and when you will reschedule in case of cancellation and have this

information ready, if needed.

 (For qualifiers) If a qualifier is cancelled and cannot be rescheduled, ask your FIRST LEGO League

Partner how advancement will be determined. Have this information ready prior to the tournament

and ready to be posted, if needed.

153 154

155 156

8/24/2021

The remaining slides in this chapter deal with the

FIRST Youth Protection Program.

YPP

FIRST

Youth Protection Program

The purpose of the FIRST YouthProtectionProgram(FIRST YPP)

is to provide coaches, mentors, volunteers, employees, others

working in FIRST programs, team members, parents, and guardians

of team members with information, guidelines, and procedures to

create safe environments for everyone participating in FIRST

programs.

The FIRST YPP sets minimum standards recommended for all FIRST

activities. Adults working in FIRST programs must be knowledgeable

of the standards set by the FIRST YPP, as well as those set by the

school or organization hosting their team.

YPP

FIRST

Youth Protection Program

U.S. and Canada – This is a requirement.

Elements in the FIRST Youth Protection Program guide that are labeled as

required are mandatory in the United States and Canada, and may not be

waived without the approval of the FIRST Youth Protection Department.

OUTSIDE U.S. and Canada – This is a recommendation.

FIRST recommends that the standards set forth in the FIRST Youth

Protection Program guide be applied outside of the United States and Canada

to the extent possible. At a minimum, you must comply with any local

regulations regarding youth protection.

YPP

FIRST

Youth Protection Program

For complete information on the FIRST Youth Protection Program,

read the FIRST Youth Protection Program guide.

YPP

157 158

159 160

8/24/2021

(U.S. and Canada only)

FIRST

Youth Protection Program Requirements

FIRST LEGO League Official Events

For the purposes of the FIRST YouthProtectionProgram(FIRST YPP), “Official Events” refers to events that are

required to adhere to FIRST YPP policies. The FIRST Youth Protection Department (FIRST YPD) definition of FIRST

Official Events (OE) refers to events run by FIRST staff, Regional Directors, Affiliate Partners (or parties engaged by

them to run an event) as part of the official FIRST competition season taking place in the United States and Canada,

including all FIRST Robotics Competition District events. OEs are those events that determine which teams will

advance in the FIRST official competition structure. An “Event Organizer” refers to the organization or individual

appointed by an FIRST LEGO League Affiliate Partner to conduct an Official Event.

1. Event Organizers are required to comply with the safety rules of the hosting organization and/or facility.

2. Event Organizers are required to be fully familiar with the Youth Protection Program’s Code of Conduct. (Pages

10-14 of the FIRST Youth Protection Program Guide).

3. Event Organizers must require that any emergency and security service providers at events:

o Be available throughout the entire event and remain on site until all teams and spectators have left

o Be fully trained and capable of effectively responding to medical and non-medical emergencies.

o Be aware of the special security and safety concerns at events with children participating on teams and as

spectators

o Be aware of the potential risk presented by on-site service providers. It is not feasible to screen or train

these individuals, and security personnel should bear this in mind.

IMPORTANT–TalktoyourFIRST LEGOLeaguePartneraboutYou th ProtectionProgramrequirements.

YPP

4. Event Organizers are required to ensure that event hosts are duly licensed to hold such events and the

event activities must stay within the legally specified parameters for numbers of participants and event

elements.

5. Event Organizers are required to ensure that those providing services for the event or performing at an

event (e.g., non-team food vendors, child care services, etc.) are properly licensed.

6. Event Organizers are required to document and report all physical injuries, all medical problems, safety

concerns, and non-medical incidents to FIRST Headquarters and the FIRST LEGO League Affiliate Partner

within 48 hours of the occurrence. Find official report forms here.

7. Event Organizers are required to only allow as Event Volunteers:

o Persons 18 years of age or older who have obtained Youth Protection Clearance (YPC) from FIRST

o Other persons (either adults without YPC or persons under the age of 18) provided these persons are

placed under the direct supervision by an adult who has obtained YPC from FIRST

8. Event Organizers are required to decline the services of individuals who have been denied YPC (as

provided by FIRST) and required to keep confidential the identity of persons who have been denied YPC.

9. Event Organizers are required to adhere to safety measures related to the Robot Game that are required

by FIRST Program management.

10. Event Organizers are required to promptly respond to and terminate inappropriate interactions between

individuals, including without limitation, violent, abusive, hostile, or potentially harmful behavior.

11. Event Organizers are required to ensure that the use of controlled substances not be allowed and promptly

report the use of any controlled substances to the proper authority.

12. Event Organizers are required to be prepared for emergencies.

13. Event Organizers shall require that adults keep team members safe while working with tools, robots,

machinery, and materials.

YPP

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter11HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 12

Production

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Production Coordinator, Field Manager,

Technical Advisor

161 162

163 164

8/24/2021

Production Overview

• Purpose of Production

– Include the audience in the experience

– Enhance the team experience

• Two Production Parts

– Robot Game, managed by the Field Manager

– Ceremonies, managed by the Production Coordinator

• Elements

– Audio – music, guest speakers, announcers

– Video - FIRST® produced – for ceremonies

– Video cameras – Robot Game

– Video cameras – Master of ceremonies & guest speakers

– Displays – scores and game clock

Production: Robot Game

Field Manager, Key Volunteer

•Music

• Video cameras

• Play-by-play audio

• Game clock

• Scores displays

 It is the job of the Field Manager to make sure that the

robot game is delivered as scheduled and the audio and

visual components are working as planned.

 The Field Manager should work with the Technical

Advisor for all audio, visual, and software support.

Production: Robot Game Technical Elements

Field Manager to work with Technical Advisor

 Computers – scoring, music, video

 Video cameras – robot game (one or two video cameras)

 Screens – one for scores, one for other visuals

 Projectors – one for each screen (one or two)

 Sound system – speakers, microphones

Production: Robot Game without

Cameras

• Consider your space

– Can people view from an atrium area?

– Can you set up tables as close to seating as possible?

165 166

167 168

8/24/2021

Production: Ceremonies

Recommended Elements

Production Coordinator, Ceremonies Key Volunteer

Opening Ceremony

 Parade of Teams (optional)

 National anthem of host

country (per local protocol)

 Guest speaker (Innovation

Project expert, host, sponsor)

 FIRST® produced video(s)

 Recognition and thanks to

volunteers, host site, sponsors

 Event overview

Closing Ceremony

 “High Fives” Team parade

(Medal or other recognition

distribution)

 Event slide show (optional)

 Volunteer appreciations and

Award

 Sponsor recognitions

 Awards distributions

Ceremonies: Production Coordinator

Works with Tournament

Director to:

 Deliver ceremonies within a set time

 Write scripts (templates available)

 Create or locate video and audio

content

 FIRST® videos

 National anthem (per local

protocol)

 Music

 Team slide show

 Identify, invite, greet, and provide

seating for performers, guest

speakers, sponsors, other dignitaries

 Produce the ceremonies at the event

Works with Technical

Advisor to:

 Provide audio support for presenters

(microphones – wireless/hands free),

video, and music

 Provide visual support – computers,

video cameras, screens, projectors,

video player, slide show creation

 Provide adequate lighting for Robot

Game tables and cameras

 Safely secure cables and cords

 Provide volunteers to assist with

technical support

 Camera operators

 AV operator or DJ

Ceremonies: Production Coordinator

Opening/Closing Ceremony Rehearsal

• Rehearse the entire ceremony. (You may be unable to practice

some elements, like the parade of teams or guest speakers.

Estimate the time it will take for these pieces and use stand-in

volunteers when possible).

• The Master of Ceremonies reads the script aloud and confirms

pronunciations.

• The A/V Operator practices incorporating video components

into the ceremony.

• The Technical Advisor runs a sound check with the systems

and sets sound levels.

• The Production Coordinator confirms pattern for Parade of

Teams and team seating (if incorporated) – Who will assist with

this flow?

• Where will the Camera Operators stand? Consider good

camera angles for guest speakers (The back of the head is a

poor angle, for instance).

• If a national anthem will be performed live, practice the

entrance and exit with the performer.

• Time the ceremony – Will it run on schedule?

•NOTE: Often a guest speaker will not be able to join the

rehearsal. Make sure you give that person a time limit and

offer to prepare some remarks or talking points for him.

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter12HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

169 170

171 172

8/24/2021

September 1, 2019

Chapter 13

Judging Overview

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Judge Advisor

 FIRST LEGO League is a program with three equal

components: Robot Game, Innovation Project and Core Values.

 Each team will be judged in three areas. Robot Design,

Innovation Project and Core Values.

 Each judging session should be 10 minutes with the team and

5 minutes in between judging sessions.

 Judges will use the official FIRST LEGO League rubrics to help

them determine which teams will receive awards.

Judging Basics and Philosophy

 With the exception of the Robot Performance award (which is based in Robot Game scores),

award recipients are determined by a deliberation process, which is based around

discussions of team performance in each judged category.

 With the exception of Robot Performance, a team may only win one award from the group of

Required Awards plus Judges Awards (if used); note this limitation does not apply to individual

Special Recognition Awards (such as the Coach/Mentor Award) or local awards.

Judging Basics and Philosophy

 The FIRST Core Values are considered in all judging sessions and even outside of the

judging sessions. All volunteers and event organizers may provide input to judges

regarding the Core Values displayed by teams during an event.

 It is not uncommon for an award winner in one judging area (for example, a team winning

an award from Robot Design judging) not to advance and a team that did not receive an

award in a judging area to advance.

 Judges should be positive and encouraging when interacting with the teams, and the

kids’ work should be respected.

 Adults are strictly prohibited from directing team members or interfering with the

judging process in any way.

Award Eligibility

In order for a team to be considered for Required

Awards,

 Team members must be of appropriate age for the Program.

See Participation Rules.

 The team must have 2 to 10 team members.

 The team participated in all three judged areas and the

Robot Game.

 The team is at their first official event at that tournament

level for the season.

 The team demonstrated FIRST Core Values.

173 174

175 176

8/24/2021

What To Do First

 First, identify the Judge Advisor. This person should

be identified by Challenge release.

 Second, have the Judge Advisor introduce him/herself

to your Partner’s Regional Judge Advisor.

 Have the Judge Advisor complete and pass Judge

Advisor Certification through FIRST.

 Have the Judge Advisor review all the judging

material on the Partner Wiki through FIRST.

 Review with the Judge Advisor the number of judging lanes and judges that will be needed.

o A judging lane is one set of judging rooms. Review Chapter 3 – Venue.

o Each judging lane requires 6 judges (a minimum of 2 judges per room).

o One lane per 12 teams is typical and recommended.

o No more than 16 teams per lane.

 Decide the spectator policy for judging rooms. How many adults, if any, can accompany a

team into the judging rooms? For example, to video tape the presentation.

 Determine the format of the Core Values judging session. Consult your Regional Judge Advisor.

Recruiting Judges

Look for Judges who…

 Have experience working with youth

 Have the appropriate maturity level

 Have skills and experience in their judging area

Robot Design Judges

 Have some technical

expertise

 Examples: engineers,

technicians

Innovative Project Judges

 Have experience assessing

presentations

 Examples: professionals in

the Challenge topic field,

educators, communications

professionals

Core Values Judges

 Have experience assessing

teamwork

 Examples: trainers,

coaches, leaders in the

community, communications

professionals

What your FIRST LEGO League Partner Should Tell You

Your region’s Partner should decide the following and

provide that information to each Tournament Director.

These are regional decisions made by your Partner.

 Whether the region will require a Core Values Poster and/or

Robot Design Executive Summary.

 The awards structure to be used at your tournament.

 (For qualifiers) The number of teams that will advance from

your tournament.

 (For qualifiers) Any certificate to be given to advancing teams.

 (For qualifiers) If applicable, any regional team recognition

items (such as medals) to be distributed.

Communicating With Your Teams

Make sure the person communicating with the

teams includes the following:

 The Core Values poster and/or Robot Design Executive

Summary requirements.

 Any spectator policy for the judging sessions.

 What will and will not be provided in each judging room. (For

example, some regions provide screens and projectors in the

Innovation Project judging rooms).

 Any requirements for the teams. (For example, some regions

may require Innovation Project presentation slideshows be

submitted electronically at team check in)

 A reminder to teams to let the tournament director know if a

team member has any special needs.

 Refer to the Team Information Packet template in Chapter 8.

177 178

179 180

8/24/2021

What to Return

What to Return to your Partner

 Robot Performance scores (file)

 List of award winners

 Any incident report forms

 (Qualifiers only) List of advancing teams

 (US/CAN only) Team Rosters and any paper Consent and

Release forms collected at team check in

 If applicable, completed Judging Lite deliberation Excel file

What to Return to the Teams

 Each team’s three judging rubrics, filled out by their judges

 Any judging-related material teams may have left with the judges

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter13HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 14

Robot Game Overview

Recommended for: Tournament Director. Head Referee

Robot Game Basics and Philosophy

 FIRST

LEGO

League is a program with three

equal components: The Robot Game, the

Innovation Project and Core Values.

 You are required to deliver the Robot Game (rules,

missions, table design, field setup) exactly as

written by FIRST LEGO League.

 You must have at least three official rounds,

which means each team will compete in at least

three official matches.

 Each match is 2.5 minutes and has two teams

playing opposite of each other on a Tournament

Table.

 The Robot Performance Award winner is based on the single highest official match score. In

the event of a tie, the next highest match scores are used. No other method, such as average

or total score, can be used.

 At the tournament, only two team members at a time are allowed right up at the Tournament

Table except during repair emergencies. The rest of the team must stay back from the table,

but close enough for different members to tag in or out as desired.

181 182

183 184

8/24/2021

Things To Consider and Decide

 First, identify your Head Referee. This person should be

in place by Challenge release.

 Your Head Referee should contact your Partner’s

Regional Head Referee who oversees all Robot Game

related business in the region, and participate in any

training required by the Partner or Regional Head Referee.

 Have your Head Referee review all official Robot Game

material from FIRST once the Challenge is released, and

stay up to date on Robot Game Updates.

 Decide how many Tournament Tables you will need. The

recommendation is at least 1 Tournament Table per 12

teams.

 Practice rounds, while not required, are strongly

encouraged. Work with your head referee to decide if

you want to schedule a practice round(s).

 Discuss the referee recruitment plan with your head

referee and volunteer coordinator.

Recruiting Referees

Look for people who…

 Have experience working with youth.

 Have the appropriate maturity level.

 Can help inspire kids and make them feel good

about their work.

 Understand that they may have to stand for long

periods of time.

 Can be diplomatic and fair.

 Are attentive to detail.

 Enjoy wearing fun hats, a FIRST LEGO League

referee tradition. Not required.

Things to Know

 As you design your Robot Competition Area layout, account for

a buffer zone of at least 6 feet or 1.8 meters around the

Tournament Table for the competing team members and

referees.

 In the Robot Competition Area layout, you will also need to

account for an area next to the Tournament Tables where

the team members can stand in the buffer zone, other than

the two at the table. It is recommended that you use tape to

designate these areas, but get permission from your venue first

before placing tape on the floor.

 Adjacent to the Robot Competition area should be an area for

teams to wait for their upcoming match. This area is often

called a Staging Area, Queuing Area or On Deck Area.

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter14HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

185 186

187 188

8/24/2021

September 1, 2019

Chapter 15

Event Promotion

Recommended for: Tournament Director, Media Coordinator

Inviting the media to your tournament is suggested,

but not required.

Look to identify someone to handle this task. This

“Media Coordinator” can…

 Conduct outreach to local media throughout the season and

generate interest in your tournament

 Act as point-of-contact for local media inquiries prior to event

 Function as contact person for media who attend your tournament

 Communicate media plans, coverage, and results

 Relay event cancellation announcements to the media

Look for external support

 For example, if you work at a University, can the Marketing or

Public Affairs office help?

 Perhaps one of your sponsors could donate the services of their

media office.

Who Do You Want To Tell?

Make a target media list of the

organizations you want to invite to your

tournament. When you make that list, also

include the person to contact with their

phone or email. Start about 2-3 months

prior to your tournament.

 Local/Regional TV network affiliates

 Local/Regional newspapers

 Local online

 Suburban newspapers

 Magazines based in area

 Local/Regional radio stations

 Local cable providers

 Blogs (Education, STEM, Workforce Development)

Organization+ContactPerson+Phone/Email

When Do You Want To Tell Them?

Make a list of dates and action items for each day. For example:

Date Action Item

November 25 Email Derrick at Channel 17 to schedule a TV visit to the

tournament

November 27 Call Helen at the local radio station to arrange an

interview

End of November Email press release to Channels 3, 14 and 57

December 2 Text Anne at the online magazine Robots Are Fun and

arrange a time for her to visit the tournament

Week of December 7 Email the local newspaper and arrange a time to meet

them at the tournament.

189 190

191 192

8/24/2021

How Are You Going To Tell Them?

FIRST providesamediatoolkit

whichincludesasetofpress

releasetemplates customizableto

yourtournament.

Thesecanbefoundonthe

Chapter15HomePageinthe

TournamentManualonthe

PartnerWiki.

Media Packet

On the day of the event, a Media Packet of information will make things much

easier on the media. Contents to consider:

 What is FIRST?

 What is FIRST

LEGO

League?

 An overview of the current

FIRST LEGO League Challenge.

 Tournament schedule

 Venue layout map

 Team list including hometowns

 A list of tournament sponsors

 Promotional material for the Partner’s organization and host site

 A contact person for the tournament with phone or email.

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter15HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

September 1, 2019

Chapter 16

Post Event

Recommended for: Tournament Director

193 194

195 196

8/24/2021

Feedback

 You should ask your teams and

volunteers for their feedback. But,

check with your Partner first for any

region-wide effort.

 Free and easy-to-use online services

such as SurveyMonkey or Google

Forms can be used.

 Possibly include a survey card with each

team’s rubrics.

 You could also send a simple email

asking for the three best things and

three things that need improvement.

 Whatever you do, try to keep it simple

and short.

Returns

What to Return to your Partner

 Robot Performance scores (file)

 List of award winners

 Any completed Walk-On Volunteer forms

 Any incident report forms

 (Qualifiers only) List of advancing teams

 (US/CAN only) Team Rosters, with any paper Consent

forms, collected at team check-in

 If applicable, completed Judging Lite deliberation Excel file

What to Return to the Teams

 If you did not do this at the event, each team’s three

judging rubrics

Thank Your Sponsors

Follow up with your donors and sponsors,

as promised. Believe it or not, they want

to hear from you. This is considered

good stewardship.

Consider any one or all of the following:

 Send pictures from the tournament

 Send them team stories including local teams that

moved on to a World Festival, Open

Championship, or Global Innovation Award

consideration

 Have the teams at the event sign a big thank you

card, and send the card

 Send a post-event report

 Send a program booklet, especially if your

sponsors are recognized in it

Moredetailedinformationandsupportmaterialcanbefound

byvisitingtheChapter16HomePageonthePartnerWiki.

197 198

199 200

8/24/2021

ThankYouForYourSupport!

201