Local Event/Tournament
If your team chooses to participate in a local event or official tournament they will only have until that event, to complete all the work of the Challenge – Robot Game and Project. They’ll feel a time crunch just like all the other teams from all over the world. Events are great opportunities to interact with and learn from other teams and coaches, whether it’s the first year they’ve participated or the third. Teams must put a whole day aside for an Event.
Local FIRST LEGO League Events/Tournaments mostly follow the same structure:
When teams arrive at the tournament venue, they will be assigned to a designated (pit)area, which will be their ‘home’ for the day. They can decorate it, put up their posters and display their robot and Project prototype. This is the place where the teams will interact with the public, visitors and the judges, who can visit the pit area at any time during the day. Throughout the day, visitors will be encouraged to visit the Pit Areas, to learn about the work that the teams have done. Visitors can also follow the Robot Games at any time during the day.
Teams will receive a full program-schedule for Tournament day.
The Event will start with an Opening Ceremony, where all teams can do an short intro – like a war cry.
Registered teams are divided into 2 or more Pools – eg. A and B. Pool A will do their Judging sessions in the morning, while Pool B do their Robot Games. After lunch Group B will do their Judging sessions and Group A will do their Robot Games.
At a FIRST LEGO League Event/Tournament teams are judged on their:
- Innovation Project
- Core Values
- Robot Design
Every team will have only 1 Judging session, which will include all 3 parts. (See Judging Session Flow Chart for teams).
Innovation Project:
At a tournament teams will have 5 min to present and explain how their project works.After that,they will have a question and answer session with the Judges. Look at the Challenge Rubrics to make sure you give the Judges all the relevant info, about your Project.
Core Values:
Judges will look at how the team ‘live’ the FIRST CORE VALUES in everything they do. The Judges want to see how they work as a team, how they face the Challenge, engage with others and apply it whilst working with their robot. Teams don’t have to do a Core Value presentation, but they need to be able to give examples of how they displayed it. Throughout the Event and in the Judging session teams will be observed, to see how they display their Core Values.
Robot Design:
During the Judging session, the Judges will look at the team’s robot and ask questions like:
- How did you design your robot?
- What makes your robot special?
- What is the strategy you use in the Robot Game?
- How does your programming made their robot work? (Explain your coding)
Judging will be done according to the official First Lego League Challenge Rubrics
Judging Session Flow Chart is a available, so that teams can prepare for the Judging session and know what to expect.
Robot Games:
At a tournament 2 Robot Game tables will be set up, adjacent to each other, like in the photo, below. The idea is that your team have to collaborate with the team that is playing on the next door playing field, to score more points together, in certain missions. All the official Robot Rounds will be done on these tables.
All the mission models on these tables will be built according to the the same SUBMERGED Mission Model Building Instructions that the teams used to build their own Mission Models. Teams don’t have to bring their own Mission Models to the Events/Tournaments Game Tables, unless the Robot Game Rules specify other-wise.
During a Robot Game the robots have to do the missions autonomously. Teams will not be allowed to use any kind of remote control or blue tooth to control the robot during the Robot Game.
The duration of a Robot Game Round, is two-and-a-half minutes (150 sec).
Teams will have 1 official practice Round (the score doesn’t count) on the tournament tables. Then they will compete in 3 Rounds of the Robot Game where only the best score of the 3 Rounds will count.
SUBMERGED scoring calculator will be use at Events/Tournaments.
There will be robot game tables available in the Pit Areas where teams can do, last minute practice runs. Remember that all teams share these tables.
An Event/Tournament is more of a Celebration than a ‘competition’. Teams are going to show all their hard work: what they have accomplished, what they have learned, the skills they have acquired and how they work together as a team.
After all teams have finished their Judging sessions and Robot Games, there will be a Closing Ceremony, where all participants will receive medals and the Awards will be handed out.
Teams have the opportunity to win awards in various categories, but the FIRST LEGO League Core Values remain the focus.
Challenge Event/Tournament Checklist
For more info about your particular region’s Tournament, select a link.