FLL Regional Tournament Team Preparation Checklist

last updated: December 10, 2009

This is a simple checklist to help with preparing for your FLL Tournament

What to Bring:

• WEAR SOFT SOLED SHOES TO PROTECT THE GYM FLOOR!
• Every team needs to identify one adult volunteer from their team - volunteer positions and descriptions will be available at volunteer check-in. The only role that we disallow for parents or adults closely aligned with a team is that of judge or referee - eliminates any perceived or real conflict of interest.
• You are welcome to also bring a project board like used in science fairs (optional) that shows pictures of your team at work or related to your research project to put on your pit table.
• Bring a computer (hopefully a laptop) with your programs on it. We recommend battery backup. Also, we recommend having a backup of your programs on CD or thumb drive in case the unthinkable happens.
• Bring a power strip and an extension cord (at least 12 ft) for supplying power to your computer at the pit area table.
• Bring your robot.
• Bring your Mindstorms kit and/or extra LEGO elements for making changes or repairs to your robot.
• Bring fresh batteries.
• When going to judging:
  • Bring a printout of your programs (preferred), or a laptop computer for the robot design judging.
  • Bring your robot and all of its attachments for robot design judging
  • Bring project presentation materials and any other documentation to the presentation judging.
• Bring a protective box to transport your robot and protect it as much as possible when carrying it
• You will get a timed practice round on the actual competition table. No programming robots at the competition table
• Use a box or cloth (aka a garage) to cover the RCX robot and IR tower during program downloads. All RCX robots must be covered during RCX downloads. Do not use tape on your RCX.
• No Bluetooth is allowed at all at any time or place at the tournament - only only USB for NXT equipment
• Bring your team members (make sure you know how they are getting to the tournament)
• Food and water will be sold at on site concessions at reasonable prices. All food sales benefit the FIRST Robotics team #2489.
• Bring money to pay for food.
• PLEASE: NO FOOD OR DRINK IS ALLOWED IN THE GYM

Competition, Judging, Feedback & Scoring:

• Each team will attempt the robotics challenge in 4 separate scored rounds during the tournament plus a morning practice round which will not be scored
• The robot performance award will be based on high score, with ties being determined by 2nd, 3rd or 4th best scores.
• Judging will be done in 3, 10-minute sessions. Teams should be at their judging room no less than 5 minutes before their scheduled time.
• Judges will exclude all non-team members (coaches, parents, siblings, non-team members) from the judging rooms. Please make sure that your team parents and others coming with the team know this in advance. There is not a provision for recording any of the judging sessions.
• Each team has 3 Judging slots. These are for judging the team's (P) Research Project Presentation, (D) Technical Robot Design&Programming and (T) Teamwork.
• There is an practice round on the one of the competition tables in the gym and this will be the only time that your robot will have on the competition tables prior to the scored Robot Performance rounds
• Teams will be required to submit their robot and any attachments for inspection at the Robot Inspection Station before each robot round. Robots that have not passed inspection will NOT be allowed to compete.
• Make sure to review the latest game Q&A, and project blog for game/project clarifications and official rulings.

What to Expect:

• Cancellations CANNOT be accepted.
• There is a short mandatory coaches' meeting promptly in the morning - in D1 of the design judges rooms at 8:00am - to give any last minute instructions and for coaches to ask any last minute questions. Please make sure that each team has at least one adult representative at this meeting if the coach is not able to attend. The head referee and head judge will be there. Note that we will not discuss specific table conditions at this meeting - the tables will be setup exactly according to the requirements from FIRST.
• During the morning practice round (before scored competition rounds start), the team (not the coach) may talk to the head referee and game referees about the table setup if the team has questions.
• A special Regional Participation pins will be given to each team as part of the closing ceremony
• Please make sure to pick up your team's judges feedback forms at the end of the day in the Gym - they will not be mailed.
• Individual team schedules can not be changed. It is a convenience to the teams and their families to post them early - please don't make us sorry by requesting changes.
• Teams will be given at least 1 minute for setup which will include time to check the conditions on the competition tables and to allow for light sensor calibration. The team members should ask the Referee to move/handle any of the field elements - the team should not be touching the field elements.
• The pit areas are open to the public - you need to make sure that someone associated with the team can keep an eye on your pit area.
• You will be allowed at most 1 coach or mentor with the team when they go for their competition round.
• Referees and Judges have the final say on all calls. If the team has a question about a score the team must bring it to the attention of the Head Referee immediately, before leaving the competition table. The head referee's decisions are final. There is no additional escalation beyond the Head Referee.
• Each team will be asked to sign off on the score sheet before leaving the competition table to make sure that the team agrees with how the round was scored. Please make sure that the team has picked a team member (not an adult) that will review the score sheet and sign off on behalf of the team.
• We encourage the teams to use their "off time" to: watch other teams compete, tour the pit and see the other robots, practice their presentation, or make final tuning modifications to their own robot or programs.
• Coaches, team members and parents are asked to refrain from engaging in confrontations with any tournament officials. Such confrontations can lead to a team becoming disqualified and/or the coach or parent being barred from the tournament area. Please make sure that all adults attending recognize that they are representatives for the team and that they need to be aware of and practice what is written in both the Coaches Promise as well as the FLL Core Values.
• Remember that FIRST LEGO League is a kid-directed activity and all efforts should be that of the team members. We will have roaming judges that will look for both positive and negative team effort. Non-team members (coaches/mentors/parents) that are seen programming a robot, handling a robot, or similar activities will put their team in jeopardy of being disqualified. At a minimum, the activity will be discussed with the judges during award deliberations.
• Remember, EVERYONE working at the tournament is a volunteer and doing the best they can. Please respect them and let them know how much you appreciate their efforts.
• Please help with cleanup - in particular, we will not start the award ceremony until the pit area, judging rooms and most of the competition area is cleaned up.
• Number of teams competing: 36. 16 teams will advance to the Nor Cal Championship.
• This event is open and free to the public. Please invite your teacher, your school board members, local media, friends and anyone else that you think might enjoy it.

Emergency Contact Number for the day of the tournament is Jill's cell : (510) 517-8826.

Please make sure to check the web site for additional information and/or updates:

Jill Wilker & Mark Edelman
Director, EB Regional Tournament