FLL Qualifier Tournament Team Preparation Checklist

last updated: December 12, 2008

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

CRITICALLY IMPORTANT: Please make sure to download and complete the liability waiver form (one for each team member, coach/mentor and adult volunteer) and get these mailed ASAP!! The team will not be able to participate without these forms received by Playing At Learning before the tournament. Having them "in the mail" won't be accepted. Every coach/mentor and every team member needs one. Note that the team members will have to have a signature from their parent/guardian.

What to Bring:

• WEAR SOFT SOLED SHOES TO PROTECT THE GYM FLOOR!
• The gym is small and seating is limited. Bleachers are reserved for adults.
• Each coach must bring a signed Coaches' Promise form.
• Every team needs to identify one adult volunteer from their team - volunteer positions and descriptions are listed on the Fremont volunteer website. 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.
• Bring a team poster (optional) as a fun display of the team - this will be used for decoration in the gym. We will display them on the back wall of the Gym. Be sure to include your team name & number and something relating to this year's theme (make sure they aren't too heavy to be held up with tape!). When you arrive on campus, get some gaffer's tape and hang it up.
• 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 notebook 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 10 to 15 minute (max) 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 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 club running the sale.
• Bring money to pay for food.
• There is expected to be robot demos over lunch by FRC team #2489
• PLEASE: NO FOOD OR DRINK IS ALLOWED IN THE GYM OR THE JUDGING ROOMS

Competition, Judging & Scoring:

• Each team will attempt the robotics challenge in three separate rounds during the tournament afternoon
• Scoring will be based on best score, with ties being determined by 2nd and 3rd best scores.
• 12/12 UPDATED: Please review the scoring sheet that will be used.
• 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 may, at their discretion, exclude all audiences from the judging rooms.
• 12/12 UPDATED: We are recommending that no adults be in the judging rooms! It will be put your team at a disadvantage as it changes the way that the team talks with the judges.
• Each team has 3 Judging slots. These are for judging the team's Research Project Presentation, Technical Robot Design&Programming and Teamwork.
• There is an additional 10 to 12 minute slot for practice on the one of the actual competition tables in the gym and this will be the only time that your robot will have on the competition tables prior to the Robot Performance rounds in the afternoon.
• Teams will be required to submit their robot and any attachments for inspection at the Robot Inspection Station before each round. Robots that have not passed inspection will NOT be allowed to compete.
• 12/12 UPDATED: Participation pins will be given to each team after their Practice Round.
• 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.
• Make sure to review the latest game Q&A  and judges 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 - 10am in Room 26 - 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 table conditions at this meeting - the tables will be setup exactly according to the requirements from FIRST.
• During the morning practice round (before competition rounds start), the team may talk to the head referee about the table setup if the team has questions.
• All judging will be completed in the morning and all competition rounds will be in the afternoon.
• 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 a few minutes (during their "Practice" session during the morning judging) to check the lighting conditions on the competition tables to allow for light sensor calibration. All other practice should be on the pit practice tables.
• 12/12 UPDATED: Pit Assignments are now posted. The pit areas are open to the public and will be distributed in 3 rooms. Pit numbers 1-16 are in Pit A (Room M1), number 17-20 are in Pit B (Room 30) and 21-24 are in Pit C (Room 31).
• Officials will be wearing "CREW" Tags. NO OTHER PERSONS WILL BE ALLOWED INSIDE THE COMPETITION AREA EXCEPT DURING THEIR TEAM'S ROUNDS. There are no exceptions to this rule.
• 12/12 UPDATED: You will be allowed at most 2 adults with the team when they go for their competition round - they must have a coach badge on and not a team badge.
• 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.
• The competition schedule is designed to be somewhat "relaxed". We encourage the teams to use the relaxed schedule 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 to help load trucks after the closing ceremony
• Number of teams competing: 24
• 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. Note that the robot competition starts at 1pm.

Emergency Contact Number for the day of the tournament is : (510) 517-8825.

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

Mark Edelman and Jill Wilker
Directors, Fremont Regional FLL Tournament