How it Works - FLL tournament

How it works: A brief synopsis for our rookie teams

Once a team is checked in, they proceed to their pit area and set up for the day. Your pit area will have a sign with your team name and number. The pit is your “home base”. Teams deck out their pit area to reflect their team spirit, project idea, anything that they feel distinguishes them as a team. This is also the area where teams set up their practice table. Not all teams are able to bring their practice table, in the spirit of gracious professionalism, please be willing to share if asked.

At 8:30am, there will be a short coaches meeting held by a competition table in the gym. The head referee will conduct the meeting and make clarifications as to rules and answer any questions. At 9am, opening ceremonies will begin in the gym. Teams are encouraged to show off their team spirit!

After opening ceremonies, table rounds and judging sessions will begin. Please be punctual! Teams will cycle through the judging areas in 15 minute intervals. There is Project Judging, Technical Judging and Teamwork Judging. Please bring everything you need for your judging sessions. We cannot supply any equipment. These sessions will be held in classrooms and there is a power source in each room. For Technical Judging, please bring your robot and hard copies of any programs that you want to share with the judges. Teams will not need to bring anything to Teamwork Judging. We are allowing coaches/mentors/family members into the Project and Technical Judging – but at the coach’s discretion. Please make your spectators aware of your decision. For Teamwork Judging, only two coaches will be allowed into the session. No interaction is allowed between spectators and the team members during the judging sessions. Teams can be marked down in scoring if intervention occurs.

At the competition tables, please plan on being in the queuing area 10 minutes before your competition time. Only drivers will be allowed on the competition floor. Team members can gather around the perimeter to cheer their drivers. Please inform the queuing personnel if your drivers will be “tagging up”.

We will be running 4 rounds of matches; all will count. There is no practice round. Once a team is led to the competition table, they will have about 1 minute to prep their robots (calibrate light sensors, if needed). Please do not bring any scoring objects to the competition tables; teams must use the scoring objects at the tables and then leave them there afterwards. The emcee will count down 3..2..1..GO! On “GO”, the match begins. Teams will have 2 ½ minutes to accomplish as many missions as possible. Once a match ends, drivers stay at the table but do not touch anything! Referees will score the table then ask the drivers to initial the score sheet. Drivers may then pick up their robot and any strategic objects they brought to the table. Please leave all scoring objects at the table.

After all match rounds are finished, there is usually a lag of about 30 minutes while judges deliberate. Teams usually start tearing down their pits and packing up, then gather in the gym to dance and celebrate all their hard work. The Awards Ceremony will follow; Novi is awarding seven core awards (see the Michigan FLL website) and two optional awards: Team Spirit and Rising Star. Novi is advancing 6 teams to the State Championships to be held in White Lake. The “Top Score” on the table automatically advances. The other five are determined by the highest composite scores in the four areas: Table score, Project Judging, Technical Judging and Teamwork Judging.