On the Michigan FIRST LEGO League Resources page (under ‘Season-Specific Resources’)

• Team member must be supervised at all times.
• Some venues may have additional requirements which will be shared with team coaches via email and on the event-specific page.

Gracious Professionalism

• Teams are expected to behave in a gracious and professional manner at events. This goes for team coaches, mentors, and parents as well. Just in the way that positive behavior, that exemplifies the values of FIRST, reflects positively on a team; negative behavior will reflect poorly on a team. Judges are informed by event volunteers when stellar behavior and actions are noted – but they are also informed when poor behavior and actions are noted. The true test of gracious professionalism is when things aren’t going well. Coaches and mentors are asked to monitor team behavior and to set a good example for their team members and model appropriate behavior at all times.

Core Value Issue: Coach Involvement

• From the FLL Participation Rules: “All work presented at an official event is the work of the children on the team.”
• Event volunteers will ask any coach who is observed to be building or programming a robot at the event to stop. In addition, the team will be asked not to use the practice tables for the remainder of the event, or to remove their practice table if they have brought their own in. A coach observed to be programming or making repairs to a robot by an event volunteer while no team members are present will negatively affect a team’s event results.
• A coach who participates in the judging session in any way, including making comments to the judges or prompting the team, will be asked to leave the room. Coaches should not plan to advise the judges of anything about their team before, during, or after the judging session.
• A team observing adult involvement may choose to report it to event volunteers, but teams will not be penalized for actions not observed and investigated by an event volunteer.
• If your team has a serious robot or computer issue which will involve an adult’s assistance, you should seek out a volunteer (usually referees) and ask them for assistance. They will either stay with the team or find someone to stay with the team while the adult helps, so that it is not unclear whether the adult intervention was a Core Values violation. This should be a rare situation.

All teams remit an event fee to participate in FIRST in Michigan official events. This fee is paid at the door of the event by ALL teams. This fee goes directly to the event host and comprises the base of the event’s budget.

• This fee is not covered by any grants.
• Check or exact cash are accepted (tournament may not have change.)
• Event hosts will email teams payment information by two weeks before their event.
• Visit the Michigan EVENTS page for a particular event for specific event fee remittance information (when available from host.)

Event fee by event type:

• Qualifying Events: $75
• State Championship: TBD

• Visit the EVENT READINESS page to find information on required forms:
  • FIRST registration including Consent & Release form
  • Team Roster (which must be completed and submitted the Monday BEFORE your event)

• Review Season Materials – at a minimum, read:
  • FIRST LEGO League Challenge Participation Rules
  • SUBMERGED Challenge Overview (available in August)
  • SUBMERGED Robot Game Rule Book(available in August)
  • SUBMERGED Challenge Updates(available in August)
• Read Michigan Event Materials
  • This page and team email blasts (sent to all registered coaches and administrators)
  • Event-specific pages linked at the EVENTS page and emails from Tournament Director (expect emails to start about two weeks before your event)

• Invite parents to register their students – see details at the EVENT READINESS page
• Prepare your Team Roster and submit by the Monday before your event – see details at the EVENT READINESS page
• Plan for your event payment – You will need to pay the event fee at registration the morning of the event (see ‘Event Fee’ above for details)
• (optional) Prepare your team profile sheet – Help your students make a Team Information Sheet (template examples here and here) and bring a copy to the judging session

• Event Fee (see above)
• Your Gracious Professionalism
  • Remember that everyone involved in FIRST in Michigan is a volunteer who chose to share their time.
  • Model Gracious Professionalism for your students in all of your FIRST participation before and during the event. Remember that FIRST exists for students to HAVE FUN and BE INSPIRED!
• Your robot and all accessories (attachments, battery, USB cable, etc.)
• Materials for presentations
  • Project presentation – posters and/or props for your live presentation during judging session
  • Robot Design presentation – no printed materials or posters are required, but it is suggested that you bring a printed copy of your code

• A team profile page – Help your students make a Team Information Sheet (template examples here and here) and bring a copy to each judging session
• Laptop (and power cord) with a backup of your programs
• Container to transport your robot
• Lunches, snacks, drinks, and/or money for meals – follow all rules from Tournament Director about food and drink
• Storage box or bin for personal items (coats, etc.)
• Power strip and/or extension cord

• Challenge set for practice – your Tournament Director will let you know if you are allowed to bring this
• Decorations for your pit table – tablecloth, team banner or posters, etc.
• Handouts for other teams – Follow all rules from Tournament Director and don’t hand out anything messy (for example, stickers usually end up on the floor causing clean up issues.) Pins are popular items.

• Qualifying Events – All registered FIRST LEGO League teams in Michigan are eligible to compete in only one Michigan qualifying event.
• State Championships – Top teams will advance to one of several equal state championships. There are no additional requirements for the state championship event; they follow the same format as the Qualifying Events.
• World Festival – State Championships will advance champion(s) to any available World Festival or Open events.

• A typical event begins early in the morning with team registration and then opening ceremonies. During the morning, teams participate in a judging session and run robot matches as well. After a lunch break, teams continue robot matches while the judges deliberate. Everyone meets back together late in the afternoon for the closing ceremonies, where all teams are recognized for their accomplishments and award winners are announced.

Pit Area

Your team will be assigned a specific table area to store your materials and display anything you want to show off for your team. Be gracious and keep your team within the borders of your space. Your pit area may have an outlet available, or there may be a central location to charge your robot battery.

Practice Tables

Many tournaments provide access to a practice table where teams take turns running practice matches with their robot. At other tournaments, teams may bring their own practice tables. Follow the direction of your Tournament Director. If a table is provided, remember to share the space and never remove models or pieces from the table. If a practice table is shared, do not wait for an event volunteer to tell you to leave; you should practice for a few runs and then leave the table for someone else even if no volunteer is present.

Registration

Teams turn in their event fee and receive their schedule for the day.

Coach Meeting

The Tournament Director and Head Referee will give coaches an overview of the event policies and share any updates. There may be time to ask questions as well.

Opening Ceremonies

Will likely include speakers or key guests, announcements, and the National Anthem. Teams and spectators are introduced to the judges and referees volunteering for the day.

• Each team gets four 2 1/2 minute robot matches at a tournament to complete as many Missions as possible. The first match may be called a practice match, but if it is the highest score you have, it will count as your high score.
• A referee oversees the action to ensure that everyone is following the rules. The referee will score the match by marking which missions were completed on the scoresheet, and the score will be displayed a little while later on the main event screen, after a scorekeeper enters the referee’s marks into scoring software. (Note that a few events have referees utilizing tablets with scoring software.)
• Only the highest score counts for the competition. Teams can run the same missions each time, or try something different.
• The robot game tables are attached back to back to form a full tournament table, so your team will participate opposite a team on the other side. You are NOT competing against the team, but rather each team is competing for their own high score. Feel free to cheer on the other teams in the spirit of Gracious Professionalism!
• Only one robot is allowed at the table, and no electronic devices as all robot actions must be autonomous. You can find full rules for the Robot Game in the Robot Game Rulebook and Challenge Updates
• Robot matches are an exciting time for teams, usually with music and an announcer and cheering fans.
• While the whole team goes to the field, each team has up to four students at a time act as technicians and actually run the robot at the table. Let the referee know if you will swap technicians during the match so they are prepared.
• Coaches, mentors, and other adults in the audience should keep Gracious Professionalism in mind and refrain from yelling to their team during matches, as it is distracting to other teams.
• Only students (not coaches or adults) are allowed to ask questions, sign the score sheet, and interact with the referees.
• Once the score sheet is signed by a team member after the match, the sheet is final. The referee’s ruling on the field is final. No video or photo will be viewed by referees under any circumstances. Remember that you have four rounds to try for your highest score.

Overview

Each team will participate in one judging session which includes Core Values, Project, and Robot Game. It will follow the format outlined in the Judging Session Flowchart. All team members attending the event must participate in the judging session. Judges will listen to team presentations, ask questions, give feedback, and complete Rubrics in order to evaluate teams for awards.

Innovation Project

• A presentation for up to 5 minutes about the team’s Innovation Project.
• Teams should bring materials, props, posters, etc. to their judging session. Most venues do not have available projection or electrical outlets, and the time required to set up equipment is part of the team’s allotted judging time.
• Teams must perform live presentations rather than playing a video of their presentation.

Robot Design

• An explanation or presentation about the team’s Robot Design process for up to 5 minutes.
• Teams must bring their robot, attachments, and (optional but highly recommended) a copy of their code (printed or on a laptop) they would like to share with judges to their judging session.
• Teams will not turn on or run their robot during the Robot Design judging, and there will not be a game table in the room. Instead, teams describe the process used to design their robot. Students should be prepared to tell the judges about their robot in words during the judging.
• Through their questions, judges ensure that the students completed and understand all work associated with building and programming their robot.
• For rookie teams and/or less prepared teams, judges will ask questions about the robot and encourage the students during this time.
• Engineering notebooks, while useful during team meetings, are not required for judging. Judges will not have time to look at them, so teams should focus on telling and showing the judges what they want them to know instead of leaving lengthy written materials for them. (It is recommended that teams print out their robot code to show the judges, though.)

Core Values

• There will be no Core Values activity.
• Teams do not need to prepare anything for the Core Values judging, and they will not be given time to make any presentation about Core Values.
• Judges will ask the teams questions about how they exemplify the Core Values.
• New this year, referees will also have a space to score every team at every match based on their Gracious Professionalism. This input will be included with the judges’ feedback when making award decisions.

Coaches in Judging Sessions

Most events allow coaches or other adults in the judging rooms with limits, and this depends on space available. If allowed, coaches must sit in the rear of the room out of the team’s line of sight and not interact with the team during the judging session, nor interact with the judges before, during, or after the session. Judges have a very limited amount of time to make notes about teams which they will use to recommend them for awards, so teams and adults should leave the room promptly when time is up.

• Closing ceremonies may include a team parade where every student runs across the event floor and receives applause. Each student who has participated that day will receive a participation pin (given to team members only.) Closing ceremonies end with the awards presentation (see AWARDS AND ADVANCEMENT below.)
• There will be a delay between the last robot matches and the start of closing ceremonies as judges finish their deliberations. Your event may have a speaker or activity planned, but if not, this is a great time to pack up your pit area, meet other teams, clean up any trash you see in the venue, or have a snack.

• The Michigan FIRST LEGO League Challenge Award Policy SUBMERGED details which trophies will be given out and gives award descriptions.
• Approximately one third of teams will receive a trophy, and teams are only eligible to win one trophy (except that the Robot Performance trophy is based on score alone and may go to a team with another trophy.)
• Award deliberations are led by the Judge Adviser and rely on in-depth discussion of all teams eligible for an award. Judges will use the observations captured on the judging rubrics, as well as any notes from other tournament volunteers such as referees, to evaluate a team in their deliberations.

• The Michigan FIRST LEGO League Challenge Advancement Policy details how many teams will advance to the state championship from each qualifying event and all rules about advancement.
• Teams advance based on which qualifying tournament they attend. Due to the tight schedule and the number of teams and events involved, teams are not able to switch championship events. If a team is unable to attend, the next eligible team from the same event will attend in their place.
• Teams who win trophies might not advance to the state championship if they are not well-rounded, and teams who advance may not have won a trophy in one specific category. In addition, it is common for teams with the highest robot scores to not advance because they do not also do well in the judged areas, including the team members being able to explain how they built and programmed the robot in the Robot Design judging session.

• There is no registration for the State Championships. A list of qualifying teams will be sent from your Qualifying Tournament host.
• It is possible you will not be notified of qualifying for the championship until later because a team declines. Don’t disassemble your robot until after State Championships.
• Teams advancing to the state championship will receive an email on December 4, 2022. Do not plan to receive information before this even if your event has already ended, as all teams will be emailed together. This will contain payment information and schedule information.
• The fee for the state championship will be $125.
• There are no additional requirement at the state championship level.

There are several advancement opportunities for Michigan Championship teams. These invitations will be awarded at the Michigan FIRST LEGO League State Championships, and more information will be shared with the teams who are advancing.

• World Championship:
  • 2 Michigan teams will advance to the FIRST World Festival
• Open Invitations:
  • Western Edge Open – 3 teams
    • Long Beach, CA
    • May 30 – June 1, 2025
  • WPI Open Invitational – 4 teams
    • Worcester, MA
    • June 13 – 15, 2025
  • Florida Sunshine Invitational – 3 teams
    • Daytona, FL
    • June 24 – 28, 2024

Events don’t happen without support!
An event needs about two volunteers for each team in attendance. It takes every team helping out to make our season work!

• Team coaches make great volunteers, and the experience shows you what happens “behind the scenes”, information you can use to improve your own team. Sign up at an event you are not attending or at the state championship: FLL Volunteer page.
• Encourage parents in STEM fields to volunteer as a judge at an event your team is not attending
• Contact your high school FRC team and encourage them to volunteer at events.