2015 – 2016
VEX IQ Challenge
League Play
Overview
League Play provides groups of teams with multiple opportunities to actively learn about science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through participation in the exciting VEX IQ Challenge.
Create an Official Qualifying VEX IQ League







Develop interest in starting a League among potential student team members and adult team
leaders. Sixteen (16) registered VEX IQ teams are required to establish a VEX IQ League.
Express your interest in creating a VEX IQ League by completing a League Play Interest form.
To receive this form, contact your Regional Support Manager, who will assist you in starting a
League: www.roboticseducation.org/contact-us/.
Identify the League Event Partner, who serves as a liaison to the Regional Support Manager
and coordinates the planning team that organizes the League and its sessions. The planning
team selects session dates and sites and oversees the budget, volunteer recruitment and
management, and team communications. For Event Partner resources, please visit:
www.roboticseducation.org/vex-iq-challenge/viq-event-documents/.
Open League events to team registrations on www.robotevents.com. Your Regional Support
Manager will guide you in establishing an account to enter League event details into the event
registration system. This account can also be used to manage the League event data in this
registration system.
For teams to participate in League events, registration is a two (2) step process:
o VEX IQ team registration on www.robotevents.com and payment of an annual one-time
registration fee of $100 for the first team from a school or organization and $50 for each
additional team from the same school or organization.
o League event registration on www.robotevents.com/ and payment of the League
registration fee. This fee can vary, as it is established by the League Event Partner to
cover the costs of coordinating League events based on anticipated expenses including
facility usage fees, required facility maintenance, and security.
A signed consent form, for all students, adult leaders, and League volunteers, must be
submitted to the check-in desk at the first League event that they attend. To download the
form, please visit: www.roboticseducation.org/vex-iq-challenge/viq-event-documents/.
Official Leagues must offer judged awards to be eligible for qualification spots in a
championship event. The following qualifications apply to the 2015-16 League Play season
and are subject to change:
o Official Leagues with 16-23 participating teams may qualify up to one (1) team, the
Excellence Award recipient, that is judged at the League Championship session.
o Official Leagues with 24-35 teams may qualify up to three (3) teams to include one (1)
Excellence Award recipient, judged at the Championship session, and up to two (2)
Teamwork Challenge Champions from the Teamwork Champion alliance.
o Official Leagues with 36 or more teams may qualify up to four (4) teams to include one (1)
Excellence Award, up to two (2) Teamwork Challenge Champions, and one (1) Design
Award recipient. The Excellence and Design Awards are judged at the championship
session.
VEX IQ League Play Description
© REC Foundation 2015
5/27/2015
The number of qualifying spots available for a IQ League championship session is established by the
Championship Event Partner, in consultation with their REC Regional Support Manager, and may be
dependent upon the capacity of the championship event.
Create an Event Plan and Schedule






The League must schedule and coordinate at least four (4) official sessions. For Leagues that
plan to offer judged awards, this would include at least three sessions in which team rankings
are developed from robot match play and one League championship session. The League
Championship session determines the team(s) qualified to advance to the state or regional
championship event. Typical Leagues schedule 4-6 sessions per season.
Teams must register and participate in at least 60% of the scheduled Teamwork Challenge
ranking matches, in order to qualify as official League participants.
League events should be scheduled when most teams are available, including after school or
on the weekend. Plan to schedule enough time between events for students to make
improvements to their robot design.
All League events must be completed at least two (2) weeks prior to state/regional championship.
The Tournament Manager software program at www.dwabtech.com/tm2/ is used to schedule
Teamwork Challenge matches and to enter all match scores during events. Since match
scores are cumulative, all scores must be saved at the end of each event in at least two
locations, one of which should be a removable USB drive. All League scores are uploaded to
the Tournament Manager system prior to the start of the next event. Contact your Regional
Support Manager if you require assistance in using this program.
Encourage teams, students and adult leaders, as well as their supporters, to offer their
volunteer service to support League events. For volunteer information and registration, visit:
www.roboticseducation.org/vex-iq-challenge/volunteering-for-vex-iq-challenge/.
League Play Rules




All Teamwork and Skills Challenge matches must be run in accordance with the VEX IQ game
rules. To review the rules in the VEX IQ Challenge Game Manual, please visit:
www.roboticseducation.org/vex-iq-challenge/viq-current-game/.
Official VEX IQ field and game elements must be used for all Challenge matches.
Provide each team with the opportunity to play in a minimum of four (4) Teamwork Challenge
ranking matches at official League sessions. It is ideal to provide teams with more Teamwork
and Skills Challenge opportunities to play if time and resources permit.
To be considered an official event, each League ranking session must include the participation
of a minimum of ten teams or 50% of the League’s registered teams, whichever is greater.
Teamwork Finals Matches



The League Event Partner determines how many Teamwork Challenge Finals matches will be
scheduled at the League championship event. The default number of Finals matches in the
Tournament Manager software is five (5) Teamwork Finals matches with ten (10) teams. This
default setting can be adjusted to include the desired number of teams in Finals matches.
The teams in the League are ranked based on the cumulative average of their Teamwork
Challenge scores in official ranking matches.
The first and second ranked teams, based on the cumulative average of their Teamwork
Challenge match scores, form an alliance for Finals matches. The third and fourth ranked teams
form another alliance, and so on until all alliances are paired. Starting with the lowest ranked
alliance, each alliance participates in one (1) Teamwork Challenge Finals match.
VEX IQ League Play Description
2
© REC Foundation 2015
5/27/2015

After all Finals matches are run, the alliance with the highest score is recognized as the
Teamwork Challenge Champions. In the case of a tie score, the Teamwork Champions are the
higher ranked alliance. Review the official Game Rules for more details.
Awards




The Excellence award is a judged award offered at the Championship session.
Additional judged awards, such as the Design and STEM Research Project awards, are typically
provided at the League championship session. These awards are determined through a
deliberative judging process, as outlined in the VEX IQ Challenge Judge Guide. For the VEX IQ
Challenge Judge Guide and other judging resources, please visit:
www.roboticseducation.org/vex-iq-challenge/viq-event-documents/.
Skills Challenge awards, if offered, are an encouraged performance award recognition of
team(s) that have earned the highest Skills Challenge score(s).
For a listing of available VEX IQ awards, please review the Awards Appendix, which is available
on this site: www.roboticseducation.org/vex-iq-challenge/viq-event-documents/. The League
may recognize outstanding accomplishments with trophies and/or award certificates.
Certificates may be printed using the Tournament Manager software.
Quick Notes and Suggestions
Rotate the Venue

Have several teams host a League session. If possible, select venues convenient to most teams.
Consider a Simple Set Up

While Technology can be used to enhance the experience of all participants, a simple approach,
including one computer with a monitor and one projector will work well.
Students Can Help

VEX IQ Challenge game fields are easy for students to help set up, take down, and store.
Before the start of matches, have your referee and/or League Event Partner review the field(s)
to ensure that the set up meets the Game Manual requirements.
Offer Practice Time

A great learning experience for the teams, as well as event volunteers!
Divide it Up

For larger Leagues (36 or more teams), consider dividing the League into elementary and
middle school divisions, if enough teams will participate in each division to meet the official
League requirements.
Share Resources

Share fields, game elements, and human resources to enhance team, event, and volunteer
experiences.
Feedback
Please consider posting suggestions in the League Play section at VEXForum.com. For additional
information contact your Regional Support Manager or REC Foundation Support Manager Mike Martus
at [email protected].
VEX IQ League Play Description
3
© REC Foundation 2015
5/27/2015