RedondoRoboRally2016
FLLHandbookforJudgesandReferees
Lastupdated:9/17/2016
FIRSTLegoLeagueOverview
FIRST®LEGO®League(FLL®)introducesyoungerstudentstoreal-worldengineeringchallengesby
buildingLEGO-basedrobotstocompletetasksonathematicplayingsurface.FLLteams,guidedbytheir
imaginationsandadultcoaches,discoverexcitingcareerpossibilitiesand,throughtheprocess,learnto
makepositivecontributionstosociety.
EachyearFIRSTLEGOLeaguereleasesaChallenge,whichisbasedonareal-worldscientifictopic.Each
Challengehasthreeparts:theRobotGame,theProject,andtheCoreValues.Teamsofuptoten
children,withatleastoneadultcoach,participateintheChallengebyprogramminganautonomous
robottoscorepointsonathemedplayingfield(RobotGame),developingasolutiontoaproblemthey
haveidentified(Project),allguidedbytheFIRSTLEGOLeagueCoreValues.Teamsmaythenattendan
officialtournament,hostedbyFIRSTLEGOLeaguePartners.
InlateAugustorearlySeptember,theFLLChallengeincludingtheResearchProject,RobotGameand
CoreValuesisreleasedonline.Teamsbeginbydesigning,buildingandprogrammingtheirrobotsand
completingtheresearchprojectduringSeptember,OctoberandNovember.Teamsregisterfor
tournamentsinearlyOctoberand,ifavailable,attendpracticetournamentsinlateOctoberor
earlyNovemberandQualifyingTournamentsinNovemberorearlyDecember.Tournamentsareusually
scheduledonSaturdaysandSundays.Thetop20-30%ofteamswilladvancetotheRegional
ChampionshipTournamentsinmid-December.
2016Season–AnimalAllies
Getready.Getset.Roar!Oryoucouldbark,quack,orsqueak,becausethe2016ANIMALALLIES
seasonisallaboutourfurry,feathered,andfinnedfriends.
ForANIMALALLIES,thinkofpeopleandanimalsasalliesinthequesttomakelifebetterforeveryone.
Sometimespeoplehelpanimalsandsometimesanimalshelppeople.TheProjectmissionthisseasonis
tomakeourinteractionswithanimalsbetter–hopefullybetterforallofus.Inthepast,peopleoften
thoughtabouthowanimalscouldhelpus.Today,it’stimetothinkabouthowwecanhelpeachother.
WhatmightbecomepossiblewhenweworktogetherwithourANIMALALLIES?
FLLTournamentOverview
OfficialtournamentsmustfollowthejudgingandawardsstructuredeterminedbyFIRSTLEGOLeague.
AlthoughtheaudiencemostlyseesteamsplayingtheRobotGameattournaments,teamsarealsobeing
judgedon:CoreValues,ProjectandRobotDesign.ThereareasetofFIRST“GlobalStandards,”butthe
LosAngelesRegionmayhavemodificationsforofficialevents.
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TheCoreValuesPosterandtheRobotDesignExecutiveSummaryareadditionaltoolsthatmaybeused
tohelpfacilitatediscussionintheCoreValuesandRobotDesignJudgingsessions.
Our2016RedondoRoboRallypracticetournamentisnotanofficialevent,butitprovidesteamswitha
warm-upbeforetheyattendFLLtournamentsinNovember.Wewillrunthepracticetournamentmuch
likeaqualifyingonetomaintainthecompetitiveatmosphere,butinsteadofFLLAwards,wewillprovide
feedbacktoteamstohelpthemlearnfromtheexperience.
OurtournamentwillbeheldattheParrasgymandclassrooms.Judgingoftherobotdesign,project,and
corevalueswillbeheldinseparateclassroomstoallowteams10minutestointeractwiththejudges.
Adultandstudentjudgeswilllistentotheteamsandaskquestions.Afterwards,theywillassessthe
teambasedontheFLLrubricsandwillwritespecificcommentsthatwillbereturnedtoteamsattheend
oftheday.
Thereismuchpublishedabouttherobotgame–therulesandupdates,thefieldsetup,scoringof
missions,andplentyofYouTubevideos.
Therobotperformanceroundswillbeheldinthegym.Teamswillbepairedupforfourroundsof
matches–onepracticeroundandthreescoringrounds.Inofficialevents,thebestscoredeterminesa
team’srankingandeligibilitytoadvancetochampionshiptournaments.
Studentrefereeswillscoreteamsforeachmatch.Adultvolunteerswillprovideoversightofthescoring
foreachtableasbackup.AstudentHeadRefereewillhavefinalsayonallcallsandscoringinquiries.At
theconclusionofeach2½minutematch,therefereeswillmarkupascoresheettoreflectscoresand
penalties.Eachteamwillhavearepresentativereviewthesheetandsignofftoacknowledgethe
accuracy.
Teamscoreswillbeloggedandaspreadsheetwilltracktherankingofteamsbasedontheirhighest
scoreachieved.Thescoreswillbeprojectedonthegympresentationscreenforallteamstosee(the
judgingscoresarenotmadepublic).
Anumberofvolunteerswillhelprunthetournament–anemceewillkeeptherobotgamemoving,
whilequeuerswillensurethatteamsarelinedupfortherobotmatchesandjudgingsessions.The
scheduledependsonteamsgettingfromoneeventtothenextquickly–itcanbehecticandconfusing
forbothteamsandvolunteers!
JudgingOverview
AtofficialFLLevents,teamsareevaluatedacrossallthreejudgingsessions(CoreValues,RobotDesign
andProject)forbothawardsandadvancementtochampionshiptournaments.Advancingteamsmust
scoreinthetop40%ofallteamsparticipatingintheRobotGameattheevent.
Itispossibleforateamtoreceivea1stPlaceCoreAwardbutnotadvancetoChampionshipiftheir
RobotPerformancescoreisbelowthetop40%ofteamsattheevent.Or,ateammaywin1stPlacein
RobotPerformancebutnotadvancetoChampionshipduetonothavingperformedwellinoneormore
ofthethreejudgedareas.
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Ourprimaryobjectiveistoprovideteamswithanenvironmentthatreducesthecompetitiveanxiety
andallowsthemtoconcentrateonpresentingtheirideastogainconfidencespeakingtojudges.Acore
valueofFLListohavefun,sokeepthatinmind.Also,treattheiraccomplishmentsandtheirworkwith
respect.Feedbackshouldtargetstrengthsandweaknessesinanencouragingmanner.
WiththeAnimalAlliesChallengeFIRSTLEGOLeaguehasruledthatliveanimalsareNOTALLOWEDas
partofateampresentation.
Weplantohavethreegroupsofjudgesforthetournament;onegrouppercategory.Eachjudginggroup
consistsofaHeadJudge,secondadultjudgeand1-2highschooloruniversitystudentjudges.The
groupswilljudgeeachFLLteamonceduringtheday.Duetotheschedulingcomplexity,weneedto
arrangesessionsthroughouttheday.
ProjectJudging
Teamspresentachallenge-relatedproblemtheyhaveresearchedandanalyzed.Theyalsopresenttheir
innovativesolutiontothatproblem,andtellabouthowandwithwhomtheysharedtheirresearch.
Thesestepsparallelthescientificresearchprocessinthe“realworld.”Allofthisinformationis
communicatedinacreativepresentationtothejudgesthattakesnomorethan5minutes,including
setuptime(10minutesinourtournament).
Teamsarerequestedtobring(4)copiesofaTeamInformationSheet.Acopyshouldbegiventothe
judgeswhentheteamenterstheclassroom.Keepthissheetwiththerubricfeedbacktobehandedback
toteamsattheendofthetournament.
AsaProjectjudge,herearesomeoverallthingstoconsider:
TobeeligibleforanyProjectawards,teamsmustdemonstratethattheyhavecompletedallthree
componentsoftheProject:problemidentification,developmentofaninnovativesolution,andsharing
oftheprojectwithothers.
InnovationandcreativityareconsiderationsinseveraloftheProjectrubriccriteria.Trynottooverly
penalizeateamforasolutiontheypresentasoriginal,butthatyouknowisalreadybeingconsideredor
implemented.Differentjudgesmayalsohaveverydifferentknowledgelevelsofstate-of-the-artscience
relativetotheProject.Ifyouareawarethattheirsolutionalreadyexists,makeitknowntothemina
respectful,gentlemanner,andMAKESUREyouprovidethemthatfeedback.
ProjectSampleQuestions:
Research:ProblemIdentification
• Howdidyourteamdecidewhichproblemtostudy?
• Describetheproblemyourteamselectedinthreesentencesorless.
• Whatarethemostimportantthingstounderstandabouttheproblemthatyoustudied?
Research:SourcesofInformation
• Whatresourcesdidyouusetoresearchyourproblemandwhydidyouchoosethese?
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Didyouuseanyunusualmethodstoresearchyourtopic?Ifsowhatandwhy?
DidyouspeaktoanyonewhoseworkrelatestotheChallengearea?Whatdidyoulearnfrom
them?
Whatwasthemosthelpfulresourcethatyourteamused?Why?
Ifyouhadtostartyourresearchover,whichresourcewouldyouusefirst?Why?
Research:ProblemAnalysis
• Howdidyourteamorganizeanduseitsresearch?
• Afterworkingonthisproject,whatisthemostimportantthingthatyourteamlearned?
• Canyoutellusaboutaproblemyoudiscoveredorsomethingthatyoulearnedthatsurprised
youwhilecompletingthisproject?
Research:ReviewExistingSolutions
• Areyouawareofanyoneelsewhohasstudiedtheproblemyouchose?
• Howhaveotherpeopletriedtosolvetheproblemyouidentified?
• Didtheinformationyoufoundofferdifferentideasthanwhatyouexpectedtofind?Ifso,what
andhowdidyourteamusethisinformation?
InnovativeSolution:TeamSolution
• Describethesolutionyourteamidentifiedinthreesentencesorless.
• Whatarethemostimportantthingstounderstandaboutthesolutionthatyoudeveloped?
• Howdidyouarriveatyoursolutionandwhy?
• Werethereothersolutionsthatyouthoughtofthatyoudecidednottouse?Why?
InnovativeSolution:Innovation
• Whatmakesyoursolutiondifferentfromwhatisbeingusedtosolvethisproblemnow,andwhy
doyouthinkitisbetter?
InnovativeSolution:Implementation
• Ifsomeonetriedtouseyoursolutiontoday,woulditbepossible?
• Whatkindsofthingswouldbeimportanttothinkaboutifyoutriedtouseyour
solutionrightnow?
• Whatresourceswouldyouneedtodevelopyoursolution?
• Doyouthinkyoursolutionwouldbeeasierorlesscostlythanothersolutionsyouconsideredor
areusedbyothers?
Presentation:Effectiveness
• Howmany/whatdifferentpresentationstylesdidyourteamconsider?
• Whydidyouchoosethepresentationstylethatyouchose?Howdoesthisstylehelpyour
audienceunderstandwhatyouaretellingthem?
• Whenyouhavegivenyourpresentationtoothers,whattypesofquestionshavetheyasked?
• Describehowyouchosewhatinformationtoincludeinyourpresentation.
• Whydidyouchoosetoorganizeyourpresentationthewayyoudid?
Presentation:Creativity
• Howdidyoudecideonthispresentationstylethatyouused?
• Whatdoyouthinkwasthemostcreativeaspectofyourpresentationorprojectandwhy?
• HowisthewayyourteamchosetopresentyourProjectspecialorunique?
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Presentation:Sharing
• Oneaspectoftheprojectaskedyoutoshareyourideaswithothers.Howdidyourteamdothis?
• Withwhomdidyoushareyourproject?Whydidyouchoosethem?
• Howdidyousharetheinformation?Didyoupresentitinthesamemannerasyoupresentedto
us,ordidyouchooseadifferentapproach?Why?
• Whatimpactdidyourpresentationhaveonthem?
• Whatchangeshaveyouorothersmadeasaresultofyourresearchandpresentation?
Lookfor:
• Documentationofresourcesused.
• Depthoftheinformationprovided.
• Allstudentsparticipatedintheresearchprocess,orunderstandtheprocessandresultsofthe
team’sresearch.
• Supportingprintedmaterialsprovidedtojudges.
• Entireteamparticipatingindiscussion.
• Howtheteaminteractswitheachother.
• Dotheyalltalk,oronlyafew?Ifso,why?
• Doestheteamlooktothecoachoftenoraretheyfocusedonthepresentationandjudges.
• NoteworthyobservationsaboutFLLCoreValuestosharewiththejudgingteam
RobotDesignJudging
RobotDesignisajudgedawardbasedupontherubricthataddressesmechanicaldesignand
programmingofeachteam’srobot.Technicaljudgingbeginswithaninterviewwitheachteamto
discussthedesignandprogrammingoftheirrobot.
Interviewstakeplaceinaseparatejudgingarea,whichmayincludeanFLLChallengetablewithafield
setupkit.Thisallowsjudgestoobserveasampleofrobotaction,anddiscussrobotdesignand
programmingchallengesandchoiceswiththeFLLteam.Ifteamsbringaprintoutoftheirprogramming
tothetechnicaljudgingsessions,judgescanreviewthataswell.
Asajudge,herearesomeoverallthingstoconsider:
TheRobotDesignjudgingsessionismoreabouttheteam'sabilitytopresenttherobotandallthe
thoughtsandconsiderationsthatwentintotheirfinalproductthanitisaboutitsperformance.The
performanceiscoveredundertheRobotPerformanceAward.Thejudgingsessionisthetimeforthe
judgestolearnfromtheteamsthedesignprocessestheyusedtomakedecisionsandgain
understanding;italsoallowsdiscussionsothatjudgescanbesurethattheteamsdidthework.
RobotDesignSampleQuestions:
MechanicalDesign:Durability
• Howdidyougetyourrobottostaytogether?
• Howoftendoesyourrobotfallapart?Whathappensandhaveyouthoughtaboutwaystofix
this?
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MechanicalDesign:MechanicalEfficiency
• Woulditbepossibletousefewerpiecesorcomponentsforyourrobotandstillaccomplishthe
samemissions?
• Ifyourrobothasattachments,tellusaboutthem.
MechanicalDesign:Mechanization
• Tellusabouthowyourrobotusesattachmentsorothermechanismstocompletemissions.
• Describehowyourrobotmovesfromplacetoplace,orovercomesobstacles,andbalances
speedandpower.
Programming:Quality
• Whatprogramdoyoufeelisyourbest?Why?
• Doyourrobot’sprogramsachievethesameresulteverytime?Ifnot,whydoyouthinkthis
mighthappen?
Programming:Efficiency
• Whatdidyoudotomakeyourprogramsmoreunderstandableandeasiertouse?
• Whatmissionisyourfavorite?Explainthestepsintheprogramforthatmission.
Automation/Navigation
• Wouldyouexplainhowyourrobotturns(ortravelsaspecificdistance,orgoesfrombasetoa
specificdestination)?Howsatisfiedareyouwiththis?
• Asyourrobotmovesaroundthefield,wasthereoneareathatwasmoredifficulttonavigate
thananother?Ifso,whatdidyourteamdotoovercomethischallenge?
• Wouldyouexplainwhichsensorsyouused,andhowandwhyyouusedthem?
• Wouldyouexplainhowyourrobotknowswhereitisonthefield?Note:Sensingincludesnot
onlytouchandrotationsensors,buttimeandpassivesensingsuchasreferencingtowallsor
otherobjects,etc.
Strategy:DesignProcess
• Whatwasthegreatestdesignorprogrammingdifficultyyouencountered?Howdidyousolve
thatproblem?
• Howdidyoutestyourdesigns?
• Describeonewayyourrobotgotbetteroverthecourseoftheseason.
Strategy:MissionStrategy
• Howdidyourteamdecidewhichmissionstotackle?
• Howmanyofthemissionshasthisrobotcompletedsuccessfullyinasinglematch(includesa
tournamentmatch,atournamentpractice,orhomepractice)?
• Wewanttoconsidertheoverallstrategybehindyourrobot’sdesign.Tellusaboutyourrobot,
itsattachmentsandsensorsandthemissionstherobotattemptssothatwewillunderstand
yourteam’sdesignstrategy.
• Whichattachmentsaremostdifficulttoputonand/ortakeoff?Innovation
• Whatpartofyourdesign,programorstrategydoyouthinkisuniquetoyourteam?
• Howdidyoucomeupwiththeidea?
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LookFor:
• Unusualstrategy,programmingordesign.
• Propulsionorsteeringmethodsorfunctionalaspectsthatnooneelsehasoryouaresurprised
someonewouldtry.
• Robotisabletoeffectivelyperformthesametaskoverandover.
• Partsorfunctionalaspectsthatmakesomethingdifficultlookveryeasy.
• Partsormechanismsthatperformseveralfunctions.
• Propulsion,steeringmethodsorfunctionalaspectsthatwork,butchildrenhaveno
understandinghow.
• Childrencandescribewhattherobotwilldobasedontheprogram.
• Doestheteamlooktothecoachforanswersoraretheyfocusedontherobotandjudges?
• NoteworthyobservationsaboutFLLCoreValuestosharewiththejudgingteam.
CoreValuesJudging
CoreValuesmayinitiallyseemmoredifficulttojudgethanRobotDesignorProject.Thereisatendency
bysometoconsiderCoreValuesjudgingtobeinherentlymoresubjectivethantheothertwoareas
because“data”forcriteriasuchasDiscovery,InclusionandCoopertitionareperceivedtobedifficultto
obtainorusetodifferentiateteams.
Asajudge,herearesomeoverallthingstoconsider:
Thereistendencyforteamsthat“practice”CoreValues“speeches”tobelookeduponunfavorablyby
somejudges.Thepremiseisthattheseteamsarejustactingtoscorewellwiththejudges.However,
teamsshouldpracticetalkingaboutCoreValuesjustliketheypracticetheirProjectpresentationsand
Robotmissionruns.ThemoretheypracticeTeamworkactivitiesandtalkaboutCoreValues,themore
theyinternalizetheseabstractideas.
RememberthatyouareevaluatinghowateamapproachesCoreValuesthroughouttheseasonin
additiontowhattheydoatthetournament.Thejourneyoftheteamandhowmuchtheylearnand
growareimportant.Teams(includingcoaches,mentors,parentsandothersassociatedwiththeteam)
mustupholdanddisplayFLLCoreValuesatalltimes,notjustduringCoreValuesjudgingsessions.
InformationaboutCoreValuescriteriacanbeobtainedinseveralways.ManyCoreValuesjudging
sessionswillincludeaTeamworkActivityand/orCoreValuesPostertohelpjudgesobserveandlearn
aboutspecificbehaviors,aswellasfocusandguidethediscussionandinterviewtimemoreeffectively.
WhenCoreValuesjudgingincludesaTeamworkActivity,agreatdealofinformationcanbelearned
fromdirectobservationoftheteamworkingthroughtheactivity.Itisimportanttorememberthatthe
purposeoftheactivityistoobservetheteamworkingontheproblem,andnottofocusontheresultof
theirwork.
WhenaCoreValuesPosterisrequired,itshouldbeusedasatooltojumpstartaconversationbetween
theteamandthejudges.Itisdesignedtohelpteamsfocustheirthoughtsandexamplesinadvanceof
thejudgingsessionsothattheymaybeconveyedmoreeasilyandeffectivelytothejudges.
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Inadditiontothejudgingsessions,manyCoreValuesjudgesliketoobservetheteamsintheirnatural
environment,thepitsandcompetitionareatogatheradditionaldataaboutallaspectsofCoreValues.
Wewillhold10minutesessionswithteamsthatwillincludeaTeamActivity(planningstillunderway)
forallteams.TeamsareencouragedtobringaCoreValuesPosteraswell.Thesessionshouldbe
conductedasfollows:
• 5minutes–TeamworkActivity:Whenyourteamentersthejudgingroom,theywillbegivena
short,funactivitywhilethejudgesobservehowtheteamworkstogether.
• 2minutes(maximum)–CoreValuesPoster(describedbelow):Followingtheteamworkactivity,
teamwillbegivenuptotwo(2)minutestopresentanddescribepostercontent.
• 3minutes–QuestionsandAnswers:TimereservedfortheCoreValuesjudgestoaskquestions
abouttheTeamworkActivity,thePosterandtheseason.
Iftheteamdoesnothaveaposter,5minutesshouldbeallottedforQ&A.
CoreValuesSampleQuestions:
Inspiration:Discovery
• What’sthemostimportantthingyoulearnedthisseason?
• WouldyoustilldoFLLeveniftherewerenoawards?Why?
• IfanFLLteamcan’tattendaneventbecausethereisn’tonenearby,isFLLstillworthdoing?
Why?
• Doanyofyourteammembersmentorothers?Ifsoexplain.
• Whatwasthemostsurprisingthingyoulearnedthisseason?
• WhichaspectofFLLdidyourteamlikebest?Least?
• HowdidyourteamdecidewhichaspectofFLLtodofirst?
• Describeanystrugglesyourteamhadmakingsuretheyaddressedall3aspects(Project,Robot,
CoreValues)ofFLL.
Inspiration:TeamSpirit
• Howwouldyoudescribeyourteam?
• Howdidyourteamdecideitsname?
• What’sthemostimportantthingweshouldknowaboutyourteam?
• Whatdoesyourteamdowhenitishavingabadday?
• Howdoesyourteamsharewithothersyourexcitementandenthusiasm?
• Doyouparticipateonanyotherteams(i.e.,sports,debating,chessclub,dramaclub)and,ifso,
isthereanythingdifferentaboutyourFLLteamexperience?
Inspiration:Integration
• TelluswhatyouhavelearnedaboutFLLandhowyouthinkitwillhelpyouinthefuture.
• NameoneoftheFLLCoreValuesandexplainhowyourteamusesit(orcoulduseit)outsideof
FLL.
• WhocangivemeanexampleofawaytheyusedanFLLCoreValuethisyearontheirownaway
fromtheteam?
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Doesanyonehaveanexampleofsomeonetheyknow(ontheteamoroff)usingFLLCoreValues
inawaythatimpressedyou?
Teamwork:Effectiveness
• Whatwereyourteamgoalsthisseason?
• Howdidyoudecideonyourteamgoals?
• Tellmeaboutaproblemyouhadonyourteamandhowitwasresolved.
• Tellmeabouthowyourgroupmakesdecisionstogether.
• Whatdoyoudowhenyourgroupdoesn’tagree?
• Howdoesyourteamsolveproblemsthatcomeup?
• Doesyourteamhaveasetofrules?Ifso,whatarethey,andhowaretheyenforced?
Teamwork:Efficiency
• Howdidyourteamdecidewhattodoeachtimeyoumet?
• Didyourteamgeteverythingdonethisseasonthatyousetouttodo?
• Howdoesyourteammanageitstime?
• Ifwegaveyourteamonemoreweektoworktogether,howwouldyouuseit?
• Tellusabouttheroleseachofyouhadontheteamandhowthisworked.
• Howdidyoudecidewhowoulddoeachrole?
• Whathappensifateammemberisnotgettinghis/herjobdone?
• Cansomeoneelsedoyourjob?Whathappenswhensomeoneissick?
• Doyouhaveteamleaders?Ifso,explainhowthatworks.
Teamwork:KidsDoTheWork
• What’sthemostimportantthingyoulearnedfromyourcoach?
• Whatdoesyourteamdowhenitgetsstuck?
• Describeasituationwhenyourcoachhelpedyou.Whatdidhe/shedo?
• Whatmakesagoodcoach?
• Whatkindsofthingsdoesacoachneedtoknow?
• Whatwouldyourteamdoifitdidn’thaveacoach?
• Howdidyourcoachhelptheteambesuccessful?
GraciousProfessionalism:Inclusion
• Howdoesyourteamgetitsideas?
• Howdoesyourteamdecidewhichideastheywillpursue?
• Tellmeaboutonethingeachofyoucontributedtotheteam.
• Whatdoyoudowhenyoudon’tlikesomeoneelse’sidea?
GraciousProfessionalism:Respect
• WhatdoesGraciousProfessionalismmeantoyou?
• HowdoyoushowGraciousProfessionalismwhenyourelatetoyourteam?Toyourcoach?To
others?
• Howdoyoumakesomeonefeelvaluedwhenyoutalktothem?
GraciousProfessionalism:Coopertition
• WhatexampleofGraciousProfessionalismhaveyouseenanotherteamdotoday?
• Ifyousawsomethinghappeningtoanotherteamandthoughtitwasn'tfair,whatwouldyoudo
andwhy?
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ExplainhowGraciousProfessionalismislikegoodsportsmanship.Andhowisitdifferent?
CanyougiveanexampleofGraciousProfessionalismthatyourteamdisplayedthisseason?
Competitionscansometimesbestressful.Howdoesyourteamprepareeachotherormaybe
otherteamstogetreadyforabigevent?
Lookfor:
• Confidenceandenthusiasmofteammembers.
• Concretedescriptionsandexamples.
• Areteammemberslisteningtoeachotherandtothejudges?Aretheyinterruptingeachother
orwaitingtheirturn?
• Areteammemberslookingatthejudgeswhentheyspeakoratteammemberswhentheyare
talking?
• Iseveryoneansweringquestionsorjustafew?
• Dotheyencourageeachothertoparticipate?
• Doestheteamlooktothecoachfordirection?
RefereeOverview
Therobotgameistheheartofthetournamentandaccuratescoringistheroleofthereferees.Wewill
holdfourmatchesperteam–atleast48totalovertheday.Whileeachmatchistimedforonly2½
minutes,thereisadditionaltimeneededtoscorethematch,getstudentstosignoffonthescoresheets,
andsetupthemissionsforthenextround.Therefore,wewillhavematchesscheduledevery8-10
minutes,whichisstillachallengetomeet.Queuerswillhelplineupteamstoensuretheyarereadyfor
theupcomingmatch.
TherobotgameisdescribedindetailintheAnimalAlliesChallengeGuide,butrefereesshouldalsobe
familiarwiththetablelayout,missionmodels,fieldsetupandrulesupdates.
TheHeadRefereewillprovidescoresheetsandwillbethefinalauthorityonrules,fieldsetup,scores,
penalties,gametime,andteaminquiries.Wewillhave1adultand2studentrefereesoneachtable
scoringthematches.Onestudentwillmarkthescoresheetsandgetteamsignatures.Theotherstudent
willhelpobservethematch,giveoutpenalties,andresetthemissionmodels.Theadultwillmonitorthe
gametableandserveasabackup.StudentrefsandtheHeadRefwillinteractwithteams.
Wewillhavetwogametablessetupside-by-sidewiththelongedgestouching.Teamswillhavesmall
sidetablestoplacetheirequipmentoffthefield.Teamshaveaminutetopositiontheirrobotinbase,
checkthemissionmodels,andperformanyon-fieldlightsensorcalibration.Refereeswillasktheteams
iftheyarereadyandthengiveathumbsuptotheHeadRefereeandemcee.
Theemceewillannouncethestartofamatchwithacountdown.Teammemberswillpressthe
controllerbuttonandlaunchtheirrobotontothefieldtoperformanynumberofmissionsbefore
returningtobase.Studentscaninterrupttherobotwhileitisonthefieldandcarryitbacktobasebut
theywillincuratouchpenalty.Additionalmissionscanbeperformeduntiltimerunsout.Attheendof
thematch,thetwoteammembersshouldpowerofftherobotandthenwaitfortherefereestoscore
allmissions.Therefwillthenreviewthescoresheetwithoneorbothstudentsandgetthemtosignoff
ontheaccuracyofthescoring.Thescorerunnerwillthentakethescoresheetstothescorekeeperfor
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entryintotheteamrankings.Thetablesshouldthenberesetforthenextmatchandallloosemodels
shouldbeaccountedfor(teamsinadvertentlywalkoffwithgamepieces).
Interpretationofrulesshouldbeheldtoaminimum.Therulesareintendedtobereadexactlyasthey
arewrittenandwordsareusedinanormalconversationalmanner.Theorderofprecedenceis:
ChallengeUpdates(supercedesall),Missions&FieldSetup,RobotGameRules,andHeadReferee.Inthe
eventthatateamorrefquestionstherules,theHeadRefcanmakegood-faithdecisions.
FLLteamsaroundtheworldareconstantlyquestioningtherulesandpostingquestionsandconcernsin
onlineforums.Whilethesediscussionsarehelpful,theydonotprovideauthoritativeguidanceaccording
toFLL.Wewilldoourbesttobeaccurateinourscoring,butultimatelythestudentsshouldtalktothe
refs(coachesshouldnotaddresstherefs)toreachanagreement.IftheydisagreetheHeadRefdecides.
RefereescanalsotakenoteofteamsthatdisplayorfailtodisplayGraciousProfessionalismandconvey
thattotheCoreValuesHeadJudgeforpointadjustments.
RobotGameRules
Therearefivesectionstothegamerules:GuidingPrinciples;Definitions;Equipment,Software,and
People;Play;andMissions.Readthemcarefully.
GuidingPrinciplesHighlights:RefsshouldgivetheBenefitoftheDoubtinclose-calls;butdon’toverdo
it.Fields,matsandborderwallsallhaveadegreeofvariabilityandshouldn’tbecauseforascoring
debate.
DefinitionsHighlights:thedefinitionof“Base”(completelyinorout)isimportantasitdictatesthesafe
launchandreturnoftherobotandanyobjectsitistransportingbacktoBase.
Equipment,Software,andPeopleHighlights:Approvedpartstakentothematcharetheonlyones
allowed–thatmeansnoadditionalsparecontrollersormotorscanbebroughtalongasbackupsifthey
exceedtheallowablenumber.
PlayHighlights:Robotpartsthatbreakoffunintentionallycanberetrievedwithoutpenalty.Anythingin
Basecanbemovedoff-fieldandstillcountsasbeingcompletelyinBase.Atmatchendrobotscanbe
turnedoffandleftinplace.
Changesfor2016
Highlights:TheboundaryofBasehasbeensimplifiedfromthedefinitionusedin2015.Ifyoudidn’t
participateinlastyear’sgame,theserulechangeswon’tbeallthatimportant.Thequarter-circleregion
definedbytheoutercircleistheperimeterwhiletheceilinghasbeeneliminated.
FLLalsochangedtherulestoensurethattransportedobjectsarecompletelyinbase;otherwisetheyare
eitherremovedfromplaybytheref,orleftonthefieldwheretheycametorest.Teamsthatgrabtheir
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robotbeforeitiscompletelyinbasewillbepenalizedbylosingtheobjecttheyweretransporting.
Refereesshouldremindteamstolettherobotfullyenterbasebeforegrabbingit.
Missions
M01SharkShipment–Thismodelhasasharkbalancedinsideofthetank.Thegoalistocarefullymove
thetanktooneoftwoscoringpositionswhilekeepingthesharkfromtouchingthetankwalls.Forbonus
pointsyouarenotallowedtotouchthesharkduringthemission(topreventitfromfallingover)sono
attachmentscanbeusedtoimmobilizethesharkduringtransportortore-rightthesharkattheendof
themission.
M02ServiceDogAction–TherulesclearlystatethattheFencemustbedownbecausetheRobot
completelycrosseditfromthewest,aftertravelingbetweentheBarriers.Thisimpliesthattherobot
wheelsmustfitbetweenthebarriersandthendriveoverthefence.
M03AnimalConservation–Thismissionstartswithananimalfigureplacedineachofthetrays(they
shouldbedifferentanimalstoscorepoints).Ifeitherteamissuccessfulinrotatingthetrays,thenboth
teamsgetpointsforallpairs(40ptstotaltoeachinthiscase).Togetmorepoints,therobothasto
removetheanimalandreplaceitwithanother,thenrotatethetrays.Butifthesameanimalisonthe
othertrayandrotatesback,bothteamswilllosethepointsforthatone.Thissuggeststhatbothanimals
needtoberemovedbeforeanotheranimal(s)isaddedandrotated.
M04Feeding–Therefrigeratordispenseseightpieces–2eachofblue,red,yellowandgreen.Toscore
points,ifmultiplepiecesofFoodareinonearea,theymustbethesamecolor.
M05Biomimicry–PointsaregiventoboththeWhiteGeckoandtheRobotiftheyhangonthewall
together.
M06MilkingAutomation–Spinningthismachinewillrolloutmilkormilkandmanure.Thismissionis
tiedtoM13andM14whichdeterminepointsifthethreemilkpiecesarereturnedtoBaseorplacedon
theRamp.
M07PandaRelease–Shouldbeastraightforwardrotationoftheslider.
M08CameraRecovery–ThecameraisontheSeal,butwillpulloutifliftedbytheloop.TheM12Sealin
Basemissiononlygains1pt.
M09TrainingandResearch–TheDog&TrainerandZoologistfigureshaveloopstocarrythem.The
Manuresamplesmustbetransportedtotheareaoneatatime.Ifall7manuresamplesinarea,then
bonuspointsgivenbyM15AllSamples.
M10BeeKeeping-IftheBeeisplacedontheBeehive,theHoneyrollsout.Iftransportedbacktobase
itgetsanadditional3pts.
M11Prosthesis–Thewordingonthis–“ProsthesisisfittedtothePetANDnotheldbytheRef”
suggeststhatteamsbettergetthepigcompletelyinBaseortheFarmtarget.
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M12–SeeM08Camera
M13–SeeM06Milking
M14–SeeM06Milking
M15–SeeM09Training
Penalties–Refsshouldhold(5)ManureSamplesanduseastouchpenaltieswhentheRobotis
interrupted.Onlyfivepenaltiescanbegiven.
Matches
Matchesarescheduledsothateachteamhasatotaloffourroundsandhopefullytheyplayonboth
tablestoexperiencetheminorvariationsinfieldsetup,lighting,andtabledimensions.
Thescoresheetsareprovidedtoassesstheendstateorcompletionofmissions.Refereesusethepaper
copiestomarktheconditionofmissionmodels–theactualscorewillbecalculatedbytheScorekeeper
usingaspreadsheetorapp.Refsshouldconcentrateonwitnessingmissionsduringthematchand
accuratelyrecordingtheendstate.
TheAnimalAlliesChallengehasalargenumberofobjectsthatneedtobetransportedtoBaseand
TargetAreasonthefield.Itisimportanttoadheretothe“completelyin”rulefortherobotandall
objects.
Lastyear’sTrashTrekChallengehadamaximumscoreofover1,000pts.Thisyearthemaxscoreisjust
over400.Withsuchalowmaxscore,teamswillbetryingveryhardtogeteverymissiontheycan.The
penaltiesandremovalofobjectswillhaveasignificantimpactontheirscore,somakesureteams
understandtheimplicationofearlygrabbingofrobots.
Thepracticeroundhelpsteamsgetusedtothecompetitiontables,butthescoreisnotusedforawards
oradvancementranking.Thebestscoreofthreematchesistheonlyonethatcountsinofficialevents.
SomelargertournamentsmayuseplayoffstodeterminetheRobotPerformancewinner.
TheFivePartsofRobotPerformance:
Queuing
Teamsshouldarriveatthededicatedqueueareaatleast1matchbeforetheirscheduledmatch.(This
equatestoabout8-10minutesdependingontheeventschedule.)Weplantohaveadedicatedqueuing
volunteerfortheRobotGamearea.Thequeuingareawillfeedthetablepair.OnlyCoachesandTeam
Memberswillbeallowedintothequeuingarea.Parentsandotherguestsmustviewfromthe
designatedspectatorarea.TeamswillwaitinthequeuingareauntiltheRefereecallsthemtothetable.
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ApproachingtheTable
Teamsareallowedtobringthefollowingtothetable:
• OnerobotincompliancewithalltheRobotGameRules
• (optional)Aboxtostoreitemsoutsideofbase
• (optional)ATVtraytosettheboxon[weplanonprovidingthis]
TheyshouldNOTbringthefollowing:
• Anotherrobotoranyotherelectricsformissionactivity,includingacomputer.Programming
mustbedoneinthepits.
• Anymissionmodels.Youmustusetheonesprovidedatthetable.
Onlytwoteammembersmaybeatthetableatanygiventime,includingbeforeandafterthematch.
Therestoftheteammuststandbehindadesignatedline(about3-5feetfromthetable).Coachesmay
notapproachthetablebefore,during,orafteramatchunlesstohelptheteammovebulky/large
equipmentbefore/afteramatch
BeforetheMatch
Theteamshouldgettheirrobotandallmaterialssetuponthetableandgetreadytogo.Teamswill
haveatleastoneminutetogettheirrobotready,butmayhavemoretimedependingontheschedule
oftheevent.AnyadditionalsetupactionsasrequiredbytheRobotGamearealsocompletedduringthis
time.
Tablesaresetupbyoneoftherefereesatourtournament.Itiscrucialthattheteamverifiesthesetup
ofthefield.Intheeventtheyfeelthereisadiscrepancy,thentheymustnotifytheRefereeBEFOREthe
matchstarts.Teamsarenotallowedtotouchthefieldoutsideofbase,exceptasdescribedintherules.
Oncethematchstarts,thefieldcannotbechangedevenifitwassetupwrong.
Thematchstartsattheendofthecountdownsequence.Atourtournament,thecountdownis“3.2.1.
LEGO!”PertheChallengerules,theofficialstartofthematchisdefinedasthemomentthefirstsyllable
of“LEGO”isspoken.Atimerstartsthecountdownfrom2:30.
Pleasetrytokeepanyofficialmissionmodelsonthetableandpreventteamsfromaccidentlycarrying
themoff.
DuringtheMatch
Thematchlastsfor2½minutes.Duringthistime,onlytwoteammembersareallowedatthetable,with
therestoftheteamstandingbackafewfeetfromthetable(usuallydesignatedbyalineoftapeonthe
floor).MembersatthetablearecalledTechniciansintheofficialrules.Otherteammemberswillbe
allowedatthetableintheeventofacatastrophicrobotfailure.Teammembersatthetablemayswap
outwithteammembersstandingbackfromthetable.Membersmayalsoholdequipmentwhennotat
thetabletoassistwithanupcomingmission.
Teamswillruntheirrobotonthefieldforthedurationofthe2½-minutematch.Therobotmayreturn
asmanytimesasnecessarytoBaseandteammembersmayonlyinteractwiththerobotinBase.
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InteractingwiththerobotormodelsoutsideofBaseisnotallowedandmaybesubjecttopenaltiesas
describedintheChallengeRules.
ThematchendsrightwhenthebuzzersoundsandtheRefereewillscorethefieldbaseduponthestate
ofthefieldwhenthebuzzerstartedsounding.Teamsshouldstoptheirrobotassoonasthebuzzer
sounds.Anymodificationstothefieldafterthebuzzersoundsareignored.
AftertheMatch
Oncethebuzzersounds,onlytwoteammemberswillremainbehindwiththereferee.Therestofthe
team(includingcoaches)mustheadtotheTeamWaitingAreatowaitfortheremainingteammembers
atthetable.Theteamshouldtakeasmuchoftheirsuppliesaspossiblewiththem.Anythingonthe
tableshouldbeleftaloneuntiltheRefereeclearsthetableforreset.Remindteamsnottotakeany
MissionModels!
TheteamshouldnottouchtherobotorthefieldunlessinstructedbytheReferee,exceptforstopping
therobotasindicatedinrules.OncetheRefereefinishesscoringthetable,he/shewillgooverthescore
sheetwiththeteam.Oncetheteammembersinitialthescoresheet,thescoreisconsideredfinaland
therefereewillclearthefieldforreset.Theteammembersatthetablewillcollecttheirremainingrobot
materialsandrejointheirteam.
TheHeadReferee
TeamswithanycommentsorquestionsregardingtheirmatchshouldconsultwiththeHeadRefereefor
thetournament.OnlystudentteammembersmaytalkwiththeHeadReferee.TheHeadReferee'sjobis
toensureconsistencyandfairnessthroughoutthecompetition.AnydecisionsmadebytheHead
Refereeareconsideredfinal.
RequestingaScoreVerification
Asmentionedabove,thescoresheetisconsideredfinaloncetheteammemberssignthescoresheet.
However,therearesituationswherethescoresheetdoesnotgetproperlyenteredintothescoring
computer.Ifateamfeelsthattheirscoresheetwasnotenteredproperly,astudentteammembercan
approachtheHeadRefereeandrequestthatthescorebeverified.
TheHeadRefereewillthendecideifascoreverificationisnecessary.Allscoresheetverificationswill
occuratthediscretionoftheHeadReferee.
AwardStructures
Oneofthemainreasonsforteamstoparticipateinapracticetournamentistogainexperienceinthe
manyfacetsofthejudgingandrobotperformance.FLLQualifyingTournamentshaveanumberof
awardsthataregiventoteamsintheformofaLEGOtrophy.
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AlthoughwewillNOTbepresentingawardsatourpracticetournament,JudgesandRefereesshouldbe
familiarwiththeAwardsinordertounderstandthemotivationbehindtheteams.InQualifying
Tournaments,FLLrequirethat~30%ofteamsreceiveanaward.With24-32teams,thismeansthat8+
awardsaregiven.
AdvancementfromQualifiertoChampionship
Inaddition,thetop20%-30%ofteamsinaLosAngelesorTournamentadvancetotheregional
Championship.ThetopteamsatthattournamentgoontotheWorldsinthespringof2017.FLL’s
qualifieradvancementpolicyisbasedonChampion’sAwardcriteriawhichrequirethattheteam,
performswellinallthreejudgedareas(Project,RobotDesignandCoreValues)andreceivesaRobot
Performancescoreinthetop40%ofofficialRobotroundsamongotherrequirements.
Champion’sAward
TheChampion’sAwardrecognizesateamthat“embodiestheFIRSTLEGOLeagueexperience,byfully
embracingourCoreValueswhileachievingexcellenceandinnovationinboththeRobotGameand
Project.”
AtanofficialeventJudgeswilllookforbalanced,strongperformanceacrossallthreeareas;thismeans
thatallthreejudgedsessions(CoreValues,RobotDesign,andProject)areweightedequallyto
determinetheinitialgroupofChampion’scandidates.Allcandidatesmustalsomeetthefollowing
requirements:
• Robot:Theteammustscoreinthetop40%ofallteamsparticipatingintheRobotGameatthe
event.
• Project:TheteammustcompleteallpartsoftheProject,includingtheidentificationofareal
worldproblemrelatedtotheChallengetheme,creationofaninnovativesolutionandsharing
theirresearchandsolutionwithothers,aswellasanyotherseason-specificrequirementsthat
mayexist.
• CoreValues:TheteammustadheretoallCoreValuesthroughouttheeventandtheseason.
AllcandidateteamsarethenreviewedduringadeliberativeprocessthatconsidersRobotPerformance
placementandotherqualitativefactors.Finaldeterminationoftheawardwinner(s)isbasedonavote
ofthefulljudgingpanel.
RobotAwards
• MechanicalDesign-Thisawardrecognizesateamthatdesignsanddevelopsamechanically
soundrobotthatisdurable,efficientandhighlycapableofperformingchallengemissions.
• Programming-Thisawardrecognizesateamthatutilizesoutstandingprogrammingprinciples,
includingclear,conciseandreusablecodethatallowstheirrobottoperformchallengemissions
autonomouslyandconsistently.
• Strategy&Innovation-Thisawardrecognizesateamthatusessolidengineeringpracticesand
awell-developedstrategytodesignandbuildaninnovative,highperformingrobot.
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•
RobotPerformance-Thisawardrecognizesateamthatscoresthemostpointsduringthe
RobotGame.Teamshaveachancetocompeteinatleastthree2.5minutematchesandtheir
highestscorecounts.
ProjectAwards
• Research-Thisawardrecognizesateamthatutilizesdiverseresourcestoformulateanin-depth
andcomprehensiveunderstandingoftheproblemtheyhaveidentified.
• InnovativeSolution-Thisawardrecognizesateam’ssolutionthatisexceptionallywellconsideredandcreative,withgoodpotentialtosolvetheproblemresearched.
• Presentation-Thisawardrecognizesateamthateffectivelycommunicatestheproblemthey
haveidentifiedandtheirproposedsolutiontoboththejudgesandotherpotentialsupporters.
CoreValuesAwards
• Inspiration-ThisawardcelebratesateamthatisempoweredbytheirFIRSTLEGOLeague
experienceanddisplaysextraordinaryenthusiasmandspirit.
• Teamwork-Thisawardrecognizesateamthatisabletoaccomplishmoretogetherthanthey
couldasindividualsthroughsharedgoals,strongcommunication,effectiveproblemsolvingand
excellenttimemanagement.
• GraciousProfessionalism®-Thisawardrecognizesateamwhosemembersshoweachotherand
otherteamsrespectatalltimes.Theyrecognizethatbothfriendlycompetitionandmutualgain
arepossible,onandofftheplayingfield.
JudgesAwards
Duringthecourseofcompetition,thejudgesmayencounterteamswhoseuniqueefforts,performance
ordynamicsmeritrecognition.Someteamshaveastorythatsetsthemapartinanoteworthyway.
Sometimesateamissoclosetowinninganawardthatthejudgeschoosetogivespecialrecognitionto
theteam.JudgesAwardsallowthefreedomtorecognizeremarkableteamsthatstandoutforreasons
otherthantheCoreAwardcategories.Examplesinclude:
• AgainstAllOddsorOvercomingAdversityorPerseverance.Thisawardgoestotheteamthat
improvisesandovercomesadifficultsituationwhilestillmakingarespectableshowing,withan
attitudethatshows,“Wecanovercomeincredibleoddsifwenevergiveup,nomatterwhat!”
• RisingStar-Thisawardrecognizesateamthatthejudgesnoticeandexpectgreatthingsfromin
thefuture.
SpecialRecognitionAwards
• OutstandingVolunteerAward-TheFIRSTLEGOLeagueprogramwouldnotexistwithoutits
volunteers.Thisawardhonorsanextraordinaryvolunteer(s)whosededicationtotheprogram
hasapositiveimpactontheteamexperience.
• Coach/MentorAward-Coachesandmentorsinspiretheirteamstodotheirbest,bothas
individualsandtogether.Thisawardgoestothecoachormentorwhoseleadershipand
guidanceisclearlyevidentandbestexemplifiestheFIRSTLEGOLeagueCoreValues.
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Resources
FIRST
• FIRSTHomePage:http://www.firstinspires.org/
• FIRSTFacebookPage:https://www.facebook.com/FIRSTOfficial/
FIRSTLEGOLeague
• FLLHomePage:http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll
• WhatisFIRSTLEGOLeaguevideo:http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll/what-is-first-legoleague
• FLLFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/FIRSTOfficial/
• FLLRules&MissionsForum:http://forums.usfirst.org/forumdisplay.php?1426-Rules-ampMissions
2016AnimalAlliesChallenge
• ChallengeGuide:http://www.firstlegoleague.org/challenge
• FLLRubricshttp://www.firstlegoleague.org/sites/default/files/animal-allies/fll-rubrics-2016.pdf
LosAngelesFLL
• LAFLLHomePage:http://www.la-fll.org
• LAFLLFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesFLL/
RedondoUnionHighSchool
• RUHSHomePage:http://pms-rbusdca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1244185282249
• BeachCitiesRobotics#294(w/MiraCostaH.S.):http://www.bcrobotics.org
ParrasMiddleSchool
• ParrasMiddleSchoolHomePage:http://pms-rbusdca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1244185282249
• ParrasRobotics:http://www.parrasrobotics.com
• PracticeTournamentFlyer:
http://www.parrasrobotics.com/uploads/8/4/5/9/84599170/good_news_9-2.pdf
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