CT FLL TOURNAMENTS

FIRST UniversitySeptember 12, 2015

CT FLL History• Current Structure Established in 2004

– First Official CT State Championship– 4 Local Events as Qualifiers (Old Lyme, Enfield, Berlin,

Bridgeport)– Advancement based on lottery or Award Winners– Teams allowed to attend multiple events

• 6 Venues in 2011– One event per team based on FLL growth

• 8 venues in 2012– State Qualifications based on Champions’ Award rankings

CT FLL TOURNAMENT STRUCTUREQualifying Events

FLL Bash@theBeachLyme-Old Lyme

Lego® Corp. OpenEnfield

Where Is Wolcott Invitational

Wolcott

Robo FestNew Haven

Ragged Mountain Invitational

Berlin

Tolland OpenTolland

Circus RobotixShelton

Week 1 – Saturday November 14

Week 2 – Saturday November 21

CT FLL State Championship

New Britain

Sunday December 5

6 6 6 6

6 6 6

48

Backyard BlizzardGreenwich

6

CT FLL TOURNAMENT STRUCTUREQualifying Events

• 8 Qualifying Events• 24 Teams/Event

⁻ Some Events will be Larger or Smaller• Golden Tickets/Event based on the Number

of Teams Attending• Golden Tickets are Awarded Based on

Champion’s Award Criteria• 3 Robot Rounds Minimum – 6 Typical• 48 - 52 Teams Advance to the CT State

Championship

CT FLL TOURNAMENT STRUCTUREChampionship Event

• 48 - 52 Teams• 3 Robot Rounds• Traditionally held at Central Connecticut State

University

CT FLL TOURNAMENT STRUCTUREQualifying Events

• Typical Day⁻ 7:30-8:30 Teams Check-In⁻ 8:30-9:00 Coaches Meeting⁻ 9:00-9:15 Opening Ceremonies⁻ 9:15-12:00 Robot Rounds/Judging⁻ 12:00-12:30 Lunch⁻ 12:30-15:30 Robot Rounds/Judging Deliberations⁻ 15:30-16:00 Awards Ceremony

CT FLL TOURNAMENT STRUCTUREQualifying Events

• Register for You Event at Eventbrite.com

AWARDS• FLL Qualifying Events

– Champion’s 1st & 2nd Place– Core Values 1st Place– Project 1st Place– Technical 1st Place– Robot Performance 1st & 2nd Place– Judges’ Award

6

TEAM AWARDS• CT FLL State Championship

– Champion’s 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Place– Mechanical Design 1st Place– Programming 1st Place– Strategy & Innovation 1st Place– Research 1st Place– Innovative Solution 1st Place– Project Presentation 1st Place– Inspiration 1st Place– Teamwork 1st Place– Gracious Professionalism 1st Place– Robot Performance 1st & 2nd Place– 3 Judges’ Awards

17

AWARDS

• Share the wealth– A single Team Wins Only 1 award

• Robot Performance is the exception– Awards Recognize Teams and are an Enticement

for them to Continue in the FLL Program

JUDGES & REFEREES

Adults

• FRC/FTC Mentors

• FRC/FTC Parents

• FLL Mentors

• FLL Parents• Co-Workers• Experts

Students

• FRC/FTC Team Members

• Scouts• FRC/FTC Alumni

• Everyone is a Volunteer

JUDGE TEAMS• Each Qualifying Event Decides but generally…

• An adult is paired with a Student

• Two or more Students supervised by an adult head judge

• Or some other combination

JUDGE TEAMS• FLL Qualifying Event Coordinators endeavor to:

– Get Qualified Judges– Bring Back Veterans– Provide Exposure of the Judging Process to FIRST® Students and Coaches

– Make Sure That the Judging is Fair and Unbiased

– Provide Training and Materials to Assure Consistent Quality Between Groups and Events

JUDGING PROCESS

• Multiple Teams for Each Award• The Rubrics are Used

Raw Score

• Helps to Normalize Differences Between Different Judge Groups

• Identifies the Top Teams

JUDGING PROCESS

• Raw Scores by Themselves are Not Relevant• A different Day or Time Might Produce Different

Results– Relative Rankings Would be Similar Day for Day or at

Different Events or With Different Judge Groups• Negotiations Determine the Award Winners

– Each Group has Their Favorite Despite the Score– But Decisions Must be Made in a Timely Manner

JUDGING PROCESS

• Automation Helps

• Raw Scores are Entered into a Computer– Rankings are Generated– Adjustments Can be Made Easily– Decision Time is Reduced

REFEREE PROCESS• Official Score Sheets are Designed by FIRST®• Referee’s Review the Score Sheet with the

Students at the End of a Round• Scores are Entered into a Computer

– FIRST® has Software Available– Customized Software is Used By Some Qualifiers

• Software Tallies and Ranks the Teams

CONCLUSUION

• CT FLL Judges and Referees are Serious

• They Genuinely Care About the Teams

• They Want Them to Succeed

QUESTIONS