All questions and answers
On this page General Research Rules Playing Field & Missions
General
What happens if a planned tournament cannot take place due to the pandemic situation?
Can I participate in a regional tournament in another country?
Do we really have to read the FAQs?
Yes, it is very important to have the FAQs always in view. Changes or additions to the rules and missions may be published during the season up to the day before your regional competition.
Do I have to bring my engineering notebook to the regional competition?
It is not compulsory to bring your engineer's notebook to the regional competition. However, it may be useful to be able to document your work to the judges.
So: You can, but you don't have to bring the engineering notebook to the regional competition.
Can a team be disqualified?
If a team does not exhibit Core Values at a FIRST LEGO League tournament, they may be disqualified from winning any awards – including Robot Game, no matter how well they scored.
Adults are strictly prohibited from directing team members or interfering with the judging process or robot rounds in any way.
As the coach, do I have to know how to program the LEGO robots myself?
No. It’s not difficult to pick up the basics of the EV3 Classroom or SPIKE software, and it’s up to the team members to find the information they need to complete the challenges.
The latest version of the EV3 Classroom and SPIKE software has a Getting Started section with very useful lessons.
Download the latest version of the software.
My team are new and don’t think they’ll be ready to compete at the tournament. Can we pull out?
As long as your team have made an effort at tackling the project and robot game in the spirit of the Core Values, they will learn a lot from attending the tournament and will enjoy the day. The aim of the tournament is to celebrate the work that the students have done. All tournament staff will be working hard to make sure that there is a positive, encouraging atmosphere, so whether the team win an award or not they should come away feeling good about their work. If they’ve enjoyed working on the challenges and have fun at the tournament then you will have completed a successful first year in FIRST LEGO League, and should be well placed to go again next season!
What if parts of the challenge set are missing?
You can reorder any missing parts or entire packages that are missing for free from LEGO.
If you followed this link, click on “Missing Bricks” and then give the set number. The 5-digit set number can be found in the top left of the package sticker on your challenge set.
You can also easily order missing bags from the LEGO customer service at the following free telephone number:
00800 5346 5555
LEGO Customer Service staff speak several languages.
At the regional tournament, which team will qualify in the Robot Game after the 3 preliminary rounds, when 2 teams have the same score in their best match?
If 2 teams have the same score in their best match in the Robot Game after the 3 preliminary rounds, the scores of the second best preliminary or – if there is also the same number of points – the third best preliminary round of both teams will be compared. The team with the higher score qualifies.
If 2 teams always score the same number of points in the 3 preliminary rounds, a play-off will be run (1 match).
Does the presentation of the research project have to be presented in the respective local language?
The language at the regional tournament is based upon the respective local language. The background is that the parameters should be the same for all participants.
This applies for all evaluations, presentations, interviews with the judges and for the presentation of the regional tournament.
What happens with robots which are built with the aid of a construction manual?
Teams who build a robot with the aid of a construction manual must expect the robot not to be rated as the team’s own creative achievement in the category robot design.
At this point, it should also be noted that the circulating construction manuals often refer only to basic robots that meet the specific requirements of the actual season only inadequate.
So: no plagiarisms! Because what counts in the category robot design is the team’s creative achievement at programming and design!
Can I act as a co-coach at the age of 17?
A team can be supervised by several coaches and/or mentors. However, there can only be one "official" coach registering the team and keeping in contact with us. This coach will receive all necessary information regarding the tournament and is regarded by us as the responsible person on tournament day. The main coach can be supported and counselled by further coaches and/or mentors, who do not have to be over 18. Coaching the teams during their process is a crucial task of coaches and/or mentors. Nonetheless, they are not supposed to provide the team with solutions and, generally, should stay out of the team's work processes. We welcome former team members becoming (co-)coaches.
What is the maximum score that can be achieved in the Robot Game?
We have asked our partner FRIST about the maximum number of points that can be achieved. The maximum score is not calculated by FIRST, so that this number does not discourage anyone to participate in the contest or discourage anyone. Accordingly, the total score will not be published.
Where can I find the scoring sheets?
To get an impression of what to expect in the Robot Game scoring, you can have a look at the scoring sheets here.
Are the tables identical at all tournaments?
Please consider while constructing and programming that there can be variations between different tournaments depending on local conditions. The variations might occure in differenciations in the character of the field borders, lightning conditions, structure/irregularties of the field mat. At many tournaments there is no opportunity to roll out the mats early enough so that they might be a little bit wavy. Place and severity of waves can vary.
Hint: There are two important construction techniques to minimize differences in illumination:
1. Avoid control systems containing something that might rub on the mat.
2. Hide light sensors from ambient light.
Questions according the local conditions at regional tournaments can be posed directly to the local organiser. Please find there contact dates on the regional websites.
Research
Are there any consequenses if a team does not prepare a research project? What will happen when a team misses the aim of the research project?
A Challenge team should take part in all categories of evaluation. When a team doesn't have a research project (or doesn't take part in another category of evaluation) it cannot become a Challenge Champion and will not be evaluated in the particular category. All teams should act according to the FIRST Core Values.
If a team misses the topical aim of the research project, the judges can still evaluate how engaging the presentation was (in the section "communicate"), but not the other evalutation sections.
Are we obliged to publish the results ahead of our presentation on the tournament day?
Each team is obliged to publish the results ahead of the tournament. This can happen in several ways: presentation in front of parents, students, teachers or the interviewed experts, write an article or make a website or blog etc. The team should show the form of publishing within their presentation e.g. by a photo.
What includes the presentation?
Each team should show on which way they found the specific problem. Show how you researched and came to a soulution for the problem you chose. It is not enough to present only the result.
Shall we name our sources? Do the sources have to be part of the presentation or is it sufficient to show them at the end of the presentation?
Yes, a good presentation shows at the latest at the end all the sources the team had worked with during their research project. The sources should also be part of the 5 minutes presentation.
Do we have to prepare some written material or our presentation in written form for the judges?
No, you don´t have to produce a written material for the judges. Important is the presentation and its content you perform for the judges.
Does the research project has to have a technical approach?
No, the research project does not have to contain a technical approach.
How much time do we have for the presentation of our research results at a FLL Tournament?
At a FLL Challenge Tournament you have 5 minutes time (actual presentation time, not set up time) to present your results to the jury. The manner of presentation is up to you – you can create a role play, use Powerpoint and so on. Give your presentation live – you may use media equipment (if available) but only to enhance the live presentation.
Can we pick any topic we like?
No, the topics are limited to the topics listed in the research project documents.
Rules
Is LEGO Pneumatic allowed?
Yes – like other LEGO equipment, Pneumatic is allowed (as described in the Robot Game Rules).
Is it allowed to use LEGO DUPLO?
Yes, it’s allowed to use LEGO DUPLO at Challenge tournaments as equipment (like other LEGO equipment, as described in the Robot Game Rules).
Playing Field & Missions
Hinged container content pieces (Update on Aug 20, 2021)
In Bag 3 of the Challenge Set, there are two sets of content pieces provided with the hinged container. Only one of these sets are to be used in the robot game. The other set are extra and to be used as replacement pieces. The picture below shows the hinged container and the two identical sets of content pieces:
Air Drop Sharing Adjustment (Update on Oct 6, 2021)
If you are the only team in the match, you may begin with the food package completely in home. If at any point during the match, your robot interacts with the air drop model, you will automatically earn the 20 points for having released the food package and the 10 points for ‘both’ teams having separated their food packages from their field’s helicopters.
Food Package (Update on Oct 6, 2021)
You may not remove the food package from the helicopter by hand.
Scoring Clarification (Update on Aug 20, 2021)
When both teams have separated their food packages from their field’s helicopter, both teams will earn 10 points. These points are additional to any other points scored in this mission. The new wording for M08 bullet 3 is:
If both teams have separated their food packages from their field’s helicopters: 10 added
Clarification (Update on Aug 20, 2021)
The following pictures have been provided as additional examples of the food package being on the doorstep partly vs completely:
16.09.2016
What are the dimensions of the border walls from a Playing Table used during a FLL tournament?