Awards and Allocation

Awards

Required Awards

Champion’s Award Coach/Mentor Award

1 winner and up to 3 finalists depending on Up to 6 winners depending on tournament size
tournament size Coaches and mentors inspire their teams to do their best,
This award celebrates a team that embodies the FIRST ® both as individuals and together. Without them, there would be
LEGO® League Challenge experience by fully embracing no FIRST LEGO League Challenge. This award goes to the
the Core Values while achieving excellence and innovation coach or mentor whose leadership and guidance is clearly
in Robot Performance, Robot Design, and the Innovation evident and best exemplifies the FIRST Core Values.
Project.

Core Values Award Optional Awards

1 winner and up to 3 finalists depending on
tournament size Engineering Excellence Award
This team displays extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit,
knows they can accomplish more together than they could as Up to 3 winners
individuals, and shows each other and other teams respect at This award celebrates a team with an efficiently designed
all times. robot, an innovative project solution that effectively addresses
the season challenge, and Core Values evident in all they do.
Innovation Project Award
Breakthrough Award
1 winner and up to 3 finalists depending on
tournament size Up to 3 winners
This team utilizes diverse resources for their Innovation This award celebrates a team that made significant progress
Project to help them gain a comprehensive understanding of in their confidence and capability in both the Robot Game and
their problem; has a creative, well-researched solution; and Innovation Project and are a shining example of excellent
effectively communicates their findings to judges and the Core Values. They demonstrate that they understand that
community. what they discover is more important than what they win.

Robot Design Award Rising All-Star Award

1 winner and up to 3 finalists depending on Up to 3 winners
tournament size This award celebrates a team that the judges notice and
This team uses outstanding programming principles and solid expect great things from in the future.
engineering practices to develop a robot that is mechanically
sound, durable, efficient, and highly capable of performing Motivate Award
challenge missions.
Up to 3 winners
Robot Performance Award This award celebrates a team that embraces the culture of
FIRST LEGO League through team building, team spirit, and
1 winner and up to 3 finalists (2nd, 3rd, and 4th displayed enthusiasm.
places) depending on tournament size
This award celebrates a team that scores the most points
during the Robot Game. Teams have a chance to compete
in at least three 2.5-minute matches, and their highest score
counts.

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Judging Process Flowchart

Follow these steps to properly assess award eligibility.

Complete rubrics after each judging session.

Judges hand the rubrics in.

Rubric Data Input

Input official
Official Judging Robot Game
Spreadsheet Determine area ranks and
and Gracious
Champion’s Rank.
Professionalism ®
scores.

Deliberate using the area ranks, Champion’s

Rank, and judge observations. (Precede
Champion’s deliberation with a sense-check of
area ranks if required.)

Complete the award allocation process.

Share final award summary with judges.

Present awards at closing ceremony.

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Award Allocation and Advancement

FIRST ® LEGO® League teams are evaluated equally in four areas:

Core Values, Innovation Project, Robot Design, and Robot Game.
The judges and referees use the rubrics and Robot Game score
sheets to make this evaluation.

INNOVATION
The scores are then used to create the area ranks, which show the
PROJECT ROBOT DESIGN
rank order of how the teams performed in each area. The Official
Judging Spreadsheet (OJS) helps to illustrate this data.

CORE VALUES ROBOT GAME

The four area ranks are weighted equally and used to calculate the
Champion’s Score. The Champion’s Scores are then put in order
to create the Champion’s Rank.

The team with the lowest Champion’s Score will be ranked first in
the Champion’s Rank.

The following diagram shows how the Champion’s Rank is

calculated. Remember, it is the area ranks, not the rubrics or
Robot Game score sheet scores for each area, that are used.

Determining the Champion’s Rank

INNOVATION CORE VALUES ROBOT DESIGN ROBOT GAME RANK CHAMPION’S SCORE
PROJECT + RANK + RANK + = These Champion’s Scores are ranked to
RANK
produce the CHAMPION’S RANK. The
lowest score will be the top ranked team.

During deliberation, the judge advisor leads the allocation of

the awards. The Champion’s Rank and area ranks are used to
determine which teams should win awards, and the judges sense-
check the results. Remember, the group of highest performing
teams should be winning the awards.

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 AWARDS

To recognize and commend more teams overall, teams are limited to winning one judged award. The coach may still be eligible for
the Coach/Mentor Award, and the team may still be eligible for the Robot Performance Award. How many awards there are and
whether the optional awards will be presented varies between events. Check with your tournament director.

AWARD ALLOCATION PROCESS

ADVANCEMENT Use the Champion’s Rank to identify teams that will advance to
the next level of competition.

REQUIRED AWARDS
Allocated in the specific order detailed in the following instructions.

Champion’s Allocation based on the Champion’s Rank.

Core Values Allocation based on the Core Values area rank, which includes
both the rubric and the Gracious Professionalism® scores.

Innovation Project Allocation based on the Innovation Project area rank.

Robot Design Allocation based to teams based on the Robot Design area
rank.

Robot Performance Allocation based on highest individual Robot Game score. Ties
are broken using second- or third-highest game score.

Coach/Mentor Allocation based on team nominations.

OPTIONAL AWARDS
If used, allocated in the specific order detailed in the following instructions. These awards are allocated only to teams who have not
won a required award besides a Robot Performance Award and/or a Coach/Mentor Award.

Engineering Excellence Allocation based on highest Champion’s Rank.

Breakthrough Judges select candidates. Allocation is based on the highest

Champion’s Rank.

Rising All-Star Judges select candidates. Allocation is based on the highest

Champion’s Rank.

Motivate Judges select candidates. Allocation is based on the highest

Champion’s Rank.

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Use the following process to allocate the awards in the order Core Values Award
shown. You will need the area ranks and Champion’s Rank.
If you are using the OJS, these will show on the Results and 17. Sort the teams in Core Values rank order by using the
Rankings page when all the data has been entered. arrow in the red rank header box.
18. Allocate only the first-place Core Values Award. You must
Sense-Check the Data now allocate the first-place award for Innovation Project.

1. Sort the teams in Champion’s Rank order. (In the OJS, Innovation Project Award
click the small arrow in the purple rank header box and
select smallest to largest.) 19. Sort the teams in Innovation Project rank order by
2. Confirm with the judges that the scores look like they using the arrow in the blue rank header box.
have been entered correctly (i.e., the best team they saw 20. Allocate only the first-place Innovation Project Award. You
is ranked higher than the other teams they saw). must now allocate the first-place award for Robot Design.
3. If confirmed, move on to the Award Allocation process. If
not, review the data and correct as needed. Robot Design Award

Award Allocation Process 21. Sort the teams in Robot Design rank order by using the
arrow in the green rank header box.
4. Awards are allocated using the rank data. 22. Allocate the first-place Robot Design Award.
5. For each award ask the question, “Is the group happy to 23. Now you can go back and allocate the second-place
allocate this award to the top ranked team in this area?” awards in all three areas (Core Values, Innovation
a. If there is a discussion, keep tight control of who Project, and Robot Design).
is speaking and allow only one person to talk at a 24. Repeat this process for all the third-place awards and
time. Only the judges who actually judged the team then all the fourth-place awards if these are being used at
should be allowed to speak. Bring the discussion to a your event.
conclusion firmly and as quickly as is reasonable.
6. Do not change any ranks in the OJS even if the award is Optional Awards
not given to the top ranked team.
7. Allocate the award. Click the arrow in the Award column 25. Now you can allocate the optional awards. If you do not
for the winning team and choose the name of the award. have any optional awards, you can go to Step 38 and
The whole row will highlight in yellow to show the team allocate the Coach/Mentor award(s), which is required.
has received an award. Also, go to the Award Place
column and click the arrow to select their award place. Engineering Excellence Award
8. Remember, a team can win only one award unless the
other award is a Robot Performance Award and/or a 26. Sort the teams in Champion’s Rank order by using the
Coach/Mentor Award. For this reason, when the Robot small arrow in the purple rank header box.
Performance Awards are allocated, the row does not 27. The Engineering Excellence Award goes to the highest
highlight in yellow. Champion’s Ranked team who has not yet won an award
9. Allocate the awards in the following order. How many besides Robot Performance and/or Coach/Mentor. Teams
of each award will vary depending on the size of the that can win this award will not be highlighted in yellow.
tournament. Check with your tournament director. 28. Repeat this process until all the Engineering Excellence
Awards have been allocated.
Champion’s Award
Breakthrough Award
10. The winner will be the team that is ranked first in the
Champion’s Rank. 29. Go to the Breakthrough column and rank the teams by
11. Allocate all the Champion’s Awards to teams in the order using the arrow in the orange rank header box.
that they are placed in the Champion’s Rank. 30. Identify the teams who were selected for the
12. Allocate all the Champion’s Awards before moving on to Breakthrough Award but have not yet won an award
any other awards. besides Robot Performance and/or Coach/Mentor. Teams
that can win this award will not be highlighted in yellow.
Advancement Compare their Champion’s Rank. The award should go to
the team with the highest Champion’s Rank.
13. Identify which teams will advance to the next level of the 31. Repeat this process until all the Breakthrough awards
competition using the Champion’s Rank. The number of have been allocated.
advancing teams depends on how many spaces have
been allocated to your event. Check with your tournament Rising All-Star Award
director.
32. Go to the Rising All-Star column and rank the teams by
Robot Performance Award using the arrow in the orange rank header box.
33. Identify the teams who were selected for the Rising All-
14. Sort the teams in Robot Game rank order by using the Star Award but have not yet won an award besides Robot
arrow in the green rank header box. Performance and/or Coach/Mentor. Teams that can win
15. The winner will be the team that scores the most points this award will not be highlighted in yellow. Compare their
during the Robot Game. Champion’s Rank. The award should go to the team with
16. Allocate all the Robot Performance Awards to teams in the highest Champion’s Rank.
the order that they are placed in the Robot Game rank. 34. Repeat this process until all the Rising All-Star Awards
have been allocated.

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Motivate Award Local Awards

35. Go to the Motivate column and rank the teams by using 39. Now you can allocate any local awards that are used at
the arrow in the orange rank header box. your event. Check with your tournament director on the
36. Identify the teams who were selected for the Motivate process used to select the winners of these awards.
Award but have not yet won an award besides Robot 40. Use the Champion’s Rank to check if there are any very
Performance and/or Coach/Mentor. Teams that can win highly ranked teams that have not won an award. If there
this award will not be highlighted in yellow. Compare their are, and it isn’t an error, could a Local Award be used to
Champion’s Rank. The award should go to the team with recognize this team?
the highest Champion’s Rank.
37. Repeat this process until all the Motivate Awards have Wrap-Up
been allocated.
41. Prepare your presentation for the award ceremony and
Coach/Mentor Award make sure you have an accurate list of the winners. Also,
ensure it is given to any media covering the event and to
38. The best candidates for the Coach/Mentor Award will the FIRST ® LEGO® League partner.
have been selected by a judge(s) looking through the 42. Feel free to customize your ceremony and script now.
nomination sheets completed by the teams. If there is 43. Ensure that the rubrics and any coach nomination forms
time, the sheets for the best candidates can be read to are collected from the judges and organized so they can
the group, and all the judges can vote for the winners. easily be distributed to the teams following the event.
Otherwise, a decision can be made by the judges reading
the nomination sheets.

Well done! Thank all your judges and invite them to stay for the award ceremony.

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