Participating in competitions is a fun and great learning experience for teams. During competitions, teams get to play with other teams in qualification matches, potentially make it into finals matches with high rankings, record skills for Worlds Skills Rankings, and get awards for various categories.
The purpose of competing is to get hands-on learning experience through seeing other teams' performances and improving your own. It can also be a huge motivator for your team for time constraints and robot performance. In addition, certain awards given out at competitions can qualify your team to higher level and more competitive tournaments. Lastly, you can participate in the Robot Skills Challenge during tournaments, which could qualify your team as well.
A tournament usually lasts an entire day (if not longer). There are generally 6-8 matches for each team during a tournament, with some matches (not including your team) in between. However, depending on the size of the event, this can be less or more. Each match is a 1 minute duration of driver-controlled time to work together with your alliance to score as many points as possible. Learn more about Driving here! Your team and your alliance both receive the same score.
Your alliances are randomly picked and are given when the matchlist (schedule of qualification match, alliance, time, etc) is out. After all qualification matches, the top 10 teams play in 5 finals matches. Team ranked #1 alliances with team ranked #2, team ranked #3 alliances with team ranked #4, and etc, going down the list. After all finals matches, the highest scoring alliance out of all 5 matches win and each receive the Teamwork Champion award.
Throughout playing qualification matches, a team's ranking is determined by diving the amount of total points they earned throughout the entire tournament by the number of matches they played so far. This amount, the average points, is displayed in the VEX Via app next to your team's ranking, alongside the matches played. Rankings are important because they determine if your team can play in finals.
Finals matches rankings are not the same as qualification match rankings. They are listed separately.
During the tournament, your team will be able to participate in the Robot Skills Challenge. This is a challenge where your team works alone (without any alliances) to score the highest amount of points possible in 1:00 minute. There are two types of Robot Skills Challenges- autonomous and drivers. Autonomous is controlled only by programming and sensor inputs (no drivers) and Drivers is by the controller with the drive team. Learn more about Autonomous and Driver Skills here. There are 3 attempts each for Drivers and Autonomous and the best attempt of each are recorded. The final score is an addition of your team's highest Autonomous Skills score and your team's highest Driver Skills score.
When getting ready for skills, make sure to stand in line when your team's next qualification match is far away/lunch time, providing you with enough time to wait and complete a skills run. Your team could also see if your tournament allows for spot saving, where one teammate can represent the team and save their spot without a robot. Make sure to get at least 1 Autonomous Skills run and at least 1 Drivers Skills run to maximize your score.
Depending on the size of the tournament and the point in the season, there are many opprotunities to get awards at tournaments in various categories. Some major awards can qualify you to bigger competitions like States or Worlds.
A page of team 10703Z's notebook, a well-organized and great notebook candidate for judged awards.
Judged awards are based on award criteria. Judges awards are determined by a combination judges, the judge advisor, the criteria, and points on the rubric. An interview is required for your to receive a judged award and often a notebook as well.
A hero bot.
Performance awards are based on robot performance. Outcomes in matches and skills determine if your team receives a performance award. Teamwork Champions, Teamwork Finalist Award, and Robot Skills Champions 1st, 2nd, 3rd are a few of the awards that you can achieve.
This is a list of all judged awards that may be offered at a tournament in order of precedence. Most tournaments will not carry all of these awards, but will offer the most important ones.
Excellence - All-round excellence in both judged criteria and robot performance. Requires a high quality, fully-developed submission of notebook, high quality interview, ranked top 30% in the conclusion of qualification matches, ranked top 30% in the conclusion of robot skills + score higher than 0. If there the tournament is blended (more than one age group) seperate Excellence awards may be given to each grade level. However, there just may be one Excellence award for both groups combined. This award is usually a qualifying award.
Design - An organized and thorough approach to the Engineering Design Process. Requires a high quality, fully-developed submission of notebook, and high quality interview. The notebook must be one of the best scoring-wise out of all submitted notebooks at the competition. This award is also usually qualifying.
Innovate - An effective and detailed documentation of the process for a unique and novel design. Requires a team being able to identity well-documented pages/parts in their notebook where the unique aspect of the design is found through the submission of an innovation form/something similar in the notebook, a unique design that is uncommon among teams at that event, a high quality notebook, and being able to explain the robot design and game strategy during interview. Innovate award contenders are also usually Design award contenders.
Think - An efficient and consistent use of coding techniques and programming. Requires a team participating in the Autonomous Coding Skills Challenge, with a score greater than zero, a consistent and reliable auton program, well-commented and clearly written, explain their programming strategy for the game and how they managed it, and how members worked together to create the program.
Amaze - A high-scoring and competitive robot. Requires a team being able to consistently score well in qualification matches, score well in the both categores of the Robot Skills Challenge, have a consistently effective and successful game strategy, and explain how they worked together to create the robot design.
Build - A robot that is built well, being able to withstand rigors of competition with lots of high-level details. Requires a team being able to explain how they worked together to create the robot design, a durable, robust, and reliable robot, which holds up in the competition and is built with attention to safety and details.
Create - A unique and creative design solution to one of the game's challenges. Requies a team being able to demonstrate a unique approach to the challenge, commit to ambitious approaches to solving the game challenges, and explain how they worked together to create the robot design.
Judges - A award where judges felt a team was deserving of special recognition but it didn't fit into other award categories. Requires a team exhibiting special attributes, and/or perservearence at the event, and overcoming an obstacle at the event and accomplishing a special goal.
Energy - Special enthusiasm and excitement at the event. Requires a team being able to maintain a high-level of energy and excitement throughout the entire event, and a passion for robotics that can be noticed by many.
Inspire - Passion and positivity at the event. Requires a team to being able to show a passion and a positive attitude at the event, exhibit integrity and good-will towards other people at the tournament like teams, coaches, and volunteers, and overcoming an obstacle at the event and accomplishing a special goal.
Sportsmanship - Great sportsmanship, helpfulness, and respect while and while not competing. Requires a team being polite, helpful, and respectful to everyone at the event, honest and having integrity, and having a positive attitude of friendly competition.
Bringing at least two (2) batteries is recommended for tournaments. This is because a robot's performance can drastically differ based on the battery percentage. When a battery has low percentage, like one (1) dot or two (2) dots, it can slow down mechanisms on the robot.
Ensure the battery is at three (3) dots or four (4) dots before a match. If bringing an extra, make sure to charge it back at the pit area so there is at least one (1) fully charged or close to charged battery at all times.
After every match or every two (2) matches, change/charge the battery so your robot can perform at its maximum capacity.
At least a day or two before a tournament, make sure your robot is in size by using a ruler or a sizing tool. Check the game manual for specific sizes per year. It is always better to make the robot smaller to allow for some leeway during competitions.
When going through inspection at a tournament, inspectors will be very strict on the sizing. Generally, they slide a precise sizing tool across the entire robot from all sides to ensure the robot is in size. If the robot is found to not be in size, your team has to fix it as soon as possible before you are not allowed to participate in the tournament. This causes lots of stress and worry so make sure to size it beforehand.
Picture shown in top left is a battery. Picture shown in bottom left is a picture of the logo for the VEX Via app. Picture at right is a sizing tool commonly used in inspections for VEX IQ tournaments.
Before matches start, match lists will be given out through paper or the VEX Via App. If you have an electronic device, we recommend your team or one of your teammates download the app as you can access matchlists, rankings, and skills ranking anytime. These lists tell you the time when the match is, what qualification number it is, and what team you are alliancing and playing together with. These alliances are randomly selected beforehand.
Take a detailed look through your matchlist and highlight or write down any of your matches, when they are, which qualification it is, and what team you are alliancing with. Then, about 10-20 minutes before your first match starts, scout for your alliance. Look for them through finding their team members in the pit area. If they are not there, you can wait as they may be playing a match currently; or look in the skills line or where matches are played for them.
Communicate with the alliance a strategy that will work best for both of your robots. Be flexible and respectful when making this strategy as all robots are different; some may better work in a certain strategy than others. Then, at least 5 minutes before your match starts, go to the correct queing table and line up. If you are not sure which table it is, ask a volunteer at any one of the tables, and they will guide you to the correct one. Make sure your alliance is there with you as well.
Throughout the entire tournament, important information is shared, mainly by the head referee and tournament host. Always pay attention to their words and feel free to even write things down.
Here is a list of some important information usually shared at tournaments:
When inspection starts/ends
Inspection allows your team to compete. Make sure to get inspected as early as possible to avoid stress.
When Engineering Design Notebooks are due
Knowing when the notebooks are due will allow your team to submit it for judging. Like inspection, do this as soon as possible.
When the Skills fields close
This is important so your team knows when to run your skill attempts within time
Any new game manual updates/rule clarification
The head referee will usually share any important rule clarification or game manual updates that may specify any rules. Make sure to pay attention so your team doesn't break any rules.
When lunch time starts/ends
It is helpful to see when lunch is. After eating, lunch is a great time to use the practice fields or skills fields (if open)
Lastly, have fun! VEX tournaments and competitions are stressful but in the end, they are rewarding and joyous events. Seeing so many people together working to solve the same problem is inspiring to see. Don't be afraid to show your team spirit and cheer your team/alliance on during matches. Cheer in favor for teams in your organization/school/club. Support your team and even others; make new friends and connections.
Here are some resources related to competing at tournaments.
An article by the REC Foundation about what to expect at a VEX IQ tournament: https://viqrc-kb.recf.org/hc/en-us/articles/9757369749783-Attending-a-VIQC-Tournament
A page on the REC Foundation's website related to competing: https://viqrc-kb.recf.org/hc/en-us/categories/9699813620631-Competitions
The VEX Forum, which is a compilation of valuable discussion made from other people who participate in VEX IQ. The Vex Forum is a continuous thread of questions and answers: https://www.vexforum.com/c/vex-iq-general-discussion/5
The VIQRC Robot Inspection Checklist from the REC Library, which is the same checklist inspectors at tournaments use to inspect robots. https://viqrc-kb.recf.org/hc/en-us/articles/9756699624599-VIQRC-Robot-Inspection-Checklist
The Guide to Judging Awards from the REC Library which lists out all awards, what they are, and the specific criteria to get them. https://viqrc-kb.recf.org/hc/en-us/articles/9784301424023-Guide-to-Judging-Awards