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NCaFLL Frequently Asked Question about Tournaments and competing

Questions about the coaching, challenge, rules, ordering equipment or team registration

 

Questions about events:     Ask question


If you still have an unanswered question, check out the NCaFLL website, read past messages on the yahoogroup at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NCaFLL, read the National FLL team forum, or send an email to fll@playingatlearning.org

How can I help or volunteer ?
  • All tournaments need help - time (planning, day of volunteering, and cleanup), and money are the big ways to help. There are many small ways to help as well. Playing At Learning can put you in contact with all of the tournament directors.
  • If you want to help with planning, please contact us soon. Planning meetings for some tournaments have already started.
  • Help with volunteering at a tournament or similar.
What is the difference between a regional/qualifier tournament and a state/Championship tournament or how do I compete in the Northern California official tournament?
In Northern California, we have a 2 tier tournament system. Teams receive an invitation to compete at the Championship tournament based on the Champions' Award criteria at a qualifying tournament. We will do everything possible to make sure that every Northern California team has the ability to participate in a qualifying tournament but this can not be guaranteed. Out of all of the teams that compete in all qualifying tournaments, a fixed percentage from each tournament will advance. The official tournament has space for 64 teams.
What is the difference between a qualifying tournament and a regional tournament?
Nothing. In 2004, FIRST moved to calling a regional tournament, a qualifier. The two terms are equivalent in Northern California.
What is the difference between a state tournament or an official tournament or a Championship tournament?
Nothing. In 2004, FIRST asked the FLL community to change from using the term "state tournament", to calling the event, an official tournament. In 2006, FIRST decided that the term "Championship tournament" was the one to use. Hopefully this is the last name change.
What is the difference between a qualifying tournament and a local event or a scrimmage?
  • The primary difference, is that generally, a qualifying tournament follows FIRST guidelines that includes how the tournament is run and how advancement into the Championship is determined.
  • In general the difference between a local event and a scrimmage, is that the scrimmage is not judged and a local event may be.
  • Any of these events may hand out awards and charge a registration fee.
  • Local events and scrimmages can be run pretty much however the organizers want to.
  • A scrimmage, in general, is usually used to get teams together only for robot performance on a tournament-type field setup.
  • A local event is a (usually) small tournament that has some aspects of a qualifying tournament, but not all. A few examples might be that the tournament is below the team limit set for qualifiers, or that not all of the FLL required awards are handed out or possibly that some aspects are not judged (such as no teamwork judging). You can imagine many other examples
  • The important thing to know is that participation in a local event and/or scrimmage is optional and does not affect your participation in a qualifier and/or championship tournament.
How do I make a donation to directly support the Northern California Tournament(s)?
You can donate money for all tournaments or a specific tournament, such as the NCaFLL Championship tournament. Via paypal, just specify your donation on the "Payment For" portion of the form. Via check or money order, specify your donation on the Memo section of the check.
When and how do teams apply to participate in the Northern California FLL Tournament?
  • Visit the NCaFLL web site in early October to apply to attend the Northern California Tournament and a qualifying tournament.
  • IMPORTANT: You must first finish your team profile and have paid in order to register for the Tournament - see the team eligibility status via the 2008 Nor Cal team link.
  • Submitting the tournament application does not mean you are accepted to the tournament. The tournament director will contact you with this information.
  • To be invited to participate in the Northern California FLL Championship Tournament, teams must first qualify at a Northern California qualifying tournament.
  • Playing At Learning will be coordinating the qualifying tournament process.
  • Information on Northern California qualifying tournaments are posted by late September.
  • Depending on the number of competing teams, we estimate about 20-25% of teams will advance to the Northern Calfornia FLL Championship tournament.
  • Teams should pay their tournament fee as soon as they are invited.
  • If you are interested in organizing a qualifying tournament, contact Playing At Learning

 

How does the team advance to the Championship and what is the Champion's Award criteria?
  • Champion's Award criteria is in your Coaches' Handbook - Chapter 8 on Awards and Judging Critera
  • Advancement policy for Northern California
  • Each qualifier is given the same percentage (with small rounding at times) of advancing slots.
  • Note that it is important to recognize that all aspects of FLL are required to advance - last year, we had issues where a few teams were upset to not advance in spite of winning an award in a specific category - All aspects are equally weighted and winning an individual award does not guarantee advancement.

     

How do we find a qualifying tournament to attend?
  • Don't panic - information will start coming in soon for the October tournament registration.
  • We are expecting to have space for every Northern California team to compete at a qualifying tournament.
  • Information on Northern California events and tournaments will be posted on the ncafll.org site as they are organized, so for the latest information, see the following web site:

 

How do we help with or organize our own qualifier? or How do we host a qualifier?
  • If you are considering hosting a qualifying tournament, or even a local event, contact Playing At Learning

 

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Last Updated: 05/05/2009 7:01 PM