Advancement to AZ Championship & Sample Qualifier Schedule + Checklist

 

ADVANCEMENT TO THE 2024 AZ FTC CHAMPIONSHIP

Arizona is proud to have almost 90 teams competing in FIRST Tech Challenge this season! We are planning for a large, 2-division Championship Tournament on February 16 & 17 at Brophy College Prep in Phoenix. 

At each qualifying tournament, a set number of teams will advance to the state championship based on merit at the competition. The advancement criteria is in Game Manual 1. The number of teams advancing will be one team for every five teams competing at the event (20%). For example, at a 24-team event, 5 teams will advance whereas at a 16-team event, 3 teams will advance. Advancement is based on competing teams, not registered teams. If a qualifier has teams that no-show, the advancement number will change accordingly. Please remember this as you prepare for your events...no-showing for a tournament is affects more than just your team. 

Teams that advance to the Championship will receive an email from Christine by Sunday morning following their tournament with instructions for registering for the Championship. Teams will have until 5 pm the Tuesday after the qualifier to accept their spot at the Championship, or the spot will be offered to the next eligible team. 

EXAMPLE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Times are subject to change depending on the number of teams competing and the flow of match play. Please be flexible and patient with our event volunteers. 

Friday, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm        

Venue opens to teams for early check in, inspection, pit set up and practice. We encourage as many teams as possible to take advantage of this opportunity. Getting all teams inspected in a timely manner will ensure that the event runs on time.

Saturday

7:00 am              Pits open, Team registration opens, Inspection continues

8:00 am              Student Drivers meeting on the field

                          Adult Coaches meeting in the pit with the Tournament Director

8:30 am              Judging sessions and practice matches begin

10:00 am            Opening Ceremonies

10:15 am            Qualification matches

12:30 pm            Lunch

1:00 pm              Qualification matches resume

2:30 pm              Alliance Selections

3:00 pm              Elimination matches

4:00 pm              Award ceremony

5:00 pm              Event ends

Don't forget:

• Your team must have your season registration paid with FIRST AND have two coaches cleared through the youth protection screening by DECEMBER 1 or by your 1st tournament, which ever comes first.
• The scoring system actually will not allow us to add your team unless this criteria is met! 
• Your team name will be displayed at the competition during matches and awards as it's listed on your FIRST Dashboard. Make sure that you update it if there have been any changes prior to your event. We can't make changes once the event is in progress. 
• Questions? Contact Patti or Susan. 

Portfolio vs Notebook - what's the difference? 

• Notebook: The record of your entire season, kept electronically or as a hard copy in the pits. Judges may ask to see your notebook in judging or in follow-up interviews in the pits. 
• Portfolio: A concise record of your team's accomplishments, not to exceed 15 pages. The portfolio will be uploaded to the FTC Scoring System by the Thursday prior to your tournament so judges can review your materials prior to your interview on tournament day. If your portfolio exceeds 15 pages, judges will STOP READING after page 15. 
• Please read Game Manual Part 1 for details on what is required for your portfolio to be considered for judging. NEARLY ALL JUDGED AWARDS REQUIRE an engineering portfolio to be submitted in order for a team to be considered. 

Submitting Judging Materials

• Control Award Form - fill this out, upload it to the scoring system, and print to give to judges during your interview. 
• Teams will be added to the FTC Scoring system for their events. This is where you can upload your Portfolio and Control Award form. 
• Please contact Patti with questions about the scoring system. 
• PDF Tips - Getting your engineering portfolio sized to upload

  As your Engineering Portfolios get more elaborate and detailed throughout the season, you may run into a size issue. Keep in mind that the size limit for uploads through the scoring system is 15 Mb. If your team is receiving an error message about file size when you try to upload your judging materials, try these helpful tips from teams.

Who's playing at my event? 

• You can see a list of teams registered for each event HERE. This is also listed on the right side of the Blog. 
• Official event results can be viewed here on the official FTC page. 

Packing List

• TEAM ROSTER showing all students have had a parent sign the online FIRST Consent form or paper consent forms for any students unable to do it online. CLICK HERE for instructions on the Youth Registration System or download the consent forms in ENGLISH - SPANISH
• SAFETY GLASSES for all your students, mentors, and spectators. We will not be able to loan safety glasses safely due to continued sanitizing concerns. 
• Closed-toed shoes and long hair tied back is required in the pits and on the field. 
• Your robot!
• Alliance markers for red and blue 
• Team numbers attached to bot
• Spare robot batteries and charger
• Robot controllers
• Programming computer, charger, and programs backed up on a flash drive
• Box or small cart to move the robot from the pits to the field
• Do a pre-event inspection for both software and hardware before arriving. Inspection sheets are in Game Manual Part 2 in the appendix and in the resources above. 
• Engineering Portfolio and Notebook
• Power supply and extension cord
• Pit decorations or displays - please contact tournament director for information on size of pit
• Team swag and spirit items
• Scouting plan
• Team spirit and Gracious Professionalism!