[AmyPrib]

Originally Posted by dapub

So is there any "official" posted protocol of how judging works? The whole thing is still a mystery to me.

How about a scoring rubric? Most quality competitions/ events that I/my kids have participated in have given you the rubric, so that you knew what would be judged.

Other than the basic info already provided, there really isn't a posted protocol, and probably for good reason. The criteria/meaing for awards is outlined in the game manual, and that is what the judges look for. Any other detail that could be provided about how judging works could just cause a lot more havoc. We think we have issues with teams going overboard and doing things specifically to win awards already? (i.e. safety) I can only imagine what could happen if judges outline exactly the items they were looking for. There really is no other way to outline it other than what's in the game manual. It's just a matter of what "hits" them when talking to teams and how well they fit the award description.

There really is no specific detailed 1.2.3... items that they look for (aside from obvious things that blatant parts of the award description). They are coached on what each award means, they talk to the teams, and then in their judgement choose the team which best represents what the award stands for. FIRST awards really are not "you must have items A, B, and C for X, Y, Z points to win" type of awards. This isn't exactly the same as a science project, rube goldberg machine, or other quantitative results-oriented competition.

The judging process isn't always perfect, but I personally would not like to see a scorecard publicly issued for each award.