🏅 FTC Judging & Awards

Prepare for judging sessions and understand award criteria for the DECODE season

💡 Judging Session Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss your engineering design process in detail
  • Bring your Engineering Notebook and be ready to explain key entries
  • Practice your team presentation - aim for 5-7 minutes
  • Demonstrate enthusiasm and passion for STEM
  • Show how your team exemplifies Gracious Professionalism®
  • Be ready to answer questions about team organization and outreach

Major Awards

🏆

Inspire Award

The highest award presented, honoring a team that embodies the FIRST mission and is a role model for all teams. Winners advance to the next level of competition.
⚙️

Think Award

Recognizes teams with a well-documented, organized engineering design process that demonstrates a strong understanding of engineering fundamentals.
🤝

Connect Award

Celebrates teams that connect their community with STEM through effective outreach programs and partnerships that demonstrate clear team planning and communication.
💡

Innovate Award

Celebrates teams that think creatively to develop an innovative solution to a robot component, mechanism, or programming feature.
🎯

Control Award

Celebrates teams that use sensors and advanced software to control and/or enhance robot performance, demonstrating excellence in programming.
🎨

Motivate Award

Celebrates teams that embrace the culture of FIRST and represent their team and FIRST mission to their community through team spirit and pride.
🛠️

Design Award

Recognizes teams that incorporate industrial design elements into their robot and team's look, demonstrating form and function in aesthetic ways.
🌟

Compass Award

Recognizes an adult coach or mentor who has given outstanding guidance and support to a team throughout the year and demonstrates FIRST values.

📝 Judging Criteria Categories

Think Award Criteria

Teams should demonstrate a thorough, well-documented engineering design process. Document all design iterations, testing results, and problem-solving approaches. Show how you applied engineering principles and methods systematically.

Connect Award Criteria

Demonstrate meaningful community outreach and partnerships. Show how you've promoted STEM education and FIRST values in your community. Document sponsor relationships, mentor involvement, and community impact.

Innovate Award Criteria

Present a creative, well-executed solution to a specific challenge. Explain your innovation clearly, including the problem it solves, why it's unique, and how it improves robot performance or team operations.

Control Award Criteria

Showcase sophisticated use of sensors, software algorithms, or autonomous functions. Explain your code architecture, sensor integration, and how your control systems enhance robot capabilities.

📖 Engineering Notebook Best Practices

  • Date and sign every entry with team member names
  • Document meetings, design decisions, and testing results
  • Include sketches, diagrams, and CAD renderings
  • Show design iterations and explain why changes were made
  • Record successes AND failures - both are valuable
  • Include photos of robot construction progress
  • Document team organization, roles, and responsibilities
  • Track outreach events and community partnerships
  • Include code snippets and programming explanations
  • Show budgets, timelines, and project management