Information for Judges

General Information for other types of Volunteers

Volunteer Overview

Volunteers are one of the most critical elements of hosting a successful regional Competition. Although FIRST provides staff members to maintain vital event areas, regional volunteers are needed to round-out the staffing efforts.

Dress Code
Volunteers will receive a complimentary FIRST T-shirt (provided by FIRST) to be worn on-site at all times when they are volunteering. The dress code is casual: the volunteer T-shirt, blue jeans, and comfortable shoes. The volunteer T-shirts will be available on-site when volunteers first arrive to work the event or may be distributed at the Volunteer orientation dinner.

Volunteer Name Badges: The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for providing legible name badges for each of the volunteers (including FIRST JUDGES) to wear. These badges should be computer generated, clip-on/pin back style, rather than hand written or self-adhesive style. Volunteer name badges should be available at the Volunteer Check-in Table from Thursday morning through Saturday. FIRST Judge badges should be given to the Judge Coordinator on Thursday morning for placement in the judges' room.

Volunteer Orientation/Dinner Meeting

FIRST requires that ALL volunteers attend an on-site Wednesday night orientation/dinner meeting. Please note that even people who have volunteered for FIRST in previous years need to attend. Typically, this meeting is scheduled for a 6:00 pm start time and should last around 1 1/2 hours. This meeting gives the volunteers an opportunity to meet FIRST staff members, event managers, and receive a guided tour of the Competition site and their assigned task area. Responsibilities and procedures for the event and assigned areas are reviewed. It is also an opportune time for the volunteers to ask questions regarding event logistics and their roles. It also helps to build a bond between the volunteers and the FIRST staff. The Volunteer Coordinator in conjunction with FIRST staff leads the meeting. This meeting is mandatory to all volunteers, even if they have previously volunteered for a FIRST event. Keep in mind that Thursday (team check-in, practice rounds), Friday and Saturday (show days) are event days and it is extremely difficult to train volunteers on the fly during the Competition. For this reason recruitment of volunteers who can work all three event days is preferred.

Thursday Night Referee Orientation/Dinner Meeting

FIRST requires any volunteers who are referees to attend an on-site orientation/dinner meeting on Thursday evening. Typically, the meeting is scheduled for a 6:00pm start time and should last around 2 hours. The meeting gives the referees an opportunity to meet the Head Referee and FIRST staff members, review the playing field and their responsibilities, and ask questions. This meeting is mandatory for all referees and is led by the Head Referee appointed by FIRST. Referee manuals will be provided in February. Please distribute to the referees so they may read the rules and scoring procedures in advance of the Competition.

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Volunteer Task Descriptions

Volunteer Task Assignment descriptions are provided on the following pages. These descriptions will help you to identify which positions require a technical background. Furthermore, some critical volunteer positions necessitate that the same volunteer fill this role throughout the Competition (ie Thursday through Saturday, or, in some cases Friday and Saturday).

For any positions where prior knowledge of the game or rules, etc. is required, FIRST will provide the appropriate learning materials in advance.

General Note about Volunteer Duties: All volunteers are expected to help with clean-up efforts at the end of each event day. It is very important that the event site is "show ready" when people arrive each morning. The task leader for each area will let the volunteers know what needs to be done. Also, the pit area opens at a specified time each morning of the event. All volunteers and FIRST staff are expected to help keep team members from entering the pit area before the specified time. This is to prevent any team from having more time to work on their robot resulting in an advantage over the other participating teams.

(Volunteer Task descriptions are listed in alphabetical order)

Awards Assistant

This individual reports to the Event Assistant and is responsible for the unpacking, cleaning, marking, organizing and distribution of the various awards, trophies and medallions awarded at the Event ceremonies. The volunteer should plan for a minimum of three hours before the ceremonies to begin this process. Although it may not actually take that long, there will be interruptions. Actual cleaning of the awards must be done with the materials provided by FIRST. (No Windex or glass cleaner or paper towels, use only the materials acrylic/plastic polish and cloth provided by FIRST or it will ruin the award).

It is the responsibility of the Awards Assistant to obtain a copy of the Awards script from the Event Manager prior to award set up in order that the awards are arranged in the order they will be announced. The Awards Assistant must also pay particular attention to the script and the speakers in case there is a change of order. It is the responsibility of the Awards Assistant to make certain the presenter has the correct award to be presented. There are two trophies for each award, one for the sponsor and one for the team. No additional trophies are to be supplied under any circumstances (not for more than one sponsor or multiple schools). The answer, when asked is always to be “We are sorry but NO”. The trophies are to be handed to an adult and a student from the team.

The Awards Assistant will need to recruit 2-3 additional volunteers to set up the medallion stands and assist with medallion distribution to the team members in advance of the participants reaching the stage/presentation area. The teams will come from a variety of areas around the arena. Medallions should be handed to the participants so that they may put them on themselves. Do not recruit Referees or Judges to hand out the medallions.

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Crowd/Robot Control

These individuals will be scattered throughout the event site in areas assigned by their Task Leader. In all areas, the basic task is to keep walkways and aisles clear and keep the crowd flowing. Many people like to stop and watch the game in areas that need to remain "open", so individuals on crowd control duty need to be assertive. Effective crowd control is critical to a safe and well-run event.

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Field Power Controller

This individual works with the Field Attendants, Scoring and Referees. They are located at the Scoring/Announcing table. Responsibilities include powering up or down the player stations during Competition matches. The device used is an electronic box of data and power switches controlled by toggle switches. The task needs no technical experience. The role is critical to the timing of the event.

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Field Repair/Reset

Individuals assigned to this area are responsible for setting the field for match play, and re-setting game objects between matches. They will also need to make simple/easy repairs to the playing field as needed, general field cleaning, and assist in the set up and tear down of the field. This position is very active.

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Game Announcer

The Game Announcer is the “sports color commentator” at the FIRST Robotics Competition event. Not only does the Game Announcer announce the teams, but he/she must make sure the game is interesting to the fans even when nothing appears to be happening on the field. This position requires the ability “to think on your feet”. This individual should be somewhat familiar with the game and keep track of not only who is on the playing field, but who is due up next.

The Game Announcer works closely with the Master of Ceremonies introducing teams, providing play-by-play commentary for the spectators, reporting the scores, and assisting the Master of Ceremonies with details about competition agenda, team information, and tournament status. There is a lot of back and forth interaction between the two in a well-organized event. Essentially, they will work together as a team. The individual chosen to be the Game Announcer needs to be a gregarious individual, not intimidated by microphones and large crowds.

This person is the audible presence at the competition and must be vocally energetic, creative, organized, and very clear that their role is to assist the Master of Ceremonies to produce a seamless polished event.

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Inspectors

These technically competent individuals will perform robot inspections on Thursday (first day of the Competition) and possibly Friday depending on the number of teams that passed inspections on Thursday. Inspectors must remain unbiased and should not be associated with any team or corporation directly involved with the robotics Competition. This task requires knowledge of The Competition rules (which FIRST will provide) and attendance at the mandatory inspectors’ meetings. An inspection checklist will be filled out for each team and will be filed with FIRST. The Inspectors are checking for robot compliance in accordance with the robot construction rules provided. A weigh-in station and sizing box are centrally located in the pit area. The remaining inspection process is performed at the team pit stations. Basic knowledge of electronics is helpful. Mechanical aptitude is required.

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Lead Team Queuer

This individual directs teams to the correct field, ensures teams have safety glasses, and verifies that the correct teams are playing. This individual must be able to work well under pressure. The Lead Team Queuer works directly with Team Queuing.

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Load In/ Load Out

Individuals are needed to help to unload FIRST equipment from the truck upon its arrival at the Competition site (usually two or three days prior to The Competition). Assistance with breaking down Competition-related equipment and loading it back onto the truck is also needed on Saturday immediately following the closing awards ceremony.

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Machine Shop Shuttle Driver

Two individuals may be needed to drive a utility van between the machine shop and the event site during the three days of the Competition. This person will be given a radio from the event office that they must sign out on a daily basis so contact can be made if he/she is needed to transport. It is imperative that this person stays in contact with the pit and does not leave the vicinity. When teams need to go to the machine shop during an event, it’s usually urgent. The driver cannot honor individual team requests for rides to locations other than the Machine Shop. A valid driver’s license is required.

Note: The Competition site or regional sponsor is responsible for providing a utility van or a passenger van with a removable back seat. Vehicle insurance is necessary and is required for the drivers.

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Machine Shop Staff -- No Volunteers needed at this site.

These individuals need to be familiar with the machine shop facilities and should be qualified to operate machine tools. Teams are helped on a first come, first served basis.

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Master of Ceremonies

The FIRST Master of Ceremonies is traditionally an engineer/scientist role model responsible for opening and closing the competition, introducing teams, dispensing FIRST competition overview, agenda, awards, etc. This person is the visible presence that must embody the spirit and professionalism of FIRST, be energetic, accessible to the teams, and able to clearly "drive" the event. This position requires “presence” and animation. A commitment of 2 days is required.

The Master of Ceremonies begins the event, welcoming the judges and teams and starts each game. The Master of Ceremonies works closely with the Game Announcer and there is a lot of back and forth interaction between the two in a well-organized event. Essentially, they will work together as a team.

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Pit Administration and Registration

These individuals assist the Pit Manager, and must be somewhat familiar with the Competition site, The Competition, and FIRST team materials. They will process teams through registration (as the teams arrive). Throughout the Competition, these individuals provide on-going support in the pit to all teams, make general announcements, and provide general information dissemination.

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Pit Announcer

This individual, preferably a male, announces teams for their Thursday practice rounds, and their Friday and Saturday seeding matches and double elimination tournament matches. This individual must be well-organized. A clear speaking voice is required. The pit announcer is linked via clear-com headsets to the team queuing position to ensure accurate timing of team matches. The same volunteer must handle this critical role Thursday through Saturday.

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Pit Announcer Assistant

This person assists the Pit Announcer in identifying teams to be announced to the playing field. This individual must be organized. Communication between the Lead Team Queuer and this individual is required.

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Referees

Referees calculate and determine the official score of all matches and make all decisions on the playing field under the guidance of the Head Referee. Attentiveness is essential. Referees play a diplomatic role during the event; diplomacy is a necessary attribute to the referee’s enforcement of rules and regulations. These enthusiastic individuals need to know the rules of play, which FIRST will provide in advance of The Competition. Referees do not serve as Judges in the award process and do not evaluate and/or assist the teams. Referees must remain unbiased and should not be directly involved with a team competing in the Competition. This task requires a 2-½ day time commitment, as well as advance study of the game rules. A mandatory referee orientation dinner meeting is held on Thursday night at the Competition site.

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Safety Advisor

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SCOREKEEPER/FIELD POWER CONTROLLERS (Key Volunteer Position)

The Scorekeeper/Field Power Controllers manage and operates the scoring and field control systems, input scores into the system from the Head Referee, print reports as needed and upload data onto the FIRST website as required. These individuals play a critical role in ensuring smooth flow of match play and maintaining the pace of the event. FIRST Headquarters will provide pre-event training for this position.

This position requires one scorekeeper and a backup scorekeeper for each playing field in use at the event.

The volunteers who set up and run the scoring systems need to be proficient with Microsoft Access and/or Visual Basic, Microsoft Windows, Windows Networking (TCP/IP, dial-up networking and Windows File Sharing) and have the ability to set up a simple Ethernet network. Ideally, he/she has been on a FIRST Robotics team in the past and is familiar with FIRST scoring methods.

These volunteers (we recommend two, one of which is a relief and back-up) will be responsible for setting up and tearing down the scoring system hardware. They must be extremely well organized so that all equipment supplied by FIRST is packed at breakdown in the same manner as it was received for set-up. This is imperative, not only due to the value of the equipment, but due to the critical need for it at each event site.

Although FIRST supplies all the hardware needed for the events, the criteria listed below has been supplied so that a mock-up can be created in order to adequately simulate what will happen at each event. This will be useful as these individuals will be responsible for setting up the scoring system at the event

The scoring system will consist of three PCs

Approximately 1 month prior to the events, all scorers will be sent a CD with the scoring system and a training session will be conducted via teleconference. At that time the volunteer responsible for the scoring system will need access to a PC.

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Team Queuing:

These individuals will be placed on clear-com (radio) to work in conjunction with the pit announcer. These individuals are responsible for staging teams and getting teams into their appropriate spots for the start of their round on the playing field. These individuals keep track of when teams are playing. These individuals must possess leadership qualities, organizational skills, strong verbal communication skills and work well under pressure. It requires high energy, stamina (standing all day), and mental alertness. It is imperative that the same volunteers are assigned to this position Thursday through Saturday in order to achieve a smooth flow of Competition play.

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Team Social Attendant

This volunteer ensures that the marriage between the venue -- be it off or onsite -- the caterers and the attendees runs smoothly.

The following details can be executed by one or several individuals. The role will vary from city to city. The onsite Event Manager will give the final responsibilities on site. These duties may include:

1. A trip to the venue (if offsite) to check on set up status, and catering status
2. Initial Greeting at the doors to direct attendees to the correct location
3. Remaining in function room to monitor attendees' conduct
4. Helping to ensure that the food has been dispersed to all attendees
5. Ensuring that DJ is playing from song list, and appropriate music
6. Ensuring that set up of Dance Floor area is completed in advance
7. Checking on transportation issues, ensuring buses park in appropriate spots
8. Helping to give directions back to hotels
9. Helping to ensure overall safety of attendees

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Technical Floater

This technically oriented individual assists with robot troubleshooting, such as electrical, mechanical and minimal software and basic programming. The position is required on the field or in the pit, as needed. Prior knowledge of the entire game is preferred (field and robot construction and the control system). This position requires a full 3-day commitment by one individual. A manual will be provided in advance of the Competition. Expertise obtained through prior team involvement is beneficial.

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VIP/Media Registration/Information Table

This individual assists the VIP Coordinator on-site in disseminating general information about The Competition, maintaining an accurate list of VIP’s and Media personnel in attendance, etc. The VIP/Media table should be staffed in accordance with the sponsors' VIP/Media schedule. These individuals also need to be familiar with the layout of the event site (ie location of restrooms, playing field, Pit Area, public phones, etc)

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Volunteer Registration/Information Table

These individuals assist the Volunteer Coordinator on-site in greeting and checking in of volunteers, and disseminating volunteer-related materials (name tags, shirts, schedule, etc.). The Volunteer table area should be staffed throughout all three event days. It is the Volunteer Coordinator’s responsibility to ensure that the people staffing this table are well-informed about volunteer roles and responsibilities. These individuals also need to be familiar with the layout of the event site (ie location of restrooms, Volunteer Dining Area, playing field, Pit Area, public phones, etc) in order to direct arriving volunteers.

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