General Guidelines

Iowa FIRST LEGO League 

This webpage outlines essential policies and procedures to ensure a safe and organized environment during the FIRST LEGO League events hosted statewide, both on and off campus. It includes guidance on emergency protocols, youth supervision, reporting incidents, and adherence to the FIRST Core Values, Gracious Professionalism, and Coopertition. Participants, coaches, mentors, spectators, and volunteers are encouraged to review these guidelines to support a positive experience.

FIRST Core Values and Philosophies

Core Values

• Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas. 
• Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems. 
• Impact:  We apply what we learn to improve our world. 
• Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences. 
• Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together. 
• Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do! 

Gracious Professionalism

Gracious Professionalism® is part of the ethos of FIRST®. The idea and phrase are found throughout FIRST, but no one has been a stronger champion than FIRST Executive Advisory Board Co-Chair & Distinguished Advisor Dr. Woodie Flowers. “Gracious Professionalism is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. Gracious Professionals learn and compete like crazy but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process.” 

Coopertition

Coopertition® fosters innovating by promoting kindness and respect during competition. At FIRST® events, this means teams help and cooperate with each other, even as they compete. It’s about learning from teammates, teaching others, collaborating with mentors, managing and being managed. Coopertition embodies the spirit of competing while assisting and enabling others whenever possible. 

For further details please review the FIRST Mission, Purpose, and Values.

Event Cancelation

Events may be canceled due to causes and conditions beyond the tournament organizers’ control, including, but not limited to, inclement weather, acts of nature, and/or government restrictions. Please refer to local news and radio for current county advisories. If an event is canceled from original date, it may be: 

• Postponed to a later date, but still hosted in-person. This will depend on the hosting location availability, volunteers, and other variables.
• Switched to an online format, either on the same date or a later date. Detailed instructions would be provided to the team’s participating in an online event.
  • We recognize that a FIRST LEGO League event is difficult to replicate in an online format. However, there are many factors to consider and this would be a last resort.
  • Instructions would be different for Challenge Qualifiers and Explore Expos.  
  • The organizers will announce the application to be used (i.e. Zoom), and ask coaches and spectators to read the instructions carefully to ensure the event runs smoothly. 
  • This may include multiple judging sessions, changing the display name to the team number and name, and uploading materials in advance of the event.  
• If no makeup options are available, the event will be fully canceled. Please see the Reimbursements Section for monetary information. 

Reimbursements

Teams Unable to Attend the Event

We understand that plans change. Since the event schedule is released on Friday, two weeks prior to the event, a full refund will be issued if a team cancels their participation within 5 days of the schedule being shared (by the following Wednesday at 11:59 PM). All subsequent cancelations will not receive a refund. Refunds will be issued by Iowa State University Registration Services within 10 business days. 

Event Cancelation

If the event is canceled, meaning not postponed and/or not rescheduled virtually, a full refund will be issued to teams. Refunds will be issued by Iowa State University Registration Services within 10 business days. 

Please note all other cancelation or reimbursement requests will NOT be honored. 

Spectators

FIRST LEGO League is for the team members! We appreciate your enthusiasm and support, however, please remember that each robot game run or judging/reviewing session is to showcase what teams have learned. Any suggestion of parental, coach, and/or mentor involvement in any parts of the event(s) will be handled with judge’s and referee’s discretion (this may include the judge advisor, head referee, and the tournament director).  

The Robot Game and Opening and Closing Ceremony are free and open to the public. Qualifiers will set a maximum number of spectators, which could vary from 10-20 people. This preset range is to ease the event’s timeline and abide by room capacities. Thank you for respecting this policy. Reminder: Spectators, coaches, and mentors cannot stand directly behind the judges during judging sessions. 

We also ask parents, coaches, and mentors to practice Gracious Professionalism in all communications with other teams, volunteers, judges/reviewers, event organizers, Iowa FIRST LEGO League, Iowa State University, etc. You are all role models for the youth.

Team Name Changes

While we understand that teams want to change their names, we are kindly asking all final requests be made within 5 days of the schedule being shared (by the following Wednesday at 11:59 PM). This ensures that there is clear communication between Iowa State, the host, judges, emcee(s), etc. Any name-change requests made after this time will unfortunately not be honored at the event.

Challenge State Championship and Ames Explore Expo: Campus Safety 

• We want our Iowa State University events to be safe and enjoyable for all. In the event of an emergency, please call 911. For non-emergencies contact the Iowa State University Police Department at 515-294-4428 or the Ames Police Department at 515-239-5133. As possible, please alert event volunteers at the information desk of the situation so that the Program Delivery Partners are aware and able to support.

• Should there be a need to evacuate the building (such as a fire alarm) or to stay in place (such as a blackout), please pay attention to and obey all announcements. There are emergency maps with emergency information posted throughout ISU buildings.  

• All injuries and incidents must be reported to the Iowa State University Office of Risk Management through the ISU Incident Portal. If anyone in your group has an injury or incident, please ALSO report this to a volunteer at an information desk so a FIRST incident report may also be submitted.

• No Unaccompanied Minors: We follow both FIRST and Iowa State University standards for youth protection but keep in mind this event is open to the public. Make sure your team members know they MUST be with a trusted adult/coach at all times. 

• Please do not congregate or wait on the skywalk that connects Howe and Hoover Halls prior to the State Championship Awards Ceremony. Please stay within the hallways of Hoover Hall prior to authorized entrance into Howe Hall. 

Iowa State University Youth Consent and Release Forms

Youth, Team Members & Mentor

Youth Consent and Release forms are for youth team members and youth mentors under the age of 18. This form must be filled out prior to the event.

Adult (18+), Coach & Mentor

Adult Volunteer Service Agreement forms are for adult coaches. This form must be filled out prior to the event.

Challenge Information

Start a New Team

Interested in starting a new Challenge team? Additional resources, including timeline, costs, and general resources found here.

Team Size

A competitive team consists of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of ten (10) youth team members. Team members must be between fourth and eighth grade.

Qualifier Registration

The final deadline for qualifier registration is three weeks (21 days) before the event date.

Seasonal Resources

FIRST implements annual themes that change from year-to-year. Additional season-specific information found here.

Practice Table Rules at Qualifiers & State Championship

• Slots are 5 minutes
  • Teams must leave 5 empty slots before signing up for another slot
• No programming or downloading allowed at the practice tables
• All work must be done by team members
• Please check that all mission model parts stay at the practice table
• Teams must exhibit FIRST Core Values and Gracious Professionalism when using tables
• Be mindful of your time and other teams’ needs
  • Please be courteous and allow a team facing a crisis to use your practice time
• Reset the practice table for the next team
• Offer help to other teams when needed

Event Hub Rubrics: Technical Difficulties 

Should there be any difficulties with Event Hub displaying and/or sending out judging/reviewing session rubrics, our team will distribute individual copies to each team. We appreciate your understanding if such technical difficulties arise. 

Post-Season Events

World Festival Event

The FIRST LEGO League World Festival is hosted in Houston, TX, during the spring. Teams may be offered a bid to represent Iowa FIRST LEGO League at the World Festival event. If a team declines advancement, bids will be offered to the next highest-ranking or considered team. 

Open Invitational Events 

A handful of teams may be offered a bid to represent Iowa FIRST LEGO League at post-season events held in various locations throughout the United States. Locations and number of slots for Iowa teams vary each year.

Explore Information

Team Size

A competitive team consists of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of six (6) youth team members. Team members must be between second and fourth grade.

Start a New Team

Interested in starting a new Explore team? Additional resources, including timeline, costs, and general resources found here.

Event Cancelation (Low Registration) 

• It is plausible that an Explore Expo event may be cancelled due to low registration. If 3 or less teams register, the event will be canceled. Cancelation will be communicated in a timely manner by event organizers.  

• In the event of cancelation, Explore team(s) have the option to attend a remaining Explore Expo, if available. If there are no remaining Explore Expos, a team may pursue a virtual review session online via Zoom.

State Championship & World Festival Advancements

There is no state championship tournament for Explore, nor is there advancement to the FIRST LEGO League World Festival. We appreciate your understanding.