FIRST Tech Challenge DECODE Season Guide


Event Director Manual
Revision History
Revision
Description
V25-26.1
Initial 2025-26 Season Release

Overview ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Job Description………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Time Commitment …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Attire …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Training and Certification …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Roles and Responsibilities ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Core Responsibilities ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Prerequisites for Event Director Role …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Reporting Structure ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Before the Event ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Pre-Event Training ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Identify the Venue ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Pre-Event Communication ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Set-up ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Event Day ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
Report Time ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Check-in ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Team Interaction and Support ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
Emergencies …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
Safety …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
End of the Day …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
After the Event ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Event Wrap-up Tasks……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15
Surveys …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16
Lessons Learned …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
Important Tools ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17
Public Schedule ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
Registered Teams List …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18
Volunteer Roster ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18
Event Layout/Map …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
Judging Schedule ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20
Match Schedule ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20
Pit Map …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Useful Links and Information ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 22
On-Call Support Numbers ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22
Pre-Event Support ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Program Resources …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Feedback ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22

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Overview
Job Description
The Event Director is a leadership position responsible for the quality and consistency of the FIRST®
Tech Challenge event. This person may be the Program Delivery Partner, or a volunteer either from the
area or one associated directly with the host venue.

Requirements
Technical
Medium
Physical
Medium
Administrative
High
Communication
High
Pre-event Training
High

Time Commitment
Event Directors should expect to spend 10-12 hours at a full day event and 5-6 hours at a league meet.
Approximately 6-15 hours of pre-event training and planning are required.
Attire
• Comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes; much of the day will involve moving around.
• ANSI Z87.1 certified safety glasses are required in the pit and competition areas.
• As one of the event leaders, comfortable professional wear is encouraged.
Training and Certification
Read and complete all tasks listed in thePre-Event Trainingsection.
Any volunteer who applies to a role will be able to get into the Learning Management System (LMS)
using the 'FIRSTTraining' button. Roles with the training required will appear in the 'roles missing
certification' area. For more help, you can read moreabout how to access your training.
If you have applied for a role but have not received access to the training, please email
training@firstinspires.org. A separate confirmation of the role assignment will come later.
The Event Director should speak to the Program Delivery Partner to find out what additional
requirements, such as meetings before the event or run-throughs of the space before the event are
necessary. The approximate training time is 6-15 hours. Before running your event, it is recommended
that you work with an experienced Event Director and shadow them at a few events if possible.
All volunteers are expected to read and comply with the Volunteer Handbook.

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Roles and Responsibilities
FIRSTis fun for all. The most important role of a volunteer is to provide a
safe, fun and welcoming environment for all FIRST® participants. When
executing the duties of your role, always make decisions with the team
experience in mind. Ask for help from event leadership if you feel your
required duties conflict with the best team experience.
Core Responsibilities
The Event Director’s role is to plan and deliver FIRST® Tech Challenge events in compliance with the
standards and rules as directed by FIRST® and the local Program Delivery Partner (PDP) or Program
Delivery Organization (PDO).
Expectations of the Event Director may vary region to region which is why it is critical for Event
Directors to consult their PDPs on regional expectations and best practices. In general an Event
Director is responsible for the task outlines in the tables below.
Pre-Event
Responsibility
Notes / Key Collaborators
Work with the Program Delivery Partner
Confirms availability, services, and contract terms.
(PDP) to secure the event venue(s) for the
Coordinate with venue host and PDP on costs and local
season’s events.
policies.
Create and publish thePublic Schedule
Must align with regional timelines and official FIRST®
based on requirements set by the PDP.
Tech Challenge advancement requirements.
Work with the Judge Advisor (JA)to
Completed before the event; integrate judging flow with
create theJudging Schedule.
inspections and match timing.
Create and publish theEvent Layout /
Include pits, fields, judging rooms, queuing, audience
Map.
areas, and traffic flow.
Coordinate with venue staff, FTA, and Volunteer
Design and communicate a safe and
Coordinator (VC). Include emergency exits and
orderly set-up, load-in, and load-out plan.accessibility routes.
Work with the Volunteer Coordinator(VC)
Establish recruitment goals and confirm key volunteer
to identify staffing needs for the event.
assignments.
Serve as the principal liaison with the
Manage logistics, custodial and security plans, and
venue host.
confirm access times.
Createa Safety Planwith the PDP and
Include medical, weather, fire, and evacuation
venue host.
procedures.
Coordinate food, T-shirts, and hospitality
Ensure alignment with PDP budget and dietary policies.
for volunteers and teams.
Develop and communicate the AV and
Coordinate with FTA, Scorekeeper, and any
technology plan.
AV/streaming support.
Work with FTA to develop a Field
Establish expectations early around event flow and
Operations Plan.
matches.
Communicate with teamsabout local
Complements PDP announcements; send timely pre-
event details (maps, schedules, parking,
event updates.
food).
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During the Event
Responsibility
Notes / Key Collaborators
Work with the ScorekeeperorFTAto
generate the Match Schedule,ensuring
Verify team check-in is complete before generation.
alignment with thePublic Schedule.
Confirm pits, judging rooms, and field areas meet safety
and layout standards (initial layout review should be
Oversee event setup and readiness.
conducted during pre-event venue selection but setup is
the time to work through issues and bring the event
together before the event starts.
Monitor field operations and judging flow
Stay in communication with JA, Head Referee, FTA, and
throughout the event.
VC.
Support incident response and
Responsible for assisting withMedicaland Non-
documentation.
Medical Incident Reports.
Lead communication between volunteers,
Ensure smooth information flow and issue escalation.
teams, and venue staff.
Maintain event timing and coordinate with Keep opening, awards, and closing activities on
the Emcee and ceremonies team.
schedule.
Oversee load-out and teardownwith the
Ensure equipment is returned, venue is left in good
venue host and volunteers.
condition, and closing inspection completed.
Post Event
Responsibility
Notes / Key Collaborators
Generate “Lessons Learned” and
Share notes with PDP and planning team for future
document key takeaways.
improvement.
Publish official event results in FTC Live
using the “Submit Results to FIRST”
Confirm upload accuracy with Scorekeeper or PDP.
function (if not already done).
Return all rented or borrowed items (fields, Verify condition and proper storage.
AV, laptops, signage, etc.).
Send thank-you letters or emails to VIPs,
sponsors, volunteers, venue, hosts,
Coordinate with PDP for sponsor deliverables.
coaches, and teams.
Ensure all required reports are completed
Return any paper forms, including conflict of interest
and submitted, including Medical and Non- forms, to the PDP.
Medical Incident Reports.
Finalize budget results and confirm close-
Include receipts, invoices, and remaining balances.
out with the PDP.
Request feedback using post-event
Collect input from volunteers and teams; share results
surveys.
with PDP
Schedule post-event or next-season
Begin early preparation for next year’s event cycle.
planning meetings.

Failure to follow the requirements for an official event for FIRST® Tech Challenge could result in the
event results not being accepted and the event being reclassified from a qualifying event to a non-
qualifying scrimmage. Scrimmage events do not advance teams to the next event level.
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Event standards include but are not limited to:
• Event standards and guidelines outlined in the Tournament Guide.
• Support event volunteers with creating a consistent and quality event by fairly and equitably
following rules and processes described in the Competition Manual.
o Support the Head Referee as the event leader responsible forSection 11: Game Rules
o Support the Lead Robot Inspector(LRI) as the event leader responsible forSection 12:
ROBOT Construction Rules.
o Support the Judge Advisor as the event leader responsible for Section 6: Awards (A)
which cover Judging rules and processes.
o Support the LRI and Pit Admin Supervisor with followingSection 3: Competition
Eligibility and Inspection (I)including ensuring teams meet participation rules.
o Support the Volunteer Coordinator(VC) as the event leaders for volunteer management
including helping to ensure all volunteer are certificated for their roles before the event.
The ED should also help the VC understand what the local law and policy is regarding
Volunteer Screening with the help of the PDP.
• Create a safe and welcoming environment at the event supported byFIRST® Code of Conduct,
Youth Protection Policy,andUL Safety Manual.
Important: The Event Director is required to send event results to FIRST®
within 5 days of the close of the event. The method of submission of the
results can be found in the FTC Live Setup Guide.

Prerequisites for Event Director Role
Event Directors should have prior FIRST® experience and a high level of organizational and interpersonal
skills. Event Directors should be comfortable working with common digital planning and
communication tools such as word processors, email, and basic spreadsheet operations.
Reporting Structure
Event Directors report directly to Program Delivery Partners, Global Key Volunteers and most
importantly the Program Delivery Partners.
Event Directors collaborate with the FIRST Technical Advisors to create and execute the Event
Technical Checklist.
Event Directors provide leadership to the Volunteer Coordinator, Judge Advisor, and the Pit Admin
Supervisor.

Before the Event
Pre-Event Training
Event Directors must complete the required reading in this section and are required to pass a
certification test prior to serving in this role.
Resources for training and certification:
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Event Director Pre-event Training List
Requirement
Resource
Required
Welcome to FIRST®
Required
TheEvent Director Volunteer Manual(this document)
Required
Complete the FIRST® Data Protection and Privacy Training
TheCompetition Manual– specifically:
Section 3: Competition Eligibility and Inspection (I)
Required
Section 4: Advancement
Section 5: Event Rules (E)
Section 8: Game Overview
Required
Review and complete theConflict of Interest Form, as required
Required
Read the Tournament Guide
Encouraged
Complete Strategies for Inspiring Success for All modules.
Encouraged
Review the Volunteer Coordinator Volunteer Manual
Competition Manual – specifically:
Encouraged
Section 2: FIRST® Season Overview
Section 11: Game Rules (G)
Watch the game animation videofor a general understanding of the
Optional
game
Complete theEvent Director CertificationTest in the FIRST® Learning
System
Required

(For volunteers outside of North America without a FIRST®
Dashboard Account use thePDF to self-certify)

Identify the Venue
Venue selection is decided by the PDP as part of their season planning work before events are created.
The Event Director is most commonly someone associated with the Event Venue or the PDP or
someone associated with the local PDO. The Event Director for an event should be identified very early
in the event planning process, often even before committing to an event location. In the less common
situation where the Event Director is not associated with the event host location or the PDP/PDO, the
ED should receive information about the venue location and date from the Program Delivery Partner,
and/or planning committee well in advance of the event.
The Event Director should be a key partner in the event planning process and be involved from the event
inception.
Pre-Event Communication
Before the event, the Event Director should be in close communication with the Program Delivery
Partner and the Volunteer Coordinator for information about teams, volunteer staffing, and scheduling
abilities, including load in and load out times, venue security information, if applicable, and emergency
contact information for the Program Delivery Partner, the VC, and the key volunteers for the event.
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Pit Spaces and Safety
Specific rules governing what teams can have and do in their pit space are covered in the competition
manual, but the Event Directors may add additional restrictions which must be published before the
event based on limitations set by the venue.
Common areas where teams need help to stay safe and within the rules:
• No open flames or sparks
• Power tools are generally permitted if they are not causing damage to the venue
• Aisles, walkways, and doors should be clear of obstructions
• Teams may set-up practice spaces as long as they are fully within their designated space.
• No structure may be taller than 10.‘

Set-up
Most events will plan time to set up the evening before the event. For a single League Meet, it is
acceptable to plan to set up before the event in the morning.
The set-up time and access will depend on the venue and any contracts. In the case of a typical school
venue, set-up would be scheduled for after classes are over for the day on Friday afternoon. A limited
number of volunteers should be invited to assist with set-up, such as planning committee volunteers,
key volunteers, or other volunteers who can help with the lift of setup If the location has a host FIRST
Tech Challenge team, they might be your primary set-up volunteers, but the Event Director should still
plan to be at the venue for set-up and confirm the set-up plan is being followed and there are no
unforeseen issues.
After arriving at the venue for setup the Event Director should do a final walk through the venue and
locations for competition fields, bleachers, practice fields, structured interview rooms, judging
deliberation rooms, volunteer rooms, and places for teams to eat. Ideally these decisions and
placements should be made during the initial venue selection process, but the start of setup is a good
time to reiterate locations and expectations especially with setup volunteers.

Event Directors should work dynamically with setup volunteers to oversee the process and provide
guidance on how to solve issues that may arise before setup is over.

Best Practice: Take detailed pictures of all the spaces the tournament will
take place in before any set-up begins. They help establish a baseline for
the spaces that will be used.

These pictures are useful to allow volunteers to put any furniture that was
moved back into its correct place, especially in judging rooms where it is
common to need a different layout than a typical classroom.

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Event Day
Report Time
You should plan to be one of the first people to report to the venue. Typically, you will plan to meet the
venue host 15-30 minutes before the time volunteers were told to report to the site. Before the event,
the venue host should have confirmed they have proper access to the building including keys and alarm
codes. In some cases, access will be granted directly to the Event Director.
Check-in
At most events, teams and volunteers are directed to Pit Admin to check-in when they arrive at the
venue. In some cases, there is another table set up closer to the venue entrance for check-in. Confirm
your expectations for check-in at the event with your Pit Admin Supervisor and Volunteer Coordinator –
this information should be indicated as part of the

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Event Layout/Mapand including in pre-event communications.
Check-in stations will need to be provided witha

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Registered Teams Listand aVolunteer Roster.These can be provided by the ED or the
Scorekeeper/FTA and VC respectively.
Important: All documents with Personal Identifying Information (PII) such
as team rosters and consent forms must be stored in a secure location at
Pit Admin. A locking file box is a common solution.

Team Interaction and Support
When interacting with teams please always consider the team’s perspective. The teams have put
significant time and effort into preparing for this event and may be feeling stressed about everything
working out as they have planned. Today is a very big deal for the team and we are here to help!
While it is our job to help guide the teams to a successful event, it is their responsibility to follow the
rules and be on time for judging and matches.
If you feel there is an issue with an individual or several individuals from a team that warrants specific
intervention beyond just a kind reminder, please ensure the correct stakeholders for the team are
aware. Here is a generally acceptable process when working with a student or team who you need to
change their behavior:

The ABCs of Managing Team Behaviors
Do not directly reprimand a student one-on-one without an adult
from their team present. Ask the student to bring an adult who is
Ask for an Adult
responsible for the team to meet you, before moving forward with
any discussion about the concerns at hand.
Is the environment conducive for the feedback you are about to
Be aware of the
give? Is it loud in the area where you are? Are there other teams
Environment
around that may hear the reprimand? Moving the conversation to
a quieter, more private space as needed can be helpful.
(Offer a) Clear
Explain the concern to the team and offer clear examples of the
Explanation
behavior that is concerning.
Offer the opportunity for students and adults to ask clarifying
Discuss any Questionsquestions
Outline with the students and adults what the next steps are if the
Explain Next Steps
issue is not corrected. Certain behaviors may include the risk of
yellow cards


Note: the only person at an event who can give an official warning or
issue a yellow/red card is the Head Referee. Please refer these more
severe issues to the Head Referee and notify the Program Delivery
Partner.
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Be cautious about passing on any negative feedback about any teams directly to the Judges or Judge
Advisor (JA), because it is not possible to know all the contributing factors around a complaint or
observation. If there are issues which are repeated or egregious follow the process forReporting
Other Issues or Concerns
and inform the Program Delivery Partner. The Judge Advisor may seek
feedback from the Event Director to determine if there is any relevant information to provide the Judges
for their evaluation process.
Teams may only be completely disqualified from awards consideration for very rare egregious actions
and only with approval from FIRST® HQ. The Event Director and/or JA should call the on-call number to
discuss the issue.
Emergencies
The Program Delivery Partner, Event Director and the event site host organization are responsible for
having safety and security plans in place for each event. Included in the plan should be topics such as:
• A map of all the emergency exits
• Knowledge of where on-site medical support is located.
• Shelter in place plans in the case of severe weather
• Evacuation plans
Teams should have their own safety plans before attending the event. Here are some team-focused
recommendations for Preparing to Safely Attend a FIRST® Event.

Lost Children
FIRST® Tech Challenge events can be very hectic, and it can be easy for a child to get lost amongst the
shuffle of a busy event. Ensure you have a plan prior to the event in the instance of a lost child.
In some cases, the team roster will list Coach phone numbers which can be used to reunite team
members, in some regions they collect “Day-of” cell phone numbers from each team at check in.
Coordinate your plan with your Program Delivery Partner.
Code Adam Guidelines (www.missingkids.com/CodeAdam) are also a great resource.
Medical Incident Reporting
Event volunteers are not responsible for diagnosing student injuries,
handing out medication, or first aid equipment. You and other event
volunteers should refer medical issues and emergencies to a medical
professional on site, such as an EMT. If an incident or illness occurs at
an event, the Event Director, Pit Administrator, or another trained
delegate should do the following:

• Call 911 if there is any question whether the injured
www.firstinspires.org/report
person/persons require urgent medical attention.
• Respond to the scene immediately. Bring a clipboard, pen, or an electronic device to complete
the incident report on theFIRST® Reporting Portal.
• Complete the incident report for the injured party.
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The Event Director or Pit Administration volunteers are responsible for completing incident reports. The
incident reporting person should follow the best practices for incident reporting:

Best Practices for Incident Reporting
Anyone handling incident reporting should have a calm demeanor. They
Be Calm
should be able to collect information and talk to witnesses without assessing
fault.
In all conversations with the injured, witnesses, spectators, and/or media
always say "the incident is being investigated" without any further comment.
Be ConciseIt is not the job of the report collector to provide any opinions on the situation
at hand.
Be Risk
Do not imply liability or any payment, as no one knows for sure until all the
Conscious
facts are collected.
Those taking in incident reports should be able to communicate with the
insurance company if necessary. They should also be aware of who they
Be Preparedneed to share incidents with, including the local Program Delivery
Organization or the Event Director.

Although most incidents will not result in a claim, it is better to act on the side of caution and report
them. Should an incident result in a claim after the event, the documents will be on file, complete with
witnesses and a written report.

Youth Protection Reporting
Issues that are non-medical but are of concern to a
participant/participants should also be reported. Anything that
happens during an event that made a youth volunteer, team
member or spectator feel uncomfortable or threatened should be
addressed.
As appropriate and if you feel safe doing so, speak directly with
the offending party and try to quickly and calmly defuse the
immediate issue. Call the Event Director and/or the Program

Delivery Partner and inform them of the issue and seek assistance
www.firstinspires.org/report
as needed with any immediate remediation of the issue.
Ensure all issues are reported in a timely manner using theFIRST® Reporting Portal. Youth Protection
Concerns encompasses a wide variety of one-time or ongoing issues such as suspected abuse,
bullying, harassment, discrimination, questionable behavior, or violation to the FIRST® Code of Conduct.
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Reporting Other Issues or Concerns
Feedback about issues such as game play, rule changes,
awards, and event management (other than
medical/safety issues) are considered program related
concerns and not youth protection issues and should be
shared with FIRST via customerservice@firstinspires.org
or bycontacting support.
Please note that match results and award results are final
help.firstinspires.org/s/contactsupport
and that we will not review match videos.

Safety
An important priority for all volunteers is to observe their event areas to help promote a safe and
orderly space for all the participants. It is likely that various volunteers and event participants will bring
concerns to your attention, but you should also be proactive in identifying areas of concern.
Prioritize working with the teams to help identify and correct potential safety issues in the area. Please
review the section aboutCheck-in
At most events, teams and volunteers are directed to Pit Admin to check-in when they arrive at the
venue. In some cases, there is another table set up closer to the venue entrance for check-in. Confirm
your expectations for check-in at the event with your Pit Admin Supervisor and Volunteer Coordinator –
this information should be indicated as part of the


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Event Layout/Map and including in pre-event communications.
Check-in stations will need to be provided with a

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Registered Teams List and a Volunteer Roster. These can be provided by the ED or the
Scorekeeper/FTA and VC respectively.

Important: All documents with Personal Identifying Information (PII) such
as team rosters and consent forms must be stored in a secure location at
Pit Admin. A locking file box is a common solution.


Team Interaction and Support
for the best ways to work with teams on making changes.
Safety Glasses and Closed Toe Shoes
All volunteers, teams, coach/mentors, and spectators are required to have safety glasses and wear
closed toe shoes while in the pit and competition areas. It is important to watch out for anyone entering
these areas without proper personal protective Equipment (PPE) and to ask them to put on proper PPE
before entering. Some events will have volunteers staffed at the pit entrance with spare safety glasses
to pass out. Other events may not have spares to provide.
End of the Day
Lost and found items are usually kept in the Pit Admin area at events and any items not claimed should
be given to the Event Director. Place these in a secure location while you complete event wrap-up.
Gather any paperwork that contains PII and put it in a secure place for either safe disposal, or shipment
to FIRST®.
Once qualification matches are completed, and alliance selection has taken place, teams will often
begin to tear down their pit areas. The pit volunteers can begin to tear down their area at this time. Tear
down time should be determined in advance with Pit Admin and adjusted as needed.
You should plan to be one of the last people to leave the venue. Walk each of the spaces and ensure
things are clean and tidy.

Best Practice: Take pictures of each space used by the tournament,
including each judging room, in case there are concerns about how any
space was left after the event.

After the Event
Event Wrap-up Tasks
In addition to congratulating yourself and your tournament planning committee on a job well done, here
is a list of tasks that will need completing post event:

• GenerateLessons Learned.
• Publish event results through FTC Live “Submit Results to FIRST®” button (if not already done).
• Return rented or borrowed items.
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• Send thank you letters to VIPs, sponsors, volunteers, venue, hosts, coaches, and teams.
• Ensure any reports are completed and submitted including: Medical Incident Reporting
Event volunteers are not responsible for diagnosing student injuries, handing out medication, or first aid
equipment. You and other event volunteers should refer medical issues and emergencies to a medical
professional on site, such as an EMT. If an incident or illness occurs at an event, the Event Director, Pit
Administrator, or another trained delegate should do the following:

• Call 911 if there is any question whether the injured person/persons require urgent medical
attention.
• Respond to the scene immediately. Bring a clipboard, pen, or an electronic device to complete
the incident report on the FIRST® Reporting Portal.
• Complete the incident report for the injured party.
The Event Director or Pit Administration volunteers are responsible for completing incident reports. The
incident reporting person should follow the best practices for incident reporting:

Medical Incident Reportingand Youth Protection Reporting. Return any paper forms
including conflict of interest forms to your Program Delivery Partner.
• Finalize the budget results.
• Request feedback using post-event Surveys.
• Schedule meeting(s) to convene planning for next year’s event.
• You are encouraged to share survey results with your local Program Delivery Partner

Surveys
Within 2-4 weeks post-event, you should request feedback from your tournament planning committee
volunteers and teams. What are some lessons learned from this event and how can you improve in the
future? This can be done formally, through a survey or evaluation, or informally in conversations. Take
notes and review them when you begin planning next year’s event.
Using an online survey tool to collect formal feedback from volunteers and teams will help you to
improve future events. It is also a great way to collect some simple information to track year to year
which might be needed by your sponsors, etc. Alternatively, you could link your survey to a QR code and
collect feedback from the event while the feedback is fresh in the minds of the teams and volunteers.
Lessons Learned
The best time to record improvement ideas is during and immediately after the event. During the event
day, take notes about what worked, what issues arose, and ideas for improvement. After the event,
consolidate your notes and add additional thoughts after the event. Add survey feedback and
takeaways from formal and informal conversations with folks to the list, especially your key volunteers,
and then review it prior to beginning work and during the following year’s event planning process.


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Important Tools
Public Schedule
The Program Delivery Partner or the Event Director should publish the public schedule of events before
the event. This schedule will have a high-level overview of all the activities for the event. It is important
that everyone at the event does their best to stay true to the public schedule so that teams and
volunteers who have planned their day around these times have a good experience.

Time
Agenda
7:15 am
Doors Open for Staff & Key Volunteers
7:30 am
Judges and Inspectors Report
8:00 am
Doors Open for Teams
8:30 am
Judging & Inspection Commences
10:15 am Team Check-in Hard Deadline (Check the Competition Manual)
Match schedule is generated and distributed to teams. (Check the Competition Manual)
10:30 am Note to Scorekeeper: 6 Matches total(Check the Competition Manual)
10:40 am Drivers’ Meeting with Head Referee & Opening Ceremony
Qualification Matches 1 - 8
11:00 am Note to Scorekeeper: 7-minute cycle-time
12:00 pm Lunch
Qualification Matches 9 - 45
12:45 pm Note to Scorekeeper: 5-minute cycle-times
3:50 pm
Qualification Matches Projected End
4:00 pm
Alliance Selection
4:20 pm
Double Elimination Rounds 1 - 4
5:10 pm
Award Ceremonies Start & Double Eliminations Round 5
6:20 pm
Projected End of Event
7:00 pm
Doors Close
Occasionally things that happen out of the event’s control may impact the schedule. In these cases,
work closely with the Event Director to understand the updated agenda.
Figure 1: Example Schedule for a 30 Team Event



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Registered Teams List
The Program Delivery Partner may provide a list of teams registered for the event, or the Scorekeeper
can export a report of all the registered teams for the event. Sometimes this list may change the day of
the event based on which teams show up. The Scorekeeper report will have the most accurate
information about who is competing at an event. Notes that teams may be competing only in the
judging portion of the event and not have a robot present.
Figure 2: Competing Team Report

Volunteer Roster
The Volunteer Coordinator or the Program Delivery Partner will have access to a list of applied and
assigned volunteers for the event.



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Event Layout/Map
The Program Delivery Partner and Event Director should publish a map of the venue before the event. In
some cases, details on the map might not be available until the day of the event.
The Event Layout / Map should detail the following:
• Load-In Path
• Parking for Personal Vehicles and Busses
• Team Check-in
• Volunteer Check-in
• Competition Area
• Pit Area (May include thePit Map)
• Judging Room Locations (if applicable)
• Safety Details as available (Emergency Exits, AED, Shelter in Place Locations)


Figure 3: Example Event Map
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Judging Schedule

Figure 4: Example Judging Schedule
Match Schedule
The match list will be generated on the day of the event after the teams have been confirmed. This
schedule will list which teams will play in which alliance (Red or Blue) and it will also list a match start
time. Some events will have more than one competition field. Some events will have more than one
division, in which case each division will have its own schedule.


Figure 5: Example Match Schedule


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Pit Map
Pit maps are typically provided by either the Event Director or by the Scorekeeper. Having a map of
where each team is in the pit is key, as teams, parents or Queuers might need to find. Below are two
sample pit maps. Pit Maps created in FTC Scoring will appear on the FTC-Eventspage.

Figure 6: Example Pit Map for a small12-team Qualifier Event


Figure 7: Example Pit Map for a Typical Regional Championship Event
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Useful Links and Information
On-Call Support Numbers
On-Call Support
These numbers are for volunteer support only. Teams should not use these numbers
to call about rulings or technical assistance.

Administrative, Judge, Referee and Non-Technical Issues:
(603)206-2412

Scoring System (FTC Live) or other Technical Issues:

(603)206-2450
Call or use the built-in chat feature on FTC Live available for events with internet
access.
Pre-Event Support
Mon – Fri
8:30am – 5:00pm Eastern Time (UTC-4 or UTC-5)
Contact Supportincluding live chat or emailcustomerservice@firstinspires.org


Program Resources
FIRST® Tech Challenge Website
Event Search


Game and Season Resources
FIRST® Tech Challenge Blog


Volunteer Resources
Team Email Blasts


Feedback
We strive to create support materials that are the best they can be. If you have feedback about this
manual, please emailcustomerservice@firstinspires.orgor bycontacting support.Thank you!

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Document Outline

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