– FIRST Tech Challenge DECODE Season Guide

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Overview
Roles Covered:Lead Scorekeeper,Scorekeeper

Job Description
Lead Scorekeeper/Scorekeeper helps the flow of the event, provides information and match scores to
the teams and to the audience through the audience displays.
The Lead Scorekeeper is the person responsible for making sure the scoring system is set up correctly
(including displays and user tablets for other volunteers) and that match scores are entered accurately.
This volunteer should work closely with theFIRST Technical Advisor(FTA) andHead Referee. An
additional Scorekeeper may be needed for events with more than one field.
For the purposes of this guide, Lead Scorekeeper will be the focus of this manual.
Minimum Age Requirement: 21 years of age or older.

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

Time Commitment
Lead Scorekeeper/Scorekeeper should expect to spend 10-12 hours at a full day event and 5-6 hours at
a League Meet. Approximately 3-4 hours of pre-event training and planning is required.

Attire
• Comfortable closed-toe, closed-heel shoes, are required in the competition area
• Much of the day will involve sitting. Consider a light jacket if you get chilled easily.
• ANSI Z87.1 or regional equivalent certified safety glasses are required in team pits and
competition areas.

Training and Certification
Read and complete all tasks listed in the Pre-Event Trainingsection.
Any volunteer who applies to a role will be able to get into the Learning Management System (LMS)
using the 'FIRST^® Training' button on the FIRST^® Dashboard. 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.
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If you have applied for a role but have not received access to the training, please email
customerservice@firstinspires.org. A separate confirmation of the role assignment will come later.
Lead Scorekeeper should speak to the FIRST Technical Advisor (FTA) or Technical Director to find out
what additional requirements, such as meetings before the event or run-throughs of the space before
the event is required.
All volunteers are expected to read and comply with the Volunteer Handbook.
Roles and Responsibilities
FIRSTis fun for all. The most important role for 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.

(Lead) Scorekeeper
The (Lead) Scorekeeper role is responsible for the use of setup and features within the event
management software, FTC Live.
Scorekeeper is a responsible for:
•
Smooth flow of match play and keeping the pace of the event.
•
Set up the scoring system; ensure equipment works properly.
•
Print scripts and reports from the scoring system, as needed.
•
Manage scoring system displays.
•
Manage volunteer user tablets.
•
Post match scores to audience displays.
•
Make sure awards have been entered in FTC Live prior to publishing the event.
•
Publish the event data.
•
Help with breakdown of scoring system equipment.
Prerequisites for Lead Scorekeeper
Prior experience as a Scorekeeper is required.FIRST^® experience is required. FIRST^® training course
completion is required.
Prerequisites for a Scorekeeper
Prior experience as a Scorekeeper is encouraged.FIRST^® experience is encouraged. FIRST^® training
course completion is required.

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Reporting Structure
The Scorekeeper reports to the Technical Directorwhen that role is filled for an event. If that role is not
filled for an event then report to the FTA and make sure to discuss the event schedule with the Event
Director
Before the Event
Lead Scorekeeper
Plan the process for system set up, distribution of resources/printables, get a copy of the event
schedule and planned match schedule. The latter will need to be entered into the scoring system on
event day.
The Event Director/FTA/Technical Director may also want to meet with the Scorekeepers for larger
events to go over set up, event schedules and timing.
The transfer of event data needs to be 2-3 days prior to the event. A Scorekeeper can log into FTC
Scoring for the event they are assigned to and transfer the event data via the “Play Locally” button. The
details of how to transfer the data are in the FTC-Live Setup Guide.
Scorekeeper
Meet with the Lead Scorekeeper to go over the event day plan. The Event Director/FTA/Technical
Director may also want to meet with the Scorekeepers for larger events to go over set up, event
schedules and timing.
Pre-Event Training
Scorekeeper 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:
Lead Scorekeeper Pre-event Training List
Requirement
Resource
Required
Welcome to FIRST^®
Required
TheVolunteer Manual - Scorekeeper(this document)
Required
FTC-Live Setup Manual
TheCompetition Manual– specifically:
• Section 3: Competition Eligibility and Inspection (I)
• Section 8: Game Overview
Required
• Section 9: ARENA
• Section 13: Tournament (T)
• Section 14: League Play Tournaments (L)(if applicable)
Watch the game animation videofor a general understanding of the
Required
game.
Field Operations Guidegives an overview of field staff operations
Encouraged
and FTC-Live.
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Lead Scorekeeper Pre-event Training List
Pit Map Builderlives in FTC Scoring and FTC Live and you help may
Encouraged
be requested by the event team to build the pit map for the event.
FTC Scoring Judge and Judges Advisor Guideso you can assist the
Encouraged
JA with entering awards
Encouraged
Complete Strategies for Inspiring Success for All modules.
Encouraged
Attend the Scorekeeper/Scoring SystemVolunteer Calls
Complete theLead Scorekeeper CertificationTest in the FIRST^®
Learning System
Required

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

Event Day
Report Time
The Event Director or Volunteer Coordinator will confirm the time you should arrive typically via email
the week before the event. In most cases arriving as soon as the event opens will be required.
When you arrive onsite check-in with the Volunteer Coordinator and report to the FTA/Technical
Director.
The FTC-Live Set-Up Process
The FTC-Live software system and hardware need to be set up and tested prior to event day. The
details on how to set up the system and perform essential duties are in the FTC-Live Setup Guide.
During the Event
The Scorekeeper controls the Match Control page and all its options (example: Video Switch and
Alliance Selection) during the event. The duties, workflow, and how to use the system during the event
are explained in the FTC-Live Setup Guide.
The most important duties during the event are:
•
Print scripts and reports from the scoring system, as needed.
•
Verify teams participating and add/edit team profiles per the Event Director prior to running
the match software.
•
Create the match schedule.
•
Manage scoring system displays.
•
Manage volunteer user tablets.
•
Manage the flow of scoring with the Head Referee and Referees with tablets.
•
Post match scores to audience displays.
•
Manage flow of alliance selection and display the process on the audience display.
•
Create the playoff schedule.
•
Present the playoff bracket to the audience as the alliances complete matches.
•
Make sure awards have been entered in FTC-Live prior to publishing the event.
•
Publish the event data.
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Volunteer Interaction
The Scorekeeper interacts and collaborates with many volunteers on event day. The following is an
outline of volunteer relationships the Scorekeeper should maintain.
FTA
The FTA may oversee setting up the FTC-Live network and hardware for the event. At the event the FTA
may request match data to work with the Head Referee and Field Supervisor. At smaller events, the FTA
will be tasked with fulfilling the role of the Field Supervisor.
Field Supervisor
If the Field Supervisor role is filled they will be responsible for setting up FTC-Live and tablets. During
the event the Scorekeeper needs to communicate to the Field Supervisor about how well the match
cycle times adhere to the published schedule. The FTA and/or Field Supervisor may request an
adjustment to the cycle times or match schedule.
Head Referee and Referees
Manage the flow of scoring with the Head Referee and Referees with tablets. The Head Referee needs
to determine how to cue the next match with the Scorekeeper if not using the Head Referee tablet
inputs.
Game Announcer/Emcee
The Game Announcer may require a team list, match schedule, playoff brackets, and award winners for
the event to keep notes. All this needs to be pre-planned with the Scorekeeper, Event Director and
possibly the FTA.
Judge Advisor
For some events, the Judge Advisor needs to work with the Scorekeeper to enter awards. The options
for the Judge Advisor to enter awards are in the FTC Scoring Judge and Judges Advisor Guide.

End of the Day
Once the matches and awards have been entered into FTC Live, the Scorekeeper needs to “Send
Results to FIRST^®” once the FTC-Live event laptop is connected to the internet. Verify that the results are
displayed on FTC-Events.
Help break down the scoring system equipment and pack for load out.
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 very 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’s our job to help guide the teams to a successful event, it’s 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 individuals from a team that warrants specific
intervention beyond just a kind reminder, please ensure the correct stakeholders for the team are
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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.

Be cautious about passing on any negative feedback about any teams directly to the Judges or Judge
Advisor(JA), because it’s not possible to know all the contributing factors around such a complaint or
observation. If there are issues which are repeated or egregious follow the process forReporting
Other Issues or Concernsand 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.
Conflict of Interest
Conflict of Interest – a conflict between the private interests and the
official responsibilities of a person in a position of trust.

All listed volunteer roles will be asked to disclose any potential Conflicts of Interest, and to complete
theConflict of Interest and Disclosure form.During the Judges meeting, Judges will be asked to
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declare any potential conflicts to the rest of the judging pool. During the Referee meeting, Referees will
be asked to declare any potential conflicts to the rest of the referee team. Some scenarios of conflict of
interests:
• A coach/mentor volunteers as a judge or a referee.
• A parent/relative of a team member volunteers as a judge or a referee.
• A recent alum (student or adult) of a team competing at the event volunteers as a judge or a
referee.
• A sponsor of a team competing at the event volunteers as a judge or referee.

Having a Conflict of Interest, or even the perception of a Conflict of Interest can affect a team’s
experience, even if decisions that were made throughout the day were not biased in any way. The
perception of potential favoritism is enough to discourage a team, coach, or mentor, and take away
from their overall experience at an event. Knowing what Conflict of Interest is, and how to avoid being
in a position that could be a conflict will ensure all teams feel they have been evaluated fairly.
All volunteers at an event have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best
interest of the event which means to treat all teams fairly and equitably.
Volunteers should use prior FIRST experience to help inform their
decisions but should not use prior knowledge or perception of any
specific team to inform their decisions either good or bad. Every team, at
every event, deserves a fresh blank slate with all volunteers.
A volunteer who does not disclose their conflict of interest can compromise the integrity of FIRST Tech
Challenge events. In judging, this could cause teams affiliated with the volunteer with a Conflict of
Interest to be removed from consideration for awards.
Conflict of Interest, in some cases, can be quite easy to see. In other cases, it may be less obvious, and
it may be difficult to decide what constitutes a true Conflict of Interest. In some cases, the bias may be
apparent, while other times a Conflict of Interest may be perceived by a team or a coach. It is best to
keep the following in mind when volunteering:
• Be open and forthcoming about any conflicts you may have with a team competing at the event.
• If there is a known Conflict of Interest, avoid making decisions about a team that would change
the outcome of the day, such as speaking for or against a team in judge deliberations, or holding
some teams to a different refereeing standard than others.
• Remove yourself from any situation that could be perceived as a Conflict of Interest.
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 forPreparing to Safely Attend a FIRST^® Event.
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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

person/persons require urgent medical attention.

Respond to the scene immediately. Bring a clipboard, pen, or a

electronic device to complete the incident report on theFIRST^®
Reporting Portal.

Complete the incident report for the injured party.

www.firstinspires.org/report

The Event Director or Pit Administration volunteers are responsible for completing incident reports.
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 to, speak directly with
www.firstinspires.org/report
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 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’s 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 about
During the Event
The Scorekeeper controls the Match Control page and all its options (example: Video Switch and
Alliance Selection) during the event. The duties, workflow, and how to use the system during the event
are explained in the FTC-Live Setup Guide.
The most important duties during the event are:
•
Print scripts and reports from the scoring system, as needed.
•
Verify teams participating and add/edit team profiles per the Event Director prior to running
the match software.
•
Create the match schedule.
•
Manage scoring system displays.
•
Manage volunteer user tablets.
•
Manage the flow of scoring with the Head Referee and Referees with tablets.
•
Post match scores to audience displays.
•
Manage flow of alliance selection and display the process on the audience display.
•
Create the playoff schedule.
•
Present the playoff bracket to the audience as the alliances complete matches.
•
Make sure awards have been entered in FTC-Live prior to publishing the event.
•
Publish the event data.
Volunteer Interaction
The Scorekeeper interacts and collaborates with many volunteers on event day. The following is an
outline of volunteer relationships the Scorekeeper should maintain.
FTA
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The FTA may oversee setting up the FTC-Live network and hardware for the event. At the event the FTA
may request match data to work with the Head Referee and Field Supervisor. At smaller events, the FTA
will be tasked with fulfilling the role of the Field Supervisor.
Field Supervisor
If the Field Supervisor role is filled they will be responsible for setting up FTC-Live and tablets. During
the event the Scorekeeper needs to communicate to the Field Supervisor about how well the match
cycle times adhere to the published schedule. The FTA and/or Field Supervisor may request an
adjustment to the cycle times or match schedule.
Head Referee and Referees
Manage the flow of scoring with the Head Referee and Referees with tablets. The Head Referee needs
to determine how to cue the next match with the Scorekeeper if not using the Head Referee tablet
inputs.
Game Announcer/Emcee
The Game Announcer may require a team list, match schedule, playoff brackets, and award winners for
the event to keep notes. All this needs to be pre-planned with the Scorekeeper, Event Director and
possibly the FTA.
Judge Advisor
For some events, the Judge Advisor needs to work with the Scorekeeper to enter awards. The options
for the Judge Advisor to enter awards are in the FTC Scoring Judge and Judges Advisor Guide.

End of the Day
Once the matches and awards have been entered into FTC Live, the Scorekeeper needs to “Send
Results to FIRST^®” once the FTC-Live event laptop is connected to the internet. Verify that the results are
displayed on FTC-Events.
Help break down the scoring system equipment and pack for load out.
Team Interaction and Supportfor 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.
Pit Spaces
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.

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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)
10:30 am Match schedule is generated and distributed to teams.(Check the Competition Manual)
Note to Scorekeeper: 6 Matches total.(Check the Competition Manual)
10:40 am Drivers’ Meeting with Head Referee & Opening Ceremony
11:00 am Qualification Matches 1 - 8
Note to Scorekeeper: 7-minute cycle-time
12:00 pm Lunch
12:45 pm Qualification Matches 9 - 45
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

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.
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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.

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 the Pit Map)
• Judging Room Locations (if applicable)
• Safety Details as available (Emergency Exits, AED, Shelter in Place Locations)
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Figure 3: Example Event Map
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
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time see Figure 5. Some events will have more than one competition field and/or more than one
division and each division will have its own schedule.

Figure 5: Example Match Schedule

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 in Figure 6 and Figure 7. Pit Maps created in FTC Scoring will appear on theFTC-
Eventspage.

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

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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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