FLL Challenge Teams in Maryland are invited to one Qualifying Tournament, or Qualifier, each season.
The Qualifier is an opportunity to celebrate all aspects of the team’s achievements over the course of the season. The events take place from December through early February in Maryland.
Qualifiers are held all around the state and are hosted by volunteer organizations who support FLL Challenge and other programs.Schools, community colleges and other venues welcome 15-30 teams to each event.
The main goal is to have fun while sharing what each member has learned.
Teams are encouraged to bring smiles, funny hats and plenty of gracious professionalism.
Family and friends are invited to watch the robot game and cheer on the team. All qualifiers are open to the public free of charge.
Qualifiers are one-day events. A typical schedule is outlined below. Tournament Directors will provide specific schedules.
- 7 am-8:30 am: Check –in and set up for teams to get into the PIT Area
- 8:15 am: Coaches Meeting
- 9 am-12 pm: Judging and Practice Rounds (Combined Judging, all at once). At least one practice round in morning
- 12:30 pm: Opening Ceremony
- 1 – 4 pm: Robot Match Rounds
- 4:30-5:00 pm: Awards Ceremony
Each team will hae a Practice Round, which will be scored but not recorded. Official Match Rounds include 3 attempts with a break between each Round. The highest score is used to rank teams in the Robot Game portion of the event. This makes up one quarter of the overall team performance.
Judging includes 3 areas: Innovation Project, Robot Design and Core Values. Teams share what they have accomplished in a 30 minute interview following this flowchart. Each of these rankings contribute one quarter of overall team performance. Awards are determined according to the FIRST rules. Results are announced at the end of the event, and all results are final.
All team members will receive a pin (new this season!), and some teams receive an award. A few teams will advance from the qualifier to the state tournament. The Judge Advisor will invite the qualified teams at the end of the event.
Last updated on November 25th, 2025