FLL Tournament Checklist: Tournament Day Guide for Teams and Parents
The best FLL tournament checklist covers three things: the robot (charged, tested, with every attachment and a printed run order), the judging session (Innovation Project materials, engineering notebook, a practiced presentation), and the people (snacks, water, team shirts, a parent schedule and a calm plan for when something breaks). Pack it the night before, give each item an owner, and the day goes from chaotic to fun.
Below is the checklist our coaches use with families. It works for a first-time team or a team heading to its fifth event, and it fits the 2026–27 BIOGLOW season, which is the final FIRST LEGO League season before FIRST and LEGO Education go separate ways. That makes this year's tournaments worth enjoying.
How an FLL tournament day usually runs
Every event is a little different, so read the schedule your tournament sends. Most days follow this shape:
Check-in and setting up your team's pit area
Judging session, roughly 30 minutes, where the team presents its Innovation Project and robot design and talks about Core Values
Robot game matches, each 2 minutes 30 seconds, usually three official rounds with your best score counting
Closing ceremony with awards
There is often a lot of waiting between those moments. Planning for the gaps is half the battle. If judging is new to your family, our guide to what happens in FLL judging walks through the room step by step.
Robot and programming checklist
Robot fully charged the night before, plus a charging cable and a power bank or outlet adapter
Every attachment, packed in labeled bags or a tray with one slot per mission
A printed run order: which program, which attachment, which launch position, in order
Programs loaded on the hub and saved on a laptop as a backup, with the laptop charged
Spare parts: axles, pins, bushings, a few beams and an extra wheel or tire if you have one
Launch jigs or alignment guides your team uses to start each run in the same spot
A small towel or cloth to wipe tires and the robot's sensors
One rule we repeat to every team: no new code on tournament day unless something is broken. A late "improvement" that has never run on a real table is the most common reason good teams lose points. Our post on robot game strategy and run order explains how to plan runs so you are not tempted.
Judging session checklist
Innovation Project presentation materials, with any props or posters packed flat
The team's engineering notebook or design documentation
The robot and one or two attachments to show judges how they work
A short list of who says what, so every child gets a turn to speak
A few practice questions the team has already answered out loud at home
Judges want to hear from the kids, not the adults. Parents and coaches usually sit quietly or wait outside. Practicing Core Values at home helps more than any script, and our guide to FLL Core Values has simple ways to do that.
People and comfort checklist
Water bottles and plenty of snacks; lunch if the venue has limited food
Team shirts or a team color so kids can find each other in a crowded gym
Name tags and a printed copy of the day's schedule
A folding table cover or tablecloth for the pit area, plus tape and markers
Quiet activities for downtime: cards, a book, a small building challenge
Sunscreen and layers if any part of the day is outdoors
Phone numbers for every parent and a meeting spot in case kids get separated
The night before and the morning of
Charge the robot, laptop and phones.
Do one full practice run of every mission, then stop.
Pack the robot box, judging box and people bag, and check each against this list.
Assign owners: one child for attachments, one for the run order, one for presentation props, one adult for food and timing.
Eat a good breakfast and arrive early enough to set up without rushing.
When something goes wrong
Something always goes a little wrong. A wheel pops off, a sensor reads differently under gym lights, a program crashes. Teach the team a simple reset: pause, figure out what changed, fix only that one thing, then test it once on the practice table. Calm problem solving is exactly what judges and referees love to see, and it is the skill kids keep long after the season ends.
Common questions
Q: Can parents help the team during matches?
Usually no. Only team members operate the robot at the table, and adults watch from the stands or the side. The best thing a parent can do is cheer for every team, including your rivals.
Q: What if our robot has a bad first match?
Most tournaments count your best robot game score, so one rough round is not the end. Use the gap before the next match to check the run order and attachments, not to rewrite code.
Q: How many parents should come?
Everyone is welcome to watch, but it helps to name one or two adults as the team's helpers for food, timing and gear so kids hear one clear voice.
Keep building after tournament season
Tournament day is a great moment to see what your child loves about robotics. If they want more, explore our free online courses, including the FLL Robotics Journey for Parents and SPIKE Prime Python. All-Access unlocks nearly the whole catalog for $39 a month with a 7-day free trial, and Remote 1-on-1 live lessons are $149 a month.
In San Diego, our weekend group sessions in Scripps Ranch are 1.5 hours a week for ages 6–18, with no more than 10 kids and every child working on their own project. Your first session is free: text (619) 786-5731 to book a spot.
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