Agenda

Agenda

8:30 am - Doors open for competitors

8:30 am - Team Check in & Robot Inspections begin

9:15 am - Team Meeting

9:45am - Qualifying Matches Begin/Skill Fields Open

11:45 am to 12:30 pm - Lunch Break

12:30 pm - Qualifying Matches Resume/Skill Fields Open

3:15 pm – Skills fields Close*, Qualifications Matches Complete

3:30 pm - Championship Matches with Awards Following

* Note: Skills fields will close at 3:15 PM or at the end of the last qualification match if the event is behind schedule.

Volunteer

Robotics events cannot happen without the efforts of a whole host of volunteers, and ours is now exception. More information about specific volunteer oportunities will be released as the event approaches. In the meantime, anyone interested in offering assistance can reach out to us at [email protected]

Emergency/Bad Weather Policy

In case of bad weather conditions or other possible cancellations, please visit the event page on robotevents.com where we will post updates about the event status as needed. We will also contact coaches of registered teams via email with any late-breaking updates.

If your team is going to arrive late to the event, please email [email protected] as soon as possible (and no later than 9:00 AM the morning of the event). Match Lists will be run promptly at 9:15 (the start of the Driver's meeting) and will not be re-run.

Refund and Payment Policies

If the Event Partner cancels the event: 

Grand Ledge Robotics Club will refund the registration fees, less any processing fees collected by the RECF.

If a Coach/Mentor completes registration for the event then chooses to withdraw or not attend:

Registration fees can be applied to another team at the coach/mentor's request, but no refunds will be available

Date: 24-Jan-2026

Travel Info

This year's event will be held at Grand Ledge Highschool

Enter through the main entrance located on the East side of the building. It is located on the north side of the traffic circle. 

Once inside follow signage to the Auxilary Gymnasium and Cafeteria. 

Judging Format

Engineering Notebooks

Teams will submit a Digital Engineering Notebook no later than Friday, January 16 at 5:00 PM ET. Engineering notebooks will be reviewed and scored by judges prior to the event.

If your team would like to be considered for the Innovate award, you must follow the submission guidelines in the latest update to the Guide to Judging and any applicable answers in the Official Judging Q&A. In particular, take care that your submission uses or exactly replicates the Innovate Award Submission Information Form.

Team Interviews

Every team will have the opportunity to complete at least one interview with the judges during the event, regardless of whether or not they submit an Engineering Notebook. Initial interviews will be held during the morning Qualification Match period, and will be held in the Judging area. Teams are responsible for reporting to the judging area when they are ready for their interview. Every effort will be made to ensure that all teams who want to be interviewed have done so, but no initial interviews will be held after the start of the Lunch Break except at the Judge Advisor's sole discretion.

The judges may opt to hold follow-up interviews with any number of teams. Teams will be notified as soon as possible that the judges would like to hold a follow-up interview, and the team will be responsible for reporting to the judging area as with their initial interview.

IMPORTANT: The match schedule always takes precedence over interviews and skills challenge runs. Teams are responsible for ensuring they are at the queueing tables at least 2 matches prior to their own match, regardless of whether the event is running ahead-of-, behind-, or on-schedule. Failure to be present & ready at the start of a match may lead to T5 or T6 violations for a team, at the Head Referee's discretion.