The Event Qualification Guide explains how official VEX Robotics teams qualify for championship events, including the requirements for qualifying tournaments and advancement. It governs the qualification and advancement processes for the VEX V5 Robotics Competition, VEX IQ Robotics Competition, and VEX U Robotics Competition. Teams, coaches, Event Partners, volunteers, and organizations participating in these programs are expected to follow it throughout the competition season.
Terms used throughout are defined in the central Glossary.
The Global Robotics and Science Foundation is the nonprofit partner supporting official VEX Robotics competitions and the pathway to the 2027 VEX Robotics World Championship.
Every region, event, and community may face unique circumstances during the season. For adjustments, exceptions, operational considerations, or feedback on how the program can better support the robotics community, work directly with your Program Support Manager.
This guide may be updated, clarified, or revised throughout the season to reflect the evolving needs of competitions and events. The most current published version is always the official version.
Local Qualifying Events
To be considered an official qualifying event, an event must be approved by the Global Robotics and Science Foundation and must meet the current competition and safety expectations for the current season.
Qualifying status is not automatic. Before approving qualifying status or advancement allocations, Program Support Managers may review:
- Event type
- Region
- Program needs
- Team capacity
- Past event history
- Volunteer staffing
- Venue readiness
- Registration status
Requirements for an Official Qualifying Event
To receive and maintain official qualifying status, events must meet the following requirements:
- Use the current season VEX Robotics Competition game rules.
- Use the official event software, Tournament Manager.
- Have at least 16 registered teams.
- No single organization may exceed 25% of registered teams.
- Include a minimum of 6 qualification matches.
- Meet Robot Skills Challenge requirements, including:
- Teams must be given the opportunity to complete up to 3 Driver Skills attempts and 3 Autonomous Coding Skills attempts.
- Robot Skills Challenge matches must be completed at the conclusion of Qualification Matches.
- Use VEX Robotics Competition Certified Key Volunteers.
- Use Certified Head Referees and Certified Judge Advisors when judged awards are offered.
- Events may utilize Priority Registration.
- Non-judged events will receive a maximum of 2 advancement spots.
Posting and results deadlines (events.vex.com):
| Milestone | Timing |
|---|---|
| Event posted and visible | At least 1 week before registration opens |
| Registration opens | At least 8 weeks before the event date |
| Key Volunteers posted | At least 3 weeks before the event date |
| Official results uploaded | Within 48 hours of event completion |
Official qualifying events should provide teams with a fair, consistent, and meaningful competition experience. Events that do not meet published requirements may have their Event Partner status, award eligibility, or advancement allocation adjusted.
Approved events may advance teams to:
- Championship-level events
- The VEX Robotics World Championship
Event Types
The Global Robotics and Science Foundation recognizes that communities have different needs, team densities, and competition goals. To support those differences, several official event types may be used throughout the season. The table below summarizes each type; the sections that follow cover the specific requirements and limits for each.
| Event type | What it is | Advancement |
|---|---|---|
| Competition League | A series of league sessions over multiple dates, ending in a final league championship session | Awarded through the final league championship session; the Program Support Manager may approve additional opportunities. |
| Invitational Event | A limited-entry event using defined eligibility criteria | May offer advancement when approved by the Global Robotics and Science Foundation and all official qualifying-event requirements are met. |
| School-Based Event | Limited to teams affiliated with school districts, educational institutions, or other school-based organizations | Qualification spots are reviewed and set with the Program Support Manager. |
| Signature Event | A high-level event drawing teams from a broad region, nation, or internationally | Approved events offer direct advancement spots to the VEX Robotics World Championship. |
| Robot Skills-Only Event | Robot Skills matches only, with no qualification or elimination matches | No direct advancement; posts official Robot Skills scores used for rankings, championship qualification pathways, and waitlist consideration. |
| Open Tournament | Registration open to all eligible organization types in the program | Through the standard qualifying-event pathways: qualifying judged awards, performance awards, and Robot Skills rankings. |
Competition League
A Competition League must include:
- A minimum of 3 scheduled league sessions posted on events.vex.com.
- A final league championship session, in addition to the league sessions.
- Official match play using the current game rules.
- The opportunity for teams to complete up to 3 Driver Skills attempts and 3 Autonomous Coding Skills attempts at each league session.
- Official results uploaded within 48 hours of each league session.
The 25% organization registration limit does not apply to Competition Leagues.
Invitational Event
Participation may be limited by criteria such as event capacity, program needs, geographic considerations, school or organization type, or prior qualifications.
Event Partners may host 1 Invitational Event for each Open Tournament they host within the same competition program during the current season, unless otherwise approved by the Program Support Manager.
An Invitational Event must meet all requirements for an official Qualifying Event, plus:
- Clearly identify that the event is invitational or limited-entry.
- Publish the invitation or eligibility criteria before registration opens.
- Explain how teams are selected or invited to participate.
Work with your Program Support Manager to review event structure, eligibility criteria, advancement opportunities, and any regional considerations before the event is published.
School-Based Events
Event Partners may host 1 School-Based Event within a competition program. To host an additional School-Based Event within that same program, the Event Partner must also host an Open Qualifying Event for that program during the current competition season, unless otherwise approved by the Global Robotics and Science Foundation.
Work with your Program Support Manager to review event structure, eligibility criteria, qualification spots, and any regional considerations before the event is published.
Signature Events
For more information on hosting a VEX Robotics Signature Event, see the Signature Event Requirements Guide (coming soon).
Robot Skills-Only Events
Robot Skills-Only Events may be offered in person or through an approved Live Remote Skills (LRS) format. Live Remote Skills allows teams to complete official Robot Skills Challenge matches remotely under published procedures and event supervision standards. For more information on LRS events, contact your Program Support Manager.
Open Tournament
Participation may be limited by event capacity, program, grade level division, registration deadlines, and published event requirements.
Championship Events
Championship events are culminating competitions for a defined conference, region, state, province, country, or approved program pathway. Championship events may include Event Region Championships, State Championships, National Championships, or other approved championship events. Advancement opportunities from championship-level events may vary based on program, event size, regional participation, championship capacity, and seasonal qualification pathways.
Championship events must meet the requirements for an official Qualifying Event plus the following minimums:
| Resource | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| Competition fields | At least 2 per division |
| Qualification matches | At least 8 per team |
| Robot Skills fields | 1 per 16 teams (1 per 15 for VEX IQ Robotics Competition) |
| Practice fields | 1 per 32 teams (1 per 25 for VEX IQ Robotics Competition) |
| Certified Head Referees | 1 per competition field |
| Certified Judge Advisors | 1 per event |
Championship events must also provide:
- Adequate pit space and team support areas for all attending teams.
- Appropriate audience displays, pit displays, field timers, and event information displays for the size and structure of the event.
- Adequate volunteer staffing for competition fields, Robot Skills fields, practice fields, queuing, inspection, scoring, judging, field reset, and event support.
Championship-level events must provide a competition experience that reflects the importance of the event and the qualification pathway it supports. The Global Robotics and Science Foundation may review field counts, match schedules, volunteer staffing, venue layout, judging structure, and event operations before approving or finalizing a Championship-level event.
Event Posting and Season Deadlines
Official qualifying events should be submitted, reviewed, and published by the posted deadline for the current competition season. This gives teams enough time to register and helps the Global Robotics and Science Foundation manage event approval, qualification pathways, championship spot allocations, and regional planning.
The Global Robotics and Science Foundation reserves the right to approve, deny, modify, or limit qualifying status for events submitted after the published deadline.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Season registration opens | April 25, 2026 |
| Qualifying Event posting deadline | November 13, 2026 |
| Final date to host a Championship Event | March 16, 2027 |
| Robot Skills-Only Events deadline | 4 weeks before local Championship Event |
Team Eligibility
To participate in official Global Robotics and Science Foundation competitions, teams must:
- Be registered and paid for the current competition season on events.vex.com.
- Compete in the correct program and grade level as defined by the game manual.
- Follow all current game rules, event rules, and the Code of Conduct.
- Maintain eligibility throughout the season, including at qualifying events and championship events.
- Accept advancement invitations by the published deadline when applicable.
Advancement invitations are issued to the officially registered team number and program classification for the current season. Invitations are not transferable to another team, organization, program, or grade level.
Teams are responsible for reviewing published eligibility requirements and ensuring that their registration, roster, program, and grade-level information is accurate before competing.
Judged Awards and Advancement
Award criteria, interview expectations, Engineering Notebook requirements, and the judging process are defined in the Award Descriptions, Team Interviews, and Judging Engineering Notebooks articles, not repeated here. This section covers only how judged awards relate to qualification and advancement.
Award offerings and advancement eligibility vary by event type, program, and season. The Program Support Manager determines official qualifying awards and advancement pathways. Not all judged awards include advancement opportunities, so teams and Event Partners should review the Awards tab on the event page to see which awards may qualify a team for a championship event.
Qualifying Guidelines
- Events that include judging must offer the Excellence, Design, and Judges Award (see Awards and Recognition Structure).
- Teams must be given the opportunity to be interviewed if judged awards are offered.
- An Engineering Notebook submission and interview are required for all judged awards except the Judges Award, Sportsmanship Award, Inspire Award, and Energy Award.
- At blended events with at least 10 teams per grade level, the Excellence Award and Design Award must be offered for each grade level.
Robot Skills Challenge
Robot Skills Challenge rankings may be used as part of the advancement pathway to a Championship event. Teams should review the current official game manual for Robot Skills rules, procedures, and scoring requirements.
Robot Skills Challenge requirements:
- Event Partners must provide teams with the opportunity to complete up to 3 Driver Skills attempts and 3 Autonomous Coding Skills attempts, as allowed by the current official game manual.
- Robot Skills Challenge matches must be scheduled to give teams a reasonable opportunity to complete their official attempts.
- The Robot Skills Challenge must remain open through the end of Qualification Matches and close once Qualification Matches conclude. As a best practice, keep the Robot Skills field open for the full qualification period rather than closing it early, so every team has a fair opportunity to complete all of their attempts.
- Robot Skills Challenge scores must be uploaded with the official event results.
- Scores will be included in the World Skills Standings, found on events.vex.com.
Championship events may use the World Skills Standings to fill open spots when additional invitations are available. The ranking list used may vary by program, region, championship structure, and season. Robot Skills Challenge-based advancement is not guaranteed. Contact your Program Support Manager for more information.
How Teams Qualify
Teams may qualify for a Championship event, such as a State Championship, Regional Championship, or National Championship, through approved advancement pathways established for the current competition season. Qualification pathways may include:
| Pathway | How a team qualifies |
|---|---|
| Judged award | Earn a qualifying judged award at an official Qualifying Event |
| Performance award | Earn a qualifying tournament performance award at an official Qualifying Tournament |
| Robot Skills | Advance through Robot Skills rankings |
| League or Signature Event | Advance through an approved Competition League or a VEX Robotics Signature Event |
Official qualifying awards, advancement order, Robot Skills ranking deadlines, and spot allocations may vary by program, region, event type, and season. For official advancement pathways and spot allocation in your region, contact your Program Support Manager.
Teams are responsible for reviewing published qualification requirements, accepting invitations by the required deadline, and maintaining eligibility for the program in which they are competing.
Championship Spot Allocation
Championship spots are allocated separately by competition program and grade level. Each program and grade level may receive a different number of advancement opportunities based on current season registration, regional participation, championship capacity, and approved qualification pathways.
The number of advancement spots allocated to an event may vary based on:
- Event size
- Regional team density
- Program growth
- Competitive balance
- Championship capacity
- Strategic regional development
VEX Robotics World Championship spots are allocated separately from local or regional championship advancement spots. The Global Robotics and Science Foundation will publish VEX Robotics World Championship spot allocations on September 1, 2026, but may award bonus spots during the season once registration data, championship capacity, and qualification pathways are finalized. The Global Robotics and Science Foundation reserves the right to adjust advancement allocations throughout the season.
Double Qualifications
If a team earns multiple qualifications at the same Qualifying Event, VEX Robotics Signature Event, or Championship Event, the additional qualification spot will be awarded to the next eligible team on the Robot Skills Rankings from that event. Qualification is determined independently for each event; previous event results are not considered.
Advancement spots are assigned by program and grade level. Any reassigned advancement spot must remain within the same program and grade level. Event Partners should work with their Program Support Manager if they have questions about how to award a qualification spot.
Out-of-region teams are eligible for all awards and must be treated equally, but any Event Region Championship qualification spot they earn will transfer to the next highest non-qualified team on the Robot Skills ranking list.