Qualifying Events and Their Requirements

This article explains what makes a VEX Robotics Competition event a qualifying event, the requirements a qualifying event must meet, and the deadlines that shape an event plan. It is written for Event Partners deciding whether to host a qualifying event and for those preparing one.

Definitions of the terms used here are maintained in the central glossary.

If you are still choosing your event type, start with Types of VEX Robotics Competition Events.

What “Qualifying” Means

A qualifying event is an officially sanctioned event, approved by your Program Support Team, where teams can earn advancement opportunities toward Championship Events and, ultimately, the VEX Robotics World Championship.

Qualifying status is not automatic. Before approving it, your Program Support Team may consider your event type, region, program needs, team capacity, past event history, volunteer staffing, venue readiness, and registration status.

What a Qualifying Event Requires

To receive and maintain qualifying status, your event must:

• Use the current season VEX Robotics Competition game rules.
• Use the official event software, Tournament Manager.
• Register at least sixteen teams. If registration falls below sixteen, work with your Program Support Team.
• Limit any single organization to no more than twenty-five percent of registered teams. Your Program Support Team can help address exceptional circumstances. (This limit does not apply to Competition Leagues.)
• Include at least six Qualification Matches per team.
• Offer each team the opportunity to complete up to three Driver Skills attempts and three Autonomous Coding Skills attempts, with all Robot Skills Challenge matches completed no later than the conclusion of Qualification Matches.
• Use certified key volunteers: a Certified Head Referee and, when judged awards are offered, a Certified Judge Advisor.
• Upload official results within forty-eight hours of event completion.

Events that do not meet these requirements may have their Event Partner status, award eligibility, or advancement allocation adjusted. If your event runs into trouble meeting a requirement, reach out to your Program Support Team early.

Judged Awards at Qualifying Events

Judged awards bring a few qualifying guidelines of their own:

• Events that include judging must give the Excellence Award, the Design Award, and the Judges Award.
• Every team must be given the opportunity to be interviewed when judged awards are offered.
• Blended events with at least ten teams per level must give the Excellence Award and Design Award for each level.
• Not all judged awards carry advancement. Check the Awards tab on your event page to see which awards qualify teams for Championship Events.

Non-judged events receive a maximum of two advancement spots, awarded to the Tournament Champions. Full judging procedures, award criteria, and Engineering Notebook requirements live in the Competition Judging Overview.

Posting Timeline and Deadlines

Qualifying events follow a posting timeline on events.vex.com:

• The event must be posted and visible at least one week before registration opens.
• Registration must open at least eight weeks before event day.
• Key volunteers must be posted at least three weeks before event day.
• Official results must be uploaded within forty-eight hours of event completion.
• Each season also has a qualifying event posting deadline.

Events may use Priority Registration, which gives teams an early window to register before general registration opens. For the 2026–2027 season, a local event’s Priority Registration window runs until eight weeks before the event, or for the first two weeks of registration if the event opens inside eight weeks. Teams begin the season with three Local Event Registrations and three Priority Registrations to use. See Priority Registration and Tokens for how that period works.

Events submitted after the posting deadline are not guaranteed qualifying status: the Global Robotics and Science Foundation may approve, deny, modify, or limit qualifying status for late submissions.

Key Dates for the 2026–2027 Season

How Teams Advance from Your Event

Teams can qualify for Championship Events by earning a qualifying judged award, earning a qualifying tournament performance award, advancing through Robot Skills rankings, or advancing through an approved Competition League, Spotlight Event, or VEX Robotics Signature Event. Talk with your Program Support Team about the advancement pathways for your specific event.