Occasionally judges reach an award and no team on the shortlist for the awards clearly meets every criterion. This article explains how Judge Advisors guide judges to reach that decision.
Award criteria are published in Award Descriptions, and which awards an event offers is covered in Awards Offered at Competition Events. For how deliberations run, see Participating in Judging Deliberations and Facilitating Judging Deliberations.
Confirm the Gap is Real
This situation may arise from incomplete information rather than an absent candidate. Before concluding that no team meets the criteria, confirm that:
- Notebook evaluations and interview rankings are complete, and every team has been evaluated using the published criteria and processes.
- The judges who met each candidate have spoken. A team looks weaker than it is when the group that interviewed it hasn't shared what they heard.
- Qualification and Skills rankings are final and correct. For Excellence, review the Excellence Award Eligibility Report after the last Qualification Match.
Document the Decision
Once the room decides, the Judge Advisor write a short note recording which criteria no team fully met for that given award. A few sentences is enough. Submit it to the Event Partner along with the award winners.