Event Qualifying Criteria for VEX AIR Drone Competitions

This article explains how VEX AIR teams qualify for and advance to championship events. It covers qualifying event requirements, event types, deadlines, team eligibility, awards, Drone Skills, and how championship spots are allocated. It is written for Event Partners, coaches, teams, and volunteers at Global Robotics & Science Foundation VEX AIR Drone Competition events.

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

For the qualifying criteria of the other VEX Robotics Competition Programs, see Event Qualifying Criteria. For registration timing, see Priority Registration and Tokens.

Every region is different. If your event needs an adjustment or exception, contact your Program Support Team. For game rules and terms, see the current VEX AIR Game Manual.

Qualifying Event Requirements

The Program Support Team must approve every official VEX AIR Qualifying Event. Each event must:

• Use the current season's VEX AIR Game Manual.
• Run on the official event software.
• Have at least 12 registered teams. If your event has fewer than 12 teams, contact your Program Support Team.
• Meet one of these balance rules: no single organization makes up more than 30% of teams, or the event has at least 3 different organizations.
• Schedule at least 4 Qualification Matches per team. If some teams get an extra Match, that Match does not count toward rankings.
• Offer every team up to 3 Piloting Skills and 3 Autonomous Skills attempts, all completed before Qualification Matches end.
• Use VEX Certified Key Volunteers.
• Use a Certified VEX AIR Head Referee who is at least 18 and is not connected to any team at the event.
• Use a Certified Judge Advisor when Judged Awards are offered.

Other Rules for Qualifying Events

• Events may use Priority Registration. See Priority Registration and Tokens.
• Events without judging can award up to 2 advancement spots, given to the Teamwork Champions.
• The Global Robotics & Science Foundation can approve exceptions to any requirement or deadline. To request one, contact your Program Support Team by submitting a Regional Support Request.
• An event that does not meet these requirements may lose its qualifying status, award eligibility, or advancement spots.

Posting and Results Timeline

VEX AIR Event Types

Communities have different needs, so the VEX AIR season includes several types of official events. Each type must also meet the qualifying event requirements above.

League

A League is one tournament held over several sessions. It has at least 3 ranking sessions, at least 1 week apart, with at least 2 Qualification Matches per team at each. A League Finals session ends the League and may add more Qualification Matches.

Drones are inspected at every session. At each ranking session, a team may play up to 3 Piloting Skills and 3 Autonomous Skills Matches. A team's League Skills score is its best Piloting plus Autonomous total from a single session, not its best of each type from different sessions.

Invitational Event

Before registration opens, the event listing must say that the event is invitational and explain how teams are chosen. An Event Partner may host one qualifying Invitational Event for each Open Tournament they host in VEX AIR that season.

School-Based Event

An Event Partner may host one School-Based Event in VEX AIR each season. To host a second one, they must also host an Open Tournament that season.

Signature and Spotlight Events

A Signature Event is a destination competition with stronger production and a memorable setting. A Spotlight Event centers on a unique experience, venue, theme, or community partner. A Regional Spotlight Event can qualify teams for its regional championship. A Signature Event or a Multi-Region Spotlight Event can qualify teams for the VEX Robotics World Championship.

In-Person Skills-Only Event

An In-Person Skills-Only Event has only Piloting Skills and Autonomous Skills Matches, with no Qualification or Finals Matches. If it meets the minimum requirements, it posts official scores to the Global Skills rankings.

Championship Event

A Championship Event is the top event for a VEX AIR region or country. The Program Support Team sets how many championships run each season and how many divisions and teams each one has.

Championship Events must meet every qualifying event requirement and have:

• At least 2 Match Fields per division. All Match Fields must be the same throughout the event.
• At least 1 Skills Field / practice field. All Skills Fields must match each other.
• Head Referees, Judge Advisors, and other Key Volunteers.
• Pit space, displays, field timers, queuing, inspection, scoring, and judging space.

The Program Support Team may review the venue, schedule, staffing, safety plan, and operations before approving a championship.

VEX AIR Season Deadlines

Events submitted after a deadline may be approved, denied, changed, or given limited qualifying status. Regional deadlines may differ, so check with your Program Support Team.

Team Eligibility

To compete in official VEX AIR events, your team must:

• Be registered and paid for the current VEX AIR season.
• Meet the Student Eligibility Policy.
• Follow the game rules, event rules, safety requirements, and Code of Conduct.
• Stay eligible all season, including at qualifying and championship events.
• Accept any advancement invitation by the deadline in your qualification email.

An invitation belongs to your team number for this season. You cannot transfer it to another team, organization, or program unless the Program Support Team approves an exception.

Before you compete, check that your registration is correct.

Judged Awards and Advancement

VEX AIR Judged Awards include the Excellence Award and the Mission Planning Award. Each event's listing shows which awards it offers and which ones qualify teams for a championship.

• When an event offers judging, every team gets the chance to interview. Interviews take place with the Drone on the ground.
• If an event has more than one division, the Global Robotics & Science Foundation sets the award limits for each division.
• Award criteria, interviews, and Mission Notebook expectations are described in VEX AIR Drone Competition Award Descriptions.

Drone Skills Challenge

At a tournament, a team's Skills score is its best Piloting Skills score plus its best Autonomous Skills score. In a League, it is the team's best combined total from a single ranking session. For example, a team that scores 45 Piloting and 25 Autonomous in one session (70) and 42 Piloting and 30 Autonomous in another (72) has a League Skills score of 72.

• A team may play up to 3 Piloting Skills and 3 Autonomous Skills Matches per tournament. In a League, the limit applies to each ranking session.
• Teams play Skills Matches between their Qualification Matches and must complete them before Qualification Matches end. To play Skills Matches, a team must attend all of its scheduled Qualification Matches. A team cannot skip a Qualification Match to play Skills.
• Skills Matches run on open Skills Fields or through the Event Partner's sign-up process. The event listing must say how sign-up works and when Skills Fields close.
• Skills Matches always use Scoring System A. Event Partners upload Skills scores with the event results.

Skills rankings lead to advancement only when they are part of the published VEX AIR qualification pathway.

How Teams Qualify for a Championship

Teams can qualify for a VEX AIR Championship Event in these ways:

• Judged Award: Win a qualifying Judged Award at an official Qualifying Event.
• Performance Award: Win a qualifying Performance Award, such as Teamwork Champions, at an official Qualifying Event.
• Drone Skills: Rank high enough in the Global Skills rankings.
• League, Signature, or Spotlight Event: Advance through a pathway approved for that event type.

The awards that receive qualifying spots, based on how many spots an event has, are listed under Awards by Qualifying Spots in VEX AIR Drone Competition Award Descriptions. The order in which spots are given out and the ranking deadlines are published each season and may differ by region, event type, and division.

Skills-Based Invitations

If Global Skills rankings are used for invitations, the Global Robotics & Science Foundation decides the ranking date, the number of invitations, and the eligibility rules.

Championship Spot Allocation

Championship spots are allocated separately for each VEX AIR region. The Program Support Team sets the number of spots based on event size, team density, growth, and championship capacity. See the current VEX AIR allocation chart [link needed].

VEX Robotics World Championship spots, if offered, are allocated separately from regional spots. Allocations may change during the season as registration and capacity change.

Double Qualifications and Unused Spots

Sometimes a team earns two qualifying spots at the same event, or a qualifying award is not given out. When that happens:

• The spot is reassigned under the published rules of the Global Robotics & Science Foundation.
• If Global Skills rankings are used, the spot stays in the same region.
• Teams from outside the region can win awards, but they cannot take that region's championship spots.

The Program Support Team assigns double qualifications after the event.

Waitlist

Each Qualifying Event has a payment deadline. Teams must pay the event fee or send a purchase order by that date. A team that has not paid may be moved to the waitlist.

When a place opens, the Event Partner moves a waitlisted team into the event. The team gets one email confirming the move and another saying an invoice is ready. The invoice is in the coach dashboard under My Orders. Teams added from the waitlist follow the same payment rules as other teams.

If you have a payment problem, tell the Event Partner before the deadline.