Official Event Info

Qualifying Tournaments and Championships

Official tournaments are orchestrated by our Operational Partners, who are sanctioned by FIRST to run an FLL region, a commitment which includes recruiting a Planning Committee and providing year round support. Some regions are large enough to have both a Championship tournament and Qualifying tournaments; some regions only have a Championship, but will add Qualifiers as they grow.

FLL regions are not defined by state/province/country. Many states, provinces, and countries have more than one FLL region and some regions cross state/province/country lines, as with the Virginia/DC region in the US. Some Operational Partners allow teams from outside their defined region to participate in their tournament(s); some can only accept resident teams due to venue size. Each Operational Partner determines what makes the most sense for their region.

If a team exists in an area that is not yet defined by an FLL region, they can contact the Operational Partner(s) nearest to them about participating in their tournament(s). To find events in your area, go to your country's website.

  Team Profile Sheet (Note: Please save this form to your computer prior to filling it out/printing it)
Some regions refer to these as Team Introduction, Team Profile or Team Information Pages; others prefer to use their own form.  As each region determines if/how this form will be used (for example they may collect in advance via email or ask you to bring multiple copies to provide directly to the judges),  please check with your local event organizer if you have any questions regarding plans for use in your area.

World Festival

World Festival is the only official tournament operated by the FIRST organization. In 2011, World Festival moved to St. Louis, MO USA. In the past, World Festival has taken place at the Georgia Dome and World Congress Center (home of the 1996 Olympics) in Atlanta, GA USA and EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL USA.

World Festival is a culminating celebration of the FLL season, NOT a level of competition. Regions are selected by lottery to send their 1st Place Champion's Award winning team to World Festival. World Festival hosts about 85 teams each year. World Festival is a beautiful mix of cultures and skill sets, a true celebration of FLL.

Invitational Open Championships

Operational Partners can also choose to apply to run an officially-sanctioned Invitational Open Championship. Like World Festival, these tournaments are a celebration of the season. However, each Operational Partner chooses how to invite teams to these events.

Invitational Open Championships are by host INVITATION ONLY due to limited capacity.  Generally, invited regions will make this opportunity available to Champion’s Award winning teams from a Championship event.

2011 Food Factor Invitational Open Championships