Note: For the full list of judged awards, along with their descriptions, criteria, and other information, please see the ADC Judged Award Descriptions & Criteria.
This resource can help guide judges’ deliberations. Event partners and judge advisors may wish to print the award descriptions and laminate them or place them in plastic sheet protectors for use at multiple events.
Not all events will present every award. Judge advisors should consult with their event partner to determine which awards will be presented at their event.
ADC Judged Awards
Required awards at qualifying events:
- All-Around Champion
- Communications Mission Champion
- Coding Award
- Airmanship Award
- Judges Award
- Inspire*
* optional, not included in standard trophy pack
All-Around Champion
The All-Around Champion recognizes a team that excels in both the judged award and performance award categories. This team demonstrates outstanding competition performance, high quality written and verbal communications skills and exemplary team conduct, sportsmanship and professionalism.
Key criteria of the All-Around Champion are:
- Submission of a competition notebook is required.
- Be at or near the top of rubric rankings.
- Be ranked in the top 50% of qualification rankings at the conclusion of qualifying alliance/teamwork matches.
- Be ranked in the top 50% of solo skills rankings at the conclusion of solo autonomous flight and solo piloting matches.
- Participation in both the solo piloting mission and the solo autonomous flight mission is required, with a score of greater than 0 in each mission.
- Be a candidate in consideration for other judged awards.
Exhibit positive team conduct, good sportsmanship, and professionalism.
Additional notes:
- All-Around Champion criteria, including performance metrics, are intended as a threshold for eligibility. Qualitative judgment on the part of judges is needed to determine an All-Around Champion from among eligible candidates.
- Events with multiple grade levels may award one All-Around Champion Award per grade level when eligibility requirements are met. Blended events must have at least 10 registered teams from each participating grade level two weeks before the event. See the qualifying criteria for more information.
- In the instance of two All-Around Champions being awarded at an event, teams are to be compared only among teams of the same grade level.
- For events with a single All-Around Champion Award, percentages are based on the number of teams
at the event. For blended grade level events with two grade specific All-Around Champion Awards,
percentages are based on the number of teams in each grade level award.
Communications Mission Champion
The Communications Mission Champion recognizes a team that demonstrates an organized, systematic, and professional approach to written and verbal communication, as demonstrated through their team interview and competition notebook.
Judges Award
The Judges Award recognizes a team that the judges felt were deserving of special recognition.
Coding Award
The Coding Award recognizes the team with the most effective and consistent use of coding techniques and programming design solutions used in the solo autonomous flight matches. This award is earned by a team that demonstrates a solid understanding of programming concepts and documented multiple iterations to find programming solutions.
Airmanship Award
The Airmanship Award is awarded to a team that consistently exhibits good judgment, demonstrates well-developed skills to accomplish mission objectives, and is dedicated to understanding and maintaining drone safety rules and regulations.
Judges Award
The Judges Award recognizes a team that the judges felt were deserving of special recognition.
Inspire Award*
The Inspire Award recognizes a team that exhibits passion for the competition and positivity at the event.
* optional, not included in the standard trophy pack
Additional Awards
These can be determined solely by the judges or event volunteers can nominate teams for these awards. There is no nomination process for any other award type.
- Sportsmanship Award
- Energy Award
- Team Spirit Award
Sportsmanship Award
The Sportsmanship Award recognizes a team that exhibits a high degree of good sportsmanship, helpfulness,
respect, and a positive attitude both on and off the competition field at the event.
Energy Award
The Energy Award recognizes a team that exhibits outstanding enthusiasm and excitement at the event.
Team Spirit Award
The Team Spirit Award recognizes a team that has an approach to team identity, image, and theme that unifies team logos, uniforms, and overall aesthetics.
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Section 6: Competition Notebook Content and Design