Delaware

Odyssey

of the

Mind

Judges Training

2025 – 26

Learning Objectives

• Introduction to the Odyssey of the Mind program

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• Familiarization with judging responsibilities

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• Schedules and deadlines

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• Testing information

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History

Founder: Dr. Sam Micklus, college professor

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Unique challenge for his engineering students to test ingenuity & risk-taking

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�Creative problem-solving competition for children began in 1979 (under the supervision of Creative Competitions, Inc)

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�Program started in Delaware in 1980

Delaware Odyssey of the Mind (DEOotM)

Delaware affiliate of the international Odyssey of the Mind program (Creative Competitions, Inc.)�

An all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a board of directors governing body �

Provides training and support to coordinators, coaches, and judges�

Coordinates State Tournament�

Fosters partnerships with schools and organizations throughout the state

What is OotM?

A program where teams of students work together to solve original fun problems by using their creativity!

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All of that creativity is bottled into an eight-minute presentation

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You should expect...

The

Unexpected!

Odyssey Competition Levels

Teams compete in Divisions based on grade level of the oldest team member

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• Primary�students in kindergarten through 2nd grade (non-competitive)
• Division I�students in grades 3 – 5
• Division II�students in grades 6 – 8
• Division III�students in grades 9 – 12
• Division IV�college students and adults in continuing education programs (they compete only at the World Finals)

Team Composition

Div I – IV teams may have up to 7 members on a team

Teams may compete with fewer members; we recommend teams have at least 5 members

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Primary teams may have as many members as they want on a team

Long-term Problems

Div I – IV teams choose from one of five competitive long-term problems, each of which has a different subject matter:

Problem 1: Vehicle

Problem 2: Technical

Problem 3: Classics

Problem 4: Structure

Problem 5: Performance

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There is one special problem for Primary Teams only to solve

This one Primary problem features elements commonly associated with each of the five long-term problems

Components

to

Competition

Long Term Problem | 200 points

Style | 50 points

Spontaneous Problem | 100 points

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TOTAL OF 350 POINTS POSSIBLE

Score Components

Long Term (200 pts)�problems provided annually by CCI; teams work for months on their solution�

Style (50 pts)�scored as part of the long-term problem performance and has added elements that enhance the performance

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Spontaneous (100 pts)�teams solve a problem that is assigned to them when they walk into the room (they don’t know the problem in advance)� �- Verbal: respond to a prompt� �- Hands On: build something or manipulate materials� �- Verbal/Hands On: make or manipulate something then make a verbal response of some kind

Odyssey

is a Competition… and so much more!

Students: �

• Learn teamwork and collaboration

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• Gain independence and confidence, and learn to compromise

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• Learn to solve problems through critical and creative thinking and risk-taking

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Creativity and Risk Taking in Action

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Including:

• Create original characters and situations
• Artfully manipulate trash and recyclables
• Use common items in unexpected ways

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Failure can be a hallmark of creativity!

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Risk-taking through innovation �does not always mean the task is�successfully completed, but it can still be considered creative�

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Philosophy

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Judges:

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• Are responsible for making sure teams are treated fairly

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• Compliment teams regardless of the success of the solution

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• Assess penalties only when necessary

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Judging

Responsibilities

All Judges:

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• Must be present for the entire tournament day

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• Encourage teams and help them relax and have fun

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• Ensure teams are treated fairly and have a good experience at the tournament

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• Have to option to engage in one of many different roles - there is a volunteer position for everyone!

Judging

Conflict of Interest

Judges have access to problem information that could help a team maximize its score

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If a judge has a close relationship with a participating student or coach, that judge should not be assigned to the problem the student or coach is competing in

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If your judging assignment puts you in this situation talk to the Tournament Director or other tournament official so you can be reassigned to another problem

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Teachers/school personnel may judge teams from their own schools

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If you have any doubts, please contact the Problem Captain or Tournament Director

Judging

Safety Rules

Teams may not cause damage to the facility or injury to any person

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A list of items not permitted includes but is not limited to: �- live animals�- helium balloons that are not weighted down�- dry ice�- items that leave a residue�- fire in any form�- nudity, profanity, vulgarity, violent acts, and ethnic/racial slurs�

All team members must have their feet covered – the bottom of the feet must be covered by a material that is generally non-penetrable� Any team member who loses a foot covering � must stop performing until it is replaced

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Not following these rules can result �in a penalty being assessed

Judging

Safety Rules, cont

Only unmodified, commercially available sealed batteries may be used unless otherwise specified by a problem�

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Actual weapons are prohibited and will be confiscated�Replicas that look real are also prohibited�

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Read the Program Guide for a complete list of safety rules

Judging

Read the Problem Carefully

Words matter!

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Consult the problem glossary or the Program Guide Glossary if you are not sure of what a word or term means

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The Problem Captains will provide more information on the wording in the problem you are assigned to, and make sure everyone on the judging teams understands the wording

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Judging

Penalties

The listing of possible penalties and the points that can be assigned are found in the problem.

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These include:

• “Spirit of the Problem” violation
• Unsportsmanlike conduct
• Incorrect or missing membership sign (Note: if the sign falls over before the performance ends, it is not considered missing as long as it is visible during most of the performance)
• Outside assistance
• Over time limit (depending on the problem)
• Over cost limit

Judging

Scoring

Keep in mind:

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• Each problem has specific scoring criteria

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• Each team should be scored individually not compared to one another

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• Score consistently. Each judge does not have to award the same score as other judges but each judge needs to be consistent in how they score the teams

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• Ask questions! Answers given by team members should be considered when scoring

Long-Term Problem

Objective Scoring

• Partial credit cannot be scored, it is all or nothing (example: 0 or 5)

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• The problem will specify whether the team may have multiple attempts to complete the task that is receiving the score

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• All judges will have the same score for the same item. If no one saw it, award no score. If anyone on the Problem Team saw it, give the appropriate score. Judging teams should talk to one another if a judge is unsure about an item to be scored

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• Coaches can contest an objective score. HOWEVER, video/audio recordings cannot be used to validate objective scoring.

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Long-Term Problem

Subjective Scoring

Things to consider:�

• Read the problem wording carefully
• Follow the guidelines provided by the Problem Captain
• Give credit for the effort as well as the result
• Subjective scores are on a sliding scale (example 0 to 15)

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All the judges for that problem

should use the same rule interpretations�If there is confusion, �talk to the Problem Captain.

Long-Term Problem

Style

• Style is an opportunity for the team to showcase talents and interests
• The elements selected are usually the most creative embellishments of the presentation
• You may see musical, artistic, dance, design, engineering, or writing talent on display
• The team may strive to use unusual materials or materials in non-traditional ways
• Team members are responsible for choosing two of the elements to be scored (“Free choice of team”)

What Is It?

Some Examples

Style

Scoring

The four style elements should come together to enhance or elaborate the performance. The more the impact, the higher the score

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The team chooses what aspect(s) of its performance they want the judges to score for the two “Free Choice of Team” for the problem

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They may NOT select an item that is being scored in the long-term problem as one of their style items

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The description of the item to be scored as “Free Choice of Team” must be read carefully� Example: The clown character vs the� creative use of materials in the clown� costume � These are not the same!

Style

Spontaneous

Verbal Problem�Team gives responses to a problem. The judges listen and score each response as creative (5 points) or common (1 point)

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Hands On Problem�Team builds or manipulates something. The judges evaluate the teamwork, creativity, and success at meeting the objective

Hands On/Verbal Problem�A combination of the two requiring the team to build or manipulate something and give related verbal responses. The judges evaluate teamwork, creativity, and score each response as creative or common

Types of �Problems

Interactions with Team Members

Always be positive and supportive! �

Spontaneous:

• Read directions
• Answer questions

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Long-Term:

• Ask post performance questions
• Ask questions about outside assistance
• Write up sticky notes with positive messages, which are given to the team

Interactions with Team Members

APPLAUD! Then….

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• Look at their costumes, props, and sets up close

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• Ask questions about their creative and design process

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• Find out who built or made things

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• Encourage them to “brag” about who did what, and to explain their work

Post Performance Questions

Outside Assistance

A team’s solution is supposed to be theirs alone. OM is hands on for students, hands off for adults

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Gentle questioning will reveal quickly whose ideas you are seeing

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If you become aware someone not on the team contributed to the solution, discuss it with the judging team. � Example: a team member who is no longer on � the team or an adult (coach or other adult) � assisted the team with their solution in a way � that makes them an “8th team member”

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Remember outside assistance penalties are not punitive. Penalties level the playing field

What is that?

Sticky Notes

Just as important as the scores!

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• Long-term judges give the students positive feedback about their performance

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• Keep it positive!

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• Avoid superlatives (best, finest, most interesting)

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• Avoid outside assistance. Example: no suggestions on how to improve their performance

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What are those?

Problem Captain

The Problem Captain, or PC, is the state authority on the problem.

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If you have any questions or concerns during the problem-specific training or the tournament, see the Problem Captain.

Judging Positions

Head Judge

The Head Judge is the Judging Team Leader.

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• Liaison between Judges, Coaches, and PCs
• Deliver scores to coaches, answer questions, and manage difficult situations. The PC may intervene as well if additional assistance is needed (for example, coach is not satisfied with an explanation, or the situation escalates)
• Must be very familiar with the problem and penalties
• Discuss any large penalties with the judging team so it can be presented properly to the coach (for example: why the penalty was assessed)
• Manage the schedule and teams with issues. Example: a car accident on the way or a broken prop – teams can be rescheduled to later in the day or during a break if necessary
• Report single penalties of more than 25 points to the PC and the Tournament Director
• At the end of the day, report to the PC and/or the Score Room to make sure all score sheets are in and there are no questions. Then release the judging team to go home

Judging Positions

Non-scoring Judging Positions

The first point of contact with the team

• Review paperwork with team, allow the team members (not the coach) to fix clerical errors. Example: the team wrote Free Choice of Team on their Style form rather than the aspect of the performance they want the judges to score
• Check the team sign – it must include the official membership name, but other information is allowed. Membership numbers are no longer issued
• Personal jewelry on team members – check to see whether it has anything to do with their solution. If so, it should be listed on the cost form. If not, it doesn’t need to be included
• First safety checkpoint – look for items that are not allowed (example: dry ice)
• Non-team members (including coaches, parents, or other adults) may help move solution items into Check-in and Staging areas
• If the Staging Area Judge has concerns about the team’s solution they should make notes on the Staging Area (SA) Checklist for the judging team to assess after the performance. Example: if outside assistance is suspected

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Most importantly keep the team calm

and have fun

Staging Area

Judge

�Non-scoring Judging Position

• This is the second judge to talk to the team during competition�
• Have consistent interactions with teams – do not indicate if you know the coach or team (avoid the appearance of bias)�
• Welcome the audience and introduce team. This sets the tone - think warm up act�
• Start time and depending on the problem criteria may stop the team when time is up�
• Stop time when team signals it is finished�
• Help keep the judging team on schedule

Timekeeper

Non-scoring Judging Positions

Review judges’ score sheets

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Enter scores into the computer

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Check entered scores for accuracy against the written score sheets

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Interact with the score room

Score

Checker

Non-scoring Judging Positions

This judging position is only with Problem 4

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• Interact with all of the teams in Problem 4

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• Weigh and measure all structures

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• Allow the team to make changes so they can meet criteria

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Weigh In

Judge

Judging Positions

• Carefully record and score what you have seen
• Each judge should be consistent from team to team when interpreting the rules
• Judges on the team may score the subjective scoring items differently (Example: Judge 1 gives a 10 and Judge 2 gives an 8)
• Address differences on scoring interpretations with the Head Judge and possibly the Problem Captain - every judge should agree on the interpretation
• On objective scoring items, if one judge sees it, then all judges saw it and can score it
• Look at the solution up close during Q&A with the team
• Ask questions that encourage the team to talk or even “brag” about their accomplishments
• Show appreciation for every performance

Long Term Problem Judges

Judging Positions

• Evaluate and score consistently throughout the day�
• Look at the solution up close during Q&A with the team�
• Ask questions that encourage the team to talk or even “brag” about their accomplishments�
• No double dipping – if an item has been scored in the long-term problem it may not be scored for style�
• Show appreciation for every performance

Style

Judges

Judging Positions

Each team completes a spontaneous problem

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Requires impromptu problem-solving skills and effective teamwork

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The judge must observe responses and record the score

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Evaluate creativity and teamwork

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Spontaneous

Judges

Judging Positions

Should one of the teams question a scoring element and it cannot be resolved first by the head judge, then by the PC, the team may request a tribunal.

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Teams may only request a tribunal for objective scores where the question is an interpretation of the rules.

Tribunals

Long-term Problems

Each year new long-term problems are provided by Odyssey of the Mind international.

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The following are the �2025 - 2026 problems...

2025 – 26

Problems

2025 – 26

Problems

2025 – 26

Problems

2025 – 26

Problems

2025 – 26

Problems

2025 – 26

Problems

Special Awards

• Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award

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• OMER’s Award

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Judges should always remember to consider these two awards when they see something that

is out of the ordinary!

Special Awards

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Most highly coveted award in the Odyssey of the Mind program

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Awarded to teams or individuals who exhibit exceptional creativity through their problem solution

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Success is not a criterion – the award is a way to acknowledge creative thinking and risk taking

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Award winners automatically advance to next level of competition

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Only long term, style, or spontaneous judges may make this nomination

Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award

Special Awards

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Named for the raccoon mascot of Odyssey of the Mind

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Recognizes teams or individuals who demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship, exemplary behavior, or exceptional talent

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Students, Coaches, parents, supporters, and tournament officials/judges, and volunteers are all eligible to nominate or be nominated

OMER’s Award

Wrapping �It Up!

• What makes a great judge or official?

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• What are the important dates?

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• What do I need to do next?

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Make It Fun!

• Wear a ‘creative’ hat! This will be discussed during your problem-specific training. Some judging teams have a theme

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• Help create and provide a witty response to “Judges, are you ready?”

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• Laugh and smile to make the team members laugh and smile!

What Makes a Good Official?

• Be punctual

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• Know the rules of your problem

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• Score consistently

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• Don’t look to penalize

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So what makes a great �Odyssey of the Mind judge?

What Makes a Great Official?

A Great Attitude!

Smile

Relax the team

Enjoy the performances

Congratulate the teams

Have fun!

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Calendar

Delaware State Tournament �

Saturday, March 28, 2026�

Smyrna High School

500 Duck Creek Parkway

Smyrna, DE 19977

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You must be available ALL DAY

Problem Specific Training

Judges Problem Specific Training

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Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Saturday, March 14, 2026 | 9:00 - 11:00 AM

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Lake Forest Central Elementary School

5424 Killens Pond Road

Felton, DE 19943

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Only attend one of the trainings, �based on your schedule

Next

Steps

Your training as a judge is not complete until you take the General Rules Certification Test

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To take the online test go to:

tinyurl.com/DEOMJudgeTest2026

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This is a 20-question test. You may go back and review the slides. It’s an open book test!

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If you score below 14 points or below, please review these slides and retake the test until you score at least 15 points

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The important thing is you understand the general rules!

Resources

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Association Director – �Stephanie Wagner

Email: stephanie@deootm.org

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Co-Director of State Tournament / Training Committee Chair / Coaches Mentor – �Rebecca Lowe

Email: rebecca@deootm.org

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Co-Director of State Tournament / Communications Director / Coordinator Mentor – �Pam Hobbs

Email: pam@deootm.org

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Training Committee Member – �Jen Wursta

Email: jen@deootm.org

DEOotM

Contacts

Thank You

Thank you for volunteering!

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We would not have

a successful tournament

without you