Contest FAQ's

Does our machine have to complete the task?

Yes. The last step in your machine must complete the annual task. However, you are free to have steps after the task is completed, even though they do not count toward your step count.

What division should my team be in? What are the differences between the Divisions? Can I compete in multiple Divisions?

To even the playing field, we have separated competitions into 4 different divisions. Elementary School (grades 3-5), Middle School (grades 6-8), High School (grades 9-12), and Adult (anyone age 18+).

There is almost no difference between scoring for each division, but regardless of age or grade level, you may only compete in one Division with a single team.

Are there do-overs or voids if the machine performs poorly right from the beginning?

No. Once the first step of the machine is triggered, you must finish the run by completing the task regardless of the number of interventions it requires. Your team performs 3 runs to help average out the scores. A maximum of 10 interventions across your 3 runs will be allowed (deduction of 2 points each for a maximum loss of 20 points).

What if our machines takes longer than 15 minutes to reset?

If your machine has taken longer than 15 minutes to reset and it is your team's turn to perform either your second or third run, then a deduction of 5 points for "delay of game" will result for each occurrence.

Remember: All penalties are deducted from your final scores.

Can I enter a machine that has been previously built for the RGMC or has been posted online?

No. All entries must be new machines built for entry into the current RGMC season.

What is a step?

Steps are a transfer of energy from one action to another action. Identical transfers of energy in succession will be counted as 1 total step (ie dominoes).

Referees will review your team's submitted step list for accuracy and award points based on the correct total number of steps it takes your machines to solve the task. Parallel steps are NOT recommended as they tend to be difficult to follow. Any parallel steps also do NOT add to your overall step count.

What is a touch/human intervention?

Any physical touching or action to continue the operation of the machine after the machine begins an official contest run counts as an intervention. A machine MUST complete the task in order to be scored, therefore if multiple human interventions are necessary to complete a run, the overall score will be significantly less than a "perfect run", or a run with 0 interventions. Multiple interventions on the same step in the same contest run count as a single touch until you're able to restart your machine. ANY team member may intervene as necessary.

Can programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or microcontrollers be used?

Yes, but for aesthetic elements ONLY - lights, sounds, scenery movement, etc. PLCs used in the chain reaction sequence or used as "fail-safes" will result in immediate disqualification.

Why the addition of penalties on the Scorekeeper form? Who is watching for penalty violations?

Penalties have always been a part of the RGMC, however, the structuring and enforcement have been improved. Contest officials and scoring personel, including Judges, Referees, and Timekeepers, are watching for the penalties outlined in the rulebook and will report them to the Scorekeepers.

What if our machine skips steps during one of our runs?

Regardless if via intervention, accident, or on purpose, the final number of steps will be counted only for the steps that successfully worked for that particular run.

Can we have a human in our machine?

Yes, in fact it's a scored category! The inclusion of a human will earn your team additional points. A maximum of one human may be incorporated inside of the machine during the run (known as the "Volunteer"). The Volunteer must be a registered team member. The Volunteer may NOT touch or assist with anything in order to affect a transfer of energy: dong so will be viewed as an intervention and lower the scoring for the machine. The Volunteer may also be situated outside or stradling the machine boundary as necessary. A different human (team member or not) IS ALLOWED to start the machine if you want audience involvement.

Which of our team members can give the presentation before our first machine run? How many times do we deliver our presentation?

Any and all members! We don't specify a limit, so it can be the whole team (and often is). Be creative and add to your overall theme and narrative: dress up, sing a song (be in tune for all our ears' sake), recite a poem, have fun with it! After the 2 minute official presentation and once the machine run begins, your team may choose to continue your theatrical elements (if you choose).

Your team will only deliver the presentation ONCE before your very first machine run at the World Championship. For subsequent runs, your team may choose to do a brief skit, however, the 2nd and 3rd machine runs will need to occur fairly quickly once the emcee gives the go-ahead. Defer to the scoring personnel at your Regional/International competitions.

Is there a limit of plugging into a power strip and running more than two cords inside our machine?

Two auxillary umbilicals per machine. This can be air, electrical, water, etc. Once in the boundary of the machine, it's part of the machine and thus able to be distributed as needed.

Would an inadvertent object leaving the machine boundaries affect our team's score?

No. Accidents happen, and months of work should not be ruined due to the wrong trajectory of a small piece of plastic or a water droplet. That said, while accidental objects are permissible to leave the bounds of the machine, they must not pose any hazard to participants and observers. A stray balloon is one thing, a rogue shard of glass is another entirely. If the same object "accidentally" leaves the machine during multiple runs, that is no longer considered an accident, and the validity of a machine run would be taken into question. Pre-planned objects flying beyond the machine's boundaries are allowed with PRIOR safety approval.

How do we make our machine funny?

Funny usually begins with the theme of your machine. Try to tell us a story through your RGM. One of the funniest machines we've seen in competition told the history of the world, from the Big Bang to the apocalypse - and in the end completed the task to WATER A PLANT. Just from the get-go, that machine was funny! And as your machine runs, it should tell a story in the most ridiculous way possible. Try to keep in mind that story-telling is usually done in 3 acts and unfolds in a similar way to a chain reaction. The first act is an introduction and the problem is identified. The second act is where the problem peaks. And the third act, through a series of heroic actions, the problem resolves! Funny can take the form of adding people into your machine, or employing the family pet to participate. And finally, the more random the objects in your machine, the funnier the machine will be. Get inspired by countless Rube Goldberg Machines on our YouTube channel or go to the gallery of Rube's invention cartoons. There's no shortage of "funny" in the world of Rube Goldberg!

Who are the judges for this contest?

The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest is judged by a large group of colleagues who work with the Institute, including educators, artists, media, publishing, and entertainment professionals, plus every year a team from our annual task sponsor.

What if we can't pay the $79 team registration fee?

A limited number of scholarships are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please contact rube@rubegoldberg.org for more information and include a brief explanation of why the scholarship is needed.