2008-2009

Rules for 4th, 5th, Upper Elementary, Mid Level & Freshmen Academic Bowl Tournaments

Format
The game will be played in three periods:
The first and third period will each have 20 toss-up questions.
The second period will be a ten question team question.

Toss up question
1. Each toss-up question will be worth ten (10) points.
2. Once the moderator has finished reading a question , it will not be repeated.

Answering the question
3. A toss-up question is a free response question. The first team member to respond will be given the opportunity to answer the question. Any active player may respond.
4. Students may not confer before answering a toss-up question. Conferring is defined as: students work together to achieve an answer. Conferring can be done by talking, writing or hand signals. All forms of conferring will be counted as incorrect response.
5. To answer the question a student must be the first to buzz in.
6. The first answer given by the student is the answer to be taken by the judge. A student may not change their answer.

Time
7. After the question is completed, students must buzz in before ten seconds have expired. Exception - mathematics and science computation
8. For mathematics or science computation questions - Once the question has been read, the students will have 15 seconds to work the problem before buzzing in with a response. The moderator will say, “This is a math question” or "This is a computation question" before reading the question.

Being Recognized by the officials
9. The chief judge will call on the student to answer by calling the students name “Mary”. (If opposing teams have students with the same name, the chief judge will identify the town “Bugtussle” then the name.)
10. The student may not answer until called on to do so.
4th, 5th & Upper Elementary ONLY:
11. If the student does not wait to be called on before beginning his/her answer the chief judge will issue a warning. The warning will be the first and only warning given for that round. It will serve as a warning to both teams.
12. After the initial warning if the student does not wait to be called upon before beginning his/her answer the answer will not be accepted. The chief judge will say, “That is an incorrect response, you did not wait to be recognized before you gave your answer.” The chief judge will not indicate if the given answer was correct or incorrect. The opposing team will be given the opportunity to answer the question.
Mid Level & Freshmen:
11. The warning about waiting to be called upon read in the opening statement of each round will serve as the only warning for the round.
12. If the student does not wait to be called upon before beginning his/her answer, the answer will not be accepted. The chief judge will say, “That is an incorrect response, you did not wait to be recognized before you gave your answer.” The chief judge will not indicate if the given answer was correct or incorrect. The opposing team will be given the opportunity to answer the question.

Rebounding the Question
13. If the answer given by the first responding team is incorrect, the moderator will call for an answer from the opposing team. “I’m sorry, that’s incorrect, ______do you have an answer?”
14. Even if the initial 10 or 15 seconds has expired, the team not ruled as incorrect will be given the opportunity to answer the question missed by the first responding team.
15. The opposing team member must signal and be recognized before the answer is given.
16. If both teams are incorrect, the correct answer will be given by the moderator.

Buzzing in Early
17. It is not necessary for players to wait until a toss-up question has been completed to respond.
18. The moderator will stop reading the question immediately when a student buzzes in to answer a question.
19. If the interrupting student answers incorrectly, the moderator will finish reading the question for the opposing team by picking up the question in a logical spot. The opposing team must buzz in and be recognized before giving an answer.
20. If the moderator has been interrupted, once a question has been read, the students will have ten (10) seconds in which to buzz-in. If neither team buzzes in the moderator will read the correct answer.

Immediate Response
21. Once a student is recognized by the chief judge an immediate response must be begun.
22. An immediate response is defined as allowing for a natural pause (no more than 3 seconds) once the students name has been called before he/she begins their answer.

Stalling
23. Stalling will be called if the student takes more than a three count to begin an answer.
24. Once the answer has been begun, the student may not stall while giving the answer.
25. The student should not preface his/her answer with a “stalling phrases”. An example of a stalling phrase is: “The answer is “ or “I think the answer is”. Once the student has been recognized the actual content of the answer should be begun within a 3 second period.
26. Stalling is handled like an incorrect response. The moderator will not identify the response as being correct or incorrect. “Stall. _______ do you have an answer.”

Spelling Questions
27. Spelling questions. A student MAY say the word prior to spelling the word. The stated word and the spelled word do not have to be identical. e.g. "Correctly spell the word horse." the student might say, "Horses, h o r s e." although the state word was plural, the spelling was correct. If the question stated, "Correctly give then spell the plural of horse." the student must say horses, h o r s e s. A student may begin spelling immediately without stating the word.
28. If the word to be spelled is a proper noun, the student does NOT have to say “capital” before the first letter. Saying "capital" before the first letter of a proper noun does not rule the spelling incorrect.

Substitution
29. Substitution is allowed at the following times:
A. After question ten.
B. Before the team question begins.
C. After the team question has been graded.
D. After question thirty.
E. In case of a tie, before the tie-breaker question.

Protest over Correctness Questions
30. After question ten, when the moderator stops to allow for substitution the moderator will ask, "Are there any questions?" a team coach may lodge a protest about the correctness of a question or answer for questions 1 through 10 at this point. Once question 11 has begun, further protest over questions 1-10 will not be allowed.
31. After question 20 and before beginning the team question the moderator will ask, “Are there any questions?” a team coach may lodge a protest about the correctness of a question or answer for questions 10 through 20. Once the team question has begun, further protest over questions 10-20 will not be allowed.
32. After the team question answers and scores have been read the moderator will ask "Are there any questions?" a team coach may lodge a protest about the correctness of a question or answer for the team questions. Once the third period has begun and question 20 read, no further protest over the team question will be allowed.
33. After question 30, when the moderator stops to allow for substitution the moderator will ask, "Are there any questions?" a team coach may lodge a protest about the correctness of a question or answer for questions 21 through 30 at this point. Once question 31 has begun, further protest over questions 21-30 will not be allowed.
34. After question forty the moderator will ask, “Are there any questions?” a team coach may lodge a protest about the correctness of a question or answer for questions 31 through 40. Once the game has been declared over, further protest will not be allowed.

Team Question
35. The team question is the second period. Each of the ten team questions is worth ten points.
36. The moderator will read instructions to the teams then will distribute four question sheets and one answer sheet to each team.
37. Team members are not to distribute the question sheets until instructed to do so.
38. The moderator will read the set of instructions to the teams then tell them when to begin.
39. The four team members work together, confer, to answer as many of the questions as possible.
40. Only four team members may work on the team question. Substitutes may not sit in on the team question work.
41. All answers go on the single answer sheet.

4th, 5th & Upper Elementary
42. The teams will be given five minutes to answer the ten questions. Time does not start until the question sheets have been pulled apart and distributed to each team member.

Mid Level & Freshmen
42. The teams will be given three minutes to answer the ten questions. Time does not start until the question sheets have been pulled apart and distributed to each team member.
43. The moderator announces the remaining time at the end of each minute.
44. When time has expired the moderator will say, “Stop working and hold your answer sheets in the air.”
45. Students must stop when instructed to do so.
46. The answer sheets will be collected and graded.
47. Only if a question specifically asks for correct spelling, misspelling will be counted as a missed question.
48. If the moderator and chief judge can understand the answer, misspelling will not count against general questions.
49. After the students have completed the team question and turned it in to be graded, the judges will read through the written answer sheet. If they have a question about an answer because of spelling or penmanship, the judges will ask the student that served as the writer to come forward to clarify the answer. The clarification will take place before the correct answer is given.
50. The moderator will read the questions from the team question as well as the correct response. The moderator and chief judge will indicate which questions were correct and which questions were incorrect.

PROTEST
51. A protest may ONLY be lodged by the head coach.
52. A coach may protest procedure during any part of the game by standing until recognized by the chief judge.
53. A coach may protest over question at each substitution point. If necessary, the coach may BRIEFLY confer with the student about the protest. (see rules 30 - 34)
54. The moderator or judge may ask the student to clarify a protest or answer HOWEVER the official must initiate the dialog with the student. The student may NOT initiate the dialog with the official.
55. Students may NOT protest procedure or question content.
56. All protests will be made in a professional manner.

If...
57. ...the first response was incorrect and the protest leads the chief judge to determine the second response was also incorrect (after it was initially ruled correct) a substitute question will be given for BOTH teams.
58. ...the protest leads the chief judge to determine an answer given by a team was incorrect after initially being ruled as a correct answer. A substitute question is given. Only the team that did not miss the question will be allowed to answer.
59. ...after the first team responds incorrectly the moderator inadvertently gives an answer to a question without allowing the opposing team an opportunity to answer. A substitute question will be given. Only the team that did not miss the question will be allowed to answer.
60. ...a question is ruled incorrect or “bad” the replacement toss-up question will be read with both teams having the opportunity to answer.
61. ...judge fails to clear the buzzer system either the coach or a playing student may politely remind the official to clear the system.
62. ...the entire question has been read before the buzzer system has cleared a substitute question shall be used.

The End of the Game
63. At the end of the third period of play the moderator and chief judge will check the score. The moderator will say, “At the conclusion of the game the score is team number one _____, _____points, team number two _____, _____points. Are there any questions?”
64. If there are no protests over the last 10 questions, the moderator will say, “This concludes the round.”
65. If the game is tied, substitution will be allowed before the tie breaker.
66. For all levels except Freshman. The tie will be broken by a five questions written tie-breaker. Both teams will receive the same questions and will be given one minute and thirty seconds to complete them.
67. Time for the tie breaker will not begin until the questions have been torn apart and distributed to the team members.
68. If the score is still tied after the five questions, an additional 5 question written set will be given.
69. If the score is tied after the second set of questions the tie will be broken by sudden win. Using the buzzer, the first team to answer correctly will be the winner.
70. The additional points gained during the tie breaker questions will not be added into the team teams total. The winning team will be awarded 10 points.
71. Once the round is declared over, no protests will be allowed. What is allowed as a correct response in one room might not be allowed as a correct response in another. No matter what the circumstances, a round will not begin again or be replayed once it is declared over.
72. For Freshman level ONLY the tie will be broken by sudden win. Using the buzzer, the first team to answer correctly will be the winner.

The End of the Tournament
73. The round robin tournament winner is the team with the best win/loss record. If two teams have the same win/loss record, the team with the highest total points will be the winner.
74. If the win/loss record and the highest total points are identical, the two teams will compete in a best three out of five question tie breaker. The first team to respond correctly to three questions is the winner. Count will be made for correctly answered questions not questions asked.

What to Take
1. Your buzzer system... Don’t forget it!! It is important to have enough light boards and an extra or two in case of a break down.
2. Help for your host site... check with your host site to see if they need official help (timer, scorekeeper, moderator, judge...) Train your bus driver or son or daughter or parents to serve as officials.
3. Name tags to set in front of each student. These can be elaborate and permanent or simple tri folded pieces of typing paper. Have your students name (first name is okay unless you have two Matilda’s then use an initial for the last name) and your school name.
Mary
Bugtussle
4. Eligibility roster - signed and dated by your principal for the week of competition. Give the eligibility roster to the host site tournament director. See page .
5. Large self addressed envelope to leave with the tournament director. Questions from the tournament will be mailed after all same level tournaments are completed. If you want a copy of the questions you must take your own envelope.


Weather
As we have witnessed in the last couple of years, the weather doesn't want us to forget who's really in control! If you are hosting a tournament have a plan in case the weather turns bad. Have a list of participating schools travel agendas and phone numbers at home. Be sure they have your home number and you have theirs. Even if your roads are clear, 30 miles away they may iced in. If you are attending the tournament. Fax or e-mail your travel agenda and your home and cell phone numbers to the host site. If you are experiencing icy weather call the host site EARLY in the day to let them know travel may be a problem. The OAAC Board of Directors says if ANY school attending a tournament is in a travel advisory or warning (not a watch) the tournament must be canceled and rescheduled. The region and area will cover a large portion of the state. Be weather wise. Have a plan in place.