RULES OF PLAY
Your team is responsible for following these rules.
RULES REGARDING TEAM MEMBERS
Each team will consist of up to four competing members and one alternate.
The alternate may switch places with a competing member between games only.
RULES REGARDING PLAY
1. The first round of play will determine whether your team will be in the winner's bracket or the consolation bracket. This tournament is DOUBLE ELIMINATION. Your team will continue in play until they lose two games. Even if they lose their first game, they will continue to play until they lose a second game.
2. Four games will be played simultaneously with all games starting simultaneously. There will be a five minute grace period for teams to arrive at game rooms after starting time. IF YOUR TEAM IS OVER FIVE MINUTES LATE, YOU WILL FORFEIT THE GAME. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE! Due to the complexity of a double elimination tournament, we must remain on schedule! (The OFFICIAL TIME for this tournament will be the time on the clock at the Game Table in the hallway where the rooms are located. All judges will have the same time on their watches for the sake of fair play.)
3. The reader will start the game by reading the first question. The game will then last 20 minutes or 50 toss-up questions, whichever comes first. The timer will be in charge of stopping the game at 20 minutes. If the reader is reading a toss-up question when the timer signals the end of the game, the reader will stop reading immediately and NO ANSWER WILL BE ALLOWED. If the reader is reading a bonus question, he or she will finish the question and give the team answering 20 seconds to answer the bonus question, then the game is over.
4. THE READER IS THE JUDGE OF THE GAME AND HIS OR HER DECISION IS FINAL! PLEASE DO NOT ARGUE WITH THE READER ABOUT AN ANSWER. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MOUTH AN ANSWER TO A TEAM MEMBER. *** IF, AND ONLY IF, A TEAM DOES NOT ACCEPT THE RULING OF THE JUDGE, THE TEAM CAPTAIN MUST TELL THE READER THAT THEY ARE PROTESTING IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE QUESTION BEING PROTESTED. THE READER/SCOREKEEPER & TEAM CAPTAIN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING A RECORD OF THE QUESTION, WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND WHY THERE WAS A PROBLEM. AFTER THE GAME, IF THE TOTAL POINTS IN QUESTION (THAT COULD CHANGE) OVERRIDE THE FINAL MARGIN OF DECISION, THEN THE GAMEMASTER (ROY SMITH, WHO WILL BE NEAR ROOM A) MUST BE BROUGHT IN FOR A RULING.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS THERE TO BE AN INTERRUPTION OF THE GAME IN PLAY!!!!
CONTINUED INTERRUPTION WILL RESULT IN THE OFFENDING TEAM FORFEITING THE GAME!
5. The competition will begin with a toss up question, worth ten (10) points. Both teams have 10 seconds to respond once the question has been completely read. Any team member may answer a toss-up question. The reader will acknowledge the team member who buzzes in first. PLEASE WAIT TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BEFORE ANSWERING!! (If you DO NOT wait to be recognized, the non-offending team will be allowed to answer the question, regardless of whether the offending team answered the question or not.) The person who presses his buzzer first and is acknowledged must answer COMPLETELY WITHIN 5 SECONDS.
-- If that person answers correctly, the team will be awarded a bonus question, worth five (5) points. The reader will ask the bonus question and the receiving team may discuss freely. The answer must be given within 20 seconds. ONLY THE TEAM CAPTAIN MAY ANSWER THE BONUS QUESTION AFTER THE TEAM HAS DISCUSSED IT. Remember, the team captain must answer the question within 20 seconds. (IT IS REQUIRED THAT THE TEAM CAPTAIN BE SEATED NEAREST THE JUDGE SO THAT YOUR TEAM WILL RECEIVE ACKNOWLEDGMENT APPROPRIATELY, it is the responsibility of the TEAM CAPTAIN to answer the question CORRECTLY within the time limit. The answer WILL NOT be accepted from any other member of the team.)
-- The timer will signal "time up" at the end of 20 seconds and the question must have been answered completely by that time (NO ANSWER WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE TIMER HAS BEGUN TO SAY "TIME UP"). If the bonus question is answered correctly, the team will be awarded five (5) points and play continues with a new toss-up question.
-- If the team answers the toss-up question incorrectly, the reader will turn to the other team and ask for an answer to the toss-up question. Anyone on the team may buzz in and be recognized and attempt an answer. NO DISCUSSION IS ALLOWED ON ANY TOSS-UP QUESTION! The reader may repeat the toss-up question for the other team ONLY IF THE QUESTION WAS NOT COMPLETED WHEN THE FIRST TEAM ATTEMPTED TO ANSWER. If the question was completed for them, it will not be repeated for the opposing team. A BONUS QUESTION IS ONLY AWARDED TO A TEAM AFTER THEY HAVE CORRECTLY ANSWERED A TOSS-UP QUESTION.
6. The scorekeeper will keep score on the official score sheet, which will be collected after play has ended. The team with the most points at the end of the game (50 toss-up questions or 20 minutes, whichever occurs first) is the winner of the game. In the event of a tie at the end of the game, tie-breaker questions will be asked JUST AS IF THEY WERE TOSS-UP QUESTIONS until one team answers a question correctly (one point will be awarded for the final correct answer).
7. The official tournament brackets will be kept by the GameMaster near the Game Table in the hallway where the rooms are located. You may attend other games as long as you are not late for your own.
8. Please note: calculators, dictionaries, or any other source of information outside of the participating team member's brains are NOT allowed.
THANK YOU FOR NOT TALKING, EATING OR DRINKING WHILE THE GAMES ARE IN PLAY, IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!
ENJOY THE TOURNAMENT!!