Elementary Quiz Bowl

Onsite Only Competition

Quiz Bowl is a general knowledge competition which stresses quick recall. The competition is designed for a team of four students to participate in a collaborative effort in various levels of difficulty that range from trivial to highly technical information. For the online multiple choice test, teams will be given one hour to work collaboratively. A link to the test will be sent to registered club sponsors. A club may have only one entry.

Written Test Guidelines - Online Competition Only

Time Limit: 30 Minutes

• Each four member team will collaboratively take an online multiple choice test with a time limit of 30 minutes.
• Completion time of the test will be recorded. In case of a tie, the team that finished first will be the winner.
• The four members that take the written test must be the same members that participate in the oral rounds.
• The top sixteen teams will advance to the oral rounds. Oral rounds will ONLY be conducted at onsite conventions.

Oral Round Guidelines - Onsite Competition Only

• Quiz Bowl is a question-and-answer game played between two teams of four players each.
• Each match will consist of two teams and will be played with two, 10-question halves or up to the 30 minute time limit, whichever is reached first.
• The competition will be single elimination.
• Each team must designate a captain.
• A Code of Conduct must be signed by all team members and coach prior to the start of the oral rounds.
• If a team is late or fails to appear for the oral round, it will forfeit the match and the remaining teams will continue competition.
• All rounds will be played in the following manner: One, 15 minute half or 10 toss-up questions, whichever comes first; and a 15 minute half or 10 toss-up questions, whichever comes first. There will be an official time keeper.
• Points are scored for correct answers to the questions asked by the moderator.
• There are two types of questions: toss-ups, worth 10 points each, and bonuses, worth 20 points.
• For toss-ups and bonuses, unless otherwise stated in the question, players may use abbreviated answers, such as last names only, nicknames, acronyms, chemical symbols, etc., as long as such answers still correctly indicate clear and precise knowledge of the information requested in the question.
• For toss-up questions, players will be given approximately 5 seconds from the time the moderator stops reading to signal, and then must answer as soon as they are called upon. The moderator will allow for a natural pause, but no stalling will be allowed. For math calculations, team members will have 15 seconds to respond.
• If a question has been read in it’s entirety, it will not be repeated unless the moderator feels that an error occured.
• If a toss-up answer comes after time has been called, it does not count.
• If a player confers with a teammate on a toss-up question, the answer does not count. The question is turned over to the other team. The first player to signal and be recognized by the moderator answers the question.
• If a player answers without being recognized, the answer counts the same as a wrong answer. This rule is in effect to prevent players from answering because they “think” they signaled first. That is not the same as actually signaling first, and the right of the player who has signaled first must be protected.
• On a toss-up, the first response is the one that counts. Sometimes a player will attempt to give more than one piece of information in his/her answer. There are some instances when such a response is acceptable. The moderator (and judge) must distinguish whether the player has, in fact, pinpointed the answer or is just rattling off a list of facts on a given subject. This situation is particularly likely to occur on an interruption. The officials must be alert. This is a judgment call.
• If a player answers a toss-up correctly, his or her team scores 10 points and is given a chance at a bonus question. The team captain has 15 seconds to respond with an answer to the bonus after the bonus question(s) has been read. For math bonus questions, students will be given 20 seconds to respond.
• If the half or game ends while the moderator is reading a toss-up, he/she stops right there, without giving either team a chance to answer. However, if a player on either team has signaled before the whistle, he/she is given an opportunity to respond, if the answer is correct, the team is given its bonus question. If the answer is wrong, the question is not turned over to the other team and the round ends there.
• If a player believes he/she knows the answer to a toss-up question before it has been completed, he/she may interrupt the moderator by signaling. If the answer is correct, the team scores 10 points. If the answer is wrong, the entire question is repeated for the other team.
• If the moderator inadvertently gives an answer to a toss-up without giving either team a chance to respond, a new toss-up is read. However, if one team has given an incorrect answer without turning it over to the opposing team, then the next toss-up will be read for the opposing team only.
• If someone in the audience shouts out an answer, the moderator discards the question and goes to the next question. The person who interrupts may be asked to leave the round.
• Team members may confer on bonus answers. All team members are encouraged to participate as much as possible. However, if there are conflicting answers, the moderator will ask the team captain for the team’s official answer. The team captain can designate another team member to answer the bonus question.
• On all bonuses, anticipate some delay in response because of conferences. Allow the answers to come naturally, but remember, no stalling. The team has 15 seconds to respond to the bonus question.
• The toss-up and bonus questions will be completely read before time begins, unless a team member buzzes in prior to the end of the question.
• If a bonus answer comes after time has been called, it does not count.
• For any question answered incorrectly, the moderator will provide the correct answer.
• The score is tied at the end of the regulation time, the tie is broken by a sudden-death play-off of toss-up questions. First correct answer scores 10 points and wins the game.

PROTESTS: If a player or team wishes to protest either an accepted answer to a question or a game procedure, the protest must come from the team captain during the game, at the time of the occurrence. The opposing captain will be given the opportunity to present a rebuttal. A decision will be made at that point by the moderator and judge; this decision will be final. If a team has had two unsuccessful protests in one game, it may not make any further protests during the game.

Educational Connections

• General Knowledge of all content area standards
• Communication and Collaboration
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

  How to Enter

• Visit www.betaclub.org/registration and follow directions.
• Register students and then select competitions to enter.
• Check the students that will participate in this competition.

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