Competition Rules
for the
Twenty Fourth Annual Math and Science Bowl
West Virginia University Institute of Technology

General Guidelines:

1. Each high school will send one team consisting of five (5) team members to the Academic Bowl. One team member shall be designated as Captain and one team member shall be designated as Alternate. The team may consist of students from grades 9 through 12. Four team members for each school will compete in each competition.
   

2. A maximum of 16 teams will compete in an oral double-elimination tournament. A drawing will be conducted prior to the day of the tournament to determine the pairing of the teams for the first round of competition.

3. Each competition will consist of two 7-minute halves with a 2-minute break (halves at the Regional competitions are 8-minutes and those at the Nationals are 10 minutes).

4. Player substitutions may only be made during the break between the halves.

5. No notes may be brought to the competition table. Nothing may be written before the clock starts. Scratch paper will be provided at the beginning of each match and collected at half-time and at the conclusion of the match.

6. Calculators are not permitted.

7. Two types of questions will be used: toss-up questions, worth 5 points, and bonus questions, worth 10 points. A toss-up question, which may be answered by any member of either team that is playing, must be answered correctly in order for a team to be offered a bonus question. No team will have more than one opportunity to answer a given question.

8. All questions are either multiple choice or short answer. The only acceptable answer to a multiple choice question will be one of those read by the moderator.

9. Should a question or challenge arise during a competition, the competition and the clock will be stopped until the question is resolved. Once the question has been resolved, the match will continue from that point. Should the moderator decide that some time was lost due to the interruption, the moderator has the right to put the appropriate amount of time back on the clock.

10. Challenges must be made before the moderator begins the next question. All challenges must come from the team members who are actively competing. The alternate and/or coach may not object. If either the alternate or the coach objects verbally or by signal to the active team members, the challenge will not be allowed. All decisions of the judges are final.

11. Each half will begin with a toss-up question.

12. After reading a toss-up question, the moderator will allow 5 seconds for the two teams to respond before proceeding to the next toss-up question. Timing begins after the moderator has completed reading the toss-up question.
    
    
13. Once read in its entirety, a toss-up question will not be reread.
    
    
14. On toss-up questions, no consultation may occur between the members of EITHER team at ANY time. If conferring occurs on the team that was initially recognized to answer the question, that team is disqualified from answering the question and the question is offered to the opposing team. If conferring occurs or has occurred, on the opposing team, it too is disqualified from answering the question.
    
    
15. On toss-up questions, the first player on either team to activate the lock-out buzzer system, and be verbally recognized by the moderator, wins the right to answer the question.
    
    
16. Should a player answer a toss-up question before being verbally recognized or should consultation among any of the team members occur, any answer given is treated as a non-answer. The moderator does not say whether the answer given was correct or incorrect, and the team loses the right to answer the toss-up question. The question is then offered to the opposing team. If answered correctly, that team is then allowed to answer a bonus question.
    
    
17. A participant who has buzzed in on a toss-up question must answer the question promptly after being verbally recognized by the moderator. After recognizing a participant, the moderator will allow for a natural pause (up to 3 seconds), but if the moderator determines that stalling occurred, the team loses its opportunity to answer the question and it is offered to the opposing team if eligible.
    
    
18. On a toss-up question, the first answer given is the only one that counts. However, if a participant gives both a letter answer and a scientific answer, both parts must be correct.
    
    
19. If the answer to a toss-up question is wrong and the question was completely read, the other team is given 5 seconds to buzz in and begin to answer the question, unless time expires before the second team buzzes in.
    
    
20. If a toss-up question is interrupted, the player is verbally recognized, and the answer correct, the team will receive 5 points. If the answer is incorrect, 5 points are added to the opposing team's score, the question is reread in its entirety, and the opposing team has an opportunity to answer the toss-up question with the chance to answer the bonus question if correct.
    
    
21. If the moderator inadvertently gives an answer to a toss-up question without giving either team a chance to respond, no points are awarded and the moderator goes on to the next toss-up question.
    
    
22. If a toss-up question is interrupted, the player is NOT verbally recognized and blurts out an answer, the result is a non-answer. No penalty points are awarded to the opposing team. The moderator will not indicate whether the answer was correct or incorrect, and the team loses the right to answer the toss-up question. The question is then reread in its entirety to the opposing team.
    
    
23. If the moderator inadvertently gives the answer to a toss-up question before allowing the second team to respond (after an incorrect answer, or an answer given without verbal recognition), the next toss-up question will be asked to the second team in place of the inadvertently answered question.
    
    
24. The double interrupt. If a toss-up question is interrupted, the player recognized and the answer is incorrect, 5 points are added to the opposing team's score. The question is then reread in its entirety. If a student on the opposing team interrupts the re-reading of the question, the player is verbally recognized and gives and incorrect answer, 5 points are added to the other team's score. The moderator will give the correct answer and move on to the next toss-up question.

Bonus Questions

25. The answer to the bonus question must come from the team's captain, even when the question has been interrupted. Moderators should ignore an answer from anyone but the captain on the bonus question.
    
    
26. After a team member has answered a toss-up question correctly, the team is given the opportunity to answer a bonus question. The team will have 20 seconds to begin to give its answer to the bonus question. Consultation among team members is allowed on bonus questions. However, the answer to the bonus question must come from the team's captain.
    
    
27. On a bonus question, the timekeeper will give the signal "5 SECONDS" after 15 seconds of the allowed 20 seconds have expired. In addition, if there is no audible signal from the clock, the timekeeper will indicate the end of the 20-second bonus period by saying "TIME." If the team captain has not begun the response before the timekeeper calls "TIME," the answer does not count. If the team captain has begun the response, he/she may complete the answer. No stalling may occur; the team loses the opportunity to respond to the question if the moderator determines that stalling occurred.

28. If time runs out after a question has been read completely, the following rules apply:
• If the question has been completely read, but neither team has buzzed in, the game or half is over.
• If the question has been completely read, a player has buzzed in and is recognized before answering, and gives a correct answer the team gets to answer a bonus question. The game or half is then over.
• If the question has been completely read, a player has buzzed in and is recognized before answering, but gives the wrong answer or answers before being verbally recognized, the game or half is over.
• If the question has been completely read, a player has buzzed in and time is called before the player has been recognized, the moderator will verbally recognize the player. If the player gives a correct answer the team gets to answer the bonus question. If an incorrect answer is given or the player answers before being verbally recognized, the game or half is over.
  
  
29. If time runs out as a toss-up question is being read (i.e., interrupted), the following rules apply:
• If no one buzzes in before time is called, the contest or half is over;
• If a team member buzzes in before time is called, interrupting the reading of the question, is recognized, and answers the question correctly, the team receives 5 points and has the chance to answer the bonus question. The half or game is then over.
• If a team member buzzes in before time is called, interrupting the reading of the question, is recognized, but answers the question incorrectly, the other team receives 5 points. The question is reread for the other team which is given the chance to answer both it, and if correct, the bonus before the contest or half is over.
• If a team member buzzes in before time is called and answers without being recognized, then the answer is not accepted and the question is read in its entirety for the other team. If the second team answers the question correctly, it is given a chance to answer the bonus question before the contest or half ends.
  
  
30. If the score is tied at the end of the regulation time period, a series of five toss-up questions will be used to break the tie.

31. Penalty points are awarded to the opposing team only when a participant performs all three of the following: buzzes in before the question is completely read, is recognized by the moderator, and answers the question incorrectly. If the question has been completely read then no penalty points are assigned for an incorrect answer. If a player has not been recognized by the moderator then no answer has occurred and no penalty points assigned.

32. No one in the audience may communicate with participants during the match; communication will result in ejection from the competition room.
    
    
33. If someone in the audience shouts out an answer, the question will be thrown out (as will the person) and the moderator will proceed to the next question.
    
    
34. Prior to each match, the two team coaches will introduce themselves to each other and will sit together in the back row of the competition room.
    
    
35. All challenges must come from the team members who are actively competing. The alternate may not object. All decisions of the judges are final.
    
    
36. Members of the audience may not write down or record in anyway the questions/answers the moderator reads. If this occurs, the individual(s) may be asked to leave the competition room.