OEC Academic Challenge

RULES AND PROCEDURES

Edited for use in State Championship Play (March 19, 2015; re-edited March 13, 2015)

I.  PARTICIPANTS

A.  Participants may only participate in grade-specific matches (i.e. middle school students (grades 6-8) on “middle school” teams & high school students on “high school” teams).

B.  Team rosters must be submitted to the OEC prior to the State Championship Tournament. If addition/deletions, the OEC must be notified immediately.

C.  Player substitution is unlimited and can take place between each of the four rounds.

II.  TIMING

  1. Matches & rounds are untimed. Instead, there will be 90 (ninety) questions in a total of 4 rounds.
  2. Rounds #1 & 2 are “directed question” rounds. Answers must be given thru team captain. Caller flips coin. Winning team selects “odd” or “even.” Caller alternates questions – with each team getting 10 of 20 questions directed at them each round. Players may talk – answer thru captain. Players on directed team get 10 seconds to answer. If miss, other team gets 5 seconds to confer, before responding.

C.  Rounds #3 & 4 are “Toss Up” - “first to buzz in” questions: (total of 25 questions in each buzz round)

·  Teams have 10 seconds to ring their buzzers after the caller finishes the question.

·  A player ringing in must wait to be recognized by the buzzer operator. After recognition, the player must answer at the end of 5 seconds. If a player answers before being recognized by the designated buzzer operator, question goes to the other team as if an incorrect answer was given.

·  If an incorrect answer is given, the players on the other team are given 5 seconds to ring in.

  1. Math Questions and “time issues” (all four rounds):

·  Math questions are given 30 seconds instead of 10. Time is stopped & then continued if incorrect answer is given. The other team has the remaining time to respond. 30 seconds is not re-started.

·  Answers to math questions should be given immediately without additional figuring.

  1. If the two rounds end in a tie, the caller will ask one question at a time, until a team answers correctly (ending the match).

III.  CALLING

  1. Questions may be previewed by the “Caller” prior to the match. OEC sends more than needed. Caller shall throw out questions if printed answer is incorrect or if question is poorly worded. Questions may be previewed before the match for incorrect or poorly-worded answers.
  2. No Foreign Language questions will be used for middle or high school matches (if one slips in, delete).
  3. Once the match begins, the caller should repeat a question if it was interrupted by an incorrect answer before the whole question could be read.
  4. Teams are not allowed to ask “can you repeat the question.” Callers will not repeat it, if asked.
  5. Math (or any) questions cannot be repeated unless they were interrupted by an incorrect answer.
  6. A question requiring math computation must be identified by the caller prior to reading. Do not identify other categories.
  7. Players may not back up and change letters in a spelling question.
  8. Players may not change an answer if the answer was given in its entirety. Example: “South Carolina, I mean, South Dakota.” Players may change an answer if the complete answer was not given. Example: “South, I mean, North, Carolina.”
  9. The caller may ask a student to repeat or to give additional information if a player’s answer is not heard or understood. Example: “Can you be more specific?”
  10. Last name answers are acceptable in most cases, except when a first name is required due to family dynasty, empire, etc. Example: “Which President...? Roosevelt.”
  11. If additional clarification is needed, the caller should ask the head judge for a ruling. Wait until the end of the round to address any issue which might arise.

IV.  SCOREKEEPERS AND JUDGES

A.  Questions may be previewed (by Caller) before the match for incorrect or poorly-worded answers.

  1. Only a team coach or a team representative seated at the judges’ table can approach the caller or judge concerning the validity of an answer.
  2. Coaches should wait until the end of a round to approach the caller.
  3. Each coach is responsible for keeping score for both teams. At end of each round, coaches compare.
  4. If a team was given a point for an incorrect answer, the judge should award a point to the other team to correct the problem.
  5. Judges are coaches for all participating schools, unless otherwise designated. (state judges provided).