2024 Black History Quiz Bowl Contest Rules & Regulations
I. General Information and Format
a. Each team will be required to long on 15 minutes prior to competition start time to check in with the chairman for clarification of rules and to verify competitor’s eligibility. All students must submit a signed copy (Parent or Guardian) of the Photo/Video Parental Consent Release Form in order to compete in the tournament. The Parental Consent Form is the last page of this packet.
b. The High School Division is only for students in the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Grades.
c. The competition shall consist of at least five rounds. Each round shall consist of six toss-up questions with a bonus, and two tossup questions with bonus point opportunities.
d. The total number of points will determine the winner of each round.
e. The top three teams in the final round will receive prizes.
f. All decision of the Appeals Board are final. The Appeals Board will consist of the Event Chairman and 1st Vice – District Representative. The appeals board will be introduced during the opening remarks.
g. Schools or organizations may enter multiple teams (5 members per team).
II. Conduct and Etiquette
a. All teams, coaches, and spectators are expected to display good sportsmanship at all times. This includes—but is not limited to—winning and losing graciously and communicating positively with teammates, opponents, spectators, and all volunteers including coaches and tournament officials. Teams, coaches, and spectators
should treat each with respect.
b. This event will be conducted via Zoom, the Zoom link and knowledge packet will be provided upon confirmation of the registration form.
c. All spectators are expected to remain silent (NO talking) and avoid making any type of distraction while a round is in progress.
III. Coaches
a. The coach is the official representative of the team. The coach must be a student of the designated team. Each team must have at least one official coach present for each game.
b. Coaches are expected to know and abide by the Black History Quiz Bowl Rules and Regulations; this includes ensuring that their team has provided at least one adult volunteers to help monitor the students involved in the competition.
c. Coaches are responsible for the behavior of their teams and spectators before, during, and after each round. If a problem arises with a team member or spectator, the coach will be asked to deal with the individual(s) before further action is taken by the Quizmaster or other officials of the competition.
d. Coaches will compete honestly and avoid any type of communication with their team during the rounds.
IV. Competition Rules TEAMS.
a. A team consists of (4) FOUR contestants and (1) One Alternate. Teams play with four contestants at a time per match/round.
1. One contestant will be designated as Captain before each round begins.
2. A contestant can only be assigned to one team.
3. Substitutions may be made once between the Toss-up and Bonus portion of each round.
4. At the beginning of the Bonus section, the captain may designate another player from their team to answer the Bonus.
b. Chapters can enter multiple teams. GAME FORMAT. Each round will consist of six questions with no bonuses and three toss-up questions with bonus questions. Toss-up questions are worth ten points each. Bonus questions are earned in Part II of the game and given in groups of four. Each bonus is worth five points for a possible total of twenty points for each complete bonus group.
c. TOSS-UP QUESTIONS. A toss-up question may be answered by any contestant on either team.
1. After a toss-up question is read, contestants will have ten seconds to ring in. Once recognized by the Quiz Master, the contestant will have up to five seconds to begin the answer. No other contestant may ring in during this time. No answer will be accepted once the timekeeper has called “TIME”.
2. A toss-up will be read only once. If the first contestant recognized, answers incorrectly, any contestant on the opposing team will have ten seconds in which to ring in and another five seconds in which to begin an answer.
3. Only the first response will be accepted. Clarification of the answer may be requested by the Quiz Master. NO BLITZING (GIVING MULTIPLE ANSWERS TO A QUESTION).
4. A contestant may ring in before the toss-up is completed. The reading of the question will stop. If the answer is incorrect, the entire question will be read to the other team in the toss-up format.
5. There is no penalty for an incorrect answer on any toss-up or bonus question.
6. If neither team is able to answer a toss-up within the allotted time, the Quiz Master will give the answer and go on to the next toss-up question.
7. There is no consultation permitted among team members on any toss-up question. If team members consult, that team will forfeit the opportunity to answer the question.
8. Only a toss-up answer given by the contestant that rang in first, as indicated by the BUZZER JUDGE, will be accepted. If a contestant calls out an answer without ringing in and being recognized by the buzzer judge, the answer will not be accepted and the other team will be given exclusive opportunity to answer the question. Contestants should wait until recognized before beginning an answer.
d. BONUS QUESTIONS. By correctly answering one of the last three toss-up questions in a round, a team has earned the opportunity to answer the accompanying bonus questions. The bonus question will consist of four parts and require multiple answers.
1. Consultation between active team members is permitted on a bonus question. Note-taking during this time is permitted. Each part of the four-part bonus question will be read once in its entirety. Teams will have 15 seconds to consult. When time is called the Quiz Master will ask the captain for the team’s answers. The designated team captain delivers the answers without deliberation.
e. INCOMPLETE ANSWERS. The Quiz Master may ask for more information if an answer is partially correct. For example, if a student answers “King”, a more specific and complete answer may be requested.
f. MISTAKES. If a Quiz Master accidentally gives an answer to a toss-up question, a new question will be substituted. The same rule applies to bonus questions.
g. MATERIALS. Team members will need pencil and paper to keep track of the bonus questions. No books, prepared notes, calculators, electronic devices or other aids may be used during a game.
h. PROTESTS. Only a coach, identified by the coach’s name badge, may initiate a protest. The Quiz Master is responsible for deciding a protest, and a decision to take a protest out of the room to the tournament sponsors is at the discretion of the Quiz Master. PROTESTS MUST BE MADE IMMEDIATELY AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURANCE BEING CHALLENGED.
V. Protests
a. Only the coach may verbally address the Quizmaster about a procedure or a question during a round. No one else (spectator or substitute) may lodge a protest. A verbal protest from anyone other than the coach will automatically nullify the protest.
b. A protest must be lodged and settled before the next toss-up or bonus question is read. No action can be taken on protests lodged after the fact. Any protest concerning procedures and/or questions that occurred earlier in the round or competition will be disregarded.
c. The decision of the Quizmaster is final. The Quizmaster has the option of consulting privately with the Console Judge and/or Scorekeeper/Timer before making his/her decision.
d. The Quizmaster also has the option of referring a protest to the Appeals Board, in which case play is temporarily suspended until the outcome of the protest has been determined. If the Quizmaster decides to seek help from the Appeals Board, only he/she may consult with them. Players, coaches, and spectators will remain in the room and a decision will be made as quickly as possible.
e. While it is important to keep the competition fair and impartial, frivolous protests are strongly discouraged. Excessive interruptions will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct, and the Quizmaster has the right to ask anyone displaying unsportsmanlike conduct to leave the room for the remainder of the contest.
VI. Prizes
a. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third place teams.
