Tuesday January 06 2009

HI-Q RULES AND REGULATIONS

1) Eligibility and Entry Procedures

Eligibility: All accredited Illinois public or private high schools in the WSIU/WUSI viewing area are eligible to enter this televised tournament. This area encompasses the southern third of Illinois (roughly from Interstate 70 south).

Entry: High Schools participating in Scholastic Hi-Q must have competition entry approval from the high school principal, or from other authorized school personnel. High schools will be placed in the Scholastic Hi-Q tournament on a first-come first-served basis. Entry will be based upon the date completed & signed entry forms arrive at WSIU-TV.

Team size: Each team will consist of 4 members. If 4 members are not present 15 minutes prior to the appointed match time, the match will be forfeited. We request that the names of the four members and any alternates be provided one week prior to the match to facilitate the creation of name signs.
No substitutions may be made during the match. Only the 4 players and their coach will be allowed in the studio during the taping. A viewing area will be available for parents and students not involved in the match, but the number should be limited to less than ten.

Transportation & Supervision: All participating high schools shall provide their own transportation to and from WSIU-TV in Carbondale and will pay their own expenses. Each high school team shall be chaperoned by a high school sponsor or coach.

2) Match Play

The Sholastic Hi-Q tournament is based on a single-elimination tournament structure. Any high school team bested in score by a challenging high school team will be eliminated from further competition in the Sholastic Hi-Q tournament.

Each match will consist of 3 rounds and play progresses as follows:

Round one: "Toss-up round" (toss-up questions only) appx. 10 minutes.

Round two: "Bonus round" (toss-up and bonus questions) appx. 8 minutes.

Round three: "Double-point Toss-up round" (toss-up questions only) appx. 4 mins.

Round four: "Lightning round" (single-category questions) appx. 2 minutes.

Toss-ups: These questions have one part and are worth 10 points in the first and second rounds, and 20 points in the third round. Any team member may respond by "buzzing in." The host will stop reading as soon as the buzzer sounds. The host will acknowledge the team member and they must answer immediately without consultation. If the question has been read in its entirety there is no penalty for an incorrect answer. Following an incorrect answer the opposing team may buzz in within three seconds. If no team answers in the allotted three seconds, the host will read the answer and the game will resume.

Bonus: Bonus rounds will begin with a ten-point toss-up question. The first team to answer the toss-up correctly will be awarded 10 points and be asked a three-part bonus question. The first part of a bonus question is worth 5 points, the second part is worth 10 points, and the third part is worth 15 points. The host will read through all three parts of the bonus question once. Conference among the team is allowed but only the designated captain can respond. The team will have five seconds to confer, at which time a buzzer will sound. If the team is ready to respond before five seconds, the captain can say "Ready." The host will then repeat each part of the question and require an immediate response from the captain. If the captain doesn't have the answer he/she may pass.
If any of the bonus questions are answered incorrectly or passed, the opposing team will be allowed to rebound for the remaining points. Rebound will not occur until all three parts of the bonus question are attempted or passed by the team that won the toss-up. The opposing team's captain must respond immediately when called upon by the host. No additional time to confer will be allowed.

Interruption: If any team member rings in before the host has completed asking a toss up and their response is incorrect, 5 points will be awarded to the opposing team at that time by the host. They will then have the opportunity to hear the question in its entirety, and are then given three seconds to buzz in. If they answer correctly, they will be awarded 10 points in the First and Bonus round, and 20 points in the Second round. It is therefore possible to capitalize on a tactical error by the team that buzzes in early for a total of 15 or 25 points.

End of Round: The host will announce the end of rounds one, two, and three. The final round is timed; each team has exactly one minute, at which time a buzzer will sound.

Lightning: Two packets will be offered during this round. Choices may include, but will not be limited to: math, science, history, geography, art, music, literature and current events. The team that is trailing will select first. The team can confer up to five seconds before the captain selects. The host will ask one question at a time and the team will have up to five seconds to answer. Unlike rounds one, two and three, where a buzzer is needed, contestants just call out the answers. The first answer will be accepted (or rejected). The goal is to get through all 20 questions in one minute. No rebounding will be allowed for missed questions in this round.

Scoring and timing: The host will award points during the contest. The scorekeeper will record and tally points. The scores will be displayed on a monitor next to the host. At the end of round four the final total will be announced. The team with the highest point total will be declared the winner of the match. The score is considered official two minutes after the match, unless contested.

3) Judges:

There will be at least one judge presiding over each contest. The judge will validate questions and determine whether or not the answer given is acceptable, and if the answer is given in the allotted time. The judge will also be responsible for verifying the score.
Since the format of Scholastic Hi-Q is considered taped coverage of a live event, all rulings will be made on the spot and are not subject to review or change. In these matters or any other matters regarding this contest, the judges decision is final.

4) Protests:

No protests regarding the appropriateness of answers or game play will be considered: the judges decision at that time is final!!! Protests pertaining to the accuracy of scoring can be made in writing to the judge during the contest or verbally up to two minutes after. The judge and scorekeeper will confer. If this protest is deemed valid and affects the outcome of the game, the tally of the final score and pronouncement of the winner will be rerecorded and the program edited.

5) Tie-Breaker
In the event of a tie at the end of the final round, a sudden-death tie-breaker toss-up round will occur. The first team to answer a toss-up correctly wins. It is also possible to win if your opponent interrupts a question and responds incorrectly.

6) Cheating:

The use of any notes, references, or outside help from spectators or coaches is NOT permitted. If the host asks to have an answer repeated, the original answer must be repeated. The host will ask for a repeat only when he/she could not hear the answer. This is not intended to give the team a chance to change their answer. Changing the answer is considered cheating. In cases where cheating occurs, the judge will have the discretion to disqualify the offending team and they will forfeit the match. The program will still be broadcast but an explanation by the host for the disqualification will be edited to the end of the program.

7) Strategy

The questions are designed to reveal information as they are read. If you are certain that you know the answer, buzz in early and risk an interruption penalty. If you are not certain, don't risk the penalty. With evenly-matched teams, risking interruption could mean the difference between winning and losing. This strategy becomes even more crucial during the bonus round in order to earn the first opportunity to answer the bonus questions. The ultimate example of risking an interruption would be during a tie-breaker toss-up. Answer correctly and you win! Answer incorrectly and you automatically lose.

8) TV Pointers

1. Do not talk unless you are responding to a question or conferring.
2. When buzzing in, wait until the host acknowledges you as the respondent before answering.
3. Conduct yourself properly at all times: microphones are open continuously and the audience may hear what you say when conferring or when someone else is answering.
4. Avoid wearing white garments, as it is difficult to for video cameras to make accurate representations of flesh tones when high contrast clothing is worn Some tight plaid patterns, stripes, and checks can also cause problems for the cameras.
5. Dress in summer-weight clothing, as the lights keep it quite warm in the studio.