Tournament Structure: High School Quiz Show is a single-elimination bracketed academic tournament that includes 16 qualifying matches, quarterfinals, semifinals and a Massachusetts championship match.
The Game: The following are the rules and game play for High School Quiz Show. The program producers reserve the right to change any of the rules at any time upon notice to participants.
Rounds:
1. Toss-up Round
2. Head-to-Head Round
3. Category Round
4. Lightning Round
Note that all rounds are "open toss-up." Either team can buzz in with the answer.
Round 1: Toss-up Round
Format: Team vs. team
Time limit: 8 -10 minutes
Questions: Random topics; short answer and multiple choice (questions may include visual or audio clues).
Points: All questions are worth 10 points.
Penalty: There will be no deductions for wrong answers in this round.
Buzzing: Teams may buzz in at any time, even before a question is fully read. Team members must wait for the host to call on them by name before attempting to answer a question.
Conferring: Team members are not allowed to confer before or after buzzing in.
Bouncing: If a team buzzes in and cannot answer or answers incorrectly, the question is then posed to the other team.
Score: The score is visible to each team during this round.
Round 2: Head-to-Head
Format: Player vs. player (one player is selected to represent each team)
Time Limit: 90 seconds
Questions: Random topics; short answer only.
Points: All questions are worth 10 points.
Penalty: Incorrect answers result in a 10 point deduction.
Buzzing: Players may buzz in at any time, even before a question is fully read. Team members must wait for the host to call on them by name before attempting to answer a question.
Conferring: The designated player is not allowed to confer with his or her team.
Bouncing: If a player cannot answer a question or answers incorrectly, the host gives the correct answer and moves on to the next question. The other player is not given the opportunity to respond.
Score: The score and countdown clock are not visible to players during this round.
Round 3: Category Round
Format: Team vs. team
Time limit: 8-10 minutes
Questions: Players pick from a board of six themed categories such as "Lost in Space" (astronomy) or "Chicken and Egg" (putting historical events in chronological order). Each category has five short answer or multiple-choice questions. There may also be visual or audio questions.
Selection: The team that is trailing after Round 2 makes the first category selection. In the event of a tie after Round 2, a coin toss will be used to determine the team to make the first category selection. From that point on, category selections always are made by the team with the last correct answer.
Points: Questions are worth 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 points, in increasing levels of difficulty. A correct response earns the point value on the board and the opportunity to select another question from the board. Teams are free to choose any unselected question throughout the round as they appear on the board; questions appear and must be answered in order of difficulty.
Penalty: The point value associated with the question is deducted for wrong answers.
Buzzing: Teams may buzz in at any time, even before a question is fully read. Team members must wait for the host to call on them by name before attempting to answer a question.
Conferring: Team members are allowed to confer before but not after buzzing in.
Bouncing: If a team buzzes in and cannot answer or answers incorrectly, the question is then posed to the other team. Team members are allowed to confer before buzzing in.
Score: The score is visible to players during this round.
Round 4: Lightning Round
Format: Team vs. team
Time limit: 90 seconds
Questions: Random categories, short answer only.
Points: All questions are worth 20 points.
Penalty: Incorrect answers result in a 20-point deduction.
Buzzing: Teams may buzz in at any time, even before a question is fully read. Team members must wait for the host to call on them by name before attempting to answer a question.
Conferring: Team members are not allowed to confer before or after buzzing in.
Bouncing: If a team cannot answer a question or answers incorrectly, the host gives the correct answer and moves on to the next question. The other team is not given the opportunity to respond.
Score: The score and countdown clock are visible to players during this round.
End of a Round
Questions are repeated at the discretion of the host or judges. If the host is asking a question at the end of a round and no one has buzzed in, all action stops and the round is over. If a player already has buzzed in or is in the process of answering a question, he or she will be permitted to answer. If the team that buzzed in answers a question incorrectly at the end of Round 1 and 3, the other team will be permitted to answer. If a player gives an incorrect answer in Rounds 2 and 4, there will be no opportunity for the other team to answer the question.
Match Tiebreaker (if needed)
The tiebreaker is a sudden death round. The host will ask a toss-up question worth 20 points. Team members are allowed to confer before buzzing in. If the answer is correct, the game is over and the team will be declared the winner. If an answer cannot be given or an answer is incorrect, the opposing team will have a chance to answer the question in the same manner. If neither team gives a correct answer, the host will move on to another question to be answered in the same manner. This will continue until a correct answer is given and one team may be declared the winner.
Judging
Judges are selected by WGBH for the duration of each season. WGBH will make every effort to ensure a fair game, but the occasional mistake may arise. If the production staff becomes aware of a mistake, every effort will be made to correct it. Disputes or discrepancies should be voiced by the coach to the floor at the end of a round. If the dispute is determined to be valid by the judges, play will stop and the discrepancy will be addressed in the sole discretion of the WGBH production staff and judges. Scores may be adjusted, or questions eliminated, if necessary. Play then resumes. Any ambiguity or disputes that may arise concerning the rules of play and their interpretation will be clarified or resolved by the WGBH production staff. Once an individual round is completed and the next round begins, the completed round becomes final and challenges will not be accepted retroactively. In the event of a tie, the competition is final once a tiebreaker question has been asked and answered correctly and any associated disputes or discrepancies have been addressed. No protests will be accepted after the teams leave the studio.
The Game: The following are the rules and game play for High School Quiz Show. The program producers reserve the right to change any of the rules at any time upon notice to participants.
Rounds:
1. Toss-up Round
2. Head-to-Head Round
3. Category Round
4. Lightning Round
Note that all rounds are "open toss-up." Either team can buzz in with the answer.
Round 1: Toss-up Round
Format: Team vs. team
Time limit: 8 -10 minutes
Questions: Random topics; short answer and multiple choice (questions may include visual or audio clues).
Points: All questions are worth 10 points.
Penalty: There will be no deductions for wrong answers in this round.
Buzzing: Teams may buzz in at any time, even before a question is fully read. Team members must wait for the host to call on them by name before attempting to answer a question.
Conferring: Team members are not allowed to confer before or after buzzing in.
Bouncing: If a team buzzes in and cannot answer or answers incorrectly, the question is then posed to the other team.
Score: The score is visible to each team during this round.
Round 2: Head-to-Head
Format: Player vs. player (one player is selected to represent each team)
Time Limit: 90 seconds
Questions: Random topics; short answer only.
Points: All questions are worth 10 points.
Penalty: Incorrect answers result in a 10 point deduction.
Buzzing: Players may buzz in at any time, even before a question is fully read. Team members must wait for the host to call on them by name before attempting to answer a question.
Conferring: The designated player is not allowed to confer with his or her team.
Bouncing: If a player cannot answer a question or answers incorrectly, the host gives the correct answer and moves on to the next question. The other player is not given the opportunity to respond.
Score: The score and countdown clock are not visible to players during this round.
Round 3: Category Round
Format: Team vs. team
Time limit: 8-10 minutes
Questions: Players pick from a board of six themed categories such as "Lost in Space" (astronomy) or "Chicken and Egg" (putting historical events in chronological order). Each category has five short answer or multiple-choice questions. There may also be visual or audio questions.
Selection: The team that is trailing after Round 2 makes the first category selection. In the event of a tie after Round 2, a coin toss will be used to determine the team to make the first category selection. From that point on, category selections always are made by the team with the last correct answer.
Points: Questions are worth 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 points, in increasing levels of difficulty. A correct response earns the point value on the board and the opportunity to select another question from the board. Teams are free to choose any unselected question throughout the round as they appear on the board; questions appear and must be answered in order of difficulty.
Penalty: The point value associated with the question is deducted for wrong answers.
Buzzing: Teams may buzz in at any time, even before a question is fully read. Team members must wait for the host to call on them by name before attempting to answer a question.
Conferring: Team members are allowed to confer before but not after buzzing in.
Bouncing: If a team buzzes in and cannot answer or answers incorrectly, the question is then posed to the other team. Team members are allowed to confer before buzzing in.
Score: The score is visible to players during this round.
Round 4: Lightning Round
Format: Team vs. team
Time limit: 90 seconds
Questions: Random categories, short answer only.
Points: All questions are worth 20 points.
Penalty: Incorrect answers result in a 20-point deduction.
Buzzing: Teams may buzz in at any time, even before a question is fully read. Team members must wait for the host to call on them by name before attempting to answer a question.
Conferring: Team members are not allowed to confer before or after buzzing in.
Bouncing: If a team cannot answer a question or answers incorrectly, the host gives the correct answer and moves on to the next question. The other team is not given the opportunity to respond.
Score: The score and countdown clock are visible to players during this round.
End of a Round
Questions are repeated at the discretion of the host or judges. If the host is asking a question at the end of a round and no one has buzzed in, all action stops and the round is over. If a player already has buzzed in or is in the process of answering a question, he or she will be permitted to answer. If the team that buzzed in answers a question incorrectly at the end of Round 1 and 3, the other team will be permitted to answer. If a player gives an incorrect answer in Rounds 2 and 4, there will be no opportunity for the other team to answer the question.
Match Tiebreaker (if needed)
The tiebreaker is a sudden death round. The host will ask a toss-up question worth 20 points. Team members are allowed to confer before buzzing in. If the answer is correct, the game is over and the team will be declared the winner. If an answer cannot be given or an answer is incorrect, the opposing team will have a chance to answer the question in the same manner. If neither team gives a correct answer, the host will move on to another question to be answered in the same manner. This will continue until a correct answer is given and one team may be declared the winner.
Judging
Judges are selected by WGBH for the duration of each season. WGBH will make every effort to ensure a fair game, but the occasional mistake may arise. If the production staff becomes aware of a mistake, every effort will be made to correct it. Disputes or discrepancies should be voiced by the coach to the floor at the end of a round. If the dispute is determined to be valid by the judges, play will stop and the discrepancy will be addressed in the sole discretion of the WGBH production staff and judges. Scores may be adjusted, or questions eliminated, if necessary. Play then resumes. Any ambiguity or disputes that may arise concerning the rules of play and their interpretation will be clarified or resolved by the WGBH production staff. Once an individual round is completed and the next round begins, the completed round becomes final and challenges will not be accepted retroactively. In the event of a tie, the competition is final once a tiebreaker question has been asked and answered correctly and any associated disputes or discrepancies have been addressed. No protests will be accepted after the teams leave the studio.
More High School Quiz Show
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About Host Billy Costa
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Season 3 | 2012 Tournament Bracket
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