ABSH KNOWLEDGE BOWL RULES & REGULATIONS
Guidelines for the Knowledge Bowl
A. Competition
Each team is composed of four team members plus one substitute, for a total of five members
maximum. One team member must be the designated captain. Coaches will submit the list of eligible
players at the mandatory coaches meeting at 8 a.m. on the day of each competition in order to consider
player/team eligibility.
If ten or more teams participate, each team will be placed in a group with 5 or more teams,
according to the number of teams participating. Each team will compete against each of the other teams
in its group. The two teams with the best win-lose record in each group will qualify for a single
elimination tournament. The basis for breaking ties in group team standings will be head-to-head
competition, and then, if necessary, total points scored against all tied teams, and then, if necessary
total points scored against all teams in the competition. The teams that place first in each group
compete against the teams that place second in the opposite group. The teams that win will play a final
match to decide first and second place. If nine teams or less participate, each team plays the opposing
ones one time and the team that wins the greatest number of the games is the champion. If there is a
tie in any position, there will be another game to untie the position.
CATEGORIES:
* Middle School: 6th, 7th and 8th grade.
* Junior Varsity: 9th, 10th,
* Varsity:
11th, 12th grade.
In Middle School, you can have no more than two students from 8th grade. In Junior Varsity, no
more than three from 10th grade and no more than two from 12th grade in Varsity. ANY COMBINATION
from that moment is possible. Each school can bring a TEAM A and a TEAM B for each category. No
permutations will be permitted between teams. Not following this rule will result in the forfeiting of
the tournament for the team who played with the illegal player and the coach will not be allowed to
coach the next year. The school administrator must submit documentation verifying the students’
grade levels at the time of registration. In case of last-minute substitutions, this documentation will
also be required during the coaches’ meeting prior to the tournament.
B. General Physical Set-Up
A Knowledge Bowl match will be a competition between two/four person teams, each with a
designated captain. Each team will be seated at its own table in such a manner that the four team
members face their opponents across a stage area. Each team member will have an individual switch,
which, when operated, makes a buzzer sound, and in turn, automatically deactivates the switches of all
other contestants. There will be one table microphone available for each team, if necessary. A
reader/moderator, who will ask all questions, rules on answers given, and serves as the match referee.
He/she will be positioned between the opposing teams.
The scoreboard is best located so that both teams and the audience may read it. This way,
when the two teams are angled toward the moderator, they can easily see the scoreboard and the
moderator and the audience can view the scoreboard over the moderator's head. An official timer will
be seated beside the moderator and an official score keeper will be positioned by the scoreboard. If the
reader/moderator requests assistance in ruling on questionable answers, the two coaches and the
reader/moderator will resolve this, with the support of a standard American English Dictionary.
The reader moderator will be 21 years old or older.
C. Areas of Knowledge to be Covered by Questions
Each match will be conducted with a variety of questions covering all of the following areas of
knowledge:
Language: English, Grammar and Usage, Literature of the World
Science: Biology, Geology, Chemistry, Astronomy, Physical Science
Social Studies: World History, US. History, Geography, US. Government, Current World Events
Mathematics: All mathematics, through Calculus
Fine Arts: Music, Art and Drama
It is very important that there be consistency in the question categories. Categories and
questions must be limited to bodies of knowledge, which should be common to students of all Bilingual
Schools. Sports and Entertainment questions will not be included in this year's event; however if these
types appear in the question set, they will not be eliminated
D. Method of Questioning
A match will consist of "toss up" and "bonus" questions being asked by the moderator. The
moderator will first ask a toss-up question, prefacing the question with the words “toss-up,” and any
member of either team is eligible to answer. One of the contestants must operate his/her individual
switch (signaling his/her intent to answer the question) within a ten- second time limit, or the
moderator will read the next toss-up question. The first individual to operate the switch will be
recognized by the moderator and must then immediately answer the question without conferring with
any teammate. The moderator will stop reading the question the moment the buzzer sounds.
A correct answer to a toss-up question earns the team a bonus question. The moderator will
then read a bonus question. Only the team which correctly answered the toss-up question may answer
this bonus question. Team members may confer for 10 seconds (30 seconds for math questions) on
bonus questions, but only the team captain may answer the bonus questions.
Should the toss-up question be answered incorrectly by the first individual to operate his/her
switch, the moderator will say “rebound,” then read the question again, in its entirety, and provide the
opposing team five seconds to confer before the team captain attempts to answer.
No bonus question will be available to the second team attempting a rebound question. It is
important that only the team captain answers questions in the situations where team members may
confer. If this rule is not enforced, two team members are apt to give different answers at the same
time, causing much confusion. If the team captain does not answer a rebound question, the point(s)
is/are lost.
After a bonus question has been attempted or after the other team has attempted to answer a
rebound question, the moderator will repeat the questioning cycle by reading another toss-up question
with any individual on either team eligible to answer.
Lightning Round
For the final five toss-up questions only (those asked after the twenty-five minute time limit has
expired), the opposing team which answers correctly a rebound question will be provided the
opportunity to answer a bonus question. Rationale: this rule will prevent a team that begins the
lightning round with an eleven- point lead from intentionally hitting the buzzer before a question is fully
read to prevent the opposing team from having the only opportunity for a bonus question.
E. Time Limits
A match will last for twenty five minutes followed by the lightning round (five toss-up questions
and possible bonus questions to be asked after the 25 minutes have elapsed). Any toss-up question or
accompanying bonus question in progress when the 25 minutes have elapsed will be completed and
considered a part of the twenty-five minute match.
There will be a ten-second time limit for any individual on either team to operate his/her switch
on a toss-up question and a five second limit for a rebound question. For mathematics questions, there
will be a thirty-second time limit for a toss-up question and a fifteen-second limit for a rebound
question.
In the event a match ends in a tie, toss-up questions will continue to be read until one team
emerges as the winner.
F. Comments Concerning Questions
1. Questions may be long, but answers must be short.
2. True/false questions should not be used.
3. Questions must be so worded as to eliminate all but one possible answer.
4. An eight- team tournament requires a minimum of 1,200 questions.
5. Questions should be ordered from a reputable institution such as Patrick Press, Inc. or
Academic Hallmarks.
G. Considerations and Concerns in Planning a Knowledge Bowl/Academic Tournament
- Team members should be top students in each discipline, but just as important is quick recall
and reaction.
- Individuals must answer toss-up questions immediately after operating their switches.
- The team attempting to answer a rebound question has five seconds (fifteen seconds for math
questions) after the reader/moderator has re-read the question to confer before the team
captain attempts to answer.
- A team that has earned a bonus question may confer for ten seconds (thirty seconds on math
questions) before the team captain answers.
- A match of 25 minutes with five additional toss-up questions requires the use of sixty five to
seventy five questions.
H. Scoring
At the end of the match the team with the highest number of total points shall be declared the
winner. Points will be added to or subtracted from team scores as follows:
1. First person to operate the switch and answer toss-up correctly: + 2 points
2. First person to operate the switch and answer toss-up incorrectly: - 1 point
3. Opposing team with correct answer to a rebound: + 1 point
4. Opposing team with incorrect answer to a rebound: 0 points
5. Correct answer to bonus question: + 3 points
6. Incorrect answer to bonus questions: 0 points
SPECIAL ABSH RULES:
There will be a stopwatch for the twenty-five minutes of game. In case a coach wants to
comment on something during the game, the reader will stop the stopwatch.
Questions will not be repeated.
You may bring up to 2 teams per category.
All teams must wear complete school uniforms or team shirts.
All schools that do not arrive on time will run the risk of forfeiting the game. The caller will wait
15 minutes before declaring forfeit.
It is the responsibility of the host school to train the moderators, timekeepers, and scorekeepers
prior to the event.
Basic Guidelines for all aspects of the tournaments should be followed.
All electronic devices must be turned off prior to the match.
It is a must, to have a room supervisor who supports the moderator in the good conduct of the
game and keeping decorum.
No one will be allowed to enter once the game is in progress. If a spectator or a student
participant leaves, he/she will not be readmitted until the game is over.
Host schools will send the name of the company which is publishing the questions for the
coming tournament two months in advance of the event.
Reader/Moderators must read questions in the order in which they are presented. They also
must be fluent in English.
A school should have three years of continuous participation before offering to host an event.