Washington State Knowledge Bowl
State Tournament

 

OFFICIALS' & COACHES' RESPONSIBILITIES --2004

 

TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS -- WRITTEN ROUND
Responsibilities of the Monitor
1. Be familiar with the State Tournament Rules and Guidelines for Competition especially related to the Written Round.
2. START ON TIME -- We are running this meet on a tight time schedule.
3. Three teams will compete in your room at the same time.
4. The monitor is to also act as the timekeeper. Remember: The time limit for this round is 40 minutes -- provide periodic updates of time remaining.
5. Each team may have no more than 6 members. Substitutions are not allowed during the Written Round.
6. When you are ready to begin, distribute both a test packet and an answer sheet to each team. If Scan Tron answer sheets are being used, remind each team to use a pencil to mark their answers.
7. Neither resource materials nor calculators may be used during the Written Round.
8. Discussion between team members is allowed. However, you may need to remind teams to keep the noise level down so as not to disturb the other teams in the room.
9. As each team turns in the test packet and the answer sheet, make sure the name of the school and/or team appears on both of them.
10. At the end of the Round, an official Runner is to take the test packets and scoresheets for all 3 teams to the Scoring Headquarters. If you are unable to find the Runner after your Round is finished, please personally bring these items to the Scoring Headquarters as soon as you can.


TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS -- ORAL ROUNDS
Responsibilities of the Reader/Judge:
1. Be familiar with the State Meet Rules for Competition, especially related to the Oral Rounds.
2. Be sure to designate either yourself (Reader/Judge) or the Timer as the Official Scorekeeper. See below for responsibilities.
3. START ON TIME -- We are running this meet on a tight time schedule.
4. Please announce that the Team Name Card should be placed directly in front of the Team Captain.
5. Make sure the questions you are reading are for the correct oral round.
6. Get the teams' attention before you begin reading questions. You may wish to ask if there are any questions about rules or procedures.
7. Remind teams to withhold their responses until they are called upon to answer by the timer.
8. Speak clearly, loudly, and carefully.
9. Begin by reading the warm-up questions provided to make sure that the Timer is familiar with the equipment, and that it is working properly.
10. Announce the number of each question before you read it. Reminder: Once the number has been given, if a team buzzes in, they must respond within 15 seconds.
11. IMMEDIATELY stop reading the question when a team buzzes in. (The Timer is to immediately recognize that team, who will then attempt their response.)
12. Parentheses around part of an answer indicate something that may be optional or additional information and is not required.
13. Alternate answers will be marked as "Also Accept."
14. Acceptable answers are provided for each question. The Reader/Judge is not to use such comments as "Give more information" or "Be more specific." Incomplete answers are to be considered incorrect.
15. After a correct answer is given, the reader judge must announce to the scorekeeper which team (A, B, C) has won the point.
16. Only the team captain (or his/her designated team member) may address the Reader/Judge for clarification or a challenge. Other team members, coaches, etc. are not to be recognized.
17. At the half-way point in the oral round (immediately after question 25 in a 50-queston round, or question 30 in a 60-question round), the Reader/Judge is remind the Team Captains that substitutions may be made. Please note this is the only time that substitutions can be made.
18. If a question is challenged during the oral round, and the challenge seems reasonable, go to an alternate question. Be decisive, be firm, be fair. You will make the final decision on all disputes. Do not allow discussion at that point in the round to disrupt or delay the round. Remind a Team Captain who still is questioning a decision that a Formal Challenge can be issued after the round is completed.
19. The Reader/Judge is to monitor the behavior of the teams and audience members (e.g. excessive talking, talking by non-participants, etc.).
20. At the end of an oral round, a Team Captain may wish to issue a Formal Challenge. The challenge may be in regards to the answer provided for a given question, a ruling made by the Reader/Judge, and so on.
a. If so, the Reader/Judge should use the sheet provided.
b. The form will have spaces for both the Team Captain and the Reader/Judge to explain what happened.
c. This Official Challenge form is to be returned to the scoring area along with the scoresheet for that round.

Responsibilities of the Timer:
21. The Reader/Judge will appoint either the Reader/Judge or the Timer as the Official Scorekeeper (see responsibilities below).
22. Be familiar with the State Meet Rules for Competition, especially related to the Oral Rounds. Be ready to assist the Reader/Judge as needed.
23. Make sure the equipment has been set up correctly, and is in working condition.
24. The read-out on the timing device must be visible to the contestants. If the equipment is the type with a read-out on two sides, then the Timer may sit next to the Reader/Judge. If the read-out is on only one side, the Timer may need to sit on the same side as the contestants, being careful to not block their view. It may be possible to set the one-sided read-out equipment up so that the Timer and Reader/Judge may sit next to each. Just be sure that the Timer and the contestants can all see the read-out clearly.
25. Teams are designated by A, B, C on the timing devices as well as on the tables.
26. When a team buzzes in, announce immediately and distinctly which team (A, B, or C) has buzzed in.
27. Announce when time is up at the end of each 5 or 15-second response interval.

Responsibilities of the Official Scorekeeper:
28. Appoint someone in the room to keep an unofficial tally of the team scores in a place that is visible to the contestants (such as on the classroom chalkboard).
29. The school or team name must appear on the score sheet (as well as A, B, and C).
30. Team captains must initial the score sheet at the conclusion of each oral round.
31. At the end of each oral round, an official Runner for each room is to take the score sheet to the Scoring Headquarters. If you are unable to find the Runner after your round is finished, please personally bring the score sheet to the Scoring Headquarters as soon as possible.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE QUESTION PREVIEW TEAM
1. Be familiar with the State Tournament Rules and Guidelines for Competition for both the Written Round and the Oral Rounds.
2. Make sure as much as possible that the questions are readable, and correctly and accurately written and answered.
3. Pronunciations are to be provided to assist the reader, math questions and full name questions are to be so marked, and alternate acceptable answers are to be provided.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHALLENGE RESOLUTION TEAM
1. Be familiar with the State Tournament Rules and Guidelines for Competition for both the Written Round and the Oral Rounds.
2. Be on site during the day of the State Tournament.
3. The purpose of the Challenge Resolution Team is to decide whether a given challenge issued by a team is legitimate, and if so to decide how to correct the situation. Be fair and decisive.
4. The Challenge Resolution Team is not to discuss the challenge in a public format. Communication with the team issuing the challenge should be done through the Team Captain.

 

COACHES' RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Be familiar with the State Tournament Rules and Guidelines for Competition for both the Written Round and the Oral Rounds.
2. Attend the Coaches' Meeting, which will be scheduled at the beginning of the day.
3. Designate the Team Captain for each oral round.
4. Work with your team members beforehand to establish a schedule or a method for making substitutions during each oral round. It is important that substitutions are made at the appropriate times with as little disruption to the flow of the round as possible.
5. Please remind your team(s) to move quickly from room to room. We are operating on a tight time schedule.
6. Remind your team members to treat the Reader/Judges, Timers, and the facilities with respect.
7. Encourage good sportsmanship.
8. If your Team Captain issues a Formal Challenge at the end of an oral round, please make sure that the Team Captain is the one to communicate with the Reader/Judge involved, and with the representative of the Challenge Resolution Team.
9. Regardless of how your team finishes, you and your team members (and parents, visitors, etc.) are encouraged to attend the awards presentation ceremony at the conclusion of the meet.


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