Rules About Challenges

63. There are two types of challenges that team members may make during a game: challenges to the scientific answer, and challenges to the enforcement of the competition rules. The team member requesting the challenge must state up front whether they are requesting a Rules Challenge or a Science Challenge.

64. All challenges must come from the team members who are actively competing. No one from the audience may initiate, object, or engage in a challenge.

65. The team member will raise a hand and request a challenge from the Moderator BEFORE the Moderator begins the next toss-up or bonus question of the period.  Challenges regarding the last toss-up or bonus question must occur BEFORE beginning the Team Challenge Question portion of the game (if challenge occurs at the half) OR before the Moderator has announced the end of the match.

66. All challenges will initially be decided upon collectively by the officials in the room (including challenges to the rules and/or the science). If the team requesting the challenge disagrees with the ruling of the room officials, the team member who requested the challenge can challenge a second and final time.

67. For challenges that can NOT be resolved in the room because the officials do not feel they have the expertise or because students have challenged the officials ruling for the second time, the challenge must go out of the competition room to the Judges’ Appeal Room. All decisions made in the Judges’ Appeal Room are final. NO EXCEPTIONS.

68. If the results of a challenge determine that an answer that had been ruled incorrect is actually correct, the appropriate team will be awarded the correct number of points.

69. If the room officials or expert judges collectively rule in favor of a science challenge that results from a poorly worded question or a question that lacks a scientifically accurate answer, the team that gave the most scientifically accurate answer first will be awarded the appropriate number of points. If it is unclear which team receives the appropriate number of points, the question will be removed from the competition, no points will be awarded to either team, and the Moderator will read the next question in sequence.

70. Should a challenge be requested during a competition, the timekeeper will stop the game clock at the initial request for a challenge OR when the question is no longer in play, and will not re-start the game clock until the question or challenge is resolved. Once resolved, the match will continue from that point. Should the competition officials decide that time was lost due to the interruption, they will add the appropriate amount of time back on the game clock.

71. If the game clocked has NOT been stopped by one of the competition officials during a challenge or other discussion, players can respectfully ask the officials to stop the game clock. If a team member feels a rule regarding the game clock has not been enforced, the team member should request a Rules Challenge.

72. Because Team Challenge Questions are graded in the Judges’ Appeals room, there are NO challenges allowed to the final number of points awarded.