Rules

For the rules in PDF format, click here.

Statement of Purpose
Bible Quizzing is another "youth setting" in which God may become more meaningful to persons who expose themselves to the Scriptures in study and expression. The team experience of quizzing and practice offers further opportunity for close spiritual and personal fellowship and prayer. The expression of persons who have quizzed provides ample support that this "setting" with its limitations and problems, can be used of the Spirit. The sportsmanship and attitude of the staff, coaches, and team members are crucial to this experience being a positive one for all involved.

Area Leagues or Combined Area Leagues
Quizzing may be done on the area level or by combining several areas, depending on the interest and number of teams quizzing. The area coordinator is in charge of the overall program. He appoints the quizmaster or quizmasters for the quizzing season. The quizmaster may appoint the other officials. During the season, it is best if each team quizzes at least once against every other team in the league. When this is not possible, the quiz coordinator and coaches or staff should decide together how the league schedule is set up.

Finances
Each team pays an entry fee for the season. This amount is determined by the area quiz coordinator. Accurate financial records are kept. An offering may be lifted at each quiz meet to help pay for the expenses. Individual areas have the option to raise money in other ways. League quizzing should be self-supporting. Awards should be purchased from this fund. Each area church will be responsible for their own expenses for travel to the Invitational Tournament.

Awards
The quiz coordinator shall give awards in their league as they determine. These may be scholarships, trophies, certificates and/or cash.

Atmosphere
A quiz meet should appropriately begin with prayer. The electronic equipment should make quizzing exciting. Cheering is in order depending on the location of the meet. Coaches are asked to display a positive example and attitude for their teams and the program. The sportsmanship and attitude of the team member and the coaches is crucial to the experience being a spiritual one.

Quiz Match
Consists of two teams (each with four quizzers at a time) competing against each other in a 15 question match. Optional: the last three objective questions will be from any of the previous material covered so far that year.

Team Requirements

 * 1) Each Team is composed of no more than six quizzers, four regular and two substitutes and a coach or coaches. A team may have up to eight quizzers on their roster but only six may quiz in a single match. These must be listed on the lineup given to the scorekeeper that night.
 * 2) The coach is responsible for giving the team lineup to the scorekeeper before each match.
 * 3) Each team must have paid its entry fee before the beginning of the first match.
 * 4) A church youth group may have more than one team. Each group decides how they will select their team(s). In some cases two churches may go together to form a team. Youth from other denominational churches may participate subject to the quiz coordinators and ACC Conference discretion.
 * 5) For invitational and other extra-league meets, a team is defined as a group which has worked together all season. (Exceptions should be approved by area coordinators.)
 * 6) Quizzers must be in 7th grade and not older than 20, as of January 1st of the quizzing year.
 * 7) Each quizzer is required to display a name tag during each quiz match.

Quiz meet
A meeting where one or more quiz matches are held.

League standings
There will be no forfeits. The team that does not show without prior notice is penalized 20 points and the match is rescheduled. If a team drops out during the season, the points earned against the team that dropped out are subtracted from the other teams in the league. This means that the scorekeeper must keep permanent records of all quiz matches. Ranking is by total points earned, not win/loss record.

Quizmaster
He is the single most important person in how effective the quizzing experience will be. Faulty procedure in any area will result in poor quizzing. He must know the material and rules well. He must read the questions ahead of time for accuracy and sense. It is helpful for the quizmaster to meet with the judges before the quiz to review the questions together. Questions are asked by the quizmaster. Ultimate control of the quiz match is in his hands. He shall call fouls. He must be sure to read loudly enough. He should be "in charge" without being inflexible. On the other hand, indecision can ruin a quiz match. Be careful not to go too slow or too fast. Each question should be preceded with "Question number ____ ." Chapter and verse should not precede question, unless it is written that way. The quizmaster should confer with the material judges when a question or answer is in doubt. When other than objective questions are used, they will be announced as such before the question is asked.

Material judges
They determine the accuracy of an answer along with the quizmaster. They follow each question to see that it is read correctly. They inform the quizmaster of any violation of the rules by either team. They help to judge the correctness of any answers in dispute by either team. They help judge the validity of contests made by either team. This is best done by consensus of the judges and the quizmaster. If a consensus cannot be reached, a majority vote will determine the right actions to take. Two material judges are sufficient.

Timekeeper
Watches the timer or stopwatch for the following: The timekeeper is responsible to see that the equipment is in working order and watches for any malfunctions and informs the quizmaster immediately if there is a malfunction. He will also inform the quizmaster of any rule violations. Depending on the complexity of the equipment, a timekeeper may not be required.
 * 1) 5 seconds for a quizzer to respond by pushing their button.
 * 2) 5 seconds for a quizzer to start answering (any intelligible word) after pushing their button.
 * 3) 30 seconds for the quizzer to answer after they have pushed their button.
 * 4) 30 seconds for a time-out.

Scorekeeper
They keep an accurate record of the number of correct and incorrect questions answered by each quizzer, individual and team scores, errors, fouls, time-outs, lineups and substitutes. They inform the quizmaster of violations, quiz outs and err outs. They will also inform the quizmaster and team coach when a team uses their third time out. A blackboard or other means can be used to keep an unofficial running team score so that the audience can see the progress. Official score sheets shall be used and filed for permanent records.

Equipment
Eight chairs, four for each team; table with a paper or cloth screen in front of each team; table for the officials; hand operated electronic quiz equipment; official score sheets; extension cord; podium for the quizmaster; a means of displaying the score for the audience.

Question Composition
A. Coordinators for each area will take turns being responsible to see that the questions are written and in the hands of the other coordinators by December before the quiz season begins.

B. Questions are all objective unless announced otherwise. Optional types of questions which could be used in addition to objective questions are:
 * 1) Review questions - taken from previous material.
 * 2) Memory - taken from a pre-announced passage.
 * 3) Subjective - taken from a commentary chosen by the area league.
 * 4) Situation - multiple answers, example: "Who said this and to whom?" followed by a statement.

C. All questions will be based on the 1984 copyright of the NEW INTERNATIONAL Version Bible.

Answering
A. From the time the quizzer has pushed the button he has (1) five seconds to start answering (any intelligible word); (2) thirty seconds to finish objective and situation or memory answers. If the quizzer responds before the question is finished, the quizmaster stops reading the questions immediately. The quizzer need not finish the question.

B. The quizzer only has one try at the answer. The first answer is the one counted. A quizzer may change a word or phrase if he/she does so by interrupting him/herself before completing the answer. If the quizzer's first answer is correct or incorrect the quizmaster need not wait the 30 seconds but may rule it immediately.

C. 2/3 Ruling: a question is not incorrect until a quizzer gives wrong information. Therefore if the lst part of their answer is wrong, the question should be judged incorrect. If the 1st and 2nd parts are correct and the 3rd is incorrect it will be judged correct.

D. Questions or parts thereof cannot be repeated after a quizzer has pushed their button. All bonus questions will be reread completely, but cannot be repeated.

E. If a question is missed, the corresponding quizzer on the opposing team has a chance to answer the same question as a bonus question. The question is read again for the bonus. In the event that the answer was given as a second answer or at the discretion of the staff a new bonus can be given. The same time limits apply to a bonus answer.

F. A quizzer will not be required to provide an answer if they push their button prior to the start of the question. Announcement of the question number is not considered part of the question. A question will be considered started as soon as the quizmaster begins the first word of the actual question. In the case of a situation question, the question is considered started with the "Who" of "Who said this and to whom". G. All answers will be based and judged on the NEW INTERNATIONAL Version of the Bible.

Errors
A. Any incorrect answer to a regular question is an error. (Does not apply to bonus questions.)

B. After three errors, a quizzer is ineligible to answer any questions. He does not have to leave the match. The quizmaster or scorekeeper will inform the coach. It is the responsibility of the coach to inform the quizzer he cannot answer any questions. If the quizzer does push his button, a foul will be called. The quizzer may not be replaced by a substitute. When the erred out quizzer would have opportunity for a bonus question, the quizzer on the next lowest chair answers. (i.e. 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-1)

C. Failure to start the answer (any intelligible word) within five seconds or failure to complete it in 30 seconds results in an error.

D. Scoring less than 5 in a memory or subjective question results in an error.

Scoring
A. A correct answer counts 10 points on all regular and bonus questions.

B. A quizzer receives an additional five points for quizzing out.

C. A quizzer quizzes out after scoring thirty total points. The quizzer may be replaced by a substitute or may choose to remain in the match. Time is given after each quiz out for a substitution to be made. It is not an automatic time- out. If the quizzer remains in the match, they may only answer bonus questions. Points from bonus questions will be team points only for that quizzer.

D. Five points are deducted from a team score for each error, starting with the fifth error.

E. Five points are deducted from the team score for every foul.

F. Twenty bonus points are awarded to a team when four different members of the team have answered a regular question correctly. (Bonus questions do not count.)

G. For tournament matches, in case of a tie, three questions will be asked. Each team will be given one additional time out. If a tie remains, one question at a time will be completed, until the tie is resolved. The tie may be resolved with a correct answer, or with the reduction of points due to fouls or too many errors. In any case, the question and bonus (if required) will be completed before the match is called.

Time Outs
A. Each team is entitled to three 30-second time outs. Only the quizzers may call a time out. Coaches may approach the team when the time out is acknowledged by the quizmaster. The scorekeeper will inform the quizmaster and team coach when the third time out is used. No foul will be called if a team calls a time out by accident. (In the event of a quiz on the stage or other location where it is difficult for the quizzers to see the coach(es), the coach may signal the time out to the quizmaster.)

B. Time out must be called for quizzers to switch chairs.

C. Time outs may be called back to back.

D. Time outs are not official until the quizmaster recognizes the time out. A time out cannot be used to block a contest. If a team wants to contest, the contest will be heard and ruled on before the time out is granted.

E. No time outs may be called after the next to last question in a match. The quizmaster may call technical time outs - (these do not count against the teams). No time-outs may be called after the next to last question in a match.

Substitution
A. A substitute may replace any quizzer during any time out. The quizzer replaced becomes substitute.

B. A quizzer may not be replaced after he makes three errors.

C. A quizzer who has quizzed out may not re-enter the match.

D. Quizzers may change their positions during a time out.

Contests
Either team may contest a decision subject to these rules:

A. A request for a contest must be made to the quizmaster, then the staff will entertain the contest. Frivolous and unwarranted contests may be thrown out by the quizmaster. A contest must be made immediately after the quizmaster's decision.

B. No contest is allowed following a time out.

C. The team not contesting will be given the opportunity for a rebuttal at the time of the contest.

D. Contesting must be done by only one of the four quizzers on the chairs.

E. No further contesting is permitted after the decision has been reviewed. If a quizzer continues the discussion, a foul will be called.

F. Both questions and answers may be contested.

G. Bonus question answers may be contested.

Fouls
A. Fouls may be called on quizzers, substitutes or coaches.

B. Fouls are called for: C. Five points are deducted from the team for every foul.
 * 1) Communication between quizzers and/or coaches from the time "question" is called and the answer is judged right or wrong. Any quizzer talking on the bench, from the team quizzing or others sitting on the bench. It the team is coached by more than one coach, they may confer together quietly.
 * 2) Conduct that is unsportsmanlike or not in the best interest of the quiz. One warning may be given.
 * 3) Attempting to answer a question when a quizzer's light is not on. No error is given to the quizzer attempting to answer. A foul is given to the team. The quizzer whose light is on is given thirty seconds to answer the question.
 * 4) Pushing the light after they have quizzed out or erred out.
 * 5) More than one quizzer contesting.
 * 6) Open Bibles or study material by quizzers on the bench.
 * 7) No intentional erring is permitted on questions during a quiz to keep the opposing team from getting their team bonus or a member quizzing out. In the event there is an intentional error, in the opinion of the quizmaster and judges, a 5 point foul will be assessed and a new question will be asked.