The Moderator will accept only the first answer given by a team member or captain. If the member changes his/her answer, the first answer given will be the only answer considered by the Moderator.

If a buzzer system fails, team members will indicate their wish to respond by tapping their buzzer light with their pencil. The action complimented with the sound will help with judging. The Judge with the announcer will indicate who responded first by identifying the team member by school and name.

If a question requires two or more answers, all parts must be answered correctly to earn the ten points. (Example: What two feuding families figure in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet? Ans: the Montague’s and the Capulet’s.) If one or more parts are incorrect, no points will be earned, and the question will be repeated for the second team.

The Moderator will use his/her judgment concerning the correctness of any answer.

However, if there is an inquiry about a question or a response, the question will be referred to the Judge who will make a determination.

Only the Moderator or the Judge may make inquiries during a match. Coaches may make inquiries during the half time break or the break before wrap-up. Team members or spectators are not allowed to make direct inquiries.

If a team fails to attend a scheduled competition, its matches scheduled for that day are forfeited.

** If one school is closed, the Program Coordinator will decide of the whole competition is canceled and will be re-scheduled, OR if the competition will continue and the closed school will be re-scheduled.

Students will be given materials to practice. Coaches will receive two practice packets at the beginning of the school year to aid in practice sessions. When one packet is used, please return it to the LeRoy BOCES and a new packet will arrive through our bus mail.

Coaches are encouraged to bring students interested but not participating yet, to a Brainstormers competition. This exposure may encourage students to join and feel more comfortable with the format of the day’s events. Again, a maximum of 20 students are allowed at each meet.

The day’s event = Meet
When two schools compete = Match
Parts within the match = Rounds

A running score will be kept. The score should be visible to the Moderator as well as the teams and the audience, whenever possible. In addition, each team is asked to keep score. The scores will be verified at the end of each round.

Regular and Toss-up Questions: (Either team may respond)

Ten points will be awarded for each correct answer. There will be no penalty points for incorrect answers.
Bonus Questions: (winner of toss-up only, teams may confer – five seconds, captain MUST answer) Twenty points will be awarded for a correct answer. There will be no penalty points for incorrect answers.

Lightning Round Questions: (Each team has 60 seconds to answer 10 Q’s from four categories) (Other team does have chance to answer incorrect Q’s) (Teams may confer, captain MUST answer). Ten points will be awarded for each correct answer. There will be no penalty points for incorrect answers.

Team A players of four students from each school, eight total
Four minutes of Toss-Up questions
60-Second Lightning Round (lower score school-2)
60-Second Lightning Round (the high score school-1)
Three minutes of Toss-Up questions

Change to four new team members.

Team B players of four students from each school, eight total (none from teams A)
Four minutes of Toss-Up questions
60-Second Lightning Round (lower score school-2)
60-Second Lightning Round (the high score school-1)
Three minutes of Toss-Up questions

At the end of Round B, the team with the higher score wins the match. In the event of a tie, a ‘sudden-death’ will decide the match.

The top four scoring teams through the regular season will continue on to the Final Four. In case of a season tie, the following will be used to determine the ranking:

1. Head-to-head results in matches involving tied teams.
2. Percentage of total points scored in matches involving tied teams.

The playoff will meet in one room as follows:

First Semi-Final: #1 ranked team vs. #4 ranked team
Second Semi-Final: #2 ranked team vs. #3 ranked team
Final: Winner of First Semi-Final vs. Winner of Second Semi-Final
Awards Ceremony to follow.

The Moderator will ask the question, and team members will indicate their desire to answer the question by buzzing in.

No conferences are allowed among team members on the first reading of a question. If, in the opinion of the Moderator, a team did have a conference on the first reading of a question, (s)he will declare that answer incorrect and read the question for the second team.

Team members must buzz in within three seconds after the reading of the question. For specified math questions, teams will be given ten seconds in which to buzz in on the first reading only. Subsequent readings of these problems will be given only four seconds in which to buzz in.  These special questions will be clearly announced by the Moderator.

If neither team buzzes in at the end of four seconds, the Moderator will give the correct answer, no points will be awarded and the Moderator will continue with the next question.

When a team member buzzes in, the announcer will indicate who responded first by school and by the individual’s name (Example: Dansville, Jim).

If a team member answers any question without first being recognized verbally by the announcer, that question will be thrown out and no points scored.

Once the announcer has indicated the school/name who buzzed first, the team member must respond immediately to the question.

If an incorrect answer is given, the question will be repeated completely for the second team. This team may have a brief conference during the second reading of the question and in the four seconds following the reading. However, they must buzz within three seconds, be recognized by the announcer, and answer immediately. If this procedure is not followed, no points will be scored, regardless of a correct answer.

If no answer is given immediately, the Moderator will declare it to be an incorrect answer and the same procedure will be followed as stated above for an incorrect answer.

**If the Moderator is in the process of asking a question at the end of either of any regular toss-up round, (s)he will stop that question and the session will end. If, however, a team member has buzzed in, the team member will be given the opportunity to respond. If an incorrect answer is given, the question will be re-read for the other team.

Every 2-3 regular questions, there will be a toss-up question. Either team may answer the toss-up question. BUT, the team that answers the toss-up question correctly receives the BONUS question.

Teams will be given four seconds to confer and answer the bonus question. The BONUS questions are worth 20 points if answered correctly. No points are lost for incorrect answers.

If answered incorrectly, the Moderator tosses the question and continues reading the next question as normal. Bonus questions are not re-read for the opposite team.

The Lightning Round begins with four topics, each of which consists of ten questions. The four Bonus Round topics will be displayed at the beginning of each match. Each team must designate a team captain who will act as spokesperson for the team. Students only have 60 seconds to answer as many questions as possible and only four seconds per question.

During the first Lightning Round (mid-way through Round A), each team will select one topic.

The team with the lower score will select a topic first. If teams are tied at the end of the first half, a coin toss will determine which team selects a Lightning Round topic first.

This team, through its designated captain, will respond to each question within the usual time of four seconds (no buzzer is used).

The team may conference, but all answers must be given by the team captain. They may:
Answer correctly (10 points each)
Answer incorrectly (no points/no penalty)
Pass (no points/no penalty, they may re-answer if time allows)

If a team fails to answer or indicate ‘pass’ within four seconds, they are considered to have answered incorrectly (no points/no penalty).

After all 10 questions have been read to the first team, the Moderator will re-read any ‘passed’ questions. The team captain must respond with an answer within four seconds. Students only have 60 seconds to answer as many questions as possible.

Any questions that were answered incorrectly (or not at all) will be repeated for the second team. The second team may conference within the four seconds, at which time the team captain will give the team answer. There will be no passes or second readings for this part of the Lightning Round.

The second team will now select from the remaining Lightning Round topics, and the same procedure will be followed. The second Lightning Round (mid-way through the second half) will follow the same procedure except that the second team from the first Lightning Round will choose from the remaining two topics first, regardless of score. Students only have 60 seconds to answer as many questions as possible.

If the Moderator reads the answer to a regular question by mistake, the question will be thrown out, and no points are lost. The moderator will ask the same team another question.

If a player answers without being recognized, the answer does not count. The question is thrown out. It is NOT re-read for the other team.

If a player confers with a teammate, the answer does not count (the exception is the bonus question and lightning rounds). The question is not re-read for the other team.

If a player answers and then immediately corrects the answer, the first response given by the player is the one that counts.

If a player buzzes in by accident, that player must answer within four seconds.

If a player believes she/he knows the answer to a question before it has been completed, she/he may interrupt the Moderator by buzzing. If the answer is correct the team score. If the answer is incorrect, the entire question is repeated for the other team.

If someone in the audience gives an audible answer, the Moderator will throw out the question and goes to the next question in the stack.

If the question has not been finished and no one has buzzed in, then the Moderator stops reading.

If the question has been read and no one has buzzed in, the Moderator stops the game. If the question has been read and someone has buzzed in, the team may answer. If they answer incorrectly, the other team may have the question re-read and may answer.

If the question is a toss-up and the question was answered correctly, then that team has an opportunity to answer the bonus question that the toss-up carries. If the toss-up question is answered incorrectly, then the other team has a chance to the above mentioned.

Hear enough of the question to make sure that you are going to respond with the type of information being asked.

If the other team answers first, but incorrectly, take advantage of the time given to hear the question read again, and decide on the proper response. Brief conferences are allowed on the second reading of a question.

Make sure that you buzz and are identified by the announcer before you give your answer. You must signal and be recognized even if the other team has answered first, but incorrectly. Once you buzz and are recognized by the announcer, you must answer immediately or the Moderator will declare your answer to be incorrect.

Since there is no penalty for incorrect answers, if the opposing team answers incorrectly, the second team should take advantage of the second reading, and at least take a guess at the answer.

During the lightning round, the non-playing team members should listen attentively and jot down the opponent’s answers. This may assist them as they prepare to answer any questions missed by the first team. During the lightning round, it may be beneficial to ‘pass’ on all questions, and answer during the second reading.

In some cases, a non-specific answer may suffice. (Example: Who was the first President of the United States? Ans. Washington). In other cases, the answer must be specific. (Examples: Who said, “Walk softly can carry a big stick?” Ans: Theodore Roosevelt; or who wrote Wuthering Heights? Ans. Emily Bronte). It will be left to the judgment of the Officials to determine how specific the answer must be, although they might ask the team member to "be more specific," if necessary.

During the Final Four, after the finals round, we will gather again in the Auditorium for the Awards Ceremony. Students, coaches, parents and administration are welcomed and encouraged to attend. All teams are requested to remain in the Auditorium for the entire competition. This is a sign of good sportsmanship and respect.

Awards will be given to all schools that participated in the Final Four Competition. Schools winning the third and fourth places will receive a school certificate. The schools winning the second and first places will receive a school trophy. All participating students will receive certificates after the competition.

Photographs will be taken for media usage. A photographer will be available to take group pictures with students and coaches. These photographs will be available digitally, after the competition.

After the competitions, the Enrichment Specialist will collect all data and generate the Brainstormers newsletter for students, coaches, administration and school PR contacts.

Individual student certificates, evaluations, and photos will be sent to the coaches to share with the students. Please return any practice questions along with the evaluations to the Enrichment Department at Genesee Valley BOCES in LeRoy.

For Regular, Toss-Up, and Lightning Round Questions

Physics
Chemistry
Earth Science
Biology
Health – First Aid

U.S. History
World History
NYS Government and History
World Geography
US Geography
Economics / Business

Literature
Grammar/ Spelling / Mechanics
Languages

Four Basic Functions
Probability
Statistics
Fractions
Word Problems
Geometry
Algebra

Tools, People, Awards and Genres
Visual Arts
Music
Theater
Dance
Movies & Television