Here are some basic rules for the Christmas Party Bowl Competition:

B. Points are awarded for correct answers to questions asked by the moderator. Points are not
subtracted for incorrect answers.
C. There are two types of questions in each match:
1. Toss-up questions - twenty questions worth ten points each per quarter in quarters one and
three.

Typical toss-up question: What is Pastor Bob's favorite cookie?  

2. Sixty-second questions -  AKA "Lightning round" : ten related questions worth ten points each
answered in sixty seconds or less.

K. The first response given is the one that counts. Once a player begins an answer, which requires
spelling, the answer must be completed without repetition. Moderator shall not interrupt incorrect
spelling during a toss-up question until the spelling of the word has been completed. However, the
moderator shall interrupt incorrect spelling during the sixty-second round. Also, capitalization does not
have to be specified.
L. If the person responding to the question gives more information than is needed to answer the
questions, the additional information must be correct. This situation is likely to occur when a player
has interrupted the reading of a question in order to answer quickly. The chief judge will be the final
arbitrator on the acceptability of the answer.
R. Cell phones, watch alarms, and/or pagers must be turned off during competition.

T. Once a question has been completed, the question cannot be repeated in either the toss-up or sixty
second round.

VI. GAME PROCEDURES
A. There are twenty toss-up questions in the bowl game.
1. Toss-up questions are worth ten points each.
2. Toss-up questions will be drawn from a variety of subjects.
3. After the moderator has read the question, the person will have ten seconds in which to activate
their buzzer.
4. The person must answer the toss-up question without conferring with other team members. If this
occurs, the moderator will say, “You answer is not accepted” and the opposing team will be given
the opportunity to answer the question.
6. Use of hand signals to transfer answers will not be allowed.
7. The player first signaling readiness to answer a toss-up question must wait to be recognized by
the chief judge as the eligible respondent before giving his/her answer.
8. Answering before being recognized is the same as a wrong answer and the opposing team will be
given the opportunity to answer the question.
9. The judge will recognize a player by announcing the name of the team and the name of the
player. (Example: "Team Rick, Susan")
10. Once a team member is recognized, the answer must begin immediately. The moderator will
allow for a natural pause, but will not allow for stalling.
11. Each moderator's interpretation of a natural pause will vary slightly; however, it is normally a fairly
quick four count: "1, 2, 3, 4."
12. If the moderator determines a time period longer than a natural pause has elapsed and the player
gives an answer after that time has been called, the moderator will say, “Your answer is not
accepted” and the opposing team will be given the opportunity to answer the question.
13. It is not necessary for players to wait until a toss-up question has been read in its entirety by the
moderator to signal their readiness to answer the question. However, the moderator will stop
reading immediately when a student signal is received.
14. If the moderator is interrupted while reading a question and the recognized player gives an
incorrect response or does not answer within the brief pause allowed by the moderator, the
moderator will complete the question for the opposing team and the ten second time allotment will
then be given.
15. If the recognized player gives an incorrect answer or does not answer within the brief pause
allowed by the moderator, and if the ten second time allotment has been depleted, the moderator
will call on the opposing team for an IMMEDIATE answer by saying, "team
___________________, do you have an immediate response?"
16. If the first team answers incorrectly, the opposing team has the opportunity to signal and to answer
the question.
a) If a question has been activated, even though the allotted time has expired, the opposing
team will have the opportunity to answer the missed question.
b) The opposing team will have the remaining time from the original ten seconds or a four
count from the moderator, whichever is longer.

23. The moderator, chief judge and scorekeeper will check the score.
24. If irregularities are found, the chief judge's score will stand as the correct score.
25. The moderator will announce the score for the first quarter of play.

27. All protests will be resolved by the chief judge (AL Poncel) and moderator assigned to that round. All decisions by the chief judge are final and cannot be appealed.
28. If the score is tied, a toss-up question will be asked. The team answering correctly will be
awarded ten points.
B. The second quarter consists of sixty-second questions AKA "Lightning Round"
1. Once the moderator begins the selection process, protests concerning the toss-up quarter will not
be allowed.
2. Each question in the sixty-second round will be worth ten points.
3. The team that is ahead at the end of the first quarter will, after hearing the three 60-second
categories, receive ten seconds to decide to play or defer. After the decision has been made, the
moderator will again state the categories, and the team who is in active play will have ten seconds
to decide upon the category.
4. Consultation among a team's members is allowed during the sixty-second quarters. Team
members may move to have closer access to the team captain.
5. After the team has been informed of the three categories available for the sixty-second quarter,
they will have ten seconds in which to make their selection. The moderator will say: "Team
number ______ will have first selection of the sixty-second questions. The selections are: 1.
______, 2. _______, 3. _________. You will have ten seconds to decide." At the end of the ten
seconds, the moderator will say, "Team number ________, what is your selection?"
6. The team will select one of the three presented categories. The selection must be given by the
team captain. First response to the officials will be the selected category.
7. If the team does not give an immediate response to the moderator’s request, the opposing team
will be allowed the first choice option. If the team that was ahead at the end of the first quarter
chooses to have first selection in the second quarter and cannot make a selection in ten seconds,
they forfeit the right of first selection in both the second and fourth quarters.
8. All answers must be given by the team captain.
9. The captain need not wait to be recognized before responding.
10. The captain may respond before the moderator has completed a question.
11. The team responding to a category of questions is playing against the sixty-second clock. The
clock will begin after the moderator has read the first question in the category. All reading and
response will end as the sixty-second buzzer sounds.
12. Once the clock has started, the moderator will give the team an indefinite period of time to answer
each question (that is, until the buzzer indicates the sixty seconds have elapsed).
13. If a team does not know the answer, the captain must say "pass" before the moderator will begin
the next question.
14. Once a team has passed on a question, it cannot return to answer even though time remains at
the end of the sixty-second quarter.
15. The moderator will say "yes" for a correct response and "no" for an incorrect response at the end
of each response. (Moderator, DO NOT say "correct/incorrect". Say "yes/no".)
16. After the first team has finished with the sixty-second questions, the second team will then be
given ten seconds to choose from the two remaining categories.
17. If the team cannot choose from the two remaining categories, the opposing team will choose the
category for them.
18. In both instances, for the first and second selection, the moderator will call for the selection and
the team must give an immediate answer.
19. All rules applying to the first portion of the sixty-second round will apply during the second portion
also.
20. If the moderator inadvertently gives an answer to a question in a sixty-second round without giving
the team a chance to respond, a substitute question will be added in order to make a total of ten
questions available in that category. Six seconds will be given after the question is read.
21. Because the sixty-second rounds are timed, an electronic buzzer or stopwatch will end the
moderator's reading of each category and the team's response to the questions.
22. A team will not talk or write during its opponent's sixty-second questions.
23. After both teams have finished their sixty-second questions, the moderator, chief judge, and
scorekeeper will check the score and a winner will be declared.