COMPETITION RULES

NOTE: In these rules, the term "QUIZ POINTS" refers to those scored by contestants in the quiz; the term "MATCH POINTS" refers to the points awarded to a team for a win or a draw.

1.Competing teams consist of four players. The home team will be responsible for providing a Question Reader and Score Keeper. No one person may be Question Reader and Score Keeper without the agreement of both teams.

2. League matches must be played on a Wednesday evening, on licensed premises. Licensed Clubs are acceptable premises provided there is no restriction on access to matches. All matches should start at 8.30pm but, if a match is delayed by more than 15 minutes, the non-offending team has the right to claim the match. In the case of severe weather, with the agreement of the non-offending team, a substitute match may be arranged as long as no expense falls on the League.

3. Sets of questions will be provided by the question setters appointed by the League and only these questions may be used.

4. Questions will be issued to the home team in a sealed envelope and the envelope must be opened by the Question Reader in the presence of a member of each team immediately before the match takes place.

5.

MATCH RULES: A match consists of 32 questions to each team arranged into alternate individual and team rounds. Each team round question is arranged into three parts. The winner is the team scoring the most points. The team to commence answering first in each round is decided by the toss of a coin.

INDIVIDUAL ROUNDS: The Question Reader asks each contestant in turn a question. No conferring is allowed. The contestant has 10 seconds to commence his/her answer and is awarded 2 Quiz Points for a correct answer. If the answer is not correct then the question is repeated to the contestant’s opposite number who has 5 seconds to answer and is awarded 1 Quiz Point for a correct answer. If the answer is not correct then any member of the original contestant’s team may answer within 5 seconds, without the question being repeated, for 1 Quiz Point. Finally any member of the opposite team may answer within 5 seconds, without the question being repeated, for 1 Quiz Point.

TEAM ROUNDS: The Question Reader asks each team in turn a three part question. One person must give the answers. The team has 30 seconds to commence their answers. Each correctly answered section is awarded 1 Quiz Point. Each section incorrectly answered is offered to the opposite team for 1 Quiz Point. The opposite team are allowed a maximum of 5 seconds to commence their answers.

NOTE: Pencil and Paper may be used in Team rounds only. Pencils must not be held during individual rounds.

6. The Question Reader’s decision is final.

7. No member of a team may change the answer to a question after it has been given.

8. If any team member attempts to prompt another, the Question Reader treats the answer as incorrect, awards no points, and passes the question to the opposing team if applicable.

9. If any member of the audience prompts a team member, the Question Reader cancels the question and asks a subsidiary question. Additional single and three-part questions are provided for this purpose. It is the duty of each Captain to see that their team's supporters do not prompt a team member.

10. After the fourth round, the order of answering is reversed. The team answering first in rounds 1 to 4 answers second in rounds 5 to 8.

11. On completion of the Quiz, the result must be confirmed by a member of each team and by the Question Reader by signing the score sheet. Once the score sheet has been signed, the result stands.

12. The winning team or, in the result of a tie, the home team is responsible for forwarding the result to the Area Match Secretary without delay, i.e. posted no later than the day following the match.

13. Two Match Points are awarded to the winning team and in the event of a tie one Match Point is awarded to each team.

14. In the event of teams having equal Match Points in the League, their position will be decided on the Quiz Points average i.e. ‘points for’ divided by ‘points against’.

15. In a knock-out competition, in the event of a tie, the match will be decided by putting one spare Team Question to each team, points being scored as in Quiz Rule 6, the team scoring most points being the winner. If there is still a tie the match will be decided on a ‘sudden death’ basis by individual questions being put in pairs, one to each team, until a definite result is reached; scoring will be as in Quiz Rule 6. If all questions are exhausted and no definite result is reached, the team scoring most ‘2 points’ in individual rounds and ‘3 points’ in team rounds in the quiz shall be the winner. Prior to the start of ‘sudden death’ individual questions, both teams may nominate the order in which team members will attempt to answer questions.

16. No player may play for more than one team within the same season without obtaining approval from the General Secretary.

17. If a dispute arises over any matter concerning a match, the Area Match Secretary must be advised in writing of all details within three days of the match, and the team against whom the complaint is being made must be sent a copy of the letter. The Match Secretary will refer the complaint to the Committee who will make a ruling which will be advised to both parties and must be regarded as final.

18. Spare questions are provided for use in the case of disputed questions. These and any other unasked questions may be used as a beer round.