Updated July 2017

TEAMS

  • Players must be entering grade 9 through leaving grade 12 or between the ages of 14 and 18 in the school year prior to the Regional Battle.
  • Libraries can have as many team members as they like, but only up to four (4) players will be on stage at a time.
  • Substitutes may not be used once round begins

GAME PLAY

  • The game will be played round-robin style.
  • Teams will be divided into pools/districts, and play against other libraries in that pool.
  • The winner of each pool will advance to the finals (2 pools) or semi-finals (3+ pools).
    • In the event of an uneven number of pools, a wildcard team will be selected to compete in the semi-finals.
    • See scoring section for more information.
  • Half of the questions will be trivia and the other half will be title/author format.
    • 1: In which book did a girl wear a green cloak? Answer: Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
    • 2: In Through the Woods, what color was the youngest sister’s cloak? Answer: Green, pea green
  • Each round will have 15 questions
  • The first team member to buzz will be called on by the emcee to answer the question. No other team member may answer the question.
  • He/she must answer within 10 seconds after the Emcee acknowledges him/her.
  • The player who buzzes is allowed to confer with teammates in the time given.
    • While one team is conferring, the other team must be silent.
  • The answer must contain the full title and full author’s name, if it is a title/author question.
  • Answers to trivia questions must be answered according to the answer on the judge’s card.
  • If the first team gives a wrong answer or declines to answer the question, a member of the second team may buzz in and answer within 10 seconds after the Emcee acknowledges him/her.
  • A question will only be repeated for the second team if the first team buzzes before the Emcee completes the question the first time.
  • Judges will have the final say in all challenges
  • Questions can only be challenged by a participant (no coaches or parents), and must be challenged at the time the question is asked.
    • To challenge a question/answer, the participant must raise their hand and be acknowledged by the emcee.
    • After the issue is raised, the emcee will discuss with the coaches of both teams to determine an appropriate course of action.
      • 1) If the challenge is baseless, then the gameplay will continue without change.
      • 2) If the challenge proves true, then the question will be tossed out, no points awarded, and one of the additional questions will be used at the end of the round.

SCORING

  • Each correct answer will receive 1 point. Incorrect answers count for 0, and “shout-outs” count for -1 point. A “shout-out” is when a player answers the question before they are acknowledged by the emcee or if a different player than the one who buzzed in answers.
  • Once each team has battled the others in their respective pool, the team with the highest score will go to the finals (2 pools) or semi-finals (3+ pools).
  • With an even number of pools, the winner of each division will play each other in the finals or semi-finals.
  • With three pools, a wildcard winner will be chosen to play in the semifinals.
    • The wildcard team, like in Major League Baseball, is the team with the fourth highest score between the pools.
    • Team1: Winner of Pool 1
    • Team 2: Winner of Pool 2
    • Team 3: Winner of Pool 3
    • Team 4: Highest Scorer of Remaining Teams
  • With three pools, these teams have a semi-final match (Team 1 v. Team 2, Team 3 v. Team 4). The winner of those will go to the finals.