Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod
Bible Bowl
Rules
Rules
Every team that registered for the competition and every host congregation
are sent a copy of these rules. Before the competition begins, the moderator
should ask the gathered teams and crowd if there are any questions regarding
the rules.
Host sites
1. The host congregation will provide the moderator, questioner, timekeeper,
scorekeeper and judges. None of the judges are to be members of congregations
that have a team in competition at that site.
2. Our intention is to have 4-6 teams per site.
3. The host sites for the Local and Regional Bible Bowls will not be determined until registration has ended.
4. The Committee reserves the right to change these if needed, but every effort will be made to keep host sites as neutral as possible.
Teams
1. Teams can have a minimum of three (3) and maximum of 15 participants.
2. A maximum of five (5) participants may sit at a team table during the competition.
a. A break after Part I will occur lasting 10-15 minutes. Up to five new participants
may replace the previous squad for Part II.
b. After Part II, there will be another break lasting 10-15 minutes. Up to
five new participants or participants from Part I or Part II may take their
places at the team table for Part III.
c. At no time are there to be more than five (5) persons representing the team
in competition.
3. Two or more congregations may combine youth groups to form one team.
4. All competitors are to be in 6th – 12th grades.
5. The winners of the Super Bible Bowl should be present at Synod Assembly to receive their trophy during a special ceremony.
Competition
1. The competition will be held in three stages.
a. The first stage of the game (Part I), will consist of seven (7) rounds of
questions, with each team being asked one (1) question per round. All of the
questions asked during Part I will be taken from Luke 1-11.
Each correct answer during Part I will be worth one (1) point. No partial credit
will be given.
b. The second stage of the game (Part II), will consist of seven (7) rounds
of questions, with each team being asked one (1) question per round. All of
the questions asked during Part II will be taken from Luke 12-24.
Each correct answer during Part II will be worth one (1) point. No partial
credit will be given.
c. There will be a third and final stage (Part III) consisting of three (3)
list-type questions given to all of the teams verbally, one at a time. Each
team will have two (2) minutes to write their answer and submit it to the judges
(for each question). The answers and results of the questions will not be revealed
until all three questions have been answered and graded. All of the questions
asked during Part III will be Part III will be taken from the entire Gospel of Luke (1-24). Each correct answer in the Bonus Round will be worth two (2)
points, with no partial credit
given.
2. During Part I or Part II, if a team misses a question, another team is
selected randomly from a bowl and will be given the opportunity to answer the
missed question (referred to as a 2nd Chance Question).
a. If the correct answer is given, the team is awarded one (1) point. If the
correct answer is not given, no points are awarded and the correct answer is
read.
b. Once a team has been selected from the bowl and has had an opportunity to
answer a missed question, the team name will be set aside and will not be placed
back in the bowl. After all teams have had a chance to answer a missed question,
all the names of the teams will be placed back in the bowl. If there are any
team names left in the bowl at the end of a round, they will be asked a question
from one of the unused “extra” questions. Thus every team has an opportunity
to answer an equal number of missed questions by the end of each part.
c. The missed and 2nd Chance questions will also be tracked on the scoreboard.
3. Breaks are not a time for Bible Study. Only the three Judges are to have Bibles in the room. Members of all teams are not able to study elsewhere. This includes the use of electronic devices as study aids.
Questions
1. All questions will be taken from Gospel of Luke. Only the New Revised Standard
Version of the bible will be used.
2. The questioner, who is provided by the host site, will ask the questions. The questions will be read in the order they appear on the sheet, an order determined by the Bible Bowl Coordinator and will be the same for all competition sites.
3. The questioner will read each question twice. It will be referenced to
a specific verse or verses of the Bible. An example of a question might be:
According to Genesis chapter 1, verse 3, what are the first words spoken by
God? According to the NRSV, the answer is “Let there be light.”
a. The answers will only be provided to the judges who will pronounce an answer
to be right or wrong.
b. At no time should anyone besides the judges reveal the right or wrong answer.
4. In addition to the questions for Part I and II, there will be extra questions provided for each Part in case the judges determine that a question should be thrown out or in case team names are still left in the bowl.
Answers
1. Before the start of the competition, the name of all teams will be chosen
from a bowl at random. The order in which the teams are picked will be the
order in which the teams are asked questions.
2. One person from each team table should be designated to give the answers to the questions during each stage of the game. The first answer given by that person is the only answer considered, although the judges may ask for clarification of an answer, if necessary.
3. Each team will have 10 seconds to confer after the question has been asked for the second time. The team may answer as soon as it is able.
4. If after 10 seconds the team has not provided an answer, the timekeeper will say, “Time is up.” And the questioner will say, “What is your answer?”
5. If the team has no answer, the question is directed to another team drawn from the bowl.
6. The ruling of the judges is final and no partial credit is to be given.
Purpose
All participants are reminded that the goal of the Bible Bowl is to engage
in reading and studying of the Word of God. Competition and winning is secondary.
All youth who participate in the Bible Bowl are winners.
Everyone is asked to have respect for the teams, questioner, timekeeper, moderator, scorekeeper and judges and any one else participating in the competition. Applause is a gesture of support and encouragement, but booing and jeering will not be acceptable behavior. The moderator should remind the gathered crowd of this before the competition begins.
Advancement (Subject to change based upon number of teams)
3 weekend format:
Going to Regional Bible Bowl
The team with the highest point total at each local competition site is invited
to participate in the Regional Bible Bowl to be held on Sunday, March 4, 2012.
There will be two sites for the Regional Bible Bowls. Should there be a tie
at any of the Local Bible Bowls, all teams involved in the tie will advance
to the Regional Bible Bowl.
Going to Super Bible Bowl
The teams with the two highest point totals at each regional competition site
are invited to participate in the Super Bible Bowl to be held on Sunday,
March 18, 2012 at TBA. Should there be a tie at any of the Regional Bible
Bowls, all teams involved in the tie will advance to the Super Bible Bowl.
2 weekend format:
Going to Super Bible Bowl
The team with the highest point total at each local competition site is invited
to participate in the Super Bible Bowl to be held on Sunday, March 18, 2012
at TBA. Should there be a tie at any of the Local Bible Bowls, all teams involved
in the tie will advance to the Super Bible Bowl.
Tie Breaker (Super Bible Bowl Only)
In the event of a tie…
Three questions (previously designated as tie breakers) will be asked of each
team involved in the tie. The questions will be asked out loud and each team
will write them down on paper and present to the judges just as in Part III.
In the event that there is still a tie after the Tie Breaker at the Super Bible Bowl, all teams involved in the tie will be declared the Champions. Both teams will receive trophies, which will be presented at the Synod Assembly.
Responsibilities of Host Congregations
Provide the following persons to facilitate the competition:
Moderator who oversees the procedures such as the random selection of teams to answer missed questions, the accuracy of the score board and making sure there are no open Bibles in the room (besides those of the judges). They are also in charge of making sure no electronic devices are being used. The moderator does not have authority over the judges and should never pronounce an answer to be right or wrong.
Questioner will receive a copy of the questions in advance of the competition. The questioner should ask each question twice and should state clearly the name of the team (congregation) and location. For example: “Trinity, Wexford, according to Genesis chapter 12, verse 4…..
Scorekeeper keeps track of the points on newsprint, chalkboard or dry-erase board. The scoreboard should be visible to everyone in the room. One point is given for questions answered in Part I and II and two points given for questions in Part III. If a question has an answer with two parts, for example if the answer is James and John, both names must be given for the answer to be considered correct. No partial credit is to be given. Therefore if a team can only give the name James, they get no points and the question is given to a selected team. The same applies to Part III when the 2-point questions are asked. If an answer requires a team to list four of the 12 disciples, they must give four names and only four names to receive the two (2) points. If they are only able to come up with two (2) names they are given no points at all. They do not get one (1) point for giving half of the answer. If a team gives five answers when only four are required, the first four answers will be used. In short the full answer must be given to receive prescribed points and no partial credit will be given. The scorekeeper should also keep track of the number of missed and 2nd Chance questions each team is asked in each part to serve as back up. The number of missed questions should equal the number of 2nd Chance questions asked.
Timekeeper keeps track of the time and announces when 10 seconds are up for regular questions and when two (2) minutes are up for bonus round questions. (The Timekeeper and Scorekeeper may be combined)
Judges will have a copy of the questions and answers. One of the judges will pronounce an answer to be right or wrong each time. No one else has authority to give such a pronouncement. In the event an answer is challenged the judges will make the final determination. Judges should be seated together in order to discuss answers or challenges. Only the three judges are permitted to have copies of scripture during the competition. The word of the judge is final. It is suggested that a pastor act as one of the judges.
Devotions
Pastor, youth director or another appointed person should lead the devotions.
The devotions are provided to each host congregation in advance. Devotions
should start at 2:45 PM and last no longer than 15 minutes. Competition should
begin by 3:00 PM.
Refreshments
Refreshments such as chips, pretzels, cookies, pop, juice, etc., should be
provided for teams during the two 10 minute break times.
Delivery of Questions
One copy of the questions and answers will be sent to the host congregations
one week prior to the competition. Host congregations are asked to make three
(3) more copies (1 for each of the judges). One copy is given to the questioner.
Those who receive the questions in advance of the competition are asked to
not share them with anyone else, so that questions and answers do not get
out to the contestants.
Bibles
Please make sure to provide three (3) NRSV Bibles for the judges and that these
are the only Bibles in the room where the competition is being held.
Technology
The use of any electronic devices during the Bible Bowls is strictly prohibited.
Any device that could disrupt the Bible Bowl should be turned off or be switched
to silent. All electronic devices are prohibited at the tables. Any team
caught using an electronic device during the Bible Bowl competition rounds
will be disqualified. If a phone call has to be taken, the audience member
is asked to leave the competition area. Phone calls and Texting are not allowed
during the Bible Bowl, except during the two 10 minute breaks. The Moderator
has the authority over any disputes in this area.
Inclement Weather
In the event of Synod-wide inclement weather for the Local or Regional Bible
Bowls, the committee reserves the right to reduce the Bible Bowl from three
weekends down to two weekends. The committee will work with any site that
experiences inclement weather to determine a fair solution such as adjusting
the time or date of the competition at that site. Any changes must have approval
from the committee chairperson. Every effort will be made to keep the Bible
Bowls on schedule.
Site Set-up
The Judges, Scoreboard, Scorekeeper, Timekeeper and Questioner should be placed
at the front of the room. The Moderator can be placed anywhere in the room
as long as they are in a position to observe the entire event. All teams
should be placed in front of the audience, facing the front of the room.
There should be a large enough break between the teams and the audience so
that no conversation can take place during the competition. All team members
at the tables should be facing the judges. No team members should be facing
the audience.
Scoreboard Set-up
The scoreboard should look similar to this example. The
main emphasis is that there is a visible tracking of correct and incorrect
answers for each
round
and of 2nd chance questions.
This example is after the seven rounds of Part II have been completed, but
two teams need to be asked an extra question to give each team an equal
number of 2nd Chance Questions
This example is after the completion of the event.
