High School Local History Smackdown Competition Rules

Participation

Only pre-registered four-person teams that have checked in by the start of the event may participate. Alternates may be utilized if a pre-registered contestant is absent, as long as they are checked in prior to the beginning of the event. If a team is checked-in by start time, but is short one player the team may still participate, but will do so with only three contestants. Individual contestants who arrive after the Smackdown has started cannot rejoin their team.

Order of Appearance

Determined by the order in which team registrations were received.

Questions

Each team will be asked a short-answer question by the Quizmaster. The question will be repeated and then the team will be allowed 15 seconds to discuss possible answers. At the end of the 15 seconds a buzzer will sound and the team will be asked to provide an answer. (Each question will be used only once during the contest.) The questions increase in difficulty with each round. Hint: Sample questions posted on the web site may be used.

Answers

Only one team member will provide the team's answer. (Select a spokesperson before the competition begins.) The Quizmaster will indicate if the answer is correct or incorrect.

Contested Answers

Team responses may be referred (by the Quizmaster) to the four-judge panel. The judges will confer and must agree that the answer was correct. The judges' ruling is final.

Passing a Question

Each team is given one opportunity during the competition to pass on a question following the second round. After they use the pass they are immediately given the next question and have 15 seconds to respond.

Audience-Provided Answers

If an audience member or member of another team shouts out an answer that is audible to those on stage while a team is deliberating over a question, the Quizmaster may skip that question and ask the team another.

Cell Phones, Smartphones, Etc.

The use of cell phones, smartphones or other portable text or verbal communication devices is prohibited.

Elimination

If your team provides two incorrect answers the team will be eliminated from further questioning. Once eliminated, the team will retire from the stage and take a seat in a reserved section of audience seating. The round in which they provided their second incorrect answer will be recorded.

Determining the Winner

The only team to have less than two incorrect answers at the end of a round is the winner. If no team finishes the final round with less than two incorrect answers a playoff will be utilized to determine the winner.

Playoff in Event of a Tie

In the event the last round has no team with less than two incorrect answers, the final round teams will participate in an overtime round. Overtime rounds will continue until only one team completes a round with a correct answer.