ROMAN CATHOLIC CHALLENGE GAME RULES, 2009 DEFINITIONS Bonus Question- The follow-up question offered to the Team that successfully answered the Toss-up Question; worth 5–15 points if answered correctly; partial scores are possible. Captain- Player designated at the start of each half to answer Bonus Questions for the Team. Coach- Person registered with the Roman Catholic Challenge as a Coach, person designated as a substitute by the official Coach of the Team or person designated as a Coach by the Roman Catholic Challenge officials. Person responsible for the Team at all times. Door Monitor- Person responsible for keeping doors closed during the games and opening them to our guests when there is no game in progress. Judge- Person, usually a member of the clergy, who has the final decision-making authority concerning the questions and answers and who assists the MC in determining that the rules are observed. MC (Master of Ceremonies)- Person who asks the questions. Player- Person who is registered with a Team, has been picked up by a Team or has played any game or part of a game of the Roman Catholic Challenge. Room Monitor- Person who has the room responsibility of the questions, presenting the picture questions, assisting the MC in determining that the rules are observed and is responsible for maintaining order during the games. Scorekeepers- Persons (two per game) responsible for keeping the score of the game both on paper and on the visual scoreboard, coordinating and agreeing on the current score and assisting the MC in ensuring that the rules are observed. Team- Group of students who qualify by grade to play in a Division at the Roman Catholic Challenge. Timekeeper- Person responsible for keeping the game time, signaling the beginning of the game, monitoring the buzzers and assisting the MC in ensuring the rules are observed. Toss-up Question- New question offered to both Teams; worth 10 points if answered correctly. VISITOR AND PLAYER ETIQUETTE All Players and visitors are expected to conduct themselves with a Catholic attitude and good sportsmanship. If there is a breach of these expectations, the person(s) involved will be cautioned or asked to leave the games. When a game is to begin, the Timekeeper will ring the bell, and the Door Monitor will close the room doors. No one is to enter or leave the room while a game is in progress. The doors will be opened at the half and at the end of the game. All audience members must wait for those times to enter or leave the room. Taking notes is permissible, but no electronic recording of questions or answers is permitted during RC Challenge games. No audio or video recording equipment is permitted within the game rooms, except by RC Challenge staff. Coaches are responsible for all their Team’s members at all times during the games and while the Team is in their care — during the overnight stay, while traveling, etc. Any audience member who answers the questions either vocally or mouthing the words will be warned once and, if there is a second offense, will be asked to leave the game. DECISIONS The Judge of each game is the sole authority regarding the correctness or suitability of questions and answers within that game. The Roman Catholic Challenge Board will make any other administrative decisions concerning the games. SCORING Each Toss-Up Question is worth 10 points. Each Bonus Question is worth 5–15 points based on what is being asked and how much is answered correctly. The Team with the most points at the end of the game wins. WINNERS The games are played in double-elimination format. A Team must lose twice to be eliminated from competition. The winning Team is the last Team not to have lost twice. Prize amounts are determined each year by the Roman Catholic Challenge Board. In Divisions 1, 2, and 3, a single cash prize will be awarded to the Coach of each 1st- or 2nd-place Team for distribution to the Players. Scholarships will be awarded to players on 1st- and 2nd-place Teams in Division 4. The amounts of the scholarships will be based on the assumption of 4-person Teams. If the Team has more than 4 students, the Coach must identify the Players among whom the total award will be divided. Each Team must register with at least 4 students (see below); but if a Team competes with fewer than 4, no student will be awarded more than ¼ of the amount originally determined. Example: if a 5-person Team wins $2,000 in scholarships, and the Coach determines that each of the 5 merits an award, each student will earn a $400 scholarship. If the same Team competes with only 3 students, then each of the 3 will earn a $500 scholarship. If a player on a winning 5-person Team wishes to decline a scholarship to allow the winnings to be divided among the other 4 Team members, such decision must be indicated on the Registration form with the signed consent of a parent. A scholarship will be awarded when the student provides evidence of enrollment in an accredited institution of post-secondary education; such evidence must be provided within 3 calendar years (1,096 days) of the competition. QUALIFICATIONS
Division 1 Player: Any student in 5th or 6th grade.
Division 2 Player: Any student in 7th or 8th grade.
Division 3 Player: Any student in 9th or 10th grade.
Division 4 Player: Any student in 11th or 12th grade. In general, a student may compete only in the Division commensurate with his grade. For the purposes of the RC Challenge, the Coach may designate the student’s grade as higher than his grade in school—i.e., a student may play at a higher grade level; however, once such a decision is made, it is irrevocable, and the student must, for the purposes of the RC Challenge, continue to advance at least one grade per year. As a consequence, no student may even play more than two years in a single division. Moreover, any scholarship won must be claimed within 3 calendar years of the contest (see above), regardless of the age of the winning student. REGISTRATION Teams must register by the established deadline with a Team name, at least 4 Players’ names and the registration fee. No refunds will be given after the registration deadline. In general, players may play only in the Division Teams staying in the Portland area overnight without a parent for each Player are required for legal purposes to be attended by a chaperone of at least 25 years of age. This chaperone must stay with any Player unattended by a parent during the overnight stay. A medical release form will be provided by the Roman Catholic Challenge. The Coach or chaperone must keep in his or her possession a copy of the signed release form for each Player during the competition. RULES OF PLAY A game is played with two Teams, each with at least 3 but no more than 4 Players competing; each Player must be registered. Each Team must have a designated Captain. Teams with more than 4 Players registered must choose 4 who will play at the beginning of the game. Substitutions may be made at the half time. Substitutions at any other time may be made only in cases of emergency and with the approval of the MC. Note pads will be provided to Players during the game. No answers may be written except during play time. The game consists of two halves, each of which lasts 10 minutes or 15 Toss-up Questions (whichever comes first). The halves are separated by a 5-minute break. Teams must trade positions at the half. Play begins when the MC presents a Toss-up Question to both Teams. The first Player to activate the buzzer is recognized by the MC. The recognized Player must answer immediately. No conferring among Players regarding Toss-Up Questions is permitted. (If a Team is repeatedly warned on this point and refuses to stop, the Team or an individual Player may be disqualified.) If the response is correct, the Team receives 10 points and has the opportunity to answer a Bonus Question worth 5–15 points. Players may confer with each other on Bonus Questions. The MC will allow approximately 10 seconds, by which time the Captain must answer the Bonus Question for the Team. When a Player buzzes in after the Toss-up Question has been read in its entirety, and then answers the question incorrectly, there is no penalty. Players on the opposing Team then have an opportunity to buzz in, be recognized, and answer the Toss-up Question; the Question is not repeated. However, when a Player buzzes in before the MC has read the Toss-up Question in its entirety, and the Player answers incorrectly, 10 points are deducted from the score of that Player’s Team. The question is then re-read in its entirety to Players on the opposing Team, each of whom then has the opportunity to buzz in with the answer. If a Player on this second Team also buzzes in before the MC has read the Toss-up Question completely, and the Player answers incorrectly, 10 points are similarly deducted from the score of this Player’s Team. The MC reads each question only once, unless 1) the MC determines that because of some error of his own (e.g., mispronunciation or poor inflection) the question should be repeated; or 2) a Player has interrupted a Toss-up Question, in which case the MC repeats it after an answer is offered by this Player). Answers must be given in question form. Answers not given in question form are considered incorrect; and in the case of a Toss-Up Question, Players on the opposing Team may then attempt to answer correctly—i.e., in question form. Answers that involve facts of Catholicism commonly known by numbers (e.g., one of the Ten Commandments or a Station of the Cross) must be recited, rather than given simply as a number. If a Player gives an answer that is correct in part, the MC or the Judge has the option to require the Player to provide a more specific answer. When the MC is in doubt as to the correctness of an answer, the Judge is asked to make the final decision. All decisions are final and are not to be questioned during a game. Only the Coaches on the competing Teams may question a Judge, and they may do so only after the conclusion of the game. If a Coach brings up a valid objection to a specific question or its answer, the RC Challenge Board’s Question Committee will consider changing it for future competition. If the timer signals the end of a half while a Toss-up Question is being read, the question is discarded, and the half is over. If the timer rings after a Player has buzzed in, he or she may answer the question, and, if the answer is correct, the Player’s Team is given the opportunity to answer the Bonus Question. If the timer rings while a Bonus Question is being read, the question is read completely, and the Team is given the opportunity to answer it. The MC and the Timekeeper have the option of stopping the timer if there is a problem that is using up game time extensively. | 
