# Bible Quizzing Rule Book - Label: **Reference Render** - Version: **5446867** - Built: **2023-08-11 02:43:34 GMT** # 1. Introduction Bible Quizzing is a Christian sport in which teams of participants compete on Bible memorization in a context that requires a combination of speed, accuracy, and strategy and a culture that inspires collaboration, fellowship, and mutual encouragement. Bible Quizzing competitions, called meets, consist of a series of quizzes. Meets are grouped into quiz seasons, which typically run from late summer or early fall through late spring or early summer. This is the official rule book for Bible Quizzing, which represents what will be followed at the annual *International Bible Quizzing* (IBQ) championship meet at the end of a quiz season. It is also a recommendational document for Quizzing districts and any other organizations interested in Bible Quizzing. These districts and other organizations retain the right to set and enforce their own rules using whatever mechanisms they deem most appropriate. ## 1.1. Version Information - Label: **Reference Render** - Version: **5446867** - Built: **2023-08-11 02:43:34 GMT** You can download this document from: [https://github.com/gryphonshafer/Quizzing-Rule-Book/releases/download/5446867/rule_book_ref.md](https://github.com/gryphonshafer/Quizzing-Rule-Book/releases/download/5446867/rule_book_ref.md) ## 1.2. Special Sections There are some special section blocks within this rule book that contain content that are not rules. These special sections are included for a variety of reasons to aid in using the rule book. Some or all of the special sections can be and often are omitted when this rule book is published in simplified form. This specific publication of the rule book contains the following sections. ### 1.2.1. Examples Examples are a representation and tangible illustration of a rule. Since rules are often stated using abstract wording and concepts in generalized forms, it can be hard to visualize the rule's application without an example. That said, each example is just 1 representation. Examples do not aim to exemplify every possible application of the rule. The fact that a lone example covers only part of the rule should not be interpreted as implying that the rule is actually different than stated. The correct interpretation should be that examples do not fully cover every application of the rule. ### 1.2.2. Commentary Commentary sections include a series of comments, explanations, or annotations about the preceding portion of the rule book. These sections contain notes about the reasoning of rule book sections or their philosophical and practical implications. They are not to be considered rules. Rather, they are mini-essays about the rules. # 2. Material and Questions Bible Quizzing meets consist of a series of quizzes, which themselves consist of a series of questions. Questions are written based on a quiz season's material. Material refers to the Scriptural scope of content set for each season. The Bible edition used is the *New International Version* (NIV) 2011 edition of the Bible. There is an 8-season rotation of material. 4 are defined as "Narrative" and 4 are defined as "Epistle" in terms of a material's style. ## 2.1. Material Rotation Schedule | Season | Material Scope References | Style | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------| | 2020-2021 | Matthew 1:18-25, 2-12, 14-22, 26-28 | Narrative | | 2021-2022 | Romans, James | Epistle | | 2022-2023 | Acts 1-20 | Narrative | | 2023-2024 | Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians | Epistle | | 2024-2025 | Luke 1-3:23, 9-11, 13-19, 21-24 | Narrative | | 2025-2026 | 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians | Epistle | | 2026-2027 | John | Narrative | | 2027-2028 | Hebrews, 1 Peter, 2 Peter | Epistle | ### 2.1.1. Interrogative Words Interrogative words are the single interrogative word that must be inserted at either the beginning or the end of every question text requiring such. Question type groups that require interrogative words are: - Interrogative - Multiple Answer - Reference The exhaustive list of interrogative words is: - Who - Whom - Whose - What - Why - Where - When - Which - How ### 2.1.2. Context Context is a range of verses from the question's reference. Context is a concept primarily related to the answering of questions, but it needs to be considered when writing questions from the material. By default, context is limited to 5 verses before or after the reference; however, some question types have a different context, which is defined in the question type. ## 2.2. Question Writing ### 2.2.1. Preparation of Questions All questions must contain verbatim material. The only exception to this is SIT type question quotations, which could potentially involve a single quotation, broken up by non-quotation words. This would result in the SIT quotation being written without the non-quotation words in the middle of the 2 quotations. On some question types, the addition of a single, approved, interrogative word at the very beginning or very end is required. ### 2.2.2. Question Types #### 2.2.2.1. Interrogative (INT) Interrogative questions, also called standard, regular, normal, general, and straightforward questions: - Must have exactly 1 inserted interrogative word at the very beginning of the question or the very end of the question - Must have a single answer - Must include a unique word or a 2 or 3-word unique phrase within the 1st 5 words of the question #### 2.2.2.2. Multiple Answer (MA) - Must meet all the requirements of an INT except for the single answer requirement - Must have more than 1 answer - The clarification of a single answer does not meet the above requirement - The identification of a singular pronoun does not meet the above requirement - The identification of a plural pronoun does meet the above requirement if there is more than 1 clarification of the pronoun In addition, an MA question is invalid if 1 of the listed answers to the multiple answer's questions is a "negative" answer. A "negative" answer is an answer used to contrast another answer or an answer that does not answer the question, such as an answer that begins with the words or similar words to "not" or "neither". ##### 2.2.2.2.1. Examples For an example of a negative word, consider 1 Corinthians 3:7: > So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The question "Who is anything?" would require the answer: > Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters. This is an invalid MA. Consider 1 Corinthians 9:25: > Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. The question "A crown that will what?" with an answer "Not last; last forever" is an invalid MA. #### 2.2.2.3. Reference Reference question type group questions are used to distinguish between exact duplicate words or phrases from the material. The entire reference question is part of the required question and answer. If a quizzer needs to provide the reference question, the provided reference question must: - Be of the exact same question type (CR, CVR, CRMA, CVRMA) as the written question - Have content and wording similar to the content and wording of the written question Only the material is used, not the choice of interrogative word, when deciding whether a question is an INT versus CR versus CVR. ##### 2.2.2.3.1. Examples As an example of similar content and wording, consider Luke 23:37: > and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." A CVR question could be written: "According to Luke, chapter 23, verse 37, King of what?" The answer would be: "The Jews." A quizzer could provide a question of "King of what?" or "King of whom?" as Jews could be referring to either a nation (a "what") or a people (a "whom"). In this case, the quizzer could also provide, "King of the what?" As an example of referencing the determining word or phrase, consider 2 Peter 2:8: > For that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard. A CR question could be written: "What deeds?" The answer would be: "Lawless." If the quizzer provided the question, "Lawless what?" the quizzer would be incorrect because the quizzer's question and the written question are not similar. ##### 2.2.2.3.2. Commentary If 2 identical phrases exist in the same chapter, but 1 occurrence grammatically calls for use of the "who" inserted interrogative word, and the other occurrence grammatically calls for the use of the "what" inserted interrogative word, that difference in the grammatically dictated interrogative word does not change the fact that the phrase from the material (that excludes the inserted interrogative word) occurs more than once in the same chapter, necessitating a CVR question. The above does not mean that if the quizzer needs to provide a reference question that is a CVR, and their choice of interrogative word changes the question type to CVRMA, that the quizzer has given a valid CVR. In this case, the validity changes based on the interrogative word because of how the required answer changes. ##### 2.2.2.3.3. Chapter Verse Reference (CVR) - Must have a single answer - The question must contain a word or phrase that exists in more than 1 verse in the same chapter - Context is the single verse The question text should be in the form: > According to [book name], chapter [chapter number], verse [verse number], [remainder of question text] ##### 2.2.2.3.4. Chapter Reference (CR) - Must have a single answer - Must contain a word or phrase that exists more than once in the material and only once in the chapter The question text should be in the form: > According to [book name], chapter [chapter number], [remainder of question text] ##### 2.2.2.3.5. Chapter Verse Reference Multiple Answer (CVRMA) - Must meet all the requirements of a CVR except the single answer requirement - Must also meet all the requirements of a MA except the unique word or phrase requirement ##### 2.2.2.3.6. Chapter Reference Multiple Answer (CRMA) - Must meet all the requirements of a CR except the single answer requirement - Must also meet all the requirements of a MA except the unique word or phrase requirement #### 2.2.2.4. Quote/Finish Quote and finish questions must be quoted word-perfect. Quizzers may go back and correct their answers if done in the answering period. The quizzer will be required to make 1 full, correct rotation; however, the quizzer can be called correct without 1 full, correct rotation if they have made a mistake only in 1 area of the verse and correct the mistake, making it abundantly clear to the quizmaster and answer judge that they know where their mistake was and what the corrected words are. Context is defined as the required verse, which is defined as the 1 or 2 verse range of the question, based on the question type. ##### 2.2.2.4.1. Quote (Q) - Must be 1 verse - The entire reference is part of the question and therefore required in the response if not fully spoken by the quizmaster The question text should be in the form: > Quote [book name], chapter [chapter number], verse [verse number]. ##### 2.2.2.4.2. Quote 2 Verses (Q2V) Q2V is used when a verse is not strong enough on its own and needs another verse to explain it or can be used when 2 verses combine to form an even stronger thought. - Must be 2 consecutive verses - The entire 2-verse reference range is part of the question and therefore required in the response if not fully spoken by the quizmaster The question text should be in the form: > Quote [book name], chapter [chapter number], verses [verse numbers]. ##### 2.2.2.4.3. Finish - Finish questions have question text consisting of the 1st 5 words of material starting based on the question type. - These 1st 5 words must be unique to all possible finish questions of the exact same type; for example, FTV compared to all possible FTVs, FT to all possible FTs, F2V to all possible F2Vs, and FTN to all possible FTNs. - Since the question text must have exactly 5 words, a valid FTV or FT must be 6 words or more total. Likewise, the full text of a FT2V or FTN must contain 6 or more words. ##### 2.2.2.4.4. Finish the Verse (FTV) - Begins at the beginning of a single verse and finishes at the end of that verse ##### 2.2.2.4.5. Finish This (FT) - Begins in the middle of a verse and finishes at the end of the verse - Must start at the beginning of a sentence or the beginning of a quotation ##### 2.2.2.4.6. Finish 2 Verses (F2V) - Begins at the beginning of a verse and continues to the end of the next verse - Used when a verse is not strong enough on its own and needs another verse to explain it or can be used when 2 verses combined, form an even stronger thought ##### 2.2.2.4.7. Finish This and the Next (FTN) - Begins in the middle of a verse and finishes at the end of the next verse - Must start at the beginning of a sentence or the beginning of a quotation - Used when part of a verse is not strong enough on its own and needs another verse (or part of a verse) to explain it or when 2 verses combined form an even stronger thought #### 2.2.2.5. Situation (SIT) - Used only in the quiz season where the material type is narrative - The question text contains 2 parts: - Up to 3 questions regarding the SIT of the quotation from the following interrogatives: - Who said it - To whom - How - Why - When - Where - About whom - Quotation - Must be a direct quotation from the material by a person or an entity - The quotation must not exceed 2 consecutive verses - The 1st 5 words must be unique to all quotations - The quizzer is not required to repeat the quotation word-perfect but must be substantially close without leaving out key components of the quotation - Must start at the beginning of a quotation or the beginning of a sentence within the quotation; when a SIT question comes from a quotation that runs for more than 2 verses, the beginning of the SIT question must start within the 1st 2 verses of the quotation If the quotation is split-up by non-quotation words, the quotation will be read without the non-quotation words. A SIT question can combine 2 separate quotations as long as no words are added and the 2 quotes flow easily from 1 to another. The quotation must be written excluding any non-quotation words in the middle of the quotations. The answer to the SIT question must be in context. ##### 2.2.2.5.1. Example As an example split-quotation SIT question, consider Matthew 4:19: > "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." A SIT question could be written: > Who said it? "Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people." Answer: "Jesus." ### 2.2.3. Invalid Questions Questions must be declared invalid by the quizmaster or answer judge(s) if: - The answer requires interpretation by the quizzer - The question is ambiguous, tricky, or misleading - The question is multiple-choice - If the question is not answered When a question is deemed invalid and thrown out, it must be replaced with the exact same type of question. For example, a CVRMA must be replaced with an CVRMA, not any multiple-answer reference question. #### 2.2.3.1. Example To help illustrate more the idea of "if the question is not answered", consider a scenario where the question asks, "What is good?", and the answer states what is not good. In this case, the question is not answered and is tricky or misleading. # 3. Roles and Responsibilities ## 3.1. Team Organization A team can consist of up to 5 quizzers. Teams can have up to 4 quizzers seated in a quiz at any given time. ### 3.1.1. Captains Scorekeepers must be notified which quizzer is the captain and which is co-captain before the quiz begins. The captain and co-captain may change during a given competition but not during a quiz. Only the captain or co-captain may appeal a decision or respond to an appeal. If both the captain and co-captain have erred-out, another quizzer can be designated by the coach to respond to or initiate appeals. ## 3.2. Quiz Officials No comment other than "correct" or "incorrect" need be announced by the quiz officials when announcing a ruling; however, at the discretion of the *quizmaster* (QM) and *answer judge* (AJ), or at the request of the captain, additional information may be given. If the additional information regarding the ruling is provided at the discretion of the QM/AJ and not at the request of the captain, this is not considered an explanation of a ruling, which would invalidate an appeal or protest. If the captain requests additional information regarding the ruling, this is considered an explanation of a ruling and invalidates an appeal or protest. Before replying to a request for an explanation, the QM must ask all teams if they wish to appeal. All conferring between quizmaster and answer judge(s) shall be done privately. ### 3.2.1. Quizmasters (QM) The quizmaster must: - Maintain a position such that all currently seated quizzers are able to view the quizmaster's face - Speak in such as a way to be understood by all quizzers - Rule immediately upon an obviously correct or incorrect answer if there is no indication from the answer judge to the contrary When a quizzer's response contains a required completion of the question and that completion is different than the written question, the quizmaster will discuss it with the answer judge. If the quizzer gives a reference question that is different than the written question, the quizmaster and answer judge must ensure that the reference question given is the exact same type as the written question. The quizmaster should consult with the answer judge(s) at any time they feel is necessary, provided it does not infringe upon the quizzer's answering period. #### 3.2.1.1. Quizmaster Prompts During the answering period, the quizmaster will use only the following prompts. ##### 3.2.1.1.1. Pronoun Clarification If a quizzer has provided all the information in the question and answer, except the identification of a pronoun present which is part of the answer text, the quizmaster will prompt the quizzer to identify the specific pronoun. For example: "Can you identify 'He'?" or "Can you identify 'They'?" The quizmaster is not allowed to say anything other than what the quizzer has already said when asking for the identification. A pronoun may need to be identified only if the antecedent is in context. ##### 3.2.1.1.2. Reference Questions On a Reference type question, if the quizzer has given all the information in both the question and the answer and the complete question was not read, the quizmaster will ask, "What is your question?" ##### 3.2.1.1.3. Answer Correction On a quote/finish type question, once the quizzer has quoted to the end of the required verse or verses, if the answer is not yet word-perfect, the quizmaster will say, "Again." This will occur as often as needed until the quizzer's answer is word-perfect or the answering period expires. The quizmaster is not allowed to say "again" until the quizzer has come to the end of the verse, each time through, as this would give the quizzer information about where their mistake was made. For all other question types, once all of the information in both the question and answer has been given, but something needs to be fixed, the quizmaster will say "Again". ##### 3.2.1.1.4. Quote is Complete On a Situation type question, when the quizzer has completed the quotation, the quizmaster will say, "Quote is complete." ##### 3.2.1.1.5. Appending an Answer On an INT or MA question, if all the information in the answer text has been given but the quizzer is missing information in the question text, the quizmaster will say "More". On a Situation question, because the quotation is part of the question, the quizmaster will say "More" when required information from the quotation is missing. On a Quote or Reference question, if either the chapter or verse number were not completely finished when the quizzer jumped, the quizmaster will say "More". #### 3.2.1.2. Commentary On a CVR/CVRMA, in the scenario where the entire reference (which is part of the question text) was not read by the quizmaster, the quizmaster has 2 prompts to give, and must give them in correct order and with correct timing. If the quizzer provides all information in the question text and the answer text, because the quizzer has not yet finished saying the complete reference, which is part of the question, the quizmaster must prompt with "More." The quizmaster cannot prompt with "What is your question?" yet, because the quizzer has not provided all information in the question (which includes the reference) and the answer. ### 3.2.2. Answer Judges (AJ) When an answer given is in question, the answer judge will determine whether the answer given meets the requirements of a correct answer and make a ruling recommendation to the quizmaster. Answer judges will also: - Watch the quizmaster's reading for accuracy - Ensure the quizzer is recognized by the quizmaster when their light comes on ### 3.2.3. Scorekeepers (SK) The scorekeeper will: - Tally and immediately announce when a quizzer has erred-out, quizzed-out, or fouled-out - Keep a record of all timeouts - Keep a record of the number of questions a substitute quizzer has remained out to determine eligibility for re-substitution - Either read the score or have the score ready to be read at the beginning of timeouts when there is no scoreboard - Have the scoresheets signed by the coaches at the conclusion of each quiz and report to the statistician ### 3.2.4. Statisticians (ST) The statistician will be responsible for: - Keeping individual quizzers' scores - Keeping individual teams' scores # 4. Quiz Process The process for running a quiz includes topics like types of quizzes, question type distribution, and how a quiz progresses outside specific quiz events. ## 4.1. Questions There will be no duplicate questions in a single quiz. ### 4.1.1. Toss-Up Questions When 3 teams are participating in a question and 1 team errs, the next question will be a toss-up question for the 2 teams that did not err on the previous question. The team that erred is ineligible to jump on the toss-up question. If only 2 teams were participating in a question and 1 team errs, the next question will be a bonus question, not a toss-up question. If only 1 team was participating in a question, it must have been a bonus question. As such, any outcome of the bonus question results in all 3 teams participating in the next question. ### 4.1.2. Bonus Questions If only 2 teams are participating in a question and 1 team errs, the next question will be an assigned bonus question for the team that did not err. An assigned bonus question is awarded to the corresponding chair of the chair that erred on the toss-up. #### 4.1.2.1. Example There are 4 chairs per team, any 1 of which may be filled or empty. If the quizzer seated on chair 2 erred on the toss-up, the quizzer seated on chair 2 of the team that did not err on the toss-up will be awarded the bonus question. If no quizzer of the team that did not err on the toss-up is seated in chair 2, then the bonus is "for an empty seat" and considered a no jump. ### 4.1.3. Question Reading Structure A quizmaster must introduce and read each question type in a specific, multipart way: 1. Question introduction - State the full question number and type > "Question number [question number] is a [type] question." - Include whether it's a toss-up or bonus question > "It is a ["toss-up" or "bonus"] for [team(s)]." - For situation questions only, include the question's interrogatives > "I need to know [Situation question interrogatives]." 2. Call the question > "Question number [question number], question:" 3. Question text or remainder of question text A quizmaster may repeat or repeat as a paraphrase any component of the question introduction for additional clarity. ## 4.2. Types of Quizzes There are 3 primary types of quizzes and 2 related overtime components of quizzes. ### 4.2.1. 3-Team 20-Question Quiz There will be 20 numeric questions in a quiz, excluding any overtime questions. A toss-up question is the result of an error by 1 team. The 2 remaining teams will have the opportunity to jump, but the team making the error is ineligible for that question. If question 1 to 15 is erred, the next question will be a numbered question and a toss-up question. If question 16-20 is erred, the next question will be a toss-up appended with A. For example, if 3 teams were participating on 16, the toss-up question will be question 16A. Regarding bonus questions: - If toss-up question 2 through 15 is erred, then the next question number is a bonus question - If question 16 is a toss-up question and is erred, 16A is a bonus question - If 16A through 20A is a toss-up and is erred, then 16B through 20B is a bonus question ### 4.2.2. 2-Team 15-Question Tie-Breaker Quiz A 2-team 15-question tie-breaker quiz operates much like a 3-team 20-question quiz except: - There will be 15 numeric questions in a quiz - If an error occurs on questions 1 through 11, the next question number is a 20-point bonus question - If questions 12 through 15 are erred, the bonus question will remain on the same question number and will not be counted in the basic 15 questions; both teams must jump on questions 13 through 15 - All bonus questions up to and including 12B are worth 20 points - All bonus questions from 13 to the end of the quiz are worth 10 points - A quiz-out is 3 correct questions Points deduction for every error on a question or toss-up question start at question number 13 instead of question number 17. ### 4.2.3. 2-Team 20-Question Quiz A 2-team 20-question quiz operates much like a 3-team 20-question quiz except: - All questions have a value of 20 points when 2 teams are eligible - If questions 1-15 are erred, the next question will be a bonus question - If questions 16-20 are erred, 16A-20A will be a bonus question - All bonus questions throughout the whole quiz are 10 points ## 4.3. Overtime Overtime occurs if a quiz ends in a tie and the team placements (1st, 2nd, 3rd) matter. - Additional units of 3 overtime questions each will be used until the tie is broken - 2-team rules will apply in overtime if only 2 teams are involved - All the numeric questions will be of a different question type ## 4.4. Question Type Distribution In the below table, any minimum or maximum variation between material seasons is indicated in a `Narrative/Epistle` format. | Type Group | Minimum | Maximum | Question Types | |-----------------|--------:|--------:|----------------------| | Interrogative | 7 | 14 | INT | | Multiple Answer | 2 | 4 | MA | | Reference | 3 | 5 | CR, CVR, CRMA, CVRMA | | Quote | 2 | 3 | Q, Q2V | | Finish | 3 | 5 | FT, FTN, FTV, F2V | | Situation | 2/0 | 4/0 | SIT | At least 1 of the reference questions will be a CVR or CVRMA, and at least 1 of the reference questions will be a CR or a CRMA. For a given Question Type: - The minimum number of questions must be asked in question numerics 1-20, thus excluding any alphanumeric question numbers - The maximum number of questions must not be exceeded in all "non-overtime" questions. this includes both numeric-only and alphanumeric question numbers For 15-question quizzes, prepare quizzes as normal for 20-question quizzes, but the quizmaster should conclude the quiz when appropriate for the rule of a 15-question quiz. ## 4.5. Platform Protocol - Quizzers will be seated facing the audience and quizmaster. - The feet of the quizzers are to be on the floor while jumping. - A line-up card showing the seating order of each quizzer should be given to the quizmaster or scorekeeper before the start of each quiz. - No verbal or non-verbal communication is permitted between quizzers, coaches, or the audience from the time the quizmaster introduces the question type until points have been awarded. - Only a coach from a team presently participating in the quiz or the meet director may confer with the officials. - Coaches may have quiz material(s) on the platform during a timeout or prior to a quiz. - Quizzers will not touch the officials' table. - Quiz rooms will use jump measuring equipment to prevent ties. - Alternative jumping methods can be provided if needed by physically disabled quizzers. ## 4.6. Jumping - Quizzers have 5 seconds in which to jump after the quizmaster finishes reading the question. - If a quizzer's light comes on after a question has been called and before the question has discernibly begun, a foul will be called. - If a quizzer's light comes on after the quizmaster has discernibly begun reading the question, this will be considered a valid jump, and the quizzer will be given an opportunity to answer. - The 1st quizzer to rise and trigger their light, provided there has been no foul, will be awarded the jump. - If in the judgment of the officials, a deliberate attempt is made to forfeit a question, an error will be charged, and 10 points deducted from the team score. The next question will be the same question number. ## 4.7. Timeliness Except for the exception below: - Quizzes will start at the scheduled or announced time. - Any team that is late does not receive the starting 20 points awarded for being on time. - Any team more than 10 minutes late forfeits the quiz. The exception to the above is if the late team was late due to quizzing in another location which is running late, they are not required to forfeit the quiz or lose 20 points. If any number of members of a team is late, the quiz will start on time. Prior to the start of a quiz, if not all quizzers are in the room, 1 of 2 options exist for the team's coach: 1. Either the coach submits a lineup with the quizzer missing, which means the late-arriving quizzer cannot be subbed-in 2. Or the coach submits a lineup with the quizzer added, tells all the officials and coaches the quizzer is late, and loses the 20 starting points # 5. Quiz Events ## 5.1. Answer Duration Prior to a quizzer's answer being correct or incorrect, a quizzer has 30 seconds to provide their answer. ## 5.2. Rulings ### 5.2.1. Context Application On all question types, a quizzer cannot automatically be ruled out of context by a single word, even if it is a unique word. Rather, the quizzer must say a complete thought or phrase that conclusively puts them out of context. ### 5.2.2. Trinity Rule The correct person of the Trinity must be given. Giving the name of a different person of the Trinity is considered giving incorrect information. If a quizzer refers to any person of the Trinity as either "God" or "Lord", these must be clarified by the quizzer within the answering period when the text requires a more specific answer. "Jesus" and "Christ" are interchangeable (but refer to the person of the Son) and the quizzer will be called correct. If a pronoun is used in the text to name a person of the Trinity, any of the names for that person of the Trinity within context may be considered an acceptable answer when clarifying. If the pronoun naming that person of the Trinity is identified by the quizzer using a name that correctly identifies the person of the Trinity, but with an identification that is out of context, the quizzer will be considered to have not stayed in context. When there is a special name of God given in the text, the special name must be given in the quizzer's answer. If the quizzer states any other special names which are not in context, the quizzer will be considered to have not stayed in context, even if they refer to the same person of the Trinity. When a quizzer gives other names for the same person of the Trinity, used within context, these should be allowed to be clarified within the answering period when a more specific answer is needed. #### 5.2.2.1. Example Examples of special names of God are: - "The Lord God Almighty" - "The Bread of Life" - "Spirit of the Living God" An example of special names that aren't in context, consider that Jesus refers to himself as "the bread of life" in John 6 and "the good shepherd" in John 10. ### 5.2.3. Correct The quizzer's response is correct when: - It fulfills all requirements specific to the question type - It contains the information requested - The quizzer stays in context - Mispronounced names are still recognizable as the answer If the quizmaster did not complete the reading of the question, the quizzer's answer must include the information in the remainder of the question as well as the answer. Only the 1st response of the quizzer will be considered; however, if the response by the quizzer is in context and is not incorrect, the quizzer will be allowed their full answering period to satisfy all requirements of a correct response. A quizzed-out quizzer may only jump on bonus questions. #### 5.2.3.1. Example Consider 1 Corinthians 3:6: > I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. Suppose an INT question was written: > Who has been making it grow? The correct answer is "God". If a quizzer answered "Apollos", they have given incorrect information (even though the name "Apollos" is in context) and would be immediately called incorrect. If they had said "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it", they have not given any incorrect information, are in context, and will be given the full answering period to supply the correct answer required. ### 5.2.4. Incorrect The quizzer's response is incorrect when: - Incorrect information has been given - The information given within the time limit is incomplete - The response does not fulfill all requirements specific to the question type An err-out eliminates that quizzer from the quiz. The quizzer must leave the platform immediately. ## 5.3. Appeals Appeals exist so quizzers can contest rulings made by quiz officials. The team captain or co-captain may appeal if: - The quiz officials have applied the rule book incorrectly - The quizmaster mispronounced a word - The question is invalid An appeal must be made at the time of the quizmaster's decision and before the quizmaster makes known the next question's type. If a timeout is called immediately after a ruling, and a quizzer stands to appeal, the appeal may be conducted prior to the timeout. No conferring is allowed between the quizzer challenging and anyone else. Conferring with anyone else prior to an appeal will result in: - The appeal being disallowed - A foul being awarded to the quizzer Once a team has requested an explanation of a ruling, and that explanation has been given, all teams lose the right to appeal. If an explanation of a ruling is requested, the quizmaster will ask if any team wants to appeal. The result of an appeal may not be appealed. If the appeal is accepted: - Points earned or deducted that reflect the new ruling of the judge will be recorded. - A new question of the same number will be given if the outcome of the appeal dictates the question needs to be redone. When an appeal is made, the quizmaster must give each team's captain or co-captain an opportunity to speak to the appeal before making a ruling on the appeal. Whichever team is being appealed against will have the right to speak last. ## 5.4. Protests Coaches, including assistant coaches, of the teams participating in a quiz may place the quiz under protest under the following conditions: - When a coach feels a logistical rule has been broken by the quiz officials - When a coach feels a ruling on an appeal is incorrect The protest must apply to the question or ruling that just occurred. The protest must be placed before the quizmaster makes known the next question's type. If a protest is launched after question number 20 is completed it must be done immediately after the ruling is announced. The coach may only confer with their assistant coach and any quizzer members of the team that are not currently seated in the quiz before protesting. The quiz officials and quiz team coaches will meet privately and attempt to come to an agreement. If no agreement is reached within 10 minutes, the meet director will arbitrate and determine the just solution. ### 5.4.1. Example As an example of a logistical rule, consider a scenario wherein the quizmaster did not allow the full answering period to expire for the quizzer when the quizzer was in context and had not given any wrong information. ## 5.5. Fouls A foul is a penalty called by a quiz official against a quizzer or team for conduct that breaks the text or spirit of the rules. - Fouls may be called by any quiz official actively involved in the current quiz. - A foul must be called before the quizmaster makes known the next question's type. The quizzer upon whom a foul is called becomes ineligible to jump on that question number, including any alphanumeric question numbers. The chair remains ineligible to jump on that question number, including any alphanumeric question numbers, even if the quizzer who committed the foul is substituted for. If the officials fail to call a foul, a coach or captain may call it to the attention of the quizmaster. If in the officials' opinions a foul might have been committed, the quizmaster will give due warning to the violating team. A foul cannot be charged, and points cannot be deducted when the quizmaster receives such help from a coach or captain. 3 fouls by a quizzer eliminate that quizzer from the quiz. The quizzer must leave the platform immediately. That seat will continue to be ineligible to jump for the entire question number, including any alphanumeric question numbers. The following are fouls: - Team members, whether quizzers or coaches, communicating with each other, other teams, or with the audience between the time the question type is introduced and points are awarded; communication can include non-verbal communication - The use of the hands to assist in jumping; hands may not touch any part of the chair or the floor from the time "Question" is called until the quizmaster recognizes the 1st quizzer to jump - If any light goes on after the quizmaster calls "Question" and before they begin to discernibly read the question; discernibly includes the quizmaster's mouth forming a word shape - During a reference or quote question, if any light goes on after the quizmaster calls "Question" and before they begin to discernibly read the chapter number - Starting to answer before being recognized by the quizmaster - Having more than the designated team members, 1 coach, and 1 assistant coach on the quiz platform during a timeout - If a captain or co-captain confers with their coach or other quizzers prior to issuing an appeal; in addition, the appeal will not be allowed - Infraction of the rules, in letter or spirit, as discerned by the quiz officials ## 5.6. Timeouts Each team is allowed 2 1-minute timeouts. Only 1 of those timeouts may be taken after question number 17, including any alphanumeric question numbers. - Captains, co-captains, or coaches may call for a timeout. - Only the coach, assistant coach, and substitute may converse with the team during a timeout. - Timeouts may be called prior to bonus questions. ## 5.7. Substitutions Substitutions may be made only during timeouts or to replace a quizzer who quizzes-out, errs-out, or fouls-out on the immediately preceding question. - A team can only make 1 substitution per timeout. - A quizzer being removed from a quiz must stay out for a minimum of 3 question numbers, including alphanumeric question numbers, before re-entering the quiz. - Quizzers can be substituted for any chair. Quizzed-out quizzers may remain in the quiz to answer bonus questions. Substituting for them afterward will require a timeout. If subbed-out, they may not return for any reason. When a quizzer quizzes-out, errs-out, or fouls-out and leaves the platform after the event, a substitute may take their place immediately and without a timeout, even if the incoming quizzer has been subbed-out less than 3 questions ago. # 6. Scoring ## 6.1. Scoring Individual and Team Points ### 6.1.1. Individual Points All points that occur during a bonus question or during overtime do not contribute to the individual score of a quizzer. #### 6.1.1.1. Points Earned - +20 points for every correct question and toss-up question - +10 points for every quiz-out without error #### 6.1.1.2. Points Deducted - -10 points for 2nd and subsequent individual errors - -10 points for 3rd individual foul ### 6.1.2. Team Points All points earned or deducted by an individual are to be counted towards the team's points. #### 6.1.2.1. Points Earned - +10 points for the 1st correct answer given by the 3rd and subsequent quizzer on the team - +20 points for every correct bonus question before question number 17 - In 2-team quizzes, this scoring rule does not apply - +10 points for every correct bonus question after and including question number 17 - In 2-team quizzes, all correct bonus questions are worth 10 points #### 6.1.2.2. Readiness Bonus +20 points will be awarded to each team present at the scheduled start time of the quiz. Teams that arrive late due to quizzing in another room are excused from the forfeiture of these points. If a single quizzer is late, the coach can decide to keep the +20 points by keeping the late quizzer out the whole quiz, or forfeit the points by subbing the quizzer in after question number 1. This decision must occur before the quiz has been started. ### 6.1.3. Points Deducted Team errors are the sum of all individual, non-bonus errors. - -10 points for every team error starting at team error number 3 - -10 points for every error on a question or toss-up question starting at question number 17 - -10 points for 4th and subsequent team fouls - -10 points for 2nd and subsequent overruled appeals and protests - -10 points at the determination of the room officials that a deliberate attempt was made to forfeit a question - No more than 10 points can be deducted per question asked due to an error - Non-error-related deducted points are cumulative # 7. Quiz Meets The tournament brackets are based on 3 things: A preliminary round (or "prelims"), an elimination round (or "brackets") at the discretion of the meet director, and championship quizzes. ## 7.1. Preliminary Rounds Team points are calculated using a team's score at the end of question 20, together with their place, which could be determined at the end of question 20 or after the end of overtime. Teams start with a base number of points based on their place and receive additional points based on their team score. The specifics are detailed in the section below. In case of a tie, points are awarded according to the team score at the end of question 20. Overtime is used solely to determine placements. If ties are not being broken in prelims, more than 1 team can receive 1st place or 2nd place points. If 2 tied for 1st, then other team is 3rd. If 2 tied for 2nd, then the 1st team is 1st and the other 2 are 2nd. ### 7.1.1. Team Points Calculation Team points are calculated by dividing the team score immediately after question 20 (including any A and B questions) by 10 and then applying placement adjustment: - No change for 1st, minimum of 10 points - -1 points for 2nd, minimum of 5 points - -2 points for 3rd, minimum of 1 point ## 7.2. Elimination Rounds When more than 9 teams are involved, at the determination of the meet director and announced before the meet begins, there may be XYZ quizzes following these guidelines: - If there are 10 to 14 teams, the top 9 should be placed into a final 9 championship bracket after the opening round, for the elimination round, and the remaining teams dropped. - If there are 15 to 20 teams, the top 6 teams should be placed in the championship bracket, the next 9 places (7 through 15) should quiz in the intermediate quizzes given below (XYZ) and the remaining teams should be dropped. - If there are more than 24 teams, the top 6 should be placed in the championship bracket, teams 7-15 should quiz in the XYZ quizzes to determine places 7-15. Teams 16-24 will quiz in XXYYZZ intermediate quizzes given below to determine their placement. A Consolation Final 9 bracket will be used for positions 10-15 (determined by XYZ quizzes) and places 16-18 determined by XXYYZZ quizzes. The teams in the XYZ quizzes cannot move below position 15, regardless of how low their XYZ quiz score was. Likewise, the teams in the XXYYZZ quizzes cannot move above position 16, regardless of how high their intermediate quiz scores were. **XYZ Quizzes** - Quiz X: Teams 7, 12, 15 - Quiz Y: Teams 8, 11, 14 - Quiz Z: Teams 9, 10, 13 **XXYYZZ Quizzes** - Quiz XX: Teams 16, 21, 24 - Quiz YY: Teams 17, 20, 23 - Quiz ZZ: Teams 18, 19, 22 There will be a tie-breaker quiz for positions 6, 15, and 24. Ties for positions 7 through 14 will be broken in accordance with the following priorities: - Head-to-head competition in previous quizzes - Total points scored in preliminaries - Least number of errors Points earned in these quizzes should be added to the points earned in the opening round by each team. The highest 3 teams, based on the point system above, are then placed in the above bracket. The next 6 teams are placed in the lower bracket. ### 7.2.1. Elimination Round Brackets #### 7.2.1.1. Tournament Bracket "A" This bracket is based on the "winner-move-up" philosophy and is designed to select the best team out of a possible 9 teams through winning rather than losing. The teams are then arranged in order (from 1st to 9th place) by points. The winners of quizzes A, D, and F meet in quiz G for the championship. In this bracket, the top 3 teams are involved in a triple-elimination, the middle 3 teams in a double-elimination, and the last 3 teams in a single-elimination. This way only those teams that have earned the right through winning will advance to the final quiz. **Bracket Design** This bracket does not require each team to lose to be eliminated. - Quiz A: Teams 1, 2, 3 - Quiz B: Teams 4, 5, 6 - Quiz C: Teams 7, 8, 9 - Quiz D: 2nd Quiz A, 3rd Quiz A, 1st Quiz B - Quiz E: 2nd Quiz B, 3rd Quiz B, 1st Quiz C - Quiz F: 2nd Quiz D, 3rd Quiz D, 1st Quiz E - Quiz G: Winner Quiz A, Winner Quiz D, Winner Quiz F - Quiz H: Same 3 Teams in Quiz G **Championship Quiz** - Quiz I: If the winner of Quiz G does not win Quiz H, Quiz I will have the winners of Quiz G and H (only). The other team will be eliminated. #### 7.2.1.2. Tournament Bracket "B" Each team in the final 9 must lose twice. A team may make the finals by actually winning only 1 quiz in this tournament bracket. **Bracket Design** - Quiz A: Teams 1, 6, 7 - Quiz B: Teams 2, 5, 8 - Quiz C: Teams 3, 4, 9 - Quiz D: 1st Quiz A, 1st Quiz C, 2nd Quiz B - Quiz E: 1st Quiz B, 2nd Quiz A, 2nd Quiz C - Quiz F: 3rd Quiz A, 3rd Quiz B, 3rd Quiz C - Quiz G: 3rd Quiz D, 3rd Quiz E, 1st Quiz F - Quiz H: 2nd Quiz D, 2nd Quiz E, 1st Quiz G **Championship Quizzes** - Quiz I: 1st Quiz D, 1st Quiz E, 1st Quiz H - Quiz J: 2nd Quiz I, 1st Quiz I, 3rd Quiz I - Quiz K: 2nd Quiz J, 1st Quiz J, 3rd Quiz J (when no team has taken 1st twice) If the same team took 3rd place in Quiz I and J, then Quiz K will be a 2-team quiz to determine 1st and 2nd place. - Quiz L: 3rd Quiz K, 1st Quiz K, 2nd Quiz K (when no team has taken 1st twice) #### 7.2.1.3. Tournament Bracket "C" This bracket is a combination of brackets A and B. A team must win at least 2 quizzes to obtain a position in the finals. **Bracket Design** - Quiz A: Teams 1, 4, 9 - Quiz B: Teams 2, 5, 7 - Quiz C: Teams 3, 6, 8 - Quiz D: 1st Quiz A, 1st Quiz B, 1nd Quiz C - Quiz E: 2nd Quiz A, 2nd Quiz B, 2nd Quiz C - Quiz F: 3rd Quiz A, 3rd Quiz B, 3rd Quiz C - Quiz G: 2nd Quiz D, 3rd Quiz D, 1st Quiz E - Quiz H: 2nd Quiz E, 3rd Quiz E, 1st Quiz F - Quiz I: 2nd Quiz G, 3rd Quiz G, 1st Quiz H **Championship Quizzes** - Quiz J: 1st Quiz D, 1st Quiz G, 1st Quiz I - Quiz K: 2nd Quiz J, 1st Quiz J, 3rd Quiz J - Quiz L: 2nd Quiz K, 1st Quiz K, 3rd Quiz K (when no team has taken 1st twice) If the same team took 3rd place in Quiz J and K, then Quiz L will be a 2-team quiz to determine 1st and 2nd place. - Quiz M: 3rd Quiz L, 1st Quiz L, 2nd Quiz L (when no team has taken 1st twice) ## 7.3. Championship Quizzes A team must win twice to become the champion team. All 3 teams will continue to quiz until 1 team wins twice. If the same team wins the 1st 2 championship quizzes, 2nd place is determined by the most 2nd places. If that is a tie, 2nd place will be determined by the clarification section (below). If the champion team is determined in 3 quizzes, 2nd and 3rd places will be determined by the clarification section (below). If the champion team is determined in 4 quizzes, 2nd place is determined by the most 2nd places. If that is a tie, 2nd place will be determined by the clarification section (below). ### 7.3.1. Clarification for 2nd and 3rd Place If necessitated from the above championship quizzes, 2nd place will be determined as follows: 1. The team that scored the most points in the championship quizzes; or if there is a tie, 2. The winner if the 2 teams quizzed earlier; or 3. The team with the highest average points in the final 9; or if there is a tie, 4. The highest standing in the preliminary round # 8. International Bible Quizzing These rules apply to the *International Bible Quizzing* (IBQ) championship meet conducted annually, administered under the oversight of the *Christian and Missionary Alliance* (CMA) *Quizzing Leadership Team* (CQLT). ## 8.1. Eligibility Requirements All quizzers for IBQ competition must be 12 to 18 years of age at any point during the quiz season. Each quiz season begins on August 1 and ends on July 31. In order to quiz at Internationals for a specific district: - The quizzer must reside in that district or in a bordering community - Their home church must be from the district in which they quiz Any exceptions to this must be brought to the CQLT. ## 8.2. Team Structure Each district will be allowed to send as many teams as the district feels will be competitive and that they are financially able to send. These will be the district's international teams. Each team must have a coach and may also have an assistant coach. ## 8.3. Event Registration All arrangements, promotion, and administration will be handled by the CQLT and the Life Office. Notification by each district of its intention to enter a team must be received by the CQLT, on a form supplied by the CQLT, no later than the date posted on the CMA Bible Quizzing website. The names of the IBQ team, its quizzers, and its coaching staff, and all registration fees must be sent, when specified, to the Life Office for that quiz season. District participation fees for the current quiz season must be paid in order to register for the IBQ competition. Any exceptions to this must be brought to the CQLT. ## 8.4. Selection of Officials IBQ officials may include quizmasters, answer judges, scorekeepers, statisticians, and a meet director. IBQ officials will be appointed by the CQLT. To be considered for the CQLT appointment, all officials should: - Be a regular church attender - Have 3 seasons of district quizmastering experience and be recommended by their district office or quiz committee - Go through an evaluation process established by the CQLT, to determine that each official is qualified to perform their specific role When deemed necessary, any official may be replaced from their position during a meet by the CQLT. Team coaches whose teams are not involved in the quiz shall serve as answer judges and scorekeepers if needed. ### 8.4.1. Scorekeeper At least 1 scorekeeper will tabulate the results of each question on official scoresheets in every IBQ quiz. They shall keep a running score of each quiz. Points will be accurately tallied on individual quizzers for each team by statisticians appointed by the CQLT. ### 8.4.2. Statistician Statisticians shall: - Be responsible for keeping individual quizzers' scores - Be responsible for keeping individual teams' scores - Provide updates to the teams of their current standings Statisticians shall not be a regular scorekeeper. ## 8.5. Quiz Question Selection Questions must be written covering the entire material for the quiz season. Question set preparation will be the responsibility of the CQLT. All questions for all quizzes will be selected from across the full set of questions. ## 8.6. Equipment Electronic jump-seat equipment must be used for all competitions. A backup set must be on hand at all times. An audio recording system must be used in all rooms. # 9. Change Management Process This rule book and all associated subordinate documentation, data files, configuration files, software, and other files contained within a GitHub project are open for amendment by anyone. The GitHub project is: [https://github.com/gryphonshafer/Quizzing-Rule-Book](https://github.com/gryphonshafer/Quizzing-Rule-Book) This is the management process for those changes and how the documents will be managed for annual *International Bible Quizzing* (IBQ) championship meets. ## 9.1. Issue Submission Proposed changes should be submitted as an "Issue" to the GitHub project. [https://github.com/gryphonshafer/Quizzing-Rule-Book/issues/new](https://github.com/gryphonshafer/Quizzing-Rule-Book/issues/new) Submitted issues will contain: - A short but fully descriptive title - A description that includes: - Reference to the section or sections to be amended - Proposed amendments to the section or sections - Rationale for the changes ## 9.2. Issue Review and Open Discussion Everyone is invited to review and discuss submitted issues, adding comments to them to further the discussion. An authorized *Rules Committee* (RC) will review each submitted issue for quality, appropriateness, integrational impact, and other factors. The RC will add comments on the issue as necessary to improve or solicit improvements upon any area the RC feels is needed. The RC will review all open issues at least every 3 months and will by a simple majority vote decide if each issue is ready for progression, needs to remain in discussion, or should be closed without further action. In all cases, the RC should at minimum provide a summary status explanation comment on every issue it reviews. If an issue is deemed ready for progression, the RC will see that a *pull request* (PR) is created and the issue closed. The PR will be constructed against the `integration` branch of the project. ## 9.3. Integration Pull Requests PRs to the `integration` branch will be in an open review period for 3 calendar months from the date they are created, during which time they can be discussed and debated by anyone using the comment features on GitHub. At the conclusion of the 3 months, a simple majority of RC will approve or reject the PR. An approved PR will be immediately merged to the `integration` branch. ## 9.4. Annual CQLT Ratification Annually, the CQLT will review a PR of the `integration` branch merged to the `master` branch. A simple majority of the CQLT will ratify or reject the PR. When ratified, the PR will be merged to `master` immediately following that season's IBQ. Whatever is in `master` will be considered the rule book and supporting documentation for the upcoming IBQ. ## 9.5. Changes to the Master Branch No changes to `master` are allowed except for: - The single annual merge from `integration` - Non-functional changes such as: - Punctuation - Formatting - Grammar - Technological ## 9.6. Change Notification from GitHub It's highly recommended anyone interested in following or participating in any rule book discussions or for those who would like to be notified when new rule book versions are published should "Watch" the GitHub project by clicking the "Watch" button near the upper right of the project's home page and selecting the desired watch level. # 10. Glossary **1st 5 Words of the Question** : The 1st 5 words of the question text, which may include an interrogative word as the 1st word **Alphanumeric** : A question number with numbers and letters such as 17A **Answer Text** : Every word in addition to the question text required to answer a question perfectly **Answer** : Everything the quizzer says while answering a question after being recognized by the quizmaster until their answering period has elapsed or being called correct or incorrect **Err-Out** : 3 errors by the same quizzer in the same quiz **Error** : An incorrect answer is also known as an error **Foul-Out** : 3 fouls by the same quizzer in the same quiz **Individual Fouls** : A foul awarded to 1 or more individual quizzers **Interchangeable** : Interchangeable words are words that can be substituted for each other in an answer such that a quizzer will still be counted correct. **Number** : The full identification of which question a given question is within a quiz, which can be purely a numeric or an alphanumeric **Numeric** : A question number with only numbers such as 17 **Participating in a Question** : A team that is eligible to jump on a given question is said to be participating in a question. A team that has no quizzers eligible to jump because of either foul-out, err-out, or quiz-out is still considered a team that is eligible to jump. **Question Text** : Every word required to ask a question **Question Type Group** : Question types are part of 1 or more question type groups, such as Reference and Finish. **Question Type** : Every quiz question is 1 of a particular set of question types, such as *Chapter Verse Reference* (CVR) and *Finish the Verse* (FTV). **Quiz Question** : Every component of a question within the context of a quiz including all components of a written question along with quiz context such as question number **Quiz-Out** : 4 correct questions by the same quizzer in the same quiz **Read Question** : Everything the quizmaster reads from the quiz question **Reference** : Technically, the Scriptural reference for the verse or verses that contain the whole of the question text and answer text, excluding any pronoun clarifications or answers to SIT questions; practically, the Scriptural reference for the 1st verse with content from the question text, except in the case of questions of type Q2V, where both verses are the reference **Response** : A synonym for answer **Special Name** : A name that imparts specific character qualities or attributes to that person of the Trinity **Team Fouls** : The sum of individual fouls by members of the same team **Unique Phrases** : 2 or 3 consecutive words appearing in only 1 verse in the material **Unique Word** : A word appearing in only 1 verse in the material **Written Question** : All parts of a pre-prepared, written question including question type, reference, question text, and answer text