quiz bowl

Most forms of modern quiz bowl are modeled after game shows.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2012/05/quiz_bowl_is_it_the_ultimate_test_of_smarts_or_an_overblown_game_of_trivial_pursuit_.single.html|title=The Super Bowl of the Mind|first=Alan|last=Siegel|work=Slate |date=May 3, 2012|access-date=December 13, 2013|archive-date=March 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309100406/http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2012/05/quiz_bowl_is_it_the_ultimate_test_of_smarts_or_an_overblown_game_of_trivial_pursuit_.single.html|url-status=live}} College Bowl, which was created by Don Reid as a USO activity for U.S. servicemen during World War II, was an influential early quiz bowl program.{{cite episode |title=Your Starter for Ten: 50 Years of University Challenge |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01m49vh |series=Archive on 4 |first1=David |last1=Taylor |first2=Colin |last2=McNulty |network=BBC Radio 4 |date=August 2012 |time=4:40 |access-date=2014-08-23 |archive-date=2014-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904074905/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01m49vh |url-status=live}}{{cite interview|title = Robert Earle Interview|last = Earl|first = Robert|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z06hVsIyJ1k#t=1221|work = TV Legends|date = September 21, 2010|access-date = September 6, 2014|archive-date = September 4, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150904050709/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z06hVsIyJ1k#t=1221|url-status = live}} Also known as "The College Quiz Bowl," it started on radio in 1953 and then aired on national television in the U.S. from 1959 to 1970.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/04/education/total-recall.html?pagewanted=all|title=Total Recall|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 4, 1999|access-date=September 9, 2009|first=Bruce|last=Weber|archive-date=October 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015183219/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/04/education/total-recall.html?pagewanted=all|url-status=live}}

In the first half of the 20th century, many other quiz-bowl-like competitions were also created. Delco Hi-Q began in 1948 as a radio quiz competition sponsored by the Scott Paper Company for high school students in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It claims to be the oldest continuously running student quiz contest in the United States.{{Cite web|url=http://www.delcohiq.org/|title=Delaware County Hi-Q|access-date=October 2, 2014|archive-date=November 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103015603/http://www.delcohiq.org/|url-status=live}} The It's Academic televised student quiz show program has been run for high school teams in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area since 1961 and is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running quiz program in television history.{{Cite web|url=http://www.itsacademicquizshow.com/history/|title=History of It's Academic|website=It's Academic - The Official Website|access-date=June 10, 2014|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129202034/http://www.itsacademicquizshow.com/history/|url-status=live}} It's Academic has been spun off in many other U.S. media markets and has inspired many other televised high school competitions.

In 1977, College Bowl was revived as an activity on college campuses in the U.S. by College Bowl Company Inc. (CBCI).{{cite news|url=http://www.gameshownewsnet.com/blockparty/062408.html|title=Hot Fun in the Summertime... on TV, That Is|publisher=Game Show News Net|date=June 24, 2008|access-date=September 15, 2009|archive-date=November 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091103010922/http://www.gameshownewsnet.com/blockparty/062408.html|url-status=live}} In September 1990, the Academic Competition Federation (ACF) was founded as the first major alternative to The College Bowl Company.{{cite book|last=Jennings|first=Ken|title=Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs|publisher=Villard|year=2006|isbn=978-1-4000-6445-8|url=https://archive.org/details/brainiac00kenj}}, p. 259 National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) was founded in 1996 and currently organizes national competitions at all levels in the United States and supplies tournament questions for grade school and college teams across North America and other parts of the world.{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2009/02/17/keeping_their_eyes_on_the_bowl/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed5|title=Keeping their eyes on the bowl|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=February 17, 2009|access-date=September 9, 2009|first=Joseph P.|last=Kahn|archive-date=October 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026115424/http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2009/02/17/keeping_their_eyes_on_the_bowl/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed5|url-status=live}}{{cite book|last=Jennings|first=Ken|title=Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs|publisher=Villard|year=2006|isbn=978-1-4000-6445-8|url=https://archive.org/details/brainiac00kenj}}, p.29-48 In 2008, the College Bowl program abruptly ended in the U.S., although the company itself continues to operate the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) for historically black colleges and universities.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hcasc.com/contactcbc.asp|title=HCASC - Contact Us|access-date=September 6, 2014|archive-date=September 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906223815/http://www.hcasc.com/contactcbc.asp|url-status=live}}

File:Quiz bowl.jpg|alt=]]

During a quiz bowl game, two teams of usually up to four or five players are read questions by a moderator.{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2009/02/17/college_quiz_bowl_basics/|title=College Quiz Bowl basics|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=February 17, 2009|access-date=September 9, 2009|archive-date=February 22, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222203916/http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2009/02/17/college_quiz_bowl_basics/|url-status=live}} When there are more than four players on a team, the team has to substitute its players for different games. Each player usually has an electronic buzzer to signal in ("buzz") at any time during the question to give an answer. In most forms of quiz bowl, there are two types of questions: tossups and bonuses. Tossups are questions that any individual player can attempt to answer by buzzing in, and players are generally not allowed to confer with each other before answering. If the answer given is incorrect, then no other member of that team may give an answer, and the moderator continues reading the question to the other team. If a tossup is successfully answered, the team who answered correctly is given an opportunity to answer a bonus question.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pace-nsc.org/what-is-quizbowl-a-primer-and-faq-for-newcomers/|title=What Is Quizbowl? A Primer and FAQ for Newcomers|last=Jackson|first=Matt|website=Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence|access-date=October 8, 2014|archive-date=October 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012133908/http://www.pace-nsc.org/what-is-quizbowl-a-primer-and-faq-for-newcomers/|url-status=live}} Bonuses are usually worth a total of 30 points and consist of three individual questions worth ten points each. Team members are generally permitted to confer with each other before answering these questions.

Regional or local tournaments may dispose of any number of standard rules entirely. Some may only have tossups and not use bonuses at all, especially to prevent cheating at tournaments played online.{{Cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/stats/scoring-rules.jsp?scoring_type_id=1049|title=Tossup-only scoring rules|website=NAQT|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=June 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607010049/http://www.naqt.com/stats/scoring-rules.jsp?scoring_type_id=1049|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Event Information|url=https://www.aqbleague.com/public/event-info.html|access-date=2022-02-09|website=AQBLeague|archive-date=2022-02-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209134456/https://www.aqbleague.com/public/event-info.html|url-status=live}}

Some formats include a lightning round during which a team attempts to answer multiple questions as fast as possible under a given time limit, usually sixty seconds. Other formats include a written worksheet round, where teams work together for 2–5 minutes to agree on their written answers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.historybowl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-2014-Official-Rules-National-History-Bowl-High-School-Division1.pdf|title=Official 2013-2014 Rules for The National History Bowl – High School Division|website=The National History Bowl|access-date=May 30, 2014|archive-date=June 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602201005/http://www.historybowl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-2014-Official-Rules-National-History-Bowl-High-School-Division1.pdf|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/mqba/league/2013/announcement.html|title=2013-2014 Minnesota High School Quiz Bowl League|website=NAQT|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=August 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812055400/http://www.naqt.com/mqba/league/2013/announcement.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Quiz Bowl November 2018 |url=https://alabamaffa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Quiz-Bowl-November-2018.pdf |website=Alabama FFA |access-date=12 April 2022 |page=7 |archive-date=12 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412163842/https://alabamaffa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Quiz-Bowl-November-2018.pdf |url-status=live}}

Match length is determined by either a game clock or the number of questions in a packet. In most formats, a game ends once the moderator has finished reading every question in a packet, usually 20. Tie-breaking procedures may include reading extra tossups until the tie is broken or sudden-death tossups.{{Cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/rules.html|title=Official NAQT Rules|website=NAQT|year=2010|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=July 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711154501/http://www.naqt.com/rules.html|url-status=live}}

Quiz bowl tests players in a variety of academic subjects including literature, science, history, and fine arts.{{Cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/college/distribution.jsp|title=College Distribution|website=NAQT|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=August 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815192018/http://www.naqt.com/college/distribution.jsp|url-status=live}} Additionally, some quiz bowl events may feature small amounts of popular culture content like sports, popular music, and other non-academic general knowledge subjects, although their inclusion is generally kept to a minimum.{{Cite web|url=http://www.qunlimited.com/na296.htm|title=National Academic Championship|website=Questions Unlimited|access-date=May 2, 2014|archive-date=March 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325120122/http://www.qunlimited.com/na296.htm|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.hsapq.com/philosophy|title=Our Quizbowl Philosophy|website=High School Academic Pyramid Questions (HSAPQ)|access-date=June 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005074623/http://www.hsapq.com/philosophy|archive-date=October 5, 2013|url-status=dead}}

In most quiz bowl competitions, players and coaches may protest the moderator's decision if they believe their answer was incorrectly rejected, or an opponent's answer was incorrectly accepted. Invalid protests or unnecessary protests can result in additional loss of points or an expulsion from the game.

Timeouts may be called by a player or coach (if the coach is not reading tossups.) These temporarily pause the game and players and coaches can talk. These may differ from improvement, point check or categories that are coming up.

Substitutions may be done at halftime (tossup 10 or 12 depending on tossups in match) or at a team's timeout. These involve removing one or more of the four playing members on a team to switch with a waiting player. These are usually done if player's categories have been used up or if they are taking turns if there are many players on a team. These rules about timeouts and subs may vary from different rule sets but are generally accepted in NAQT matches.{{Cite web |title=NAQT {{!}} Rules |url=https://www.naqt.com/rules/ |access-date=2023-01-27 |website=www.naqt.com |language=en}}

Timed matches may also be in play. These are usually done by 9 minute halves and at the end of the first half, if not at tossup 12 or beyond it, the moderator will automatically skip to it. If past tossup 12 after the first half, they will just start where they ended. These often require players to stall or go faster. Skipping bonuses may be used if players are uncomfortable with the bonus but it will completely skip it and not just one part. These tactics are mostly accepted in different matches.

{{Quote box|right|fontsize = 75%|title = A pyramidal tossup on Jorge Luis Borges

|quote = A short story by this author features the question, "In a riddle whose answer is chess, what is the only prohibited word?" A character in a story by this author describes knowing "the Secret," which is a "British artillery park on the Ancre". A story by this author features a hunt by the "Purifiers" through (*) infinite hexagonal rooms. Richard Madden kills sinologist Stephen Albert to signal the Germans in a story by this author. For 10 points, name this author whose Ficciones includes "The Library of Babel" and "The Garden of Forking Paths."

ANSWER: Jorge Luis Borges

|align = right |width = 30% |source = 2022 IQBT RSS #1

}}

Two common types of tossups include buzzer-beaters and pyramidal tossups, with the latter being more common than the former. Buzzer-beaters (also known as speed checks or quick-recall questions) are relatively short, rarely being more than two sentences long, and contain few clues.{{cite book|title=IHSA Scholastic Bowl Terms and Conditions|publisher=Illinois High School Association (IHSA)|year=2008|location=Bloomington, IL|page=5|url=http://www.ihsa.org/activity/scb/2008-09/t-and-cs.pdf|quote=Buzzer-beater questions that virtually any team can be expected to answer after hearing only a few words are discouraged.|access-date=2009-09-11|archive-date=2009-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091104202636/http://www.ihsa.org/activity/scb/2008-09/t-and-cs.pdf|url-status=live}}{{cite journal|last=Riley |first=David |title=Beta Tournaments Debut |journal=Scholastic Visions |volume=6 |issue=1 |page=11 |publisher=Illinois Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association (IHSSBCA) |location=Evanston, IL |date=September 2000 |url=http://www.ihssbca.org/schovisions/sv6_1.pdf |access-date=September 15, 2009 |quote=... similar to the format used at the NAA’s National Academic Championship tournaments. Each match will be divided into four quarters, as follows: 1) Ten relatively easy, “buzzer-beater” tossup questions. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008024619/http://www.ihssbca.org/schovisions/sv6_1.pdf |archive-date=October 8, 2008}} This type of question is written specifically to test players' quick recall skills without discriminating between the different levels of knowledge on a topic that the players possess. Buzzer-beaters are not included in major state or national tournaments.

Pyramidal or pyramid-style tossups include multiple clues and are written so that each question starts with more difficult clues and moves toward easier clues. This way, players with the most knowledge of the subject have the best opportunity to answer first.{{cite book|title=IHSA Scholastic Bowl Terms and Conditions|publisher=Illinois High School Association (IHSA)|year=2013|location=Bloomington, IL|page=6|url=http://www.ihsa.org/documents/scb/2013-14/t-and-cs.pdf|quote=For non-computational tossups, the preferred style is multi-clue, starting with a more challenging clue and ending with a clue that most teams should reasonably be expected to answer correctly.|access-date=2014-06-23|archive-date=2014-07-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712015256/http://ihsa.org/documents/scb/2013-14/t-and-cs.pdf|url-status=live}}{{cite journal|last=Vinokurov|first=Jerry|editor=Greenthal, Jonah|title=How to Write Questions|journal=Scholastic Visions|volume=15|issue=1|pages=16–19|publisher=Illinois High School Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association|location=Evanston, IL|date=September 2009|url=http://www.ihssbca.org/gotoschobowlfest.pdf|access-date=September 24, 2009}}{{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}{{cite journal|last=Gauthier|first=Greg|title=What's a Good Quizbowl Question?|journal=Scholastic Visions|volume=15|issue=1|pages=20–21|publisher=Illinois High School Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association|location=Evanston, IL|date=September 2009|url=http://www.ihssbca.org/gotoschobowlfest.pdf|access-date=September 24, 2009}}{{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}} Pyramidal tossups are considered standard for competitive quiz bowl, especially at the collegiate level.{{Cite web|last=Name|first=Your|title=What are "Pyramidal" Questions?|url=https://coloradoqb.org/info/pyramidal/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Colorado Quiz Bowl|language=en|archive-date=2021-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210706224124/https://coloradoqb.org/info/pyramidal/|url-status=live}}

In most formats, correctly answering a tossup earns a team 10 points.{{cite news|url=http://www.smudailycampus.com/media/storage/paper949/news/2005/02/04/News/Quiz-Competition.Decided-2275852.shtml |title=Quiz competition decided |publisher=SMU Daily Campus |date=February 4, 2005 |access-date=September 10, 2009}}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Extra points, usually for a total of 15 or 20 points, may be awarded if a question is answered prior to a certain clue-providing keyword in the question, usually marked by an asterisk, an action known as "powering." Buzzing in before the entire question has been read and answering incorrectly is called "negging" and may incur a 5-point penalty for a team. After a neg occurs, the moderator continues reading the rest of the question for the other team. There are usually no further penalties after one team has already negged.

{{Quote box|right|fontsize = 75%|title = A bonus question on amino acids

|quote =

These biological monomers are usually in a zwitterionic form. For 10 points each:

[10] Name this class of molecules that make up proteins, examples of which include tryptophan, alanine, and lysine.
ANSWER: amino acids

[10] During translation, amino acids are polymerized by these complexes, which are formed in the nucleolus.
ANSWER: ribosomes

[10] Some proteins can become infectious agents. This is the name of those misfolded proteins that are responsible for mad cow disease and Kuru.
ANSWER: prions

|align = right

|width = 30%

|source = 2011 Collegiate Novice

}}

Bonuses usually have multiple parts, related by a common thread but not necessarily related to the tossup that was answered. Bonuses are also typically introduced with a theme or fact that connects them before the questions themselves are read. A team is usually rewarded with 10 points for each correct answer in a bonus. Bonuses are the only types of questions that allow conferral among team members, with 5 seconds typically being given after the question to confer before an answer is required. Usually, only the team that answered the tossup correctly can answer the bonus, though some formats allow the opposing team to answer those parts of the bonus not correctly answered by the team that earned the bonus, a gameplay element known as a "bounceback" or "rebound." Less-used types of bonus questions include multiple-choice bonuses (sometimes seen in Science Bowl), list bonuses (which require answers from a given list), and "30-20-10" bonuses (which give small sets of clues for a single answer in order of decreasing difficulty, with more points being awarded for giving the correct answer on an earlier clue. The 30-20-10 bonus was officially banned from ACF in 2008{{cite web|title=ACF Packet Submission Guidelines|url=http://acf-quizbowl.com/documents/packetsub.php|website=Academic Competition Federation|access-date=June 30, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927045731/http://www.acf-quizbowl.com/documents/packetsub.php|archive-date=September 27, 2011}} and NAQT in 2009.{{cite web|title=Re: 2009 NAQT HSNCT|url=http://www.hsquizbowl.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=134573#p134573|first=Jeff|last=Hoppes|website=hsquizbowl.org|access-date=2009-09-10|archive-date=2011-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927184459/http://www.hsquizbowl.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=134573#p134573|url-status=live}} Most programs now use a bonus of easy, medium and hard but in different orders.

Several variations on the game of quiz bowl exist that affect question structure and content, rules of play, and round format. One standardized format is the pyramidal tossup/bonus format, which is used in NAQT and ACF (or mACF, referring to question sets produced in a similar style to those of ACF) competitions.{{Cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/naqt-style.html|title=NAQT-Style Events|website=NAQT|access-date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015040249/http://www.naqt.com/naqt-style.html|archive-date=October 15, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

Most quiz bowl question producers, including ACF and NAQT, publish a distribution of the number of tossups and bonuses per round that will feature material from a given area of study.{{Cite web|url=https://acf-quizbowl.com/distribution/|title=ACF Packet Distribution|website=Academic Competition Federation|access-date=2020-03-24|archive-date=2020-01-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130175755/https://acf-quizbowl.com/distribution/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.naqt.com/college/distribution.jsp|title=College Subject Distribution|website=NAQT|access-date=2020-03-24|archive-date=2020-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415033514/https://www.naqt.com/college/distribution.jsp|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.naqt.com/hsnct/distribution.jsp|title=HSNCT Subject Distribution|website=NAQT|access-date=2020-03-24|archive-date=2020-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415042107/https://www.naqt.com/hsnct/distribution.jsp|url-status=live}}

ACF/mACF tossups are written in pyramidal style and are generally much longer than College Bowl and NAQT questions. Games are usually untimed and last until a total of 20 tossups are read. The published distribution of ACF quiz bowl emphasizes academic subjects, with very little popular culture.{{Cite web|url=https://acf-quizbowl.com/distribution/|title=ACF Packet Distribution|website=acf-quizbowl.com|access-date=2020-03-24|archive-date=2020-01-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130175755/https://acf-quizbowl.com/distribution/|url-status=live}} However, many "housewrites", or question sets written by schools themselves, may choose to modify the category distribution.

NAQT is another common variation on the tossup/bonus format that balances academic rigor with a wider variety of subjects, including popular culture and an increased amount of current events and geography content. Unlike many mACF events, most questions used in this format are written and sold by NAQT themselves.{{Cite web|url=https://www.naqt.com/about/|title=About Us|website=NAQT|access-date=2020-03-24|archive-date=2020-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412213404/https://www.naqt.com/about/|url-status=live}} NAQT also uses "power marks" in their tossups, which reward players with 15 points instead of 10 for a tossup answered before a predetermined point. Games played on NAQT rules consist of two nine-minute halves and a total of 24 tossups.{{cite news|url=http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/97/970128.quizbowl.shtml|title=University of Chicago Quiz Bowl Team Beats Harvard to Win the First Annual National Academic Quiz Tournament|publisher=University of Chicago News Office|date=January 28, 1997|access-date=September 15, 2009|archive-date=June 10, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610054711/http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/97/970128.quizbowl.shtml|url-status=live}} NAQT tossups are typically shorter than most other pyramidal tossups because of shorter character limits on its questions.{{cite web|url=https://www.naqt.com/application-advice.html|title=Advice for Prospective Writers|website=NAQT|access-date=March 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110414/https://www.naqt.com/application-advice.html|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} The format used for the now-defunct College Bowl tournament uses comparatively shorter questions. Gameplay is relatively quick as it is played in eight-minute halves, to a usual total of 22–24 tossups read.{{cite web|url=http://www.collegebowl.com/pub/gamerules.pdf|title=Game Rules|website=College Bowl|access-date=March 25, 2015|archive-date=September 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923205417/http://www.collegebowl.com/pub/gamerules.pdf|url-status=live}}

The Honda Campus All Star Challenge and University Challenge in the U.K. use similar formats.{{Cite web|url=http://www.collegebowl.com/format.asp|title=The Original College Bowl Format|website=College Bowl|access-date=October 7, 2014|archive-date=October 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013074131/http://www.collegebowl.com/format.asp|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hcasc.com/pub/gamerules.pdf|title=Game Rules|website=HONDA CAMPUS ALL-STAR CHALLENGE|access-date=March 25, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402145257/https://www.hcasc.com/pub/gamerules.pdf|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.blanchflower.org/uc/show_rules.html|title=The rules of University Challenge|website=Sean Blanchflower|access-date=March 25, 2015|archive-date=September 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923191717/http://www.blanchflower.org/uc/show_rules.html|url-status=live}}

Matches played at the National Academic Championship and its affiliated tournaments are split into four quarters, with differing styles of gameplay in each phase. Individual tournaments may use worksheet rounds, lightning rounds, or tossups without accompanying bonuses.{{cite web|url=http://home.hiwaay.net/~asca/documents/Rules2015_001.doc|title=Rules|date=January 2015|website=Alabama Scholastic Competition Association|access-date=March 25, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110251/http://home.hiwaay.net/~asca/documents/Rules2015_001.doc|url-status=live}}

The 2020–2021 quiz bowl season saw a dramatic increase in the number of large online quiz bowl competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person quiz bowl tournaments were cancelled, including all NAQT National Championships.{{cite web |title=COVID-19 Outbreak Cancellations |url=https://www.naqt.com/articles/2020-coronavirus.jsp |website=NAQT |access-date=12 April 2022 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225194520/https://www.naqt.com/articles/2020-coronavirus.jsp |url-status=live}} Online competitions, often using the platforms Zoom or Discord, were widely used by tournament directors, including state championship organizers in 2020-21, as well as for the NAQT HSNCT and PACE NSC high school nationals tournaments.{{Cite web|url=https://www.naqt.com/hsnct/2021/details.jsp|title=2021 High School National Championship Tournament Logistics Information|website=NAQT|access-date=2021-07-08|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190628/https://www.naqt.com/hsnct/2021/details.jsp|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Tournament Schedule|url=https://pacensc.github.io/docs/tournament-schedule|access-date=2022-02-09|website=2021 PACE NSC|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-02-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209134517/https://pacensc.github.io/docs/tournament-schedule|url-status=live}} This allowed competition in spite of national and international lockdown requirements. These matches and tournaments were run in a similar manner to in-person competition, although some tournaments switched to tossup-only formats.

Since questions are generally derived from an unofficial "canon" of topics, players commonly review, and practice with, questions from past competition to prepare for upcoming tournaments.{{Cite web|url=http://www.moqba.org/tips.php|title=Tips for Improving|last=Dees|first=Charles|website=Missouri Quizbowl Alliance|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=June 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602195616/http://www.moqba.org/tips.php|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/HowTo/improve-as-a-player.html|title=How to Improve as a Player|website=NAQT|access-date=July 1, 2014|archive-date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701204035/http://www.naqt.com/HowTo/improve-as-a-player.html|url-status=live}} Several websites exist for this purpose, the most commonly used being QB Reader, a single-player quiz bowl simulator that also includes a navigable database of past questions; Protobowl, a multiplayer real-time quiz bowl simulator; and QuizBug 2, a single-player quiz bowl simulator.{{Cite web |title=QB Reader |url=https://www.qbreader.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129232204/https://www.qbreader.org/ |archive-date=2022-11-29 |access-date=2022-01-04 |website=QB Reader |language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://protobowl.com/|title=Protobowl Home|website=protobowl.com|access-date=2016-05-20|archive-date=2016-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519142606/http://protobowl.com/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://quizbug2.herokuapp.com/|title=QuizBug 2|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324174925/https://quizbug2.herokuapp.com/|archive-date=2020-03-24}}

Players often research and write their own questions to prepare for quiz bowl. Active participation in academic coursework also helps to prepare for quiz bowl.{{Cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/hs/high-school-quiz-bowl.html|title=High School Quiz Bowl|website=NAQT|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701200819/http://www.naqt.com/hs/high-school-quiz-bowl.html|url-status=live}} Blind memorization of high-frequency out-of-context facts, often referred to as "stock" clues, is a common method of quiz bowl preparation, but is generally discouraged, because the memorization generally has little academic utility.{{Cite web|url=http://georgiaquizbowl.org/downloads/GATA%20New%20Coach%20Manual.pdf|title=GATA Coaches Manual|last=Burns|first=Jeff|year=2009|website=GATA|access-date=2014-06-07|archive-date=2014-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714184601/http://georgiaquizbowl.org/downloads/GATA%20New%20Coach%20Manual.pdf|url-status=dead}} Players benefit from exposure to a broad range of school, cultural subjects, memorization, and study skills, as well as an improved ability to cooperate and work in teams.{{Cite web|url=http://www.texasquizbowl.org/about/why/|title=Why Quiz Bowl|website=Texas Quiz Bowl Alliance|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714111725/http://www.texasquizbowl.org/about/why/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite book|last=Parke|first=Dr. Beverly N.|year=2002|title=Discovering Programs for Talent Development|publisher=Corwin Press|page=119|isbn=978-0-7619-4613-7}}

NAQT also sells lists of topics that are frequently asked about in their questions.{{Cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/frequency-lists.html|title=Frequency Lists|website=NAQT|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=August 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815064127/http://www.naqt.com/frequency-lists.html|url-status=live}}

File:Harvard Certamen moderation.JPG

Quiz bowl is primarily played at single-day tournaments. Some events have eligibility rules that dictate who may participate, such as allowing only freshman and sophomore players or excluding graduate students.{{Cite web|url=http://acf-quizbowl.com/documents/official-acf-rules/|title=Official ACF Rules|website=Academic Competition Federation|access-date=July 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714205003/http://acf-quizbowl.com/documents/official-acf-rules/|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}} Additionally, most tournaments allow multiple teams from a single school to compete.

Some schools hold intramural tournaments where any team formed from students can play.{{Cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/college/college-quiz-bowl.html|title=College Quiz Bowl|website=NAQT|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701212750/http://www.naqt.com/college/college-quiz-bowl.html|url-status=live}} High school quiz bowl is often played over an extended period of time by schools within a local area or pre-existing athletic conference, or in single matches against other schools.

Some regional variants organized for grade school students include Knowledge Bowl, Ohio Academic Competition (OAC), Florida's Commissioner's Academic Challenge (CAC), and various television quiz competitions such as It's Academic. Athletic and activities associations in some US states also organize quiz bowl competitions, including Missouri's MSHSAA, Illinois's IHSA, Kansas's KSHSAA, Kentucky's Governor's Cup and Virginia's VHSL.{{Cite magazine|magazine=High School Today|publisher=National Federation of State High School Associations|date=April 2011|author1-last=Gardner|author1-first=Robert B.|author2-last=Van Erk|author2-first=Nina|title=Activities Other Than Sports Offered in Many States|page=1|url=https://www.nfhs.org/media/155472/High_School_Today_April_11.pdf|access-date=2022-04-12|archive-date=2017-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626150742/http://www.nfhs.org/media/155472/High_School_Today_April_11.pdf|url-status=live}}

Additionally, various formats have been developed to test knowledge in specific areas like the Bible,{{Cite web|url=http://www.home.biblebowl.net/|title=Bible Bowl|website=Bible Bowl|access-date=July 1, 2014|archive-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230713/http://www.home.biblebowl.net/|url-status=live}} classics,{{Cite web|url=http://www.njcl.org/pages/Certamen|title=Certamen|website=National Junior Classical League|access-date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714165720/http://www.njcl.org/pages/Certamen|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} science,{{Cite web|url=http://www.science.energy.gov/wdts/nsb/|title=National Science Bowl Homepage|website=Office of Science|publisher=US Department of Energy|access-date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702152351/http://science.energy.gov/wdts/nsb|archive-date=July 2, 2014|url-status=dead}} and agricultural science.{{Cite web|url=http://www.texas4-h.tamu.edu/files/2011/12/publications_projects_quiz_bowl_guide.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230426/http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/files/2011/12/publications_projects_quiz_bowl_guide.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2014|website=Texas A&M University|title=Texas 4-H Quiz Bowl Guide|access-date=July 1, 2014}} DECA runs quiz bowl events at their competitions that tests knowledge on business and market topics.{{Cite web|url=http://www.deca.cccs.edu/quizBowl/STUDYGUIDE.pdf|title=DECA Quiz bowl study guide|website=DECA|access-date=May 13, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915025000/http://www.deca.cccs.edu/quizBowl/STUDYGUIDE.pdf|archive-date=September 15, 2012}} Gallaudet University sponsors a National Academic Bowl for deaf high school students.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gallaudet.edu/academic_bowl.html|title=Academic Bowl|website=Gallaudet University|access-date=June 13, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701173417/http://www.gallaudet.edu/academic_bowl.html|archive-date=July 1, 2014}} Tournaments designated as "trash" focus on pop culture and sports trivia questions.

There are several collegiate-level national championship tournaments, for which teams usually qualify through regional competitions. They include:

• NAQT's Intercollegiate Championship Tournament (ICT)
• NAQT's Community College Championship Tournament (CCCT)
• ACF Nationals
• Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC)

Several national competitions are conducted in the United States every year for high school students. Compared to the college level, there are usually more tournaments that allow teams to qualify.{{Cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/hsnct/2014/details.html|title=2014 HSNCT details|website=NAQT|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718123942/http://www.naqt.com/hsnct/2014/details.html|archive-date=July 18, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.pace-nsc.org/2014-nsc-affiliated-tournaments/|title=2014 NSC: Affiliated Tournaments|website=Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence|access-date=2014-06-01|archive-date=2014-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624030532/http://www.pace-nsc.org/2014-nsc-affiliated-tournaments/|url-status=live}} National tournaments include:

• NAQT's High School National Championship Tournament (HSNCT)
• Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence's National Scholastic Championship (PACE NSC)
• The National Academic Association and Question Unlimited's National Academic Championship (NAC)
• JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl (JLAB)

The following high school tournaments are for single all-star teams from each U.S. state or other political subdivision:

• National All-Star Academic Tournament (NASAT)
• National Tournament of Academic Excellence (NTAE) (formerly known as the Panasonic Academic Challenge)

There is also a tournament for middle school students:

• Middle School National Championship Tournament (MSNCT){{Cite web |title=Middle School National Championship Tournament |url=https://www.naqt.com/msnct/ |access-date=2022-03-02 |website=NAQT |language=en |archive-date=2022-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302003446/https://www.naqt.com/msnct/ |url-status=live}}

Beginning in 2018, NAQT has organized the Individual Player National Championship Tournament (IPNCT).{{Cite web|url=https://www.naqt.com/ipnct/|title=Individual Player National Championship Tournament|website=NAQT|access-date=2020-01-30|archive-date=2020-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415041640/https://www.naqt.com/ipnct/|url-status=live}} Since 2019, IPNCT has been separated into high school and middle school divisions.

Some proponents of reform seek to increase the educational value and fairness of quiz bowl, primarily by using pyramidal questions.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pace-nsc.org/pace-quizbowl-lexicon/|title=Quizbowl lexicon|first=Stephen|last=Eltinge|website=Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence|access-date=June 4, 2014|archive-date=June 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605055158/http://www.pace-nsc.org/pace-quizbowl-lexicon/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.norcalquizbowl.org/?page_id=18|title=What is quiz bowl|website=Northern California Quiz Bowl Alliance|date=12 July 2013 |access-date=May 23, 2014|archive-date=March 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309102928/http://www.norcalquizbowl.org/?page_id=18|url-status=live}} Many competitions below the college level are criticized for their use of speed-check questions, which encourage participants to rely more on their ability to buzz in quickly than on knowledge of the subjects tested. Some tournaments, such as College Bowl, are criticized for being insufficiently academic, including using superfluous clues in their questions, and for recycling questions from previous years. The use of "hoses," misleading clues that discourage players from buzzing in too early, is also considered a mark of "bad" quiz bowl.

The use of mathematical computation problems in tossups is criticized by some for rewarding fast problem-solving skills over conceptual knowledge and for being non-pyramidal by nature.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hsapq.com/math|title=Math Calculation Tossups|website=High School Academic Pyramid Questions (HSAPQ)|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309142840/http://www.hsapq.com/math|archive-date=March 9, 2014|url-status=dead}}

{{Further|List of televised academic student quiz programs}}

Quiz bowl shows have been on television for many decades in some areas and usually feature competitors from local high schools.{{Cite web|url=http://www.insidenorthside.com/wyes-the-voice-of-new-orleans/|title=WYES The Voice of New Orleans|website=Inside Northside|access-date=June 14, 2014|archive-date=October 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030014505/http://www.insidenorthside.com/wyes-the-voice-of-new-orleans/|url-status=dead}} Many of these competitions may have rules and formats that differ slightly from standardized quiz bowl.{{Cite web|url=http://www.quizkids.tv/QuizKidsContestantManual.pdf|title=Quiz Kids Contestant Manual|publisher=TV Game Brains|website=Bay Area Quiz Kids|access-date=June 24, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605052751/http://www.quizkids.tv/QuizKidsContestantManual.pdf|archive-date=June 5, 2014}}{{Cite web|url=http://towncourier.com/qohs-academic-club-in-its-academic-playoffs/|title=QOHS Academic Club in "It's Academic" Playoffs|website=The Town Courier|date=March 7, 2014|last=O'Keefe|first=Karen|location=Gaithersburg, Maryland|access-date=June 29, 2014|archive-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714210436/http://towncourier.com/qohs-academic-club-in-its-academic-playoffs/|url-status=usurped}}

College Bowl was broadcast on NBC radio from 1953 to 1955. The program moved to television as General Electric College Bowl and was broadcast from 1959 to 1970, first on CBS and later on NBC. College Bowl would return to CBS radio from 1979 to 1982, and HCASC was broadcast on BET from 1990 to 1995. The Texaco Star National Academic Championship ran from 1989 to 1991 on Discovery Channel and was hosted by Chip Beall and Mark L. Walberg.{{cite web|title=Episode List: Texaco Star National Academic Championship|url=http://www.tvtango.com/series/texaco_star_national_academic_championship/episodes|website=TV Tango|access-date=March 13, 2012|archive-date=February 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226221331/http://www.tvtango.com/series/texaco_star_national_academic_championship/episodes|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Overview: Texaco Star National Academic Championship|url=http://www.tvtango.com/series/texaco_star_national_academic_championship|publisher=TV Tango|access-date=December 18, 2012|archive-date=June 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602105806/http://www.tvtango.com/series/texaco_star_national_academic_championship|url-status=live}} In 1994, it was syndicated as the Star Challenge and hosted by Mark L. Walberg.{{Citation needed|date=June 2014}} University Challenge is licensed from CBCI by Granada TV Ltd. and still broadcast in the United Kingdom. Reach for the Top, a Canadian competition with a quiz bowl-like format, has been broadcast on the CBC in the past.

Quiz bowl has received media coverage due to the number of highly successful game show contestants with backgrounds in the activity.{{cite magazine|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/54853/our-interview-jeopardy-champion-arthur-chu|title=Our Interview With Jeopardy! Champion Arthur Chu|date=2014|magazine=Mental Floss|last=Higgins|first=Chris|access-date=June 20, 2014|archive-date=October 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016080230/http://mentalfloss.com/article/54853/our-interview-jeopardy-champion-arthur-chu|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/archives/85254/preview/|title=Quiz Bowl prepared contestant for 'Jeopardy!'|newspaper=Gainesville Times|access-date=June 20, 2014}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} NAQT maintains a list of current and former quiz bowl players at any level who have appeared on TV game shows.{{cite web|url=http://www.naqt.com/game-show-appearances.jsp|title=Game Show Appearances|website=NAQT|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=April 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427053205/http://www.naqt.com/game-show-appearances.jsp|url-status=live}} Several of the top dollar winners in the history of Jeopardy! include former players such as Ken Jennings,{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7195-2004Oct4.html|title=A: Quiz Bowl. Q: What Do Top Game Show Players Prize?|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 5, 2004|access-date=September 9, 2009|first=Tamara|last=Jones|archive-date=November 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111034820/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7195-2004Oct4.html|url-status=live}} Matt Jackson, David Madden,{{Cite web|author=Fran Scavuzzo, Sam.|url=http://ridgewood.patch.com/articles/jeopardy-champ-starts-history-bowl-at-rhs|title='Jeopardy!' Champ Starts History Bowl at RHS|publisher=Ridgewood-Glen Rock Patch|location=Ridgewood, NJ|date=April 30, 2010|access-date=June 29, 2014|archive-date=May 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513213802/https://patch.com/new-jersey/ridgewood/jeopardy-champ-starts-history-bowl-at-rhs|url-status=live}} and Brad Rutter.{{cite web|url=http://www.qunlimited.com/national.htm|title=2008 NATIONAL ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS|website=Questions Unlimited|access-date=2009-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226004915/http://qunlimited.com/national.htm|archive-date=2009-02-26|url-status=dead}} Such is the correlation between success on Jeopardy! and quiz bowl experience that Jennings described the competition as a "minor league" for the show and for other televised quiz show competitions.{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2019/04/jeopardy-quiz-bowl-connection-ken-jennings.html|title=The Jeopardy! Minor Leagues|first=Ken|last=Jennings|author-link=Ken Jennings|work=Slate.com|date=April 9, 2019|access-date=April 9, 2019|archive-date=April 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409205432/https://slate.com/culture/2019/04/jeopardy-quiz-bowl-connection-ken-jennings.html|url-status=live}}

• United States Academic Decathlon – an annual high school academic competition
• National Academic Quiz Tournaments – an American quiz bowl company
• National History Bee and Bowl – a history quiz competition in the US
• Reach for the Top and SchoolReach – a long-lasting Canadian high school competition, formerly nationally broadcast on the CBC
• Schools' Challenge – a U.K. high school tournament
• University Challenge – a British television quiz programme featuring university students
• Science Bowl – a U.S. high school and middle school tournament focused on science
• PACE – a U.S. non-profit organization best known for the PACE NSC tournament
• ACF – a U.S. organization that runs college quiz bowl tournaments
• Protmušis - a Lithuanian university quiz tournament

• Jennings, Ken (2006). Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs, Villard

{{reflist}}

• [https://protobowl.com Protobowl], an online quiz bowl website
• [http://hsquizbowl.org/ The Quizbowl Resource Center]
• [http://quizbowlpackets.com/ Quiz Bowl packet archive]
• [https://www.quizdb.org/ Interactive Quiz Bowl question database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807013518/https://www.quizdb.org/ |date=2020-08-07 }}
• [https://www.naqt.com/nationals/press-guide.jsp/ Media guide with FAQs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630033929/https://www.naqt.com/nationals/press-guide.jsp |date=2021-06-30 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quiz Bowl}}

Category:Student quiz competitions

Category:Educational games

Category:Quiz games