- All TQBA matches shall be contested using an NAQT format of two halves of 10 Tossup/Bonus pairs:
- There is no formal recognition; students should make sure that his/her light is lit before answering.
- At the end of each round, player substitutions may be made.
Tossups
- Each half will include 10 Toss-up questions.
- Toss-up questions are marked with a “power mark.” If a player answers correctly before this point, they will earn 15 points. If the question is answered correctly after this point, it is worth 10 points. If a player interrupts the question and answers incorrectly, his team will lose 5 points. Only one team may be penalized on any single question. There is no penalty for an incorrect response once a question has been completed.
- Non Verbal Communication among players is allowed.
- Verbal Communication of any type is not allowed.
- The team of any player who makes any audible sound during a live toss-up without first buzzing shall be penalized five points and forfeit the right to answer.
- After the end of a tossup, players will have 5 seconds to buzz before the question goes dead.
- After buzzing in, a player has 2 seconds to begin an answer or (s)he will be negged without a prompt (i.e. answer please)
Bonuses
- Correctly answering a toss-up will earn the right to answer a bonus question. Though the format of the bonuses varies, each has a maximum value of 30 points.
- While the team captain will generally give final answers to bonus questions, he or she may defer to any team member before time has expired.
- For bonus answers that require listing, the team must give its answer in a continuous fashion. Any pause will be taken as the end of the answer.
- Teams will be given 5 seconds during which to confer on bonus answers.
- Once prompted (i.e. answer please), a captain MUST immediately begin an answer. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the opportunity to earn points.
