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Download Important Rules for Moderator

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The Moderator is THE person responsible for controlling each match.  It is important that you are familiar with how the game is played and all of the contest rules.  It is, therefore, extremely important that you review the rules well in advance of the actual event.

The NOSB is primarily an oral competition in which two student teams attempt to answer toss-up, bonus, and Team Challenge Questions. At the regional and Finals competition, the end of the first half is followed by 2 Team Challenge Questions. After the Team Challenge Questions, there is a minimum 2 minute break at which time the science judge takes the question to the Judges' Appeals room for grading.

1. The first half of any competition round begins as soon as the Moderator reads the subject for the first toss-up question.  The Moderator identifies:

* Whether it is a toss-up or bonus question,

* The subject area, and

* Whether it is multiple-choice or short-answer, before reading the question.

If a contestant elects to answer the toss-up question, he/she activates the lock-out system (an electronic device which "locks out" all other contestants and identifies the student who wishes to answer the toss-up question). You then verbally recognize the student. Should the student answer the toss-up question correctly, the student's team receives 4 points and is awarded a bonus question. A correct answer to the bonus questions results in the team receiving an additional 6 points. Play then continues by reading the next toss-up question to the two teams.

2. As a toss-up question is read, a student may interrupt the reading of the question. If you verbally recognize the student and he/she answers correctly, that team is awarded 4 points, and the team wins the right to answer a bonus question. If the student interrupts the question, is verbally recognized, but answers the toss-up question incorrectly, 4 points are deducted from the score of the student's team and the question is re-read in its entirety for the opposing team.  That team may answer the toss-up question for a chance at the bonus.

3. A student MUST wait to be verbally recognized by the Moderator before beginning to answer the toss-up questions. If a student answers a toss-up before being verbally recognized, the response is ignored (i.e., you should not reveal whether the answer was correct or incorrect) and the toss-up question is offered to the opposing team. This rule is necessary to avoid situations where two team members think they have activated the lock-out system and blurt out simultaneous answers.

4. If both teams can't answer a toss up and the question becomes "dead," be sure to share the answer with the teams.

5. The Team Challenge Questions are NOT read aloud.  Instead, you should announce that it is time for the Team Challenge Question, at which point the Rules Judge will hand the page to each team member face down.  You will have a short announcement to read to the two teams before you tell them to begin the question.  (This announcement will either be in the packet with thequestion or it will be taped to your table top.)  Each Team Challenge Question has a different time period between 2 minutes and 5 minutes in length.  At the end of the specified time period, the captain must turn in the answer sheet to the Science Judge.

6. The game is over when the second half ends or all toss-up questions have been read. The winning team is the one with the greater point total.

7. Before going to the next round, fill out the official score sheet and ensure that both team captains initial it before departing.  Return the official score sheet, the score sheets used by scorekeeper, and the used question packets to Ocean Bowl Central.

8. You will be provided with the questions for your games in advance of the actual event. It is important that you read all the questions aloud before the competition to (1) help ensure that you read the questions smoothly and (2) allow you to make certain you know the pronunciations of scientific terms.