Procedures for Advancing in Individual Competition

In the first individual round, quizzers are placed in rooms based on the averages given by their coaches, which is sometimes adjusted for their participation in a higher or lower team division. The rooms are balanced so that each room has approximately the same combined average. (A smaller number of quizzers were registered for the Senior Teen Rookie individual division, so they will all advance into the second round and have a bye in the first round.)

In each division (other than STR) 24 quizzers will advance to the second round of individual competition. The winner in each first round room will advance to the second round along with the top scorers among the non-winners. In case of ties, there will be no overtime questions in the first round.

When there is a tie for the final spot(s), the tie will be broken by adding the numbers of the questions answered by each quizzer. The one with the lowest sum will advance. This formula is based on the principle that competition in the early part of an individual round is more challenging. As the round progresses, quizzers miss pre-jumps and are more hesitant in their jumping, the better quizzer(s) may have quizzed out, and points may be easier to score. In the unusual circumstance where this method fails, the tournament directors will take other factors into consideration in making the final decision.

The winner of each second round room (4 rooms for each division except STR) will directly advance to the final round. The next 12 quizzers (2nd and 3rd place finishers in each second round room plus 4 wild cards) will advance into the semi-final round 3 on Saturday morning. The winner of the 2 semi-final rooms will join the previous 4 winners in the final round later Saturday morning. If needed to determine the winner, a 3-question overtime will be used in rounds 2 and 3. (Please see the diagram below.)

In Senior Teen Rookie, the winner of each second round room will advance to the finals along with the appropriate number of wild cards. Six STR quizzers will advance to the final round, and there will only be the two rounds of individual competition.

Both the first, second, and third rounds will consist of 15 questions, and the final round will consist of 20 questions. Ties in the final round will be broken by a 3-question overtime, unless a quizzer in overtime wins by quizzing out before all 3 questions have been read.