OAC HS Rules (Updated 2023-2024)

OAC Distribution

OAC HS Scoresheet

OAC MS Rules

OAC MS Scoresheet

The following rules changes will be applicable starting during the 2023-2024 academic year:

• Substitutions can be made at a timeout in the final round. 

The following rules changes will be applicable starting during the 2021-2022 academic year:

• Substitutions will be allowed after life science questions 

The following rules changes will be applicable starting during the 2018-2019 academic year:

• During a round, each team will have one, one-minute timeout that they may call after any tossup question, so after a tossup question in the category round or between questions in the final round.

• During this timeout, both coaches may talk to their team but no substitutions may take place and teams must remain in the competition room. (Rule E4 in OAC Rules)

• At the beginning of Regionals, teams will complete a 50 question written seeding round to determine seeding for the Regionals bracket. Teams will have to select four players to complete the round and will have ten minutes to do so. Ties will be broken by a coin toss. Please see the OAC Regionals page for more details.

• Teams will be guaranteed 5 games at OAC Regionals. This will not change the current double elimination bracket format, but after teams are eliminated from that bracket, there will be additional placement games, and those teams will still be alive for wild card bids to OAC State. Please see the brackets and details on the OAC Regionals page.

• 4 wild card teams will qualify for OAC State, making OAC State a 16 team double elimination tournament with a 5 game guarantee. Please see the OAC State page for more details.

The following rules changes will be applicable starting during the 2017-2018 academic year:

• Registration for OAC Regionals now must be completed online. There will not be a paper form option.

• High school players that play on a collegiate quiz bowl team will no longer be forfeiting their eligibility to play OAC Regionals and State.

• The initial brackets at OAC State will now be seeded (please see State page for details).

• If teams are tied in record for advancing to the playoffs for OAC State, there will now be a

• tiebreaker played between those teams (please see State page for details).

The following rule changes will be applicable starting during the 2016-2017 academic year:

• Rules D1 and D5 were combined into one rule (now labeled D1) that was rewritten solely for clarity  purposes. The intent of the rule was not changed in any way (please consult the OAC Rules on the  home page for exact language).

The following rule changes will be applicable starting during the 2015-2016 academic year:

• Alphabet Round questions and Final Round questions will now be worth 2 points each (rather thaN 1 point each).

• If the answer being asked for is a year (Ex. 1948) and the player gives a two digit year (Ex. 48), then the player will be prompted for a four-digit answer if it is necessary.

The following rule changes will be applicable starting during the 2014-2015 academic year:

• The designated answer period (the time given after the reading of the question) for final round  questions was defined as 5 seconds.

• The amount of time players are given to answer after buzzing in was changed to 5 seconds  (previously 3 seconds).

• Teams may now sub players in between the final round and an overtime period (if one is needed). However, no substitutions may be made at any time during the overtime period.

• Students may now have notebooks (turned to a clean page) on their desks at all times during the match except when in possession of the alphabet round answer sheet. If the sheet has been turned  in, their notebooks may be out.

• Rule D6 concerning correct answers was rewritten for clarity purposes; however, no intent of the rule was changed in any way (please consult the OAC Rules on the home page for exact language).

• Rule D8 concerning replacement questions was rewritten for clarity purposes; however, no intent of the rule was changed in any way (please consult the OAC Rules on the home page for exact language).

The following rule changes will be applicable starting during the 2013-2014 academic year:

• The 5 point bonus for answering all twenty alphabet round questions correctly has been removed.

• Students may now have notebooks (turned to a clean page) on their desks during the category and final rounds.

• Score checks will now be given after Life Science, after the category round is over, after the alphabet round, after ten questions during the final round (NEW), after fifteen questions during the lightning round if the score is within two points or less (NEW), and at the end of the match.

• To qualify for OAC Regionals, teams now need to win a bracket or tournament of 6 different high schools (rather than 8). (see OAC Regionals page for more information)

• The format of the playoffs at OAC State has changed. (see OAC State page for more information)