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2001 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
Conducting A Bowl Contest
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A fun way to learn! Exciting individual and team competition! An
innovative learning tool! An "electrifying" experience! These phrases describe a
4-H bowl contest.
The objectives of a bowl contest are:
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To be stimulated in learning more about
different project areas.
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To be rewarded for knowledge gained in project
areas.
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To apply knowledge learned in daily lives.
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To cultivate, through competition, a favorable
attitude toward winning and losing.
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To be provided, through travel and competition,
opportunities for personal expansion, development and
friendship.
A bowl contest involves teams of youth competing against each
other on the basis of their subject matter knowledge. Two or more rounds of
questions are asked; one or more rounds query individual team members about
their subject matter knowledge; the other rounds involve team competition as
they put their subject matter knowledge on the line.
To get youth organized and prepared for a bowl competition,
several basic needs should be met. These include getting a coach, a team,
project books and subject matter materials and a lot of team practice.
The Coach – The bowl coach is a unique person. He or she
does not need to be a subject matter expert but should have the desire to learn
and expand subject matter knowledge. They need a desire to work with young
people – to encourage, challenge and inspire a team. The coach has to be willing
to devote time to developing a bowl team.
The Team – The team should consist of youth who already
show an interest in a specific project area. A team usually has three or four
members with up to three or more additional youth who serve as alternates. The
coach should select one participant to serve as captain of the team.
Project Books and Subject Matter Materials– Current
project books and other supporting materials obtained from county agents and
subject matter specialists in the Cooperative Extension Service are excellent
study material. These same individuals can also recommend web sites for
obtaining information through the Internet.
Team Practice – The final ingredient necessary for
successful competition is getting together. The bowl contest is a team effort;
members of the team have to work together. Each individual member has to have
knowledge about their subject matter area. By practicing together, the members
learn the capabilities of each other. This becomes importantýin a contest
because, besides competing against others, each team competes against time. The
coach should meet with the team to direct their studies. He should engage the
team members in practice questioning with emphasis placed on correct responses
and rapid replies.
To add excitement for participants and the audience and to add
objectivity for the judge, an electronic buzzer device may be used. This device
enables the participant who presses the buzzer first to be identified by the
buzzer sound and a light. Any subsequent person who presses a buzzer will not be
registered until the equipment is cleared after the question is over. This type
of equipment may be purchased or may sometimes be borrowed from state Extension
offices or schools. If no equipment is available, hand-raising by contestants
may be substituted.
Rules and Regulations for Conducting a Bowl Contest
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Alternates may be substituted between
preliminary and runoff matches only; they may not be substituted
during a match.
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The coach must register the team, including any
alternates, with the bowl officials before the competition
begins.
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Each team will be seated at a table facing the
audience. For question rounds involving the buzzer, participants
must place their hands in front of them on the table with palms
down. The buzzer may be between the hands; it may be activated
with either hand.
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Alternates and coaches must be seated in the
audience; teams competing in subsequent matches should be placed
in a separate room.
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Once a match begins, participants may not refer
to any resource material or talk to each other.
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Each team will be identified by different
colored lights on the equipment. One team will be referred to as
the "red" team; the other as the "green" team. Each light on the
buzzer is numbered; a player’s identification will correspond to
the number and the color. For example, Red 1 refers to player
number 1 on the red team. The team captain will be number 1 and
can identify player numbers for the remainder of the team.
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A drawing should be held to determine the team
color and the match in which they will compete. For example, if
there are 8 teams, numbers 1 through
8 are drawn, with 1 competing against 2 in the first match, 3
against 4 in the second match, etc. Odd numbers are designated
one color; even numbers the other.
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After drawing, teams competing in the first
match remain in the room; the other teams go to a separate room
to wait their turn to compete in a subsequent match.
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In the case of having an odd number of teams,
the team with the highest odd number will compete in a match
against the losing team of the previous matches with the highest
losing score.
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After completion of preliminary matches, runoff
matches will be conducted to determine the overall winner and
the placing of teams. The winner of match 1 will face the winner
of match 2, and so on in the runoffs. If there is an odd number
for teams for a runoff match, the team with the highest score
from the preliminary match will draw a buy. See the following
diagram for an example of match pairings in a case of 5 teams:
Personnel Needed to Conduct a Bowl Contest
The following official duties will be performed during bowl
competition: Question moderating, judging, scorekeeping, timekeeping and
managing the buzzer equipment. These duties may be performed by separate
individuals or may be combined with a minimum of two persons performing the
tasks. Following are the duties of each person:
Question Moderator
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Meet with other bowl officials before the
contest to examine questions and to review the bowl rules and
regulations.
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Read the questions in advance, noting words or
phrases that need to be emphasized.
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Give a brief opportunity for questions from the
teams before the match begins.
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Introduce the teams and other bowl officials.
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Give all necessary instructions and go over the
rules and procedures.
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Read questions loudly and clearly without giving
advantage to either team.
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If more than two teams are competing, determine
the match pairings by a drawing.
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If a participant interrupts a question during
the buzzer round, stop reading the question immediately.
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If a question is misread, stop and reread the
question.
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In case of a tie, ask one tie-breaking question.
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After a question is answered, announce if the
answer is correct or incorrect.
Judge
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The judge has the final say as to the accuracy
of the answer.
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If a participant’s answer is correct, but
incomplete, the judge can request further information.
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The judge can ask participants to clarify their
answers.
Scorekeeper
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Obtain the official score sheet for each match.
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Obtain names of the participants before the
match begins.
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Record the point value of each correct response
on the score sheet.
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Tabulate the individual and team scores at the
end of each round.
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Keep a record of all contests.
Timekeeper
Equipment Manager
Ella Geisler, 4-H and Youth Development Specialist
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