Games - Quizbowl

	Games - Quizbowl

Quizbowl (also known as Quiz bowl, Scholastic Bowl, or Academic Bowl) is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge, commonly played in high school and college. In brief, the game is played with buzzers between (usually) 2 teams of (usually) 4 players each. Each match has (usually) 15 to 20 tossup questions which are read to all players. The first player to buzz-in correctly gets 10 points and the opportunity for his team to hear a bonus worth up to 30 points. An incorrect buzz loses 5 points and the question is completed for the other team. Some formats make use of other types of questions. The game is commonly referred to by several names as College Bowl or "Academic Competition," or variants thereof. "Quiz Bowl/QB" will be the generic term used here.

Subject areas

At the college and high school level, most questions are on subjects generally covered in a liberal arts education, or the liberal arts component of a degree. These include literature; history; science and math; social sciences; fine arts; geography; religion, mythology, and philosophy; and general knowledge. The choice of subjects and number of questions on each is called question distribution. To a lesser extent, questions are asked on engineering topics (including computer science), and popular culture, referred to as "Trash."

"Trash" subjects are generally considered to be current events, sports, pop culture, and some parts of the "general knowledge" catch-all. Much of traditional non-academic trivia falls under this heading. The use of the word "trash" in reference to these subjects was originally derogatory, but "trash-lovers" have reclaimed the word, and many label themselves "trash-meisters" or similarly with pride.

Question styles

Between the college and high school level, there are several styles of writing questions. While some are frowned upon, and other styles more generally favored, each style "tests" for a particular skill or type of recall.

Buzzer Beaters (toss-up)

Buzzer beater questions have virtually disappeared at the college level, and are frowned upon by most high school players that compete at higher levels (such as at national tournaments). They tend to be quite short, and relatively simple. An example:

QUESTION: "Which company makes Macintosh computers?"

ANSWER: Apple (Computers)

This type of question is written specifically to test the speed of players, and in no way discriminates the different levels of knowledge that the players possess. As such, these questions are frowned upon by players with a stronger knowledge base because smarter players lose their advantage. It is the player with higher confidence and faster reflexes who will answer first. Players who answer quickly are often said to have a "trigger finger."

These questions are also called "fast buzz", but may have alternative names in different parts of the country. Most question companies don't bother writing these sorts of questions.

Pyramid Style (toss-up)

Pyramid style toss-up questions are the standard toss-up style written in college tournaments, as well as the high school tournaments which tend to attract stronger teams. Compare this example to the "buzzer beater" above:

QUESTION: In 1977, this Silicon Valley garage startup sold its computers for $666.66. In late 1997, it became a Fortune 500 company led by one of its two founding Steves, hoping that the public would "Think different" and buy more of "The computer for the rest of us.". Name this company which in 1984 introduced the Macintosh
.

ANSWER: Apple (Computers)

While essentially the same question as the "buzzer beater", quizbowl players see them as two drastically different questions. In the pyramid style, there are more clues, generally starting at a high level of difficulty ("In 1977, this Silicon Valley garage startup sold its computers for $666.66"). While to an average person, this might seem to be a completely worthless tidbit of information, people who have studied the history of computers, business, or both may recall reading about the origins of Apple Computers. Thus, they could ring in at this time to score points. As the clues progress (Fortune 500, two founders named Steve, a marketing slogan that includes "Think Different", etc) the players begin synthesizing more and more information to lead them to an answer. The final clue is often the easiest, and in some cases may all but give the answer away (this final clue is thus often called "the giveaway").

In any event, a well crafted question in this style will almost always give the player with the stronger background in that area the best opportunity to answer first. It is for this reason that pyramid style toss-ups are popular with stronger players, as it typically removes (or at least reduces) the element of a "race of reflexes" to answer questions, and rewards the more studied player.

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