Oregon Battle of the Books Volunteer Training

1. Oregon Battle of the Books Volunteer Training

2. Room Procedures • Teams will hand the Moderator a set of OBOB books when they enter the room. • Cluster team chairs in a way students can confer easily with physical separation between the two teams. • Have teams face the Moderator (with backs to the audience)

3. Protocol for Moderators • Speak slowly and clearly. • Moderator introduce yourself, the Judge, the Timer, the Scorekeeper and the teams. • Politely request cell phones be turned off.

4. Ask the Timer to hold the coin toss. • The team winning the coin toss can select their seating first. • Inform the audience they are to be silent spectators. • Inform audience that once the Battle starts, no one can leave the room nor enter. • Please read disclaimer in the packet.

5. Review rules (inside packet). • Remember the team on the left is Team 1 and they are given the odd numbered questions; Team 2 on the moderator’s right answers the even numbered questions. • Inform room you will be reading “In Which Book” (IWB) questions FIRST followed by “Content” questions. Say “I will be shuffling the questions within their category.” Use a pencil to number the questions 1. 2. 3. etc.

6. Only the team’s Spokesperson can give the Moderator an answer to the question. Only the first answer the Spokesperson gives will be accepted. • Response of Moderator should be “correct” or “incorrect”. • If the team does not get the answer correct, then the question will be repeated to the opposing team who then has 15 seconds to respond. Each team can answer a question only once.

7. Read the question in it’s entirety, then look up and make eye contact with that team. • Teams have 15 seconds to collaborate. • Remember a Spokesperson can ask you to repeat the question as many times as they want within the 15 second collaboration time. • If a team needs the entire 15 seconds to collaborate, the Spokesperson must answer immediately when the timer calls “time”.

8. Moderator announces 5 pts. for a correct content answer and 5 pts. for an IWB answer. Announce if it is a two-part Content question give 5 pts. for a correct answer. OR, give 3 pts. for the 1st partial answer and 2 pts should the answer be completed by the other team. • Refer to the rules sheet for partial IWB questions. Do not score partial points for Content questions unless it is a two-part question.

9. At the end of the Battle, the Moderator announces and allows 15 seconds for a challenge from either team’s Spokesperson. If there are no challenges then the Battle is over. • If there is a challenge, refer to your rules in your packet. • There are no tiebreakers in the room during pool play. Consult the official rules for use of tiebreaker questions during bracket play or final rounds. • Please return supplies to Volunteer Rm.

10. Protocol for Judges • There may not be a judge for every battle. In that case, the Moderator is also the Judge. • The Judge will determine if the correct answer has been given within the prescribed time. • Will make certain there is no help given on answers by others outside the team.

11. Confer with the Moderator when necessary. • Keep official score on a paper sheet. • After the Battle, if there is one allowed challenge from the each of the two spokespersons, use Challenge Protocol and make a final decision. • The Judge’s decision is ALWAYS FINAL and there is NO further discussion. • Give official score sheet to the Moderator for the Spokespersons to sign at the end of the Battle. .

12. Protocol for Challenges • After the Battle, the Moderator will ask both team Spokespersons if they want to challenge only ONE question. • The team has 15 seconds for their Spokesperson to respond.

13. The challenging team will have TWO minutes to find and mark the page numbers (with a post-it note) where the answer can be found in the book they named. • The Timer will begin timing after the Moderator gives that title to the to the challenging team. The other team must remain quiet during the two minutes. • The official Timer will announce the end of the TWO minute time period and discussion must stop.

14. Only the challenging team’s Spokesperson will show the Judge the exact wording that supports their challenge. • The Judge determines whether the challenge is successful or not. An answer may be considered correct by way of inference. If the Judge accepts the challenge as successful, and the other conditions for gaining a score were fulfilled, the points shall be awarded and the scores amended.

15. Only one team will be awarded the points for a correct answer by the Judge. • The Judge and Scorekeeper will amend the points. Amending points may mean points are removed from the team who was presented the question and awarded to the challenging team. • The Judge’s decision is ALWAYS FINAL and there is NO further discussion.

16. Protocol for Scorekeepers • Will keep the official score on a visual device ie. whiteboard, overhead, chalkboard. • Add up the scores at the end of the battle. • Compare scores with the Judge’s paper copy. • See the Judge’s score sheet is given to the Designated Runner and taken to the Tournament Scorekeeper

17. Protocol for Timers • Oversees coin toss. (Suggest letting the team that enters the room first, call the coin toss first.) • Use the stopwatch in the packet and verbally call “time” when 15 second collaboration time is up. • At the end of the Battle, the Moderator will ask the Spokespersons if there is a challenge. Time the 15 seconds giving the team’s Spokesperson time to respond.

18. In the event of a challenge: the Timer will start timing TWO minutes as soon as the challenging team is handed the book by the Moderator. • Announce the end of the TWO minute time period. Then ALL team discussion must stop and the Spokesperson must give an answer. • Return stopwatch to Moderator to return to the Volunteer Rm.

19. Designated Runners • Designated Runners will be waiting in the hallways to take the official score sheets from the playing rooms to the Tournament Scorekeeper.

20. Thank you for volunteering and have fun!