GENERAL RULES

1. Channel 7's HIGH Q is a question and answer game played in four periods between two teams of four players; each player for each team being from the same school.

2. To be an eligible contestant, each student must be enrolled in the participating high school at the time of the taping. The students must be registered in grades 9 through 12.

3. Points are scored by correct answers to questions asked by the host. No points are subtracted for incorrect answers. Each question will have a pre-stated value. The first response given is the one that counts. If a player attempts to give more that one piece of information in his answer, the judge will distinguish whether the player has in fact pinpointed the answer or is just giving the list of facts on a subject.

4. If the host inadvertently gives the answer to a question without giving either team a chance to respond, or without turning the question over, the host will move to the next question and plays it according to the rules of that particular period as set forth. (See specific Period Rules)

5. Should an answer be heard coming from the studio audience or any person not playing on the team at that moment, the question may be discarded at the Judge's or Host's discretion.

6. Substitutions are not allowed once the game has begun. A team is not required to use the same players each week.

7. If time runs out and the game is tied, the tie is broken in a sudden-death playoff. The first team to correctly answer an "Open" question in sudden-death wins the match.

8. Decisions of the Judge/Host shall be final. The official outcome of the match is irrevocable. The game shall not be replayed or the outcome changed even if the outcome could have been altered by judgement errors.

9. The winning team of each game moves on to the next round of competition. (There is no longer a "3-win in a row" format.) Teams will play in a traditional tournament, with the winner of each game moving on to the next round, with a maximum of 6 wins being necessary to win the High-Q championship

10. Because of the number of games required, there will be a total of 36 teams drawn to play, among all teams that have expressed a desire to participate. The first round of competition will consist of 4 games (8 teams); these teams will be drawn at random. The winners of these 4 games will advance into the next tournament round of 16 games (32 teams), etc.

11. Schools eligible for Channel 7's HIGH Q are limited to those schools that fall into WHIO-TV county ADI (Area of Dominant Influence). Schools within that area must have a student population of 100 students or more in grades 9 to 12 to qualify.

12. Thirty-six schools will be drawn at the beginning of the season to cover the schedule. All other teams that expressed a desire to play, but were not a part of the first thirty-six to be drawn, will be numerically ordered & may be selected to play in case one of the original thirty-six is unable to play. These schools will be known as alternate schools.

13. Alternate schools are not guaranteed to play in the current season and are not guaranteed placement in the following season.

14. All questions and answers are correct to the best of WHIO-TV's knowledge. WHIO-TV will not be held responsible for any erroneous information in either the questions or answers; as in Rule 8 (above), the game shall not be replayed or the outcome changed even if the outcome could have been altered by any incorrect information contained in a question or the answer.

15. Non-disclosure: By participating in WHIO-TV's High-Q, schools & their representatives, students, teachers, administrators, or others agree not to disclose the outcome of any game to any newspaper, radio station, television station, internet provider or any other print/broadcast/online outlet prior to the broadcast of that game. Any school violating the non-disclosure agreement may face sanctions, including but not limited to non-participation in the next season's tapings. Sanctions will not include withholding of any scholarship money or forfeit of any games already won.

16. Other than in the bonus portion of Round Two, and also in Round Three (see below), consultation among team members is not allowed prior to answering a question. If the host/judge determines that a team has violated this rule, he or she will disqualify that team from answering that question.

HIGH Q GAME RULES FIRST PERIOD

1. During the first period all questions are "Open" and worth 10 points. Any member of either team may answer an "Open" question. 2. A player will be given three seconds from the time the host stops reading the question to signal. The player must be ready to give the answer as soon as he is recognized. They may not answer before being recognized. Should they do so, the question will be completed for the opposing team. The player must begin his answer before the tone sounds indicating that the three seconds has expired. The player may not consult with other team members.

3. A player may interrupt a question while it is being asked if they believe they can anticipate the correct answer.

4. If the recognized player gives an incorrect answer or no answer at all, the first member of the opposing team to signal may respond after they are recognized.

5. If the question was not completely read and the first team gives an incorrect answer, the question will be completed and the opposing team will be given an opportunity to answer.

6. If the period-ending tone sounds while the host is reading the question, he will stop and the period is finished. If the tone sounds during or after a player signals, the player may give the answer. Following this answer, the period is over. If incorrect, the second team does not have the opportunity to answer since time had expired prior to their attempt. Note: Any video monitor questions are worth ten extra points. A correct answer to any monitor question is worth 20 points during the first period.

HIGH Q GAME RULES SECOND PERIOD

There are two kinds of questions in the second period: "Open" and "Extra Credit".

1. Open questions work just like all First and Fourth Period questions, with this exception: the open questions will be in a "one-on-one" format; that is, only two players are eligible to answer each open question - one from each team. The next open question will feature two other players (one from each team) & will continue in this manner. The order of the "one-on-one" players will be selected by the producer prior to the taping of the show.

2. If a player other than the pre-selected player buzzes in, then that team will not be permitted to attempt an answer to the "one-on-one" question unless the opposing team has attempted to answer & done so incorrectly.

3. If a team member correctly answers an "Open" question, that team gets a chance at a three part, category-oriented Extra Credit question. The Extra Credit works this way: the team starts off with a five-point question, then a ten point question, and finally a 15-point question. If the team misses any one along the way, the Extra Credit stops. When the tone sounds indicating the five seconds has expired, the captain must be ready to give the answer without stalling. If no answer is given, that will be the same as a wrong answer and the Extra Credit attempt will end. Upon completion of the Extra Credit attempt, a Toss Up (open) question follows and the procedure is repeated.

4. Consultation among team members is permitted on Extra Credit questions.

5. The team captain, who need not be recognized before answering, must give answers to the Extra Credit questions. The captain may delegate another member to answer. He must state his desire for another member to answer on each question when he chooses this option.

6. The electronic response system is not used on Extra Credit questions.

7. If the period-ending tone sounds during an Extra Credit question, the team is allowed to finish its Extra Credit attempt (until incorrect) before the period ends.

THIRD PERIOD RAPID FIRE

1. The period begins with the team having the lowest score. 2. The electronic response system is not used during this period.

3. The team with the lowest score selects one of three categories (which vary from game to game) from which its one-minute of questions will be drawn.

4. Each question is worth ten points.

5. Consultation among team members is allowed.

6. During Rapid Fire, any player may answer the question. The first answer heard by the Host will be ruled correct or incorrect. If more than one answer is given simultaneously, the captain will be asked to choose between them. It is important that the team be careful to distinguish between consulting among themselves and giving an answer to the question.

7. The host need not recognize a player before a player answers.

8. A player may respond before the host has completed a question, but the host reserves the right to complete all questions after a right or wrong answer has been given.

9. The team is playing against the one-minute clock. The host will give the team three seconds to answer each question. If no answer is given within three seconds after the question is completed, the host will ask the next question without giving the answer to the previous one. If the team does not know the answer, and does not want to use the three seconds to consult, the captain may refuse the question by saying "Pass" and the host will turn to the next question.

10. After one-minute, the second team will have a chance to answer any questions the first team missed. The second team will receive three seconds to consult and answer each question.

11. After the second team has finished trying to answer the questions missed by the first team, the second team will select from the two remaining categories and play the one-minute round. Then the first team will be given the same opportunity to answer any missed questions.

HIGH Q GAME RULES FOURTH PERIOD

(Note: Rules for the fourth period are the same as the first period except for the point values.) 1. During the fourth period all questions are "Open" and worth 20-points.

2. A player will be given three seconds from the time the host stops reading the question to signal. The player must be ready to give the answer as soon as he is recognized. They may not answer before being recognized. Should they do so, the question will be completed for the opposing team. The player must begin their answer before the tone sounds indicating that the three seconds has expired. The player may not consult with other team members.

3. A player may interrupt a question while it is being asked if they believe they can anticipate the correct answer

4. If the recognized player gives an incorrect answer or no answer at all, the first member of the opposing team to signal may respond after he is recognized.

5. If the question was not completely read and the first team gives an incorrect answer, the question will be completed and the opposing team will be given an opportunity to answer.

6. If the period-ending tone sounds while the host is asking the question, he will stop and the period is finished. If the tone sounds during or after a player signals the player may give the answer. Following this answer, the game is over.

Note: Any video monitor questions, as in the first period, are worth ten extra points. A correct answer to any monitor question is worth 30 points during the fourth period.