On behalf of the Sparta High School Scholar Bowl program, I am pleased to invite teams from across Southwest Missouri and surrounding regions to the inaugural Sparta Fall Tournament, scheduled for October 27th, 2018. Our tournament will consist of a minimum of eight games for all teams in the standard 20/20 format, with the following modifications:
- Each game shall consist of two halves of ten tossups each, with each correct tossup followed by a three-part bonus.
- Correct tossup answers are ten points each. We will not be awarding powers. No penalty will be assessed for interrupting the moderator with an incorrect answer. There are no math computation questions. All tossups are five seconds.
- The team that receives the bonus will have five seconds to answer each part. The moderator will prompt after four seconds. Each incorrect bonus part will immediately rebound. Unless otherwise specified in a bonus set, each bonus part shall be ten points each.
- In the event a game is tied after regulation, additional tossups shall be read until the next change in score.
- Each team shall have one 30 second timeout per half - use it or lose it. Substitutions, scorechecks, and team conferences may occur at the half, prior to overtime, or during any timeout called by either team.
- Teams rosters shall be limited to seven players; schools are encouraged to bring junior varsity and “B” teams to compete. Teams may play with fewer than four players, but must have at least two players. Rosters shall be submitted in advance and finalized at registration the morning of the tournament. Players may not change teams during the tournament.
Teams will play five morning rounds, break for lunch, then return for at least three afternoon games. This setup is subject to change, depending on the number of teams signed up. We plan to start the team meeting at 8:30 a.m., with the first round set for at 8:50 a.m. and afternoon rounds slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. With the exception of any playoff games for trophies, we anticipate the last game ending around 4 p.m.
Fee structure is as follows, per school:
- First team: $65
- Additional teams: $60
- Discount for travelling more than 100 miles each way (determined by Google Maps): $10
- Discount for providing a working buzzer set: $5 (maximum $10)
- Discount for providing competent staff: $5 per staffer (maximum $10)
Sparta High School is located on Missouri Route 14 on the eastern edge of Sparta, after the highway splits to the north from Route 125. With few restaurant options in the immediate vicinity, lunch will be available on site for $5 per person. We are pre-selling meal tickets as part of tournament registration. An a la carte menu will also be available.
The tournament is under the direction of Sparta High School Coach Philip Hopkins and veteran scholar bowl moderator Kyle Hill of the Missouri Quizbowl Alliance, an organization dedicated to promoting quality scholar bowl tournaments around the state. We anticipate receiving certification and assistance from their membership. Additionally, we anticipate our tournament to serve as a qualifier for the National Scholastic Championship, sponsored by the Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence (PACE), set for June 8th and 9th in Reston, Virginia.
To register for this tournament, please visit http://tinyurl.com/SpartaFall2018. Questions concerning the tournament may be directed to either Philip Hopkins at [email protected] or Kyle Hill at [email protected]. Please include “2018 Sparta Fall Tournament” in the subject line.
We look forward to seeing you at Sparta High School on October 27th.
