Volunteer Opportunity: Rules Judge

All Rules Judges with fewer than three years of experience should attend training at ORAU’s Pollard Auditorium. Please see the volunteer registration form for the date and time of this training. The rules and competition format will be reviewed.

Responsibilities:

• Stand in front of the room facing the audience.
• Ensure that all competition rules are followed. To serve in this capacity, it is imperative that you fully understand all competition rules. Please learn the competition rules before coming to the Science Bowl event.
• Ensure that no one signals or communicates with the competitors during a match. If communication occurs, you have the authority to ask the person to leave the room (without causing undue stress.)
• Ensure that the clock is stopped during discussions between officials or between officials and students.
• If there is a challenge, ask the timekeeper to stop the clock.
• Watch for Scorekeeper errors. If, for example, Team A is supposed to get 4 points, the Rules Judge needs to make sure the Scorekeeper doesn't inadvertently credit the wrong team with those points.
• Ensure that quiet is maintained.
• Collect all used scratch papers from teams at the beginning of the match, at the half-way point, and at the end.
• Ensure no one in the room is using any electronic devices.
• Ensure no one is writing anything down during the matches, with the exception of coaches who may mark the coach score sheets, if provided.
• If a rule is broken, enforce the penalty right away – please do NOT give a warning.