Each team must provide one faculty member who will serve as a moderator or scorekeeper during the event. The Reading Olympics Committee assigns who will be moderator or scorekeeper. The scorekeeper is responsible for monitoring the time limit and tabulating team scores during each round. The scorekeeper may confer with the moderator in judging answers or enforcing rules, however, the moderator’s decisions are final.
- Attend Moderator/Scorekeeper Meeting
A meeting will be held for moderators and scorekeepers to review these responsibilities and to distribute role assignments. Attendance is mandatory.
- Check In
On the night of the event, teams are advised to not arrive before 5:30 p.m. to allow ample time for the Reading Olympics Committee to set up. Moderators and scorekeepers, however, may arrive sooner, just notify a staff member and you will be let into the building. Check in at the Registration table and proceed to your assigned room.
- Tracking Time
The scorekeeper monitors the 20-second time limit for team members to confer before answering a question. If he/she does not have an appropriate watch, the moderator appoints a spectator to be timekeeper.
- Team Scorecard (click for sample)
A packet will be in the assigned room for the scorekeeper that includes scoring sheets and the team scorecards for Round 1’s teams. After recording the scores at the conclusion of Round 1, the scorekeeper delivers the card to the team chaperone. He/she then collects the card from the team chaperones at the beginning of the subsequent rounds and returns it to the chaperone after Round 2. When Round 3 questioning is finished, the scorekeeper records the scores, and tallies the scores for all three rounds. The teams may proceed to their assigned awards location. The moderator and scorekeeper ensure that the scorecard is picked up by a Reading Olympics staff member. Team scores are cumulative and ribbons are awarded according to the team’s score for all three rounds. The awards ceremony begins when all scorecards have been collected and all teams arrive at their assigned location.
- Teams
The scorekeeper records the team names and number of members for each team on the score sheet and verifies which team will go first. This team is considered “Team A” and the opposing team is considered “Team B.”
- Score Sheets (click for sample)
Scorekeepers record scores on the score sheets provided; extra score sheets are provided for a volunteer from the audience to also take score. Questions are numbered 1-20 followed by A or B to reference which team was initially asked the question. Mark the column indicating which team correctly answered the question. After 40 questions are asked (20 for each team), the scorekeeper tallies the points for each team, fills out the scorecard for that round, and gives the scorecards to the team chaperones (for Rounds 1 and 2). Questions will alternate between teams so each team gets the opportunity to answer first 20 times.
Example:
Question 1A is directed to Team A and is answered correctly. The scorekeeper marks in the column for Team A, Question 1A. No other marks are necessary. Question 1B is directed to Team B.
Team B answers Question 1B incorrectly. Team A has the opportunity to answer this question immediately. No additional time is given for conferring. If Team A answers correctly, the scorekeeper marks in the column for Team A, Question 1B. Question 2A is then directed to Team A, and so on.
- Bye Rounds
If an uneven number of teams register, it is necessary to assign only one team to a room for a round. If this should happen, that team has a Bye Round. The following are special instructions to follow if only one team is present in a room for a round. Moderators are asked to explain this procedure to the team.
- The moderator will ask the team 20 questions. Obviously, the team will not have the opportunity to gain bonus points by answering questions that their opponents answered incorrectly. At the end of the twenty questions, the scorekeeper will tally the correct answers and record the score on the score card indicating that this is a Bye Round. Since this team will undoubtedly finish early, the moderator may ask the team additional questions. However, these extra questions cannot be counted toward the team’s score. These extra questions are for fun and practice only.
- At the end of the third round, the team will have the choice of their actual score for the Bye Round or an average of their scores for the other two rounds.
18 (Round 1) +15 (Bye Round) +10 (Round 3) = 43 total points
OR
18+10 (scores of Rounds 1 and 3) = 28 + 14 (1/2 of 28), the average of Rounds 1 and 3 instead of the Bye Round score, = 42 total points
This team should choose the first option, the Bye Round score, for the higher total.
- The moderator will ask the team 20 questions. Obviously, the team will not have the opportunity to gain bonus points by answering questions that their opponents answered incorrectly. At the end of the twenty questions, the scorekeeper will tally the correct answers and record the score on the score card indicating that this is a Bye Round. Since this team will undoubtedly finish early, the moderator may ask the team additional questions. However, these extra questions cannot be counted toward the team’s score. These extra questions are for fun and practice only.
Please email Reading Olympics with questions or concerns.
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