The updated rules for May 2025 have been added for download on the Downloads page. The changes are shown below in italics.
- Change to IV A). 3. Read the questions during the quiz. The quizmaster will read each question only once, in the order generated by the software designated by the tournament director (unless a question has been compromised by misreading or other issues). The QM will make every effort to stop reading the instant a light comes on indicating that a quizzer has jumped to answer the question. The quizmaster may not repeat part or all of a question for a quizzer.
- Change to VIII D). 4). b. If a quizzer communicates or verbally attempts to answer when a member of his/her team was called on, the quizzer is given an error and the question must be thrown out. NOTE: A quizzer on a different team who answers out of turn will still receive a foul, not an error.
- Change to VIII A). 6. Coaches may offer, support or rebut a challenge when external distractions disrupt a quizzer, when a question contains typing errors, incorrect information or other types of errors, when the quizmaster reads a question incorrectly, or an error has been awarded. If a coach’s challenge is not upheld, that coach loses the privilege to offer a challenge in that quiz. For a challenge to be considered, the coach must ensure that a challenge request is recognized by the quizmaster after an error is awarded, but before any half or overtime break begins, and before any team time out, substitution or other continuation of the quiz is permitted to occur by the Quizmaster. A reasonably prompt challenge by a coach shall have priority over any other break or the continuation of the quiz.”
- Same clarification to VIII B). 3. “is permitted to occur by the Quizmaster.”
- Change to VIII B). 4. If appropriate, opposing captains should be given an opportunity to support or rebut a challenge.
- Change to VII B). 6. e. Other errors made by the Quizmaster shall be corrected at the quizmaster’s discretion prior to reading the next question of the quiz and time may be restored to the clock at the QMs sole discretion.
- Change to VII C). 1. b. In some cases, a quizzer may receive twenty points if a “flip-flop” is awarded. This means that the quizzer has given the question as the answer and the answer as the question. To qualify as a flip-flop, a question must use the same interrogative as its flip-flop. For purposes of this rule only, Who/Whom are NOT considered the same interrogative. NOTE: In an effort to assist the rules committee, the BQF committee also clarified that generally, a true flip-flop will require a “be” verb in some form.
- Remove from VI A). 1. “and keep time for each time out.”
- Add/create V A). 6. “Record and time each 15 second time out used by any team.”
- Replace VIII A). 2. with the following: “Coaches may make substitutions at any time before the Quizmaster says ‘question,’ but only after all rulings and challenges have been resolved for any prior question, or after a question is closed when the QM says ‘no question.’”