“TOP OF THE PEW” BROMLEY INTER-CHURCHES QUIZ PROCEDURE AND RULES (revised 2015)
1. "Top of the Pew" is a knock-out competition between pairs of teams each consisting of 4 people nominated by the appropriate congregation.
2. The Questionmaster will be from a 'neutral' congregation and should, if possible, be accompanied by a neutral time-keeper/assistant adjudicator.
3. Two tellers will keep the scores of the points awarded after each question by the Questionmaster; one teller found by each competing team, except at the Final contest, when they are found by the losing semi-finalists.
4. The Questionmaster's decision on the answers to questions, and on the points to be awarded, is final. The first answer is the only one he/she will accept, and it should be commenced within a time limit of fifteen seconds (or in conferring rounds, twenty seconds). (The Questionmaster need not interpret this too rigidly, particularly where a question is long or involved, but he/she must be careful to be equally fair to both sides.) When a question is passed on for a possible bonus the answer should be almost immediate. 'Time up' should be indicated by the use of a bell or buzzer.
5. Two points will be awarded for each fully-correct answer to a question, put for the first time. The Questionmaster may award one point if, in his judgement, a partial answer deserves it, after which the question may then be offered to the other team, at the Questionmaster’s discretion. Half-points should not be awarded. If, for example, he considers that a bonus question has been only partially answered, he must decide whether to award one full point or none.
6. Each contest shall consist of l2 rounds, with an interval after 6 rounds. Remember that the interval is the most fruitful time for members of each congregation to meet one another.
7. Rounds ONE, TWO, SEVEN and EIGHT will be played as follows:
To decide which team shall go first (Team A), a coin will be tossed. Odd numbered rounds will be started by Team A, even numbered rounds by Team B.
Rounds ONE and SEVEN will be played as follows:
The first question will be put to No.1 in the team, and if answered correctly the next to No.2 in the same team, and so on. lf a question is not answered, or answered wrongly, it can be offered, at the Questionmaster's discretion, to the corresponding member of the opposing team (eg. to No.2 of Team B if the original question went to No.2 of Team A). If it is then answered correctly and fully, that team will be awarded one bonus point. It will NOT then be offered again.
Rounds TWO and EIGHT will be played like Round ONE but with Team B answering first.
8. Rounds THREE, SlX, NINE and TWELVE will be conferring rounds. They will consist of four questions put in succession to one team as a whole, and afterwards to the other. They may confer for up to 20 seconds before giving the answer through a spokesman. lf wrong, the question may be offered to the other team for a bonus point. It will not then be offered again.
9. Rounds FOUR and TEN will be played as follows:
The first question will be put to Team B, No.1. If it is not correctly answered, and can be offered elsewhere, the Questionmaster will turn and offer it to any member of Team A on the basis of "first hand raised". If the Team A member answers correctly, one bonus point is awarded, if not it may then be re-offered to Team B on the same basis, and a bonus point may be earned. The question will not be offered again.
(NOTE: Hands must not be raised until the Questionmaster says, "l can offer it to Team A".)
Rounds FIVE and ELEVEN will be played like Round FOUR but with Team A answering first.
10. At the questionmaster’s discretion, the twelve rounds may include one optional special round, which may be placed anywhere in the contest. This round will consist of questions having three parts, or containing three clues, as the Questionmaster may devise; but the maximum score for any question shall be three Points.
11. Questionmasters should please note that it is a REQUIREMENT of the contest that at least one round should consist of biblically based questions.
12. ln the event of a tie, a tie-breaker must be played. At the Questionmaster’s discretion, and depending on the time available or the number of extra questions at his disposal, this should preferably take the form of a complete round of questions of a diverse nature ('Pot-Luck").If the result is still a draw one question should be given to both teams where the nearest to being correct is the winner (e.g. distance to the sun, number of islands in Indonesia etc.)
13. It is the responsibility of the Questionmaster to provide himself with a full set of questions (ie. 96 plus a small reserve in case of a tie, or any compromised questions). It is impossible to lay down a standard of difficulty for the questions, but it is very important to remember that the quiz is supposed to be fun for both the teams and the audience. Obscure questions, which the average person will be totally unable to answer MUST be avoided. Questions with only two alternative answers should also be avoided, as if incorrectly answered they cannot be offered to the opposing team. Similarly, questions in which the audience cannot fully participate (e.g. pictures, diagrams or lists handed to the teams) should not be used. Rounds ONE, TWO, SEVEN and EIGHT are intended to be "quick-fire" rounds, probably consisting of simpler, or single-word-answer questions, to allow the teams to settle into the routine. The conferring rounds (3, 6, 9 and 12) should be used for more complex questions requiring longer or more thoughtful answers.
14. Care should be taken to position the two teams so that they are in full view, both of the audience and of the Quesionmaster. The two tellers will sit together, so as to compare scores; the Questionmaster's assistant, whose job is to time the answers, watch for the contestants' raised hands and advise his/her colleague when requested to do so, will sit with him/her.
15. Questionmasters are earnestly requested to be most careful to check the accuracy of the answers to their questions beforehand, and to avoid setting questions of a vague or ambiguous nature.
16. To promote the ecumenical spirit of the Tournament, each contest should start or finish with a prayer.
NOTE: These revised rules were discussed and agreed at a Meeting of Questionmasters and Organisers held on 6.2.94. The wording was amended in January 1997 and further amendments made at a full meeting on 14 Jan. 2015.
1. "Top of the Pew" is a knock-out competition between pairs of teams each consisting of 4 people nominated by the appropriate congregation.
2. The Questionmaster will be from a 'neutral' congregation and should, if possible, be accompanied by a neutral time-keeper/assistant adjudicator.
3. Two tellers will keep the scores of the points awarded after each question by the Questionmaster; one teller found by each competing team, except at the Final contest, when they are found by the losing semi-finalists.
4. The Questionmaster's decision on the answers to questions, and on the points to be awarded, is final. The first answer is the only one he/she will accept, and it should be commenced within a time limit of fifteen seconds (or in conferring rounds, twenty seconds). (The Questionmaster need not interpret this too rigidly, particularly where a question is long or involved, but he/she must be careful to be equally fair to both sides.) When a question is passed on for a possible bonus the answer should be almost immediate. 'Time up' should be indicated by the use of a bell or buzzer.
5. Two points will be awarded for each fully-correct answer to a question, put for the first time. The Questionmaster may award one point if, in his judgement, a partial answer deserves it, after which the question may then be offered to the other team, at the Questionmaster’s discretion. Half-points should not be awarded. If, for example, he considers that a bonus question has been only partially answered, he must decide whether to award one full point or none.
6. Each contest shall consist of l2 rounds, with an interval after 6 rounds. Remember that the interval is the most fruitful time for members of each congregation to meet one another.
7. Rounds ONE, TWO, SEVEN and EIGHT will be played as follows:
To decide which team shall go first (Team A), a coin will be tossed. Odd numbered rounds will be started by Team A, even numbered rounds by Team B.
Rounds ONE and SEVEN will be played as follows:
The first question will be put to No.1 in the team, and if answered correctly the next to No.2 in the same team, and so on. lf a question is not answered, or answered wrongly, it can be offered, at the Questionmaster's discretion, to the corresponding member of the opposing team (eg. to No.2 of Team B if the original question went to No.2 of Team A). If it is then answered correctly and fully, that team will be awarded one bonus point. It will NOT then be offered again.
Rounds TWO and EIGHT will be played like Round ONE but with Team B answering first.
8. Rounds THREE, SlX, NINE and TWELVE will be conferring rounds. They will consist of four questions put in succession to one team as a whole, and afterwards to the other. They may confer for up to 20 seconds before giving the answer through a spokesman. lf wrong, the question may be offered to the other team for a bonus point. It will not then be offered again.
9. Rounds FOUR and TEN will be played as follows:
The first question will be put to Team B, No.1. If it is not correctly answered, and can be offered elsewhere, the Questionmaster will turn and offer it to any member of Team A on the basis of "first hand raised". If the Team A member answers correctly, one bonus point is awarded, if not it may then be re-offered to Team B on the same basis, and a bonus point may be earned. The question will not be offered again.
(NOTE: Hands must not be raised until the Questionmaster says, "l can offer it to Team A".)
Rounds FIVE and ELEVEN will be played like Round FOUR but with Team A answering first.
10. At the questionmaster’s discretion, the twelve rounds may include one optional special round, which may be placed anywhere in the contest. This round will consist of questions having three parts, or containing three clues, as the Questionmaster may devise; but the maximum score for any question shall be three Points.
11. Questionmasters should please note that it is a REQUIREMENT of the contest that at least one round should consist of biblically based questions.
12. ln the event of a tie, a tie-breaker must be played. At the Questionmaster’s discretion, and depending on the time available or the number of extra questions at his disposal, this should preferably take the form of a complete round of questions of a diverse nature ('Pot-Luck").If the result is still a draw one question should be given to both teams where the nearest to being correct is the winner (e.g. distance to the sun, number of islands in Indonesia etc.)
13. It is the responsibility of the Questionmaster to provide himself with a full set of questions (ie. 96 plus a small reserve in case of a tie, or any compromised questions). It is impossible to lay down a standard of difficulty for the questions, but it is very important to remember that the quiz is supposed to be fun for both the teams and the audience. Obscure questions, which the average person will be totally unable to answer MUST be avoided. Questions with only two alternative answers should also be avoided, as if incorrectly answered they cannot be offered to the opposing team. Similarly, questions in which the audience cannot fully participate (e.g. pictures, diagrams or lists handed to the teams) should not be used. Rounds ONE, TWO, SEVEN and EIGHT are intended to be "quick-fire" rounds, probably consisting of simpler, or single-word-answer questions, to allow the teams to settle into the routine. The conferring rounds (3, 6, 9 and 12) should be used for more complex questions requiring longer or more thoughtful answers.
14. Care should be taken to position the two teams so that they are in full view, both of the audience and of the Quesionmaster. The two tellers will sit together, so as to compare scores; the Questionmaster's assistant, whose job is to time the answers, watch for the contestants' raised hands and advise his/her colleague when requested to do so, will sit with him/her.
15. Questionmasters are earnestly requested to be most careful to check the accuracy of the answers to their questions beforehand, and to avoid setting questions of a vague or ambiguous nature.
16. To promote the ecumenical spirit of the Tournament, each contest should start or finish with a prayer.
NOTE: These revised rules were discussed and agreed at a Meeting of Questionmasters and Organisers held on 6.2.94. The wording was amended in January 1997 and further amendments made at a full meeting on 14 Jan. 2015.