Competition Rules

Granite State Challenge is an annual televised academic quiz tournament set up in a single-elimination knockout format. The winner of each match moves on to the next round of competition while the losing team is eliminated from further competition for that season. Game play progresses through four rounds of 30-minute matches culminating in the hour-long Granite State SuperChallenge, which determines that season’s champion.

Application and Selection for Competition
Any New Hampshire secondary school, public or private, serving grades 9-12 is eligible to apply for consideration.

Thirty-two competing teams are selected from the pool of eligible applicants for each season. Two additional teams, one from a smaller school and one from a medium to large school, are accepted as alternates in the event that a competing team cannot fulfill its obligations.

In choosing the teams an established set of criteria are used to fairly determine the final roster. Due to the large number of schools that typically apply there is no guarantee that a school can or will compete on a regular basis.

All selection decisions are final.

Team Formation
Each school selected to compete must appoint a coach or coaches who will serve as the school’s liaison with NHPTV. All specific information regarding taping dates, show format, scoring procedures, etc. will be handled by the coach and NHPTV.

Additionally, each competing school will be responsible for selection of team members. Each team must consist of FOUR regular playing members, one of which shall serve as team captain. At least one regular playing team member must be a New Hampshire resident. Each team must also retain TWO non-playing alternates. These alternates, at the discretion of the coach and with advance notice to NHPTV, may be rotated into playing status for a regular team member who is absent on the day of a show taping, or for strategic reasons in rounds other than the first. Family members of NHPTV employees may not participate on a Granite State Challenge team.

The coach is tasked with the responsibility of preparing their team for competition on the program. Each school must decide for themselves the best way to prepare their students. General guidelines on the type of material typically encountered will be provided by NHPTV along with suggestions on where practice material may be obtained. The specifics of how teams train are left to the individual schools and coaches. No one school will receive information from NHPTV that may put them at an advantage over another school. Any information offered by NHPTV in regards to team preparation will be shared equally with all competing schools.

Game Play
All matches, including the final hour-long “SuperChallenge”, will be pre-taped on weekdays. Teams selected to compete must participate on the date and at the time assigned by NHPTV. There can be no exceptions. A taping schedule will be determined and distributed following the selection of the teams.

With the exception of SuperChallenge, Granite State Challenge matches are played in four rounds:

ROUNDS ONE & FOUR: TOSS-UP ROUND

Toss-Up questions are worth 10 points each. The host will read the question. When a player thinks they know the answer they should “ring-in” by pushing the button on their hand trigger.  This will activate a sound effect and light in front of the player as well as prevent any other player from ringing in.

When a player rings in, the host will immediately stop reading the question and will recognize the student (e.g., by saying, “John from XYZ High School”). The student must answer instantly, or it will be counted as an incorrect response.  If the student’s answer is correct, a chime will sound and the host will acknowledge the answer and proceed with the next toss-up. If a student’s answer is incorrect, a buzzer sounds, and the host repeats the question for the other team giving them an opportunity to answer.  If neither team answers correctly the host will proceed to the next toss-up question.

ROUND TWO: BONUS ROUND

Bonus questions consist of either three related questions, or a question with three answers. 5 Points are awarded for each correct answer within a bonus for a possible total of 15 points. Each bonus question is preceded by a toss-up question to be played as described above. The team winning the toss-up question earns the right to answer the bonus question. Individual team members should not ring in for bonus questions. Instead, they are allowed to confer with one another before answering. Answers, however, will only be recognized from the team captain.

PLEASE NOTE: Team members are not allowed to confer on toss-up questions in this, or any other round of game play.

ROUND THREE: 60 SECOND ROUND

In the 60 Second Round there are 10 questions in each topic worth 10 points each. If all 10 questions are answered correctly within the 60-second time limit, an additional 10 points are awarded. The team whose score is lowest is offered the first choice of three possible topics.  The other team will choose between the remaining topics. As with bonus questions, students may confer on their responses. The team captain will give the final answer.

The End of Each Round

The sound of a whistle signifies the end of each round. If the host is asking a question when the whistle blows, all action stops. If a student has rung in, or is in the process of answering a question, he/she will be permitted to answer.  Unlike regular game play, if the student gives an incorrect answer there will be no opportunity for the other team to answer the question. In Round Two, if the whistle blows after a team has correctly answered a toss-up then the team will be given the opportunity to answer their bonus question.
SuperChallenge is played using the same types of rounds, but being almost an hour in length the show affords the opportunity for additional points. In SuperChallenge game play there are seven rounds in total. The first, fifth, and seventh are Toss-Up Rounds, the second and fourth rounds are Bonus Rounds, and the third and sixth rounds are 60-Second Rounds.
In all cases the decisions made by the judges in the course of game play are final. No exceptions can be made.

Awards

Immediately upon completion of game play in Granite State SuperChallenge awards will be presented to both the Winners of the competition as well as the Finalists.

The winning team will receive a $1000 check for their school to use in such a way as deemed most appropriate and beneficial by the school’s administrators. The school is also awarded a trophy denoting their status as Granite State Challenge Champions for the year of the competition. Students and coaches on the winning team will receive either a medal or statuette as a token of their achievements over the course of the season.

The Finalists will also receive a trophy for their school and individual medals or statuettes. A check of $500 will be presented as well.

Team Conduct

As mentioned above, the only time team members may confer with one another before answering a question is during the bonus question portion of a bonus round or during the 60-Second round. The host will remind teams when it is and is not appropriate to consult with one another. Teams violating this rule will receive a warning on the first offense. Subsequent offenses may carry penalties including, but not limited to, disqualification.

Participation in the contest shall be considered a school function, with the competing schools taking full responsibility for the students’ transportation to and from NHPTV, and agreeing to accept full liability for the students' conduct and safety. Teams not conducting themselves in an appropriate manner may be disqualified from further competition regardless of the outcome of their game.

Right to Amend Rules

NHPTV, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to add to, amend, or eliminate any or all of the above rules without prior notice. In the event that such changes are made this page will be updated to reflect those changes and team coaches will be contacted and directed to review the updated rules.