Competition Structure and Eligibility

Purpose and Use of the Bible Quiz Rules

The information in this document serves as the official guide for all Bible Quiz participants. The Bible Quiz Rules are the final authority over all official Assemblies of God competitions. The following information is offered as assistance in using the Bible Quiz Rules:

1. Numbered rules are not a list of options to choose from unless the rule indicates otherwise.
2. Numbered or lettered rules are not a specified hierarchy (e.g., rule 1 is not more important than rule 5 and “a” is not more important than “b”). In some cases, a chronological order must be followed to the conclusion of that rule or rules.

Competition Structure

1. Preliminary competitions for each quiz year are sponsored by each district through various league and district competitions. Contact the District Bible Quiz Coordinator (DBQC) for specific dates, times, and locations of competitions.
2. Official competition begins with the first match in which a team can be eliminated from further competition. Elimination for the quiz season is based on the following four levels of official competition (in ascending order): League Finals (most districts begin elimination at District Finals), District Finals, Regional Finals, and National Finals.
3. The number of teams advancing from League Finals to District Finals is determined by the DBQC.
4. If any team qualifying for competition at District Finals is unable to compete at that level, then the next highest-placed team may compete in their place.
5. The number of teams advancing from District Finals to Regional Finals is based on the number of teams participating in the first section/league/district-sponsored competition (all divisions count toward the number of teams) and is as follows: districts with fewer than 15 official teams may send two teams to Regional Finals; districts with 15 to 30 official teams may send three teams to Regional Finals; districts with 31 to 50 official teams may send four teams to Regional Finals; districts with 51 or more official teams may send five teams to Regional Finals.
6. If any team qualifying for competition at Regional Finals is unable to compete at that level, or if the number of teams that a district can send to Regional Finals is less than what that district is allowed, the Regional Bible Quiz Coordinator (RBQC) may replace those teams with wildcard teams from that region based on the formula in rule 8 below.
7. The 1st-4th place teams from a region will automatically qualify for National Finals. However, if any of the four automatically qualifying positions from a region cannot be filled using one of the 1st-5th place teams, then the unfilled positions will become additional wildcard spots to be filled by the National Steering Committee. It is still possible that other teams from that region may be invited to participate at National Finals based on the formula in rule 8 below.
8. The ranking of potential Regional or National wildcard teams is based on a compilation of how each team ranks on four criteria: (1) Average score of all teams in their district/region; (2) Average score of the teams qualifying from their district/region; (3) Average score of the teams qualifying plus the next ranked team; (4) Average score of the specific team. Also, for Nationals Finals, wildcard teams may be chosen or not chosen based on special circumstances (e.g., the #1 quizzer from a team cannot attend Nationals or was absent at Regionals due to sickness, etc.).

Note

The word “qualifying” refers to all teams possibly going to Regional or National Finals, whether it is from an automatic bid or an invite. The purpose of wildcard teams is to fill spots from the districts or regions that lack a full complement of teams, with the intention to help these wildcard teams develop and grow through a higher-level quizzing experience.

Quizzer Eligibility

1. As of September 1st of the year the quiz season begins, all qualified participants must either:
   a. Be enrolled in grade six through twelve and be 18 years old or under or
   b. Be between the ages of 12-17.
2. Each participant must quiz with a team from the church they are attending.
3. Quizzers are allowed up to seven consecutive years of eligibility, depending on the grade or age in which they begin official competition. Only one year of eligibility is granted per grade level in official competition. (For example, a sixth grader who begins official competition will be granted seven consecutive years of eligibility, but a ninth grader will be granted only four. And a 17-year-old twelfth grader may not repeat twelfth grade at 18 if they competed in official competition the prior year.)

Quizzers without a Bible Quiz Ministry or Team

Qualified participants affiliated with a church or other Christian body that does not have a Bible Quiz ministry or that cannot field a team at the proper level for the quizzer may quiz with the next closest Bible Quiz team in their district upon the approval of the DBQC. If there is not a church or other Christian body available within a reasonable distance with a Bible Quiz ministry, quizzers may form a unique Bible Quiz group within their appropriate geographic area in their district upon approval of the DBQC, submitting to all rules and regulations of the district in which they are quizzing.

Changing Teams

Quizzers are allowed to change teams during the season only when a quizzer’s entire family is changing their home church, other Christian body, or unique Bible Quiz group (organization). The following rules apply:

1. The change may not be made after official competition has started, which in most districts is District Finals.
2. A change of teams is allowed only once during a single quiz season.

Team Eligibility

1. Teams may compete in one of the following divisions:
   a. Championship (eligible up to National Finals)
   b. Contender (eligible up to Regional Finals)
   c. XP5 (eligible at league meets)
2. Members of a team may consist of one head coach, a maximum of two assistant coaches, and one to six participants qualified to quiz (three or four is recommended).
3. An organization may have multiple teams in any of the various divisions of competition.
4. Prior to the first official competition, a roster with the following information must be submitted to the DBQC: the name of the organization and the city; the name and email address of the head coach; and the name, age, grade, and date of birth of each quizzer.
5. After official competition begins, no change may be made to the official roster except in the case of tragedy or emergency. In that event, the team must make an appeal to the National Bible Quiz Coordinator (NBQC). No quizzer may participate in more than one League Finals, District Finals, or Regional Finals competition in the same quiz season.

Single-Quizzer Teams

An organization with one qualified quizzer who is competing as a single-quizzer team and is officially registered with their district will be counted toward the number of total teams in a district. An organization may not have more than one single-quizzer team. Single-quizzer teams may quiz at the league level and up through Regional Finals, but they are not allowed to quiz in the team competition at National Finals.