ADULT SPELLING BEE OFFICIAL RULES AND PROCEDURES

*RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT.

TEAMS
Each team will consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of four members.
All members must be adults (18+). All members must have registered and paid their entry fee of $20/team prior to competing.
Teams may have a sponsor, pledgers for a charity (reminder the market is a non profit!) or both.

COMPETITION FORMAT
Teams will participate in rounds or “Swarms”. Bzz
1. Teams will spell in the order they registered for the Bee. Placement in the Bee will be determined by the order in which a team goes “out”; i.e., first one to misspell a word gets
last place, etc.
2. M.C/pronouncer pronounces word, gives word definition, uses word in sentence, and pronounces word again. Teams may ask for alternate pronunciation.
3. Team members may collaborate on the spelling of a word.
4. Words will be pronounced according to the Oxford Concise Dictionary and defined using Oxford Concise Dictionary definitions.
5. Teams may not use phones, computers, additional electronics or any sort of reference materials during the Spelling Bee.

6. These procedures and official rules will govern at the spelling bee. Any disputes will be resolved by the judges. There will be no appeals. In case of a dispute over the correct
spelling of a word, illegible handwriting, or any other question, the decision of the judges is final.

PRELIMINARY ROUNDS
7. Each team will have 30 seconds to spell its word by writing it on the white board distributed to each team.
8. Each team will select one member to write the team’s spelling of the word on the board provided. Please print clearly, neatly and as large as possible. Several versions may be
written; it is the team’s responsibility to scratch through or erase the misspelled words, leaving only one version to be judged.
9. All teams must immediately stop writing when the timer is sounded and the MC directs the team to show its spelled word.

HIVE ELIMINATION
10. Any team that does not hold up its board when the judges call for time will be considered as misspelling the word. Any team continuing to write after time is called or attempting to change the word as
written on the slate will be counted as misspelling a word.
If the word is illegible or if letters are ambiguous, the word will be treated as misspelled.
If the team erases the board before the judge(s) give the directive will be considered as misspelling the word.
11. Judges will determine which team has spelled correctly. If you have spelled the word correctly and the judges notify you of this you may erase and prepare for the next word.
12. If you have spelled the word incorrectly, your team is either eliminated or must use a Stress Bee-lief card to remain in contention.
13. Each round is over when all teams have had an opportunity to spell a word and there are still at least two teams left. Eliminated teams may throw their (vocal) support behind
another team, but may not help with spelling words.

Stress Bee-Lief
Player will be given one of each of three Stress Bee-lief cards at the start of the Spelling Bee - If they choose to use it they must purchase
it during the competition.

Rebuzz

Each team has the option of buying their way out of a misspelling elimination, up to a maximum of two words, by purchasing a Rebuzz to re-enter the competition. An audience member or a sponsor may pay for a Rebuzz on behalf of any team.

• The first Rebuzz is $15. The second is $30.

Buzz offs

 Teams may pass on spelling a word (“buzz off”) to a maximum of two words in the competition. These words are discarded.
• The first Buzz-off is $25. The second is $50.

Stinger

If a team receives a word that they have no clue how to spell, they can use a Stinger (maximum 1 Stinger per team). The Stinger allows them to pass on spelling the word AND to require another team to spell a word chosen from the Stinger Pile.
If the team that is stung does not know how to spell the word either, they can use a Stinger and pass the word to a different team. You can’t sting a team that has already been stung or that has used their Stinger on that word (ie, boomerang the word). If a team uses their Stinger, it is as if they spelled the word correctly and will advance to the next round. Teams may purchase a maximum of 1 Stinger. If every team gets stung on the same word, and the last team has a Stinger that they would like to use, but has no one to sting, they may
forfeit their Stinger to remain in the competition.
• A stinger is $30.

FINAL ROUND - Elimination
8. When the competition only has two hives remaining, the elimination procedure changes.
• If one team misspells a word, the other team will have a chance to spell the same word.
• If the second team spells it correctly, plus the next word on the judges’ list, the Bee is over and the second team wins.
• If the second team misspells the original word or the second word they are given, it gets bounced back to the first team.
• If the first team spells that word correctly, they will then be given another word to spell. If they spell that word correctly, the Bee is over and the first team wins.
• If the first team spells that word incorrectly, the cycle continues.

9. A round is complete when (a) both teams spell a word incorrectly or (b) one team wins the competition by spelling two words correctly.
10. If this back-and-forth spelling duel goes on for three rounds without a winner declared, the judges will give the two remaining teams a test of five words to be written. Teams
will have two minutes to submit their written spellings of all five words. The team spelling the most words correctly will be declared the WINNER!
11. Pledgers can choose whether to back the elimination rounds, or pay a flat pledge of $10 if their team is in the finals.

VOTING FOR BEST NAME/COSTUME
Audience members and participants are encouraged to vote for their favourite team name and/or costume.  $2/vote. There are no limits to the number of times an individual may vote.
Votes must be received by the final elimination round. Votes will be tallied during the final round and winners announced before the event ends.