FAQs
What level of rules are observed at the SHSSO Invitational?
We ask all supervisors to closely follow the invitational/regional rules for their events. We believe that the topics and challenges reserved by the rules for the State and National Tournaments are inappropriate for our invitational tournament.
How tall is the Flight venue?
The New Gym is approximately 25 feet tall before you reach the rafters and other obstructions. This is the same location where Flight was held last year and we hope to have the ventilation system disabled to limit air movement.
How are rule disputes between teams and supervisors resolved?
Students and coaches should make every effort to respectfully resolve any disputes directly with the Event Supervisor before seeking tournament assistance. Please note that we require our Event Supervisors to vigorously enforce all rules, policies, clarifications, and FAQs. Simultaneously, we also urge Event Supervisors to resolve ambiguous decisions in favor of the competitors, as indicated by General Rule 5.
If students and coaches are unable to resolve a dispute with their Event Supervisor, the Head Coach for the team should file a written arbitration request at headquarters. The Event Supervisor will then be given an opportunity to respond in writing. The Tournament Directors will review all sides of the dispute - including possibly inspecting a device or speaking with the persons involved - before making the decision most consistent with the rules, policies, clarifications, and FAQs published by the national organization. All arbitration decisions from the Tournament Directors are final.
Arbitration requests will be accepted until one hour after the Awards Ceremony concludes.
Are teams held to the membership and composition rules set by the national organization?
Yes. Our tournament expects all teams, supervisors, and scoring staff to follow all rules, policies, clarifications, and FAQs published by the national organization. This includes team composition requirements such as having no more than fifteen students per team, no more than seven of whom may be in twelfth grade. Students should not be competing in one event under one team number and in a different event using their school's other team number.
Are teams required to submit a team roster or wear wristbands?
No. As an invitational tournament, we do not believe the potential benefit of these measures outweighs their administrative burden to the competing teams. However, we reserve the right to request a roster from a participating school if we suspect that team membership or composition rules are not being followed. Failure to adhere to these rules could result in competition penalties, up to and including disqualification, at the discretion of the Tournament Directors.
Will students arriving late to an event be allowed to participate?
This decision is at the discretion of the Event Supervisor. While we encourage our Event Supervisors to allow late arrivals to participate to the fullest extent possible, we defer to their judgement. The integrity and fairness of competition is paramount.
When are students expected to arrive for self-schedule events?
Students should plan to arrive and be ready to compete at the start of their selected time slot. Given the large number of participating teams, your students should not arrive near the end of the designated time slot and expect to be given the opportunity to compete.
Can possession of phones, smart watches, and other electronic devices during competition result in disqualification?
This decision is at the discretion of the Event Supervisor, and should be based upon their best judgment as to whether the offending students were attempting to gain an unfair advantage. We strongly recommend that students do not have phones, smart watches, or other electronic devices on their person while competing unless such devices are explicitly permitted by that event's rules.
A minor clerical error or answer key mistake was noted by my students: will you adjust the results?
If you submit an arbitration within one hour of the conclusion of the Awards Ceremony, such a request will be considered by the Tournament Directors. Please note that if all teams were treated consistently, we are unlikely to overturn the results. For mechanical events where scoresheets are filled in during the event session, students should be reviewing their results before leaving the competition area.
Since we release raw scores, tests, and keys to all participating schools, it should be possible for your students to identify their accurate placement if a minor clerical error was made.