State Tournament Policies and FAQ

Scoring

Scoring will be conducted consistent with all Science Olympiad rules (including clarifications and FAQs) and policies. Relevant policies include the Code of Ethics and General Rules, Scoring Guidelines, Laser Policy, Building and Tools Policy, Eye Protection Policy, Copyright and Use Policy, Significant Figures Policy, Battery Policy, and Calculator Guide. All of these rules and policies are publicly available on the national website.

Arbitration

If a team believes they have been treated unfairly, or in a manner inconsistent with Science Olympiad rules and policies, they have the right to seek recourse. The Head Coach for any such team may file an appeal using our Arbitration Form to outline their case and requested remedy. Only a Head Coach acting on behalf of their team may file an appeal; individual students, parents, assistant coaches, alumni, and other third parties lack standing to submit an appeal. Additionally, teams may not file an appeal to request an adverse action against one of their competitors.

All appeals will be reviewed by the Arbitration Committee, who may gather evidence and input from whichever source(s) they deem appropriate. Appeals will not be considered if received more than one hour after the publication of the final results.

Team Sanctions

At the independent discretion of the Tournament Director(s), offensive, disruptive, unethical, or illegal behavior by students, coaches, parents, or other individuals may result in sanctions against those individuals or their affiliated team(s). Behaviors that may potentially result in sanctions also include repetitive or egregious violations of tournament policies. Sanctions against teams may include team penalty points, disqualification in an event, or disqualification as a team. Sanctions against individuals may include temporary or permanent bans from participation in, or attendance at, the tournament. Any imposed sanctions are subject to appeal and review by the Arbitration Committee.

Students Below Grade Level Designations

Our tournament acknowledges the national policy stating that "schools with grade levels lower than those stated in a Division are permitted to invite members below the grade level designations". In alignment with this policy, our tournament has implemented the following process for any such students.

The student's parent or guardian, Head Coach, and Principal or Assistant Principal must review the event rules and jointly discuss which event(s) are age-appropriate and safe for the individual student. The Principal or Assistant Principal must then submit a written request containing the following information at least two weeks prior to the tournament:

1. The student's name, age, and grade level
2. Certification that the student is in good standing without active behavior or discipline concerns
3. The list of specific event(s) in which the student would like to participate
4. Confirmation that the student's parent or guardian, Head Coach, and Principal or Assistant Principal have each reviewed the event rules and unanimously agreed that each event is age-appropriate and safe for the individual student

Within one week of receipt, the Tournament Director(s) will review requests and communicate back a final decision on both the student's overall participation and their participation in each specific event. Decisions will be made with consideration of student safety and district policies.

When our team competes at the OHSO State Tournament, do we need to use the same roster of fifteen students in the same events as when we qualified at our local Regional Tournament?

OHSO State Tournament bids are awarded to schools — not individual students or a specific roster of students. When competing at the state tournament, your school can compete with the exact same 15 students, 15 completely different students, or a mix thereof. Similarly, individual students can compete in the exact same events as at regionals, completely different events, or a mix thereof. 

What are alternates allowed to do on tournament day?

Alternates may assist with impound, observe public events, and participate as competitors in trial events.

How do we substitute an alternate for a team member?

If a member of your competition team is unable to compete for any reason, you have the option of replacing them on your roster with an alternate. You must notify Tournament Headquarters of this decision as soon as possible so that we can maintain an accurate roster for your team. Making a substitution is equivalent to submitting a revised roster. As all of the same rules apply to your revised roster as your original roster, it is important to note the following:

• The student you are replacing on the roster cannot have already competed in an event, as this would result in your team competing with 16 students over the course of the day.
• The revised roster must still abide by all team composition rules. For example, if you are a Division C team and you already have seven 12th grade students, you cannot substitute an additional 12th grade student in place of a 9th grade student, as this would result in eight total 12th grade students on the roster. 
• The Rules and Code of Ethics of the Science Olympiad declares: “One or more of a 15-member team must have constructed all pre-built devices presented for judging.” We will use your revised roster to determine whether your devices meet this requirement. If your team intended to compete with a device, but you remove or replace the only student on your roster who can claim responsibility for constructing that device, you can no longer use it in competition. 

My team needs to change our self-schedule time, but the self-schedule window has closed. What can we do?

Any late requests to change a self-schedule slot after this end time should be made directly to the Event Supervisor on the morning of the tournament. While we encourage Event Supervisors to accommodate these requests where possible, they retain ultimate authority to approve or deny changes requested after the close of self-schedule.

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 judgment. 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. 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.

Who can impound a device on behalf of the team?

At least one student from the 15-member competition team must be present to impound a device. They can be assisted by other team members, alternates, parents, coaches, etc.

Will students and parents have access to the Flight venue?

Students will be permitted to practice in the Flight venue during the impound hour; no practice opportunities will be available later in the day, aside from trim flights declared during students' official competition time. Coaches, parents, and other spectators will not be permitted in the Flight venue during competition or during the morning practice period; they will instead be able to observe competition through the glass windows.