The Lawyers' Version of the Non-Buzzer Rules

Also on this site:
The Simplified Buzzer Rules
The Lawyers' Version of the Buzzer Rules
The Simplified Version of the Non-Buzzer Rules

General

1. Each contest features three players playing against each other.
2. Points are scored by correct answers to questions, each having pre-stated values. There is no point subtraction.
3. If a member of the audience calls out an answer, the question may be discarded at the judges' discretion.
4. For most questions where the answer is a person's name, only the last name is required. If there is some confusion, the contestant may be asked for more specific information, such as that person's first name. An answer that provides additional incorrect information would be incorrect. Therefore, if the answer is "Steven Spielberg," the response "Spielberg " would be correct, but "Stanley Spielberg" would not.
5. Players should make protests during the public service announcement breaks. Please explain the issue to the judges. The judges may consult with the opposing players or host as they see fit.
6. Decisions of the judges shall be final. The official declaration of the outcome of the match shall be irrevocable. As in any contest, a game shall not be replayed, even if the outcome could have been altered by judgment errors.
7. The standard remedy for judgment errors is another appearance on the show. We'll probably ask you back anyway, even if we didn't mess up your game.

Opening Round

1. The Points Pool starts at zero. With each correct answer, the Points Pool increases by one.
2. Player 1 is on the far left as seen by the host/camera, player 2 is in the middle, and player 3 is on the far right.
3. The host begins by asking a question of Player 1. If the question is answered correctly, the Points Pool increases, and the host moves on to Player 2, etc.
4. When a player misses, the player before them earns the Points Pool. Then, a new Pool begins with the next player.
5. After a Pool is collected, the order of play moves in the other direction, but only after a new Pool has begun to build at one point.
6. For example, the sequence moves Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, then back to Player 1. Player 2 misses a question. Player 1 collects the Points Pool, then a new Pool starts with Player 3. If Player 3 gets his question right, then the sequence moves Player 3, Player 2, Player 1, then back to Player 3.
7. If more than one player in a row misses a question, the sequence does not change direction until a player gets a question right and starts a new Pool.
8. This round ends when time runs out in the segment.
9. The host will prompt for an answer rather quickly so that more questions are asked.

Category Round

1. Each player gets a chance to answer four questions, from three different categories for 12 questions total. Those questions are for that player only.
2. Player 1 goes first, player 2 goes 2nd, etc.
3. The player will not be recognized before responding, though the host may prompt him for an answer.
4. The player may respond before the host has completed a question, but the host may complete a question after a right or wrong answer has been given.
5. Once a player misses or passes a question, the host cannot later return to it.
6. Players will select two of the categories for themselves, the other category will be selected by one of their opponents.
7. In general, questions are worth 2 points. Some categories may have a more complicated scoring menu, but for a category, a player will score either 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 points.
8. The round ends when all the players have had their three categories.
9. Selection of categories takes place in the break just before this round. The players are shown a list of twelve available categories. Selection takes place in the following order:
   1. Player 1 selects for self.
   2. Player 2 selects for self.
   3. Player 3 selects for self.
   4. Player 3 selects for player 1.
   5. Player 1 selects for player 2.
   6. Player 2 selects for player 3.
   7. Player 2 selects for self.
   8. Player 3 selects for self.
   9. Player 1 selects for self.

List Blitz

1. The player who is in the lead at the start of the round goes first, the player who is in second goes next, etc. Ties are broken based on when there wasn't a tie in the most recent phase of the game. This may be after the 2nd category, the 1st category, the end of the Opening Round, etc.
2. All correct answers are worth 3 points.
3. At the start of the round, players will get a clear explanation of what kind of lists they will get. All players will get the same kind. The following are some examples, but is by no means an exhaustive list:
   1. Given a list of actors, identify the movie.
   2. Given a list of characters, identify the movie.
   3. Given a list of songs from the soundtrack, identify the movie.
   4. Given a list of crew members, i.e., everybody except the actors, identify the movie.
   5. Given a list of movies, identify the actor who has appeared in all of them.
   6. Given a list of movies, who directed all of them.
   7. Given a list of movies, who wrote the music for all of them.
4. Each list contains 7 members. A player may take as many guesses as they like while the list is being read until the seventh item. The host will pause after the seventh item to allow for a final answer or pass. If, in the host's judgement, the player appears to be grasping for an answer, the player will be allowed to continue. Otherwise, the answer will be judged incorrect and the host will move on to the next question.
5. Each player has 60 seconds to answer as many questions as they can.
6. If a player begins their answer before time is up, they will get credit for that answer.

General Blitz

1. In this round, the player in last place goes first, and the player in first place goes last. Ties are broken as in List Blitz above.
2. All correct answers are worth 4 points.
3. Questions can be on any subject.
4. Players may only give one answer to a question. After a player has given an answer, the host will judge it right or wrong, then move on to the next question.
5. The player may respond before the host has completed a question, but the host may complete a question after a right or wrong answer has been given.
6. Each player has 60 seconds to answer as many questions as they can.
7. If a player begins their answer before time is up, they will get credit for that answer.

Ties

1. Ties are only played out between two players. If there is a three-way-tie, the third player is eliminated, based on previous round performance as in List Blitz above.
2. The player who would be in second place according to the List Blitz procedure goes first.
3. If a player answers wrong, the other player may get it on the rebound.
4. One of the following outcomes will take place:
   1. Both players answer their question correctly and the procedure begins again.
   2. Both players answer their questions incorrectly and miss their opponent's question on the rebound. The procedure begins again.
   3. One player misses and the other player gets their question right. The player who got their question right wins.
   4. One player misses and the other player gets it right on the rebound and wins.
   5. The procedure may be ended if the outcome is obvious. For example, if the first player gets their question right, then the second player gets their question wrong, it is pointless to go back to the first player on the rebound.