Team Support on Tournament Day
Coaches
Each team should have a designated adult that acts as their "coach" during the oral rounds throughout the day. The team's coach should have a pencil and the Coach's Evaluation Sheet so they can rate the room officials and note problem questions if any. The teams' coaches are the only spectators permitted to take notes during the oral rounds. Each team may have only one designated coach per round.
Spectators
Parents, alternates and other supporters are permitted to watch teams during the oral rounds. Cell phones, pagers and other electronic equipment must be turned off and stowed in bags, purses or pockets. No spectators other than the designated coaches will be permitted to take notes during the oral rounds. No coaches or spectators are permitted in the written round testing area.
Good sportsmanship is expected at all times. Teams and spectators are not permitted to argue with the Brain Bowl officials. That said, team members, coaches and spectators may politely bring concerns forward if it will quickly take care of an issue that could later turn into a protest. The Reader, as the head official, may postpone until the end of the round any issue raised that causes a delay in continuation of the round.
Protests
Protests procedures are in place to insure a fair competition for all teams. All concerns regarding the questions and oral round procedures will be heard and investigated. Not all protests will result in a change of score even if it is found that the issues actually took place.
The coach is the only person who may lodge protests for the team if it becomes necessary to do so. This person must act in the interests of the team and at the direction of the team. If it becomes necessary for a coach to submit a protest, then another adult may act as coach in the subsequent round while the protest is being submitted.
It is the team's responsibility to understand the Protest Procedures.