Rules Clarifications

Official Rules Clarifications are made to clarify or correct the rules printed in the manuals. FAQs are replies to commonly asked questions. These Official Rules Clarifications and FAQs apply to all states and all tournaments and originate at the national level (please check your state web sites for special updates pertaining to your regional or state events). Click here to view Event FAQs or to Submit a Question .

Forestry: 3.a. (12/20/11): The correct spelling of for Chinkapin Oak is Quercus muehlenbergii.

Protein Modeling 3.c. Part II: The On-Site Model (10/18/11): the pdb for Regionals should read1i3o.pdb (the letter "o", and not the number zero).

Reach for the Stars: 3.a. (11/9/11): The correct spelling of Canes Venatici is with an "i" at the end not an "a". 

Thermodynamics: 4.a.v should read (11/9/11):  Teams may elect to add up to 100 mL of water from an ice bath to their internal beakers (note: delete the "s")  immediately after receiving the hot water for bonus points.

Towers B/C (10/17/11): Add one line, "6.c.iv. The tower height is measured to the highest tower point on which the bottom of the loading block rests."

Water Quality B/C 3.c. (12/12/11): At Nationals, the saltwater solution (most likely NaCl) will be made by adding salt to a volume of water until a predetermined total volume is reached (e.g., a 6.5% solution can be made by dissolving 65g of NaCl in water until a total volume of 1L is reached). Teams will record concentrations in percent (1-10 and estimate the tenth). At Nationals (maybe State) any percent ± 0.5 (maybe ± 1 at Invitationals/Regional) will be given full credit (partial credit may be awarded for other percents). The points for this testing should be approximately 5% of the total score (e.g., if a team recorded between 6.0-7.0%, they could receive 5 points out of 100). There is no restriction on the salinometer type as long as it is built by the team.

Events requiring Eye Protection #5 (High Impact Protection - ANSI Z87+) - Goggles with lenses identified as Z87+ regardless of markings on other parts of the goggles and Spectacles identified as Z87+ with side shields regardless of markings on other parts of the spectacles will be acceptable for events requiring High Impact Protection #5. (4/8/10)