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Rules
Overview
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Select your own team of two (2) members, in grades 4 or 5.
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Register on our website from October 1 - November 8.
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Attend the mandatory Participant and Parent Meeting.
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Read the 20 books listed for JBOB with your team.
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Attend four (4) Battles during January - February.
Registration
All teams must have two members in grades 4 or 5.
Students will organize their own team of two and decide the team name.
The team may consist of all 4th graders, or all 5th graders, or a combination of 4th and 5th graders.
Parents are responsible for registering each team member from October 1 – November 8. Registration is on our website.
Please be sure to consider all possible conflicts with your schedule at the time of registration. Please note: four families can be affected when one person needs to change a battle. It is very important to adhere to the published battle schedule. When registering, please advise us of any particular day of the week the team will be unable to play due to prior commitments such as sports practices, games, piano lessons, vacations, etc. during January – February.
Mandatory Parent / Student Meeting
All members and their parents will attend an orientation meeting on Monday, November 9, 2026 at 6 or 7 pm (Attend one session).
Schedule
A schedule of battles will be available by December 20th. Parents will receive a schedule via email or it can be viewed on our website.
Each team will attend four battles during January – February.
Battles will be held: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, at 4:00, 4:20, 4:40pm and Wednesdays at 3:00pm, 3:20pm, 3:40pm, 4:00pm, 4:20pm and 4:40pm.
If one (1) team member is not available for any reason, the team may play with the remaining player.
If an entire team fails to attend their scheduled battle that team will not be awarded any points and the team that does attend will be awarded an average score from their other three battles.
We realize circumstances do arise and we will attempt to reschedule a battle if given one-week notice to Tammy Wulf at twulf@egvpl.org.
Poster Making / Teambuilding Event
Attend the DIY, drop-in poster making event will take place at the EGVPL. Teams can pick up poster making materials to create a team poster on Saturday, January 2, 2027. All supplies provided.
Battles
Audio or video recording of battles is NOT allowed.
Each battle will consist of two teams.
Each team will appoint a team captain to be the official spokesperson. The team can choose a different spokesperson for each battle. Only the spokesperson may give the answer to the question.
Each team is asked 10 questions pertaining to the list of 20 books.
Team members may confer quietly over the answers. They will have 20 seconds to answer.
If the spokesperson asks to repeat the question, the time will be included in the response time.
Scoring
Five (5) points is awarded for each initial question answered correctly.
One (1) point is awarded for the correct last name of the author.
Team scores are updated weekly on our website and at the battle.
Sample Questions
Question 1: In what book does Peter's younger brother knock out his two front teeth when he tries to fly? Team 1 Answer: "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.”
Question 2: In what book does a pig win a special prize at the County Fair? Team 2, Answer: "Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.”
Note: These questions demonstrate an award of five (5) points for the correct title and one (1) point for the correct author for a total of six (6) points for each question.
Steal
Three (3) points will be awarded if a team answers a "steal" question that the opposing team has missed. The bonus point for the author is not given
If a team answers a regular question incorrectly or outside of the 20 second time frame, the same question will be asked to the opposite team and they will be given a chance to answer within 15 seconds. This is a steal. If the spokesperson asks for the question to be repeated, this time will be included in the response time.
Each team will be limited to three (3) earned steals in each battle. (Not attempted steals.) Totaling a maximum of nine (9) points.
Semi-Finals and Finals
After all teams have completed four (4) battles, the top four highest cumulative scores will compete in the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals will participate in the final battle.
The team with the highest score will battle at the semifinals against the team with the low score. The two middle range scoring teams will attend the semifinals against each other.
The semifinals and final are structured the same as regular battles.
If a tie occurs in the semifinal or final, the cumulative scores from the four original battles will break the tie.
The Semifinals and Final are scheduled for the end of February.