Policies

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 organization 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. Any such team, via their Head Coach, may file an appeal at Tournament Headquarters to outline their case and requested remedy. Only teams, via their Head Coach, 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. Altering the appealed decision, such as by granting the appeal or imposing an alternative penalty, requires support from a simple majority of the Arbitration Committee.

Appeals will not be considered if received after the date of the Awards Ceremony.

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). 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 Western Regional Tournament Any imposed sanctions are subject to appeal and review by the Arbitration Committee.

FAQs

How many teams will advance to the 2021 Ohio State Tournament?

The 26 Division B schools and 25 Division C schools with the best overall results at our tournament will advance to the 2021 Ohio State Tournament.

Is there a separate registration fee for the Western Regional Tournament?

No. Your state registration fee includes the cost of registering for our regional tournament. We do not anticipate any additional fees for participating teams.

Does my team need to register for the Western Regional Tournament?

Yes, we need all schools to register their team(s) with our Scilympiad website by 2/20/21. This website will be used to remotely proctor online tests on competition day.