IHSSBCA Novice

Novice tournaments use IHSSBCA rules. Please read our IHSSBCA Tournament Policies and our guidelines for coaches, players, game officials, and tournament hosts.

Download a 2022 Novice Registration Form Here

The annual Novice tournaments will be held statewide on October 15, 2022.

What are Novice Tournaments?

Novice tournaments are high school scholastic bowl tournaments that are held across the state in mid-October. Novice tournaments are held at multiple schools across the state on the same day, giving many teams the opportunity to play. “Novices” are players who are new to the game of scholastic bowl, so these tournaments are restricted to players who are new or who have not already demonstrated an exceptional aptitude for the game (see “Novice Player Restrictions” below). These full-day tournaments are sponsored by the IHSSBCA, and each school must have an affiliated IHSSBCA member to register.

Contact Novice Coordinator Kristin Strey with questions, or if you’re interested in hosting a Novice tournament.

Sites

If you would like to host a Novice site, contact Kristin Strey.

Auburn (Rockford) site: contact Nevagay Abel
Barrington site: contact Jeff Price
Granite City site: contact Jaime Pamatot
Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort) site: contact D. Matthew Jordan
Mattoon site: contact Brendan Aydt

Novice Player Restrictions

This tournament is open to all IHSSBCA member teams, but only the following students may play:

  • Any freshman who has never made the top 100 players at MSNCT;
  • Any sophomore who has never made the top 100 players at MSNCT, and who has never made the top ten players at a tournament or conference in high school; and
  • Any junior or senior entering their first season of high school play.

For the “top players” above, lists should be compiled at the end of preliminary play, if a tournament involves prelims and playoffs phases.

Fees

The entry fee is $60 per team. Schools are expected to bring a working buzzer system and a staffer for the tournament. Contact your tournament host if you are unable to bring a buzzer or staffer. Every school must have a current IHSSBCA member to register for a Novice tournament; if you are not a member, you must join to enter a team or teams. Please be aware that each tournament site will have its own limit on the number of teams it can accommodate, and therefore, turning in a registration form does not guarantee you a spot in a tournament.

Question Source

All IHSSBCA Novice sites will be use the SCOP Novice set.