Connections Online Quiz League - Hosting

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This page is a companion to the rules Connections Online Quiz League - Rules

Before Hosting

• Ask in the Facebook Messenger host chat if you have any questions at all - people are happy to help
• Enable Zoom breakout rooms: https://zoom.us/profile/setting > Breakout Room
• Find 'Read' buttons when logged in on the matches page https://quizcentral.net/coql_matches.php
• Use Zoom to schedule matches: https://zoom.us/meeting/schedule
• Feel free to run tests as host and player in side by-side browser windows using a random room
• Hosts Game every week:
  • USA: Day and time varies, usually decided by a vote in the host group
  • UK: Sundays at 21:00 & 22:00
• A questions video is released every week (normally Monday). This includes a walk through each question, with full details, including how to rule on answers

During hosting

• Make a breakout room for each team
• Get match code and room links from the 'Host' button on the matches page https://quizcentral.net/coql_matches.php
• Post the R1, R2 & R4 link initially, and the Grid Links ONLY when in the relevant breakout room
• Remember that Zoom's screen share option is _not_ needed or used in COQL - the room is the web browser
• Login as Host (ignore name and team name instructions)
• Week 1 games have a warm-up. Match code: test8uk or test8usa
• Confirm with teams that they see the words Connections Online Quiz League
• The coin toss (first team alphabetically to call) can be made by clicking Spin
• The team electing to go first begins R1 & R2 and is then the second team to tackle the grid in R3
• Suggest to new teams/players that "Next Please" is used as instruction for the host to click on the next clue, so it is clear they aren't just discussing the idea of a 'Next' internally
• Remind teams they can hover over a clue in R1 & R2 to make it bigger
• People may need to zoom their browser, particularly in R3 by holding ctrl or command and pressing + or -
• Remember to update the scores in R1 & R2, though teams will normally remind you if they don't get points
• Make sure all the clues, answers and reveals in a round are ultimately clicked and seen by the players rather than just read out and/or not shown at all - we don't want to leave anybody confused or not involved
• Notes contains instructions on how to rule. Fluff contains extra information that you can share with the teams as you wish - it can often answer a question somebody has
• Use all three of the match links to avoid showing the wrong team a grid - only share a grid link in the relevant breakout room
• Remember or write down the grid points scored and add them in the main room after both teams have completed R3
• Feel free to run a buzzer test before R4. You need to be sure everyone is in the correct tab
• R4 scores should be logged separately from the main score buttons located near the team name
• In R4 announce the team of the person who buzzed, not the individual, as anyone on the team can answer
• Hit the buzzer if you need to call time on the teams for an R4 question

If you need break a tie

The text behind the host button will inform you if a tie needs to be broken - it will say:

• Any tie in this match will need to be broken with the tiebreaker(s) provided.
• Teams should each declare their one tiebreak answerer (a player on the team) before R1.
• Only the declared tiebreak answerers contest the tiebreaker which is not from an R4 subject.
• Game ends when points change (+1 or a neg).
• The tiebreak answerer can but need not be the captain/nexter/clicker etc.
• Let the host chat know if you used a tiebreaker.
• Allow 30 seconds for a tiebreaker.
• Do not show any tiebreakers if there is no tie.
• Do not show the second tiebreaker if the first breaks the tie.

After Hosting

• Congratulate the winners, commiserate the team that didn't win
• Input the match points and grid points to the Host popup and click Save - this will update the league tables

Troubleshooting

• If someone is having an issue, getting them to refresh (F5) their browser and log in again will often solve it
• If a player refreshes their browser, saving the team names again and clicking Hide and Show for the Buzzer and Picker is needed, or they won't see it
• Always make sure people are in the room that you the host expect them to be in - this may sometimes mean they need to change tabs
• Some corporate and academic networks block the data transfer method the COQL interface uses so players might need to use a home device

Round 1 - What's the Link?

• The first team alphabetically calls the coin toss and the team that wins the coin toss can decide to: Go first in Rounds 1 & 2 OR Go first on the Grid.
• The team going first picks the first emoji.
• Teams are given up to four clues and must try to figure out the connection between them within 60 seconds.
• The team is initially shown one clue, and may request the remaining three clues at any time within the 60 seconds by saying "Next Please".
• The team may press their buzzer to guess after the first clue for 5 points, the second for 3, the third for 2, or the fourth for 1.
• If the team guesses incorrectly, fails to answer after buzzing in a timely manner, or fails to buzz within the time allotted, the opposing team is shown any remaining clues and can answer for a bonus point.
• Play then alternates until each team has played three sets of clues.
• One of the six puzzles involves pictures and the host should mention that players can hover over the clue to see an enlarged version.

Round 2 - What Follows?

• The first emoji in this round is picked by the same team that picked the first emoji in Round 1.
• Each set of four clues forms a sequence.
• Teams may see a maximum of three clues, and must determine what would come fourth in the sequence within the 60 second time limit.
• As with the first round, teams score points dependent on the number of clues seen.
• If they fail to guess correctly, it is thrown over to the other team, who are shown any remaining clues for 1 bonus point if correct.
• Some sequences can have multiple acceptable answers, while others may only have one.
• Teams can score points without correctly identifying what the sequence is, but may be required to explain their answer if it differs from an expected answer. Asking "Why?" is often useful.
• Should a team find a valid sequence after two clues, even if this is the not answer intended, then the host may, at their discretion, accept this answer, so long as the team can show how there can be third and fourth elements to the sequence, which are neither trivial nor contrived. Alternative sequences cannot be qualitatively more contrived or trivial than the intended sequence. In all other respects, gameplay is identical to Round 1.

Round 3 - Grid Unlock

• Each grid solve has five possible outcomes prior to the grid groups being asked for
• Asking for the connection between found groups takes priority over any manual resolving of the grid that needs to be done
• Groups should always be asked for top to bottom - players are not permitted to skip a group and come back to it later

• 0 Groups found by the players: Once time is up, click "Resolve Grid" three times then "Ask for Grid Groups" and ask for the connections for the four groups in order
• 1 Group found by the players: Once time is up, click "Ask for Grid Groups" for and ask for the connection for the group they found. Only after that is done, click "Resolve Grid" two times and "Ask for Grid Groups" and ask for the connections for the three remaining groups in order.
• 2 Groups found by the players: Once time is up or the three lives have been used up, click "Ask for Grid Groups" for and ask for the connections for the two groups they found. THEN click "Resolve Grid" once then "Ask for Grid Groups" and ask for the connections for the two remaining groups in order.
• 3 Groups found by the players: Impossible.
• 4 Groups found by the players: Click "Ask for Grid Groups". Ask for the connections for the four groups in order.

Round 4 - Only Consonants

• Teams will compete against each other on the buzzer.
• Teams will be shown three groups of four clues in which the vowels have been removed.
• The challenge is for the teams to identify the word, name, or phrase from only its consonants within 10 seconds.
• Occasionally, on particularly complex groups, teams will be allowed 15 seconds to answer. The teams will be informed of this extra time prior to the round commencing.
• If neither team can answer within the allotted time the host will call the clue dead and reveal the answer, before proceeding to reveal the next clue.
• Once a player from either team has buzzed, a member of that team must provide an answer immediately. A correct answer will be rewarded with 1 point, while an incorrect answer will see the team penalised 1 point.
• A team’s answer in this round must be perfect. If just one letter of an answer is incorrect, the team will lose a point and the question will be passed over to the opposition.
• In the event of an incorrect buzz, the opposition may answer immediately for 1 bonus point, but will not be penalised for an incorrect answer.
• The opposition does not need to buzz to answer a clue that has been passed over.
• Should a team buzz, there must be no hesitation of more than a maximum of 1 second before giving an answer, or this will be treated as an incorrect answer.
• Should one player start giving a correct answer, then a second player may complete that answer so long as there is no appreciable pause.
• A second player may not correct the first player; in these circumstances, the answer will be treated as incorrect.
• Any words spoken by the first player will be taken as an attempt at an answer; should the first player say ‘No, I don’t know’, for example, then this answer is incorrect regardless of whether a second player subsequently gives the correct answer.
• Teams may not confer during this round.
• Should you provide a perfectly valid answer to a clue, that fits both the consonants and the category, but which is not the answer provided by the setting team, then you will be awarded a point at the discretion of the host.
• Teams may lodge a protest immediately after the match has finished if they feel they have been unfairly denied a point for a valid answer. The setting team will consider the protest and make a ruling.
• The host will not update the score during this round but will reveal the final score at the end of the match.
• COQL will provide a spare clue for each group of Only Consonants clues. Should a question be deemed unusable by the host for any reason then that question will be cancelled and a spare will be used. The host has sole discretion as to whether they feel a question has been rendered unusable and therefore should be replaced by a spare.

Tiebreaker

• If teams are tied in the league phase of the competition, the match ends as a draw.
• During the league phase, a tie should NOT be broken, nor should any tiebreaker(s) be shown to the teams even if the match ends in a tie.
• In any knockout or placement match, then a single tiebreaker puzzle is given to the designated captains of each team.
• If a captain buzzes in first and gives the correct answer then their team wins, but an incorrect answer gives the win to the other team.
• Teams should each declare their one tiebreak answerer (a player on the team) before Round 1.
• Only the declared tiebreak answerers contest the tiebreaker which is not from an Round 4 subject.
• Game ends when points change (+1 or a neg).
• The tiebreak answerer can but need not be the captain/nexter/clicker etc.
• Let the host chat know if you used a tiebreaker.
• Allow 30 seconds for a tiebreaker.
• Do not show any tiebreakers if there is no tie.
• Do not show the second tiebreaker if the first breaks the tie.