Policies
The following policies have been adopted for use at the Minnesota State Science Olympiad Division B and C Tournaments. The policies align with National Science Olympiad policies while also establishing rules for Minnesota Science Olympiad-specific activities and procedures. Coaches should consult the Regional and State Directors if they have any policy-related questions.
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Before the Tournament
Coaching Eligibility Requirements
Coaches must be adults, at least 18 years of age, who have graduated from high school. Coaches must meet the coaching eligibility requirements set by their sponsoring school building or district and complete the Science Olympiad volunteer training available at https://www.soinc.org/training/volunteer-training, however, it is assumed that coaches who are also licensed teachers or employees of the school building that sponsors the team have already met the requirements set forth by their building/district and do not need to complete further training/certification. It is required that coaches refer adult team assistants, such as co-coaches, parent volunteers, and community experts, to the online volunteer training if these assistants will be working directly with students.
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High School students who would like to mentor a team may do so under the direct supervision of a qualified coach. At no time will a high school student be alone with students for coaching/supervision purposes. Parents or other interested and qualified adults may coach a school’s team with permission and certification by their school’s or district’s administration.
Tournament Forms
There are three required forms for MSO Tournament participation; the medical release form, the publicity waiver, and the team roster and Code of Ethics. These forms are also available for download at the bottom of the registration link. These forms are required for participation. Coming soon, forms will be uploaded online. The medical release forms will be confirmed at registration, and the coaches will retain these documents for future reference. If a school district already has a medical release form or procedure in place, please share this documentation at the MSO tournament registration.
Situations arise during the competition season where the head coach may not be able to attend a tournament with the team. For this reason, it is required that each registered team upload a roster of team members, including potential alternates. If changes are made during the season, a new list will be uploaded. This list may be provided to all regional and invitational directors. Coaches will check in at each tournament with the invitational, regional, or state director or their designee in order for the team to compete.
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Coaches will be required to share these forms with their tournament director for each regional and state tournament. Directions for completing this step will be communicated to each Head Coach.
Combining Small Schools
Smaller schools may combine students to form one Team if the total enrollment of the combined schools would not be greater than 300 students. Rationale for this includes:
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In Minnesota, there are many schools with small enrollments. Even though individual students may be outstanding, some schools may not have enough student participants available to form an adequate Team. This would enable the students to feel they have a chance of equal competition to achieve national recognition.
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In a smaller school, where the teacher has the complete science program, it is more difficult to be involved with all the science enhancement activities, such as Jr. Academy of Science, Science Fairs, and Science Olympiad. By combining schools, a teacher could divide the responsibility and give the students greater flexibility. This would also allow communication between schools to encourage academic cooperation.
Home-Schooled Students
Home-schooled students are encouraged to form Teams and participate in Science Olympiad. Following National Science Olympiad policy, Minnesota Science Olympiad will recognize Home School Teams consisting only of students who live within the boundaries of two contiguous (side-by-side) geographic counties in a single state. Home School students are also allowed to join their neighborhood school team, if one exists, following their home school district’s policies.
Limit on Team Members from other Schools
The National Science Olympiad's written policies state that "the students must be from the membership school (recruiting from neighboring schools is not permitted) and that the principal must sign the Final Team Registration Form stating that all of the students listed are active members of the school. Note that in all cases it says school, not school district.
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Team Student Limit - State Tournament
Each Team may enter up to fifteen (15) students from the same school to compete in scored events. Schools may field multiple Teams. Each team has a separate paid membership to MSO. A school is considered to be a separate school if it has a separate administrator. For Division B, only five (5) ninth graders and for Division C, only seven (7) twelfth graders are allowed on the Team. Students must be from the membership school (recruiting from neighboring schools is not permitted). Ninth-grade students can compete at only one level.
Event Participation Limit for Team Members at Tournament
For the individual State events, a Team may enter no more than one (1) student team (see each Event Rules for the number of students permitted per team) in any one event. However, if Regional or Invitational Tournaments are small or don't host all events, Directors may choose to announce that more student Teams may participate in individual events.
Aside from these limitations, Teams may enter as many or as few events as they wish. Teams are not required to provide the maximum number of participants listed unless the event specifically states this requirement. They will, however, be at a disadvantage if they choose this option for any event.
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An individual student may participate in no more events than there are sections (time-blocks) for the competition. In other words, a four-section competition permits a student to enter a maximum of four events. A five-section competition permits a maximum of five events. The penalty for a student for entering more than the maximum could include disqualification from all events.
Safety
Safety is of utmost importance. Event Supervisors are obligated to prevent unsafe acts and devices. Safety decisions are NOT subject to appeal as long as they are applied equally to all Teams. Participants may not bring or use flammable liquids or flame sources of any type, such as matches, lighters, alcohol, and acetone, nor bring or use acids/bases of any concentration except for lemon juice, vinegar, and other mildly acidic/alkaline naturally occurring substances.
State Qualification
Criterion 1: Each Team must provide at least one (1) Regional Event Supervisor and the necessary materials, equipment, exams, and personnel for at least one (1) event at the Regional Tournament. This is agreed to by the Regional Director to meet tournament event needs.
Criterion 2: Each Team must provide at least one (1) State Event Supervisor or Assistant, and the necessary materials, equipment, exams, and personnel, for at least one (1) event at the State Tournament. This is agreed to by the State Director to meet tournament event needs.
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The Day of the Tournament
General Event Rules Policy
Although the Official Rules will not change, many of them are complex. Explanations and clarifications can be expected and announced up to and on the day of the Science Olympiad Tournaments. Please watch www.soinc.org for corrections and clarifications. Head coaches should also expect to check for announcements and updates via email from their State Director up to and including throughout the Tournament day.
Teams may not interpret the rules so that they have an advantage over the rules or another Team. Unless otherwise stated, it is generally understood that, if notes, resources, calculators, etc., are not excluded or restricted, they are permitted unless they violate the spirit of the problem. No direct or electronic communication is permitted with external resources (including people, places, etc.) during the competition. This effectively excludes the use of any computer, cell phone, calculator, wireless devices, phones, watches, other electronic devices, etc. that have access to external communication or data retrieval during an event, unless specifically permitted in the event rules.
Please note that those events scheduled from 9:30-10:30, for example, begin promptly at 9:30. Students must get to the proper location (room, arena, or field) and be on time to compete in that event. Late entries may be allowed, but will not receive additional time.
During the tournament, participants are only permitted to practice with any built or designed device at a Tournament event venue prior to competing if the Tournament Director makes the facilities open to all teams to practice. Per the General Rules policy, any team that accesses competition locations prior to the tournament or without the permission of the State Director and host site will be subject to disqualification. The National Code of Ethics and General Rules Policy can be found here.
If a school's team equipment is lost or damaged during competition, neither Minnesota Science Olympiad nor the host facilities holds any responsibility.
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Limiting Entry into Science Olympiad Events
MSO Directors and/or Event Supervisors at the Minnesota Science Olympiad maintain the option of excluding entry into the event to all spectators but Team members. Several events, particularly the build events, are considered spectator events and are viewable by the public. Only those students competing in an event may enter areas where events are held. All other persons are to remain out of the building or the area at all times. If a student, coach, teacher, chaperone, or parent is found or suspected of interfering with or disrupting the conduct of an event, the team is subject to disqualification.
According to the General Rules policy, any team that accesses competition locations before the tournament or without the permission of the State Director and host site will be subject to disqualification.
Cheating
An individual who cheats during the Competition will be penalized by disqualification of the Team from that event. If cheating occurs by a Team in more than one event, or in successive years, the Team may be disqualified that year, or the following year, from the entire Competition. If an event Team, or a Team member, or anyone associated with the Team, deliberately takes an action that impairs the ability of other Teams to fairly complete, that Team will be disqualified from the event. In addition, the event Team member(s) involved in the incident may be ineligible for any future Science Olympiad competitions.
Vandalism
Vandalism refers to a deliberate action that results in damage to property. This includes, but is not limited to, graffiti, damage to facility property, and damage to the personal property of competitors, Event Supervisors, volunteers, and spectators.
If a Team member or members, or persons associated with a Team commit(s) an act of vandalism, the individuals involved will be disqualified from the event and will not be awarded a medal in any event. An individual who commits an act of vandalism may be barred from future competitions.
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In the event of vandalism, the school that sponsors any team that has been found to be responsible for vandalism will be responsible for paying the cost of repairing damage or replacing damaged property that results from any act of vandalism. A school must pay this restitution before it can register a team for the Science Olympiad in a subsequent year.
Constructed Devices
This policy applies to events that require a device to be constructed and brought to the Minnesota Science Olympiad. The students involved with the design and construction of the device shall receive no physical construction assistance from any parent, coach, or other non-school member, except when safety concerns are present. Students may be granted physical assistance by parents or other responsible adults when operating tools that pose a significant safety risk for that student or team. This assistance will be provided by the responsible adult(s) to ensure the safety and well-being of the student(s). It is expected that the student(s) will be responsible for measuring and otherwise directing the action of the adult to assist with the construction process as needed. Other assistance from parents and coaches may include technical guidance, advice, and resource procurement. In Minnesota, other students at the school are encouraged to help with the actual construction of the devices.
At least one competition student must be knowledgeable in the construction of the device and operate the device when it is presented for scoring. Consult NSO policies for further information. Log books and constructed devices cannot be shared between teams from the same school. Each team must have its own device and corresponding logbook, if required for an event.
Communication Procedure between MSO Officials and Teams Regarding Questions, Disputes, and Appeals
Formal concerns, questions, and disputes regarding Rules, Scoring, and Clarifications may be asked ONLY by the Team's Head Coach. Competitors who wish to alert their Head Coach of an appeal/concern regarding an event must leave all event materials with the event supervisor, and MUST NOT discuss the matter with the event supervisor further. A Head Coach may attempt to resolve the question with the corresponding division’s State Director and ONLY the Head Coach may choose to appeal an unresolved situation by submitting a written Appeal Form. The Arbitration Committee will make a final, binding decision.
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The Appeal procedure becomes effective only when a dispute is unresolved. Frivolous appeals will be denied. Event Supervisor and MSO Officials' judgment calls are not subject to review. Event Supervisors are extremely busy during the competition. Do not interfere with an event while it is in progress.
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The Arbitration Committee will decide immediate consequences regarding DQs and Appeals, which may include DQ from any event a student participated in or preventing a Team from further participation. The Arbitration Committee can also recommend long-term consequences to include barring an individual from future events, teams being put on notice, and Teams being disqualified from future MSO tournaments.
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Disqualifications
The National Science Olympiad has two forms of disqualifications, one for behavior and one for failure to satisfy the requirements of the rules. Teams will be disqualified for misbehavior, including, but not limited to, vulgar language, cheating, vandalism, rudeness, exceeding maximum event limits, improper communications, disregard for safety, etc. Event Supervisors may remove from competition any student(s) whose personal or ethical behavior does not adhere to the Science Olympiad Code of Ethics. This action will disqualify the affected student(s) from participation and scoring in that event only.
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Communication between Teams and State Event Supervisors
Direct communication about concerns and questions regarding Rules, Scoring, and/or Clarifications between a Team and a State Event Supervisor is NOT permitted either before the Tournament or after the Tournament. Email, phone calls, letters, or other media messages are not permitted. The penalty for violation of this policy is disqualification of the Science Olympiad Team from the Tournament. Questions or concerns regarding any event at any tournament should be sent to that division’s State Director and/or the MSO Board President.
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Scoring at State Tournament Details
Teams/devices that do not meet the requirements/specifications of the event rules will be allowed to compete, if possible, and are to be scored and ranked (tiered) below those who met all of the requirements/specifications. They will be awarded event points in relation to their rank. Event Supervisors may, at their discretion, allow students to modify any device before it is impounded to bring it into compliance with the rules. That discretion, if extended, must be made available to all competitors equally. Any modification must be completed, and the device impounded, before the expiration of the impound period. Supervisors and Officials may not assist with the type of modifications or how to accomplish them before, or at any time during, the tournament day.
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Teams making an honest attempt to participate who cannot be assigned a raw score because of time, mechanical failure, wrong dimensions, etc., will be listed as a “P” for Participation for the raw score on the score card and will be awarded N points. “N” is equal to the number of teams registered to compete in the Tournament as shown on the scorecard. Any device, which, in the judgment of the Event Supervisor, is a safety hazard to competitors, officials, or spectators, will not be allowed to compete and will be listed as a P (Participation) for the raw score on the score card and will be awarded N points. Teams that do not follow the rules regarding resources or specifications of devices, etc., will be allowed to participate (contingent upon the safety hazard) but will be ranked below others.
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If a Team does not show up or does not make an honest attempt to participate or does not have a wristband, the Team will be listed as a No Show or “NS” for the raw score on the score card and awarded N+1 points. This includes Teams who may be present but display no preparation for the competition. Disqualified or “DQ’ed” Teams will receive N+2 points on the scorecard.
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Teams that were scored are to be awarded points for each place as follows: 1st - 1 point, 2nd - 2 points, up to the total number of teams participating in the tournament.
Teams considered as PARTICIPATION, NO SHOW, OR DISQUALIFIED will be ranked and assigned points as follows:
PARTICIPATION (P) = N points
NO SHOW (NS) = N + 1 points
DISQUALIFIED (DQ) = N + 2 points
Note: N = number of teams registered to compete for the tournament, not the number of teams that actually enter the event. For example, if 30 teams register for the tournament, then N=30.)
The total of the Team points earned in all scoring Events will determine the RANK among all Teams. The lowest numerical total ranks highest.
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Tie Breaker for Final Team Scores
In the event of a tie in the cumulative final scores for two or more Teams at the Science Olympiad Tournaments, the "tiebreaker" will be determined by which one Team earned the most Gold Medals. Additional ties will be determined by the most Silver Medals, followed by Bronze Medals, followed by 4th place finishes, etc, until the tie has been broken.
After the Tournament
Awards
Athletic-style medals will be presented to participating individual winners for each event at the Awards Program. In addition, Championship trophies will be awarded to the top Division C and B Teams at the State Tournament. The winning Team for Divisions B and C will be invited to attend the National Science Olympiad Tournament.
Invitation of Multiple Teams to the National Science Olympiad
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When more than one Team from Minnesota is invited from the State Science Olympiad Tournament to the National Science Olympiad Tournament, the second-place Team in the overall score for that year’s MSO will be invited to represent Minnesota with the first-place Team. If either team chooses not to attend the NSO, the third-place Team will be invited, etc.. The National Science Olympiad policy is that only one Team per school is permitted to represent their State at the National Science Olympiad Finals. Therefore, this is also the official policy of the Minnesota Science Olympiad.
Announcement and the Finalization of Minnesota Science Olympiad State Tournament Results
At the Minnesota Science Olympiad State Tournament, no scores will be posted or announced until the Awards Program. All scores are subject to a score check (Score Counseling) process to help ensure accuracy. At the end of the MSO Awards Program, results will be emailed to each Team’s head coach.
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Any scoring inconsistencies or disputes must be brought to the attention of the Minnesota Science Olympiad Directors by only the Team's Head Coach. This must be within 48 hours of the completion of the State Tournament. Official Scores for the Minnesota Science Olympiad tournament will then be posted on the official MN Science Olympiad website. Teams that are making plans to participate in the National Tournament are encouraged to wait until the scores are finalized and confirmation is received from their division State Director before making official travel plans for their team members.
Actual event papers, test booklets, score cards, answer sheets, individual questions, and other event documents are not available for discussion or examination before, during, or after the State Tournament.
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Information Sources
The Minnesota Science Olympiad website and/or the National Science Olympiad Rules Clarification and FAQ pages will be the official source of information, including last-minute updates and postings, for the Minnesota State Olympiad events. Coaches and Teams are to visit these websites for updates and rule clarifications, including immediately prior to the Minnesota State Science Olympiad Tournament.
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The National Science Olympiad web pages contain much information. They have listed websites of interest to educators as general resources for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Physical Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences, with dozens of internet links. Open the NSO Homepage and click on Resources in the left menu. Additionally, clicking on the Events Info in that same menu will provide hundreds of links to resources. Further clicking on Event Descriptions will provide links to detailed information, training, study resources, sample tests, National lists and guides, and FAQs about each event.