Quiz league
Encyclopedia
A quiz league is an organization running quiz
zes on a home and away basis, usually in pubs. Like the pub quiz
, it is chiefly a British
phenomenon although the format has significant differences to a pub quiz due to the usual number of teams (two) and the presence of individual questions.
Many varying formats exist, one of the most widely played having been devised as a game used by soldiers when relaxing is usually known as the Merseyside Quiz Leagues
(MQL) format. It consists of 64 questions in 8 rounds of 8 questions each asked to individuals on the teams alternately. Correctly answering your own question scores 2 points though it can be passed within the team (if the player choses not to answer) or over to the other team (if the player or team answer wrongly) for one point.
In the MQL format, there is no conferring as such. Where a player decides not to answer their question, the team captain will normally decide which other member of the team is to answer by assessing the hand signals made by the players on the team and his/her own judgement. The opposition will also use hand signals to decide who is to answer the question in the event of it being passed over. After 4 rounds, the order of answering changes so the team who began round 1 going first begin round 5 going second. This is done by switching each team's questions from A to B or from B to A depending on which questions they started with.
Other formats exist that involve more conferring within teams, list rounds and "pick a category" rounds. The MQL format is played by the main leagues in London and Merseyside.
All questions are team questions and both teams answer the same questions which are written down on an answer sheet and handed in at the end of the round. There are four rounds of ten questions, and a picture round.
Many quiz leagues run individual competitions. The format used by Merseyside Quiz Leagues and the Quiz League of London is the MIMIR quiz (named after Mímir
, a god of Norse mythology
who was renowned for his knowledge and wisdom). Matches are played in groups of four with positions drawn at random and each person has 3 questions addressed to them, in each of 5 rounds.
Time to answer is at the discretion of the question master but a wrong answer or a pass gives any of the other three an opportunity to score a bonus point. The decision as to who gets the first chance to answer for a bonus is determined by offering the question to whoever, at that stage, has made least attempts to gain bonus points or, if there is more than one player who has made the least bonus attempts, the next player in line (e.g. if this happened on the first question, P2 would have the first option on a bonus attempt). As well as a scorekeeper, a bonus counter is needed to track each player's bonus attempts.
Quiz
A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which the players attempt to answer questions correctly. In some countries, a quiz is also a brief assessment used in education and similar fields to measure growth in knowledge, abilities, and/or skills.Quizzes are usually scored in points and many...
zes on a home and away basis, usually in pubs. Like the pub quiz
Pub quiz
A pub quiz is a quiz held in a public house. These events are also called Quiz Nights or Trivia Nights and may be held in other settings. Pub quizzes are still extremely popular and may attract people to a pub who are not found there on other days. The pub quiz is a modern example of a pub game...
, it is chiefly a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
phenomenon although the format has significant differences to a pub quiz due to the usual number of teams (two) and the presence of individual questions.
Team format
Two teams, one Home, one Away play each other, responding, perhaps alternately, often orally, to a questionmaster.Merseyside Quiz Leagues
-History and organisation:The first Quiz League on Merseyside was formed in Bootle in 1959 with just ten teams, making it one of the oldest in the country...
(MQL) format. It consists of 64 questions in 8 rounds of 8 questions each asked to individuals on the teams alternately. Correctly answering your own question scores 2 points though it can be passed within the team (if the player choses not to answer) or over to the other team (if the player or team answer wrongly) for one point.
In the MQL format, there is no conferring as such. Where a player decides not to answer their question, the team captain will normally decide which other member of the team is to answer by assessing the hand signals made by the players on the team and his/her own judgement. The opposition will also use hand signals to decide who is to answer the question in the event of it being passed over. After 4 rounds, the order of answering changes so the team who began round 1 going first begin round 5 going second. This is done by switching each team's questions from A to B or from B to A depending on which questions they started with.
Other formats exist that involve more conferring within teams, list rounds and "pick a category" rounds. The MQL format is played by the main leagues in London and Merseyside.
All questions are team questions and both teams answer the same questions which are written down on an answer sheet and handed in at the end of the round. There are four rounds of ten questions, and a picture round.
Individual format
Mímir
Mímir or Mim is a figure in Norse mythology renowned for his knowledge and wisdom who is beheaded during the Æsir-Vanir War...
, a god of Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
who was renowned for his knowledge and wisdom). Matches are played in groups of four with positions drawn at random and each person has 3 questions addressed to them, in each of 5 rounds.
Time to answer is at the discretion of the question master but a wrong answer or a pass gives any of the other three an opportunity to score a bonus point. The decision as to who gets the first chance to answer for a bonus is determined by offering the question to whoever, at that stage, has made least attempts to gain bonus points or, if there is more than one player who has made the least bonus attempts, the next player in line (e.g. if this happened on the first question, P2 would have the first option on a bonus attempt). As well as a scorekeeper, a bonus counter is needed to track each player's bonus attempts.
External links
- National Pub Quiz League UK pub quiz league between pubs playing games across the internet.
- Southport and Formby Quiz League
- The Quiz League of London
- Calvia Quiz League, Majorca
- The Canadian Inquisition, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Trivia League, Ottawa, Ontario
- North East Sports Quiz League