Scores – Florida Science Olympiad

Florida Science Olympiad Scoring & Rules Guidelines

Purpose & Application We are providing this information so that Event Supervisors, Participants, Coaches, and Teams understand how the scoring process will work for Science Olympiad tournaments. Unless explicitly revised by local Tournament Directors, these National guidelines apply to all officially sanctioned Tournaments. With the sole exception of the Science Olympiad National Tournament, all Science Olympiad Tournament results are determined by local Tournament Officials and their designated Event Supervisors.

Team Rankings and Scoring Compliance Statement

For the 2025 – 2026 Season, the Florida Science Olympiad will remain in full compliance with the National Science Olympiad rules and scoring procedures. All events at the state competition will be scored and ranked according to the official national scoring guidelines to ensure fairness, consistency, and alignment with national standards. In addition, Florida may provide supplemental reporting (such as publishing raw scores for all teams or capping placement points beyond a threshold) to promote transparency, reduce the disproportionate effect of a single poor performance, and streamline the verification process prior to awards. These supplemental practices are intended to support teams, coaches, and event supervisors while preserving the integrity of the national scoring system.

Rationale for the Change

This adjustment ensures that Florida’s scoring remains fully aligned with national expectations while also addressing the unique needs of our state competitions. By adhering strictly to the national scoring system, we guarantee that all Florida teams are evaluated under the same criteria used at the National Tournament, ensuring fairness and consistency across all levels of competition. At the same time, supplemental reporting provides additional clarity for coaches and participants, allowing them to see raw performance data beyond simple rankings.

This change is beneficial to all participants because it:

Protects fairness: Teams are not unduly penalized for one difficult event or an unforeseen issue.
Improves transparency: Coaches and students can access raw scores to better understand their performance and progress.
Saves time: Streamlined verification and reporting helps us begin the Awards Ceremony on time without compromising accuracy.
Supports growth: Teams gain a clearer picture of strengths and areas for improvement, which promotes learning beyond the competition itself.

Through these changes, Florida Science Olympiad continues its commitment to running a fair, transparent, and educational competition that celebrates student achievement while remaining in full compliance with national rules.

Rule Change Comparison Overview

Team Rankings and Scoring Compliance

1. Individual Event Scoring

The following guidelines and procedures will be applied by Event Supervisors and Tournament Officials regarding each event.

Raw Scores and Ranks: All teams who participate in an event must be scored and ranked as specified in the event rules.
Sort Orders: Different events are scored differently. Please note whether high scores or low scores are better in terms of rank assignment for that specific event.
Tie Breakers: All ties must be broken for ranks that are awarded medals. If a tie for non-medal ranks cannot be broken, points are awarded according to the place tied, skipping the next place (e.g., 3 teams tied for 10th place receive 10 points; the next team is ranked 13th).
Tiers: Teams/devices that do not meet the specific requirements in the event rules will be allowed to compete if possible. However, they will be “Tiered”—notified, scored, and ranked below those who met all specifications.

Scoring Codes for Irregular Results

When a standard raw score cannot be assigned, the following codes are used:

Code	Meaning	Scoring/Ranking Protocol
P	Participation	Assigned to teams making an honest attempt that cannot be assigned a raw score (e.g., safety hazard, mechanical failure, wrong dimensions). Points = $N$ (Number of teams in division).
NS	No Show	Assigned to teams that do not show up or display no preparation for the competition. Points = $N + 1$ .
DQ	Disqualification	Rare. Assigned for egregious misbehavior or cheating (e.g., vulgar language, Code of Ethics issues, extreme safety violations). Disqualifies the team from that event only. Points = $N + 2$ .

2. Overall Tournament Scoring

The team champion is determined by the sum of the rankings in all events. Lower scores are better.

Team Points: For each event, points corresponding to the event rank are assigned (e.g., 5th place = 5 points).
Team Tie Breakers: All ties must be broken for the team ranks to be awarded trophies.
1. Ties are broken based on the number of Gold Medals (1st places).
2. If still tied, Silver Medals (2nd places) are counted.
3. If still tied, Bronze Medals (3rd places) are counted.
4. At each step, the team with the greater number of medals is awarded the favorable place.

3. Florida Science Olympiad Results Policy

Important Note on Finalizing Scores

Florida Science Olympiad’s policy is that scores are not final until 48 hours after the END of the awards ceremony, unless otherwise specified at the ¹⁸ceremony.

Do not release information to the media regarding standings until this period has passed.
Do not make travel plans (e.g., for State competition) based on tentative awards ceremony placement.
Correction Window: If an error is found within the 48-hour window, results will be adjusted. This may result in a reordering of team rankings and changes to State invitations.
Finality: Any errors discovered after the 48-hour time period will not be adjusted.

We endeavor to post scores as rapidly as possible after the awards ceremony so teams can verify accuracy. However, posting on this website does not indicate finality until the 48-hour period has elapsed.

4. Penalties & Code of Ethics

While we expect all participants to exceed expectations regarding the Code of Ethics, we recognize mistakes occur. Officials are encouraged to apply the least restrictive penalty for rules infractions when there is ambiguity (General Rule #5).

Examples of Appropriate Penalties

These examples are illustrative and do not constrain Event Supervisors, who are empowered to use their judgment.

Infraction	Penalty / Reaction
Device Specs (Impound)	If time remains, competitors may modify the device to comply. Otherwise, penalty points or tiering are issued per event rules.
Prohibited Practice	If a team is caught practicing in a prohibited facility prior to the tournament, 5-10 points may be added to the overall team score.
Cell Phone Ringing	Competitor is asked to bring the phone to the front of the room and turn it off. usually no point penalty.
Extra Notes	If discovered early: Confiscation of the extra page. If discovered late: Tiering below other teams.
Parent Interference	Verbal warning for the first incident. Subsequent incidents result in the team being tiered below others.
Verbal Abuse	Verbal warning to be respectful. If behavior continues, the competitor is DQed and the coach is notified.

Scoring Guidelines

1. Scoring Logic

The Goal: The objective is to achieve the lowest total team score.
Event Points: Points are awarded based on rank in a specific event (e.g., 1st place = 1 point, 5th place = 5 points).
Tie Breakers (Team): If two teams have the same total score, the tie is broken by counting who has the most 1st place finishes. If still tied, they move to 2nd place finishes, and so on.

2. Special Scoring Codes

When a team does not achieve a standard raw score, specific codes are assigned. Assuming $N$ is the number of teams competing in the division:

P (Participation): Assigned for an honest attempt that couldn’t be scored (e.g., device failure or safety hazard).
- Points: $N$
NS (No Show): Assigned if a team does not show up or has no preparation.
- Points: $N + 1$
DQ (Disqualification): Assigned for egregious behavior or cheating.
- Points: $N + 2$

3. Event Rules & Penalties

Tiers: If a device fails to meet specific requirements, it is “tiered.” It is allowed to compete but is automatically ranked below all devices that met the specifications.
Penalties: Officials are instructed to apply the “least restrictive penalty” when rules are ambiguous.
Correction Window: Results announced at the awards ceremony are tentative. Scoring errors must be reported within one hour of the announcement to be corrected.

………….

Participation (P) = Last place of the teams competing (variable)

Did Not Show (DNS) = 21points (ties allowed)
Disqualified for poor sportsmanship (DQ) = 22 points (ties allowed)

………….

At regional tournaments, generally the last place score is equal to half the teams registered. There are exceptions to this so examine the scoresheets to determine the last place point.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy prior to the start of the awards ceremony, the scoring can be complex and errors can result. For this reason, we have the 48 hour policy to ensure errors are fixed and a team that has actually earned the right to attend the state or national competition will be able to be invited.

The awards ceremony, as a policy, will not start until AT LEAST 2 hours after the end of the last event of the day. Please make plans for this.

Scores for Current Competition Year

Scores for seasons since 2020 will be found by logging into your account on Scilympiad.com/fl

Score Archive

Scores from the 2019 State Competition at UCF, March 30
Scores from the 2019 North Regional at UF, Jan 19
Scores from the 2019 Central Regional at OHS, Jan 19
Scores from the 2019 West Regional at HCC, Feb 9
Scores from the 2019 Northwest Regional at UWF, Feb 9
Scores from the 2019 East Regional at ERAU, Feb 16
Scores from the 2019 South Regional at UM, Jan 26
Scores from the 2019 Southeast Regional at FAU, Feb 23

Scores from the 2018 State Competition at UCF, March 24
Scores from the 2018 North Regional at UF, Jan 13
Scores from the 2018 Central Regional at LNHS, Jan 13
Scores from the 2018 Southwest Regional at FSW, Jan 20
Scores from the 2018 West Regional at HCC, Feb 3
Scores from the 2018 Northwest Regional at UWF, Feb 10
Scores from the 2018 East Regional at ERAU, Feb 17
Scores from the 2018 South Regional at UM, Feb 17
Scores from the 2018 Southeast Regional at FAU, Feb 17

Scores from the 2017 State Competition, March 25
Scores from the 2017 Southeast Regional at FAU, Feb 18
Scores from the 2017 Northwest Regional at UWF, Feb 18
Scores from the 2017 East Regional at ERAU, Jan 21
Scores from the 2017 Southwest Regional at FSW, Jan 21
Scores from the 2017 North Regional at FGC, Feb 4
Scores from the 2017 Western Regional at HCC, Feb 4
Scores from the 2017 Central Regional at LNHS, Jan 14

Scores from the 2016 State Competition, March 19
Scores from the 2016 Southeast Regional at FAU, Feb 13
Scores from the 2016 Northwest Regional at UWF, Feb 20
Scores from the 2016 East Regional at ERAU, Feb 13
Scores from the 2016 Southwest Regional at FSW, Jan 30
Scores from the 2016 North Regional at FGC, Jan 30
Scores from the 2016 Western Regional at HCC, Jan 23
Scores from the 2016 Central Regional at LNHS, Jan 16

Scores from the 2015 State Competition, March 21, 2015 Div B | Div C
Scores from the 2015 Southeast Regional at FAU, Feb 21, 2015 Division B | Division C
Scores from the 2015 Northwest Regional at UWF, Feb 21, 2015 Division B | Division C
Scores from the 2015 West Regional at HCC, Feb 7, 2017 Division B | Division C | Raw Scores B | Raw Scores C
Scores from the 2015 North Regional at FGC, Jan 31, 2015
Scores from the 2015 Southwest Regional at CMS, Jan 24, 2015 Final Rank | Raw Points
Scores from the 2015 Eastern Regional at ERAU, Jan 24, 2015 Division B | Division C | Raw Scores B | Raw Scores C
Scores from the 2015 Central Regional, Jan 17, 2015

Scores from the 2014 Elementary Science Olympiad, May 10, 2014
Scores from the 2014 State Competition, March 15, 2014 Division B | Division C
Scores from the 2014 North Regional at UWF, Feb. 8, 2014 Division B | Division C
Scores from the 2014 North Regional at FGC, Feb. 1, 2014 Division B | Division C
Scores from the 2014 Northeast Regional at MHS, Feb. 1, 2014 Division B | Division C
Scores from the 2014 West Regional at HCC, Feb. 1, 2014 Division B | Division C
Scores from the 2014 Central Regional at LNMS, Jan 18 2014 Division B | Division C

Scores from the 2012 State Competition
Scores from the 2012 Elementary Science Olympiad March 10, 2012
Scores from the 2012 CCHS Central Regional Competition
Scores from the 2012 UWF Northwest Regional Competition
Scores from the 2012 CCCHS Western Regional Competition

S cores from the Elementary Science Olympiad Competition, May 14, 2011
Scores from the 2011 State Competition
Scores from the 2011 Northwest Florida Regional Competition
Scores from the 2011 FGC Northern Regional Competition
Scores from the 2011 CCHS Central Regional Competition
Scores from the 2011 CCCHS Western Regional Competition

Scores from the Elementary Science Olympiad Competition, April 17, 2010
Scores from the 2010 State Competition
Scores from the 2010 CCHS Central Regional Competition
Scores from the 2010 CCCHS Western Regional Competition
Scores from the 2010 LCCC Northern Regional Competition
Scores from the 2010 FAU Southern Regional Competition

Scores from the Elementary Science Olympiad Competition, May 2, 2009
Scores from the 2009 State Competition
Scores from the 2009 CCHS Central Regional Competition
Scores from the 2009 CCCHS Western Regional Competition

Scores from the Elementary Science Olympiad Competition, May 17, 2008
Scores from the 2008 State Competition
Scores from the 2008 FAU Competition
Scores from the 2008 Wekiva Competition

Scores from the 2007 Competition
Scores from the 2006 Competition.
Scores from the 2005 Competition.
Scores from the 2004 Competition.
Scores from the 2003 Competition.
Scores from the 2002 Competition.
Scores from the 2001 Competition.
Scores from the 2000 Competition.
Scores from the 1999 Competition.

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