2011-2012 Events

[NYLHVSSO]

The NEW revised rules as of July 25th. No more Optics or Keep the Heat in Div C. Thermodynamics and Sounds of Music replace them.

http://soinc.org/sites/default/files/20 ... 3-11v3.pdf

They're not rules.

[smartkid222]

JKrafsur you need to be more careful. I also almost just had a heart attack!

[harryk]

Yay for Optics

[JKrafsur]

Sorry guys. Sometimes I'm a little of a wackjob. Ya, i don't know, keep the heat may have been renamed.

[JKrafsur]

And random question, but how on earth can you guys like optics. That was the event our team did the worst on and made no sense.

[zyzzyva980]

Optics is a branch of science just like Anatomy and Thermodynamics and all that good stuff. The laser shoot had some problems that I think they fixed this year, so you might like a bit more in the upcoming season.

[geminicross]

I heard there was a problem with the binders when i went to regionals.

[zyzzyva980]

Optics allows any resource so long as it is secured in a one inch, three ring binder

[geminicross]

Optics allows any resource so long as it is secured in a one inch, three ring binder

yeah, cause there was a debate becuase some teams were using three inch and the coordinator let it slide. then when some teams debated they were DQed. Some teams tried to repeal but by the time they could results were already starting. I don't think it made a difference though cause the top teams won the events anyway

[chalker7]

Optics allows any resource so long as it is secured in a one inch, three ring binder

yeah, cause there was a debate becuase some teams were using three inch and the coordinator let it slide. then when some teams debated they were DQed. Some teams tried to repeal but by the time they could results were already starting. I don't think it made a difference though cause the top teams won the events anyway

The exact line (in last year's rules) reads "b. All reference materials to be used during the competition must be secured in a 3-ring binder, must be 3-hole punched and inserted in the binder so that regardless of orientation nothing can fall out."
There is no restriction on size of the 3-ring binder, and there has not been for several years. This is due to how notoriously difficult it is to measure...do you go off of the label or are you forcing every event supervisor to physically measure the binders? See the Physical Science Lab Image gallery for the largest binder I have ever heard of being legally brought into a competition. However, this of course doesn't mean a regional supervisor won't interpret the rules differently or publish their own clarifications.