The "GRASSLAND EVALUATION CONTEST GUIDE" will provide additional
details as to how the GRASSLAND EVALUATION CONTEST is to be set up
and conducted at the contest site. All contestants should
familiarize themselves with this information along with these
CONTEST RULES (reviewed annually).
RULES DURING COMPETITION:
- A contest team will consist of a maximum of four (4) or a
minimum of three (3) students who are either currently enrolled at
the high school level (FFA or 4H) or have graduated at the end of
the school year prior to the contest.
- Contestants will be supplied score cards, appropriate maps or
aerial photos and any necessary information. All score cards, maps
and aerial photos will be collected at each judging site.
- Contestants will fill out their name, school name, and/or
student ID number on score sheet. If all three items are left off
the score sheet the individual will receive a zero (0) on their
score sheet. If any of the three items are filled in - the judging
team will try to find out whose it is.
- A maximum of five (5) 4-H and five (5) FFA teams may enter from
each state.
- Contestants will be allowed twenty-five (25) minutes to judge
each of the four (4) segments of the contest with three (3) minutes
to move between judging sites. Total contest time is approximately
two (2) hours.
- Contestants may use non-programmable hand-held calculators.
Each participant will furnish their own pencils, calculator and
clipboard.
- Contestants will NOT be allowed to:
- talk to anyone during the contest or use other printed materials for reference.
- touch plants used for the plant identification.
- leave the contest site during the contest. There will be NO exceptions.
- step into or touch plants within the 50 X 50 ft. plots.
- Only contestants and officials will be allowed within the
contest area during the contest.
- Judge's decisions will be final concerning any questions involving the contest.
SCORING RULES AND ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:
- The winning team will be determined by adding together the
highest three (3) team member's scores. If less than three (3)
members of a team are present, they may enter and compete as
individuals.
- In case of a tie score, the Plant I.D. score will be used to
determine the winner.
Should this score also result in a tie, the
Grassland Condition Score will be used followed by a "coin-flip" in
the event of another tie.
- Members of the first place team or high scoring individual in a
Mid-America Grassland Evaluation Contest will NOT be eligible to
participate in the next year's contest.
SCORE CARD CLARIFICATION NOTES:
- Plant Identification: This part of the contest involves two
answers (common name and life cycle) for each of the twenty-five
plants. Both answers must be correct for the question to be
considered as correct. If the plant falls in both life cycle
categories, either one or both can be marked to be considered correct.
- Grassland Condition: Question no. 3, "Matching Livestock &
Forage". The answer to this question must be within a ten percent
(10%) range of the final correct answer determined by the judges at
the contest site -- within five percent (5%) above or five percent
(5%) below the correct answer.
- Soils: Contestants will determine "soil slope" from designated
stakes located at or near the "soils" site. Elevations will not be
given.
AWARDS
- Team members compete for both team and individual awards.
- Contest awards (trophies, plaques, &/or medallions) will be presented according to the following categories (in case of ties, see no. 11 under Scoring Rules):
- TEAMS:
- Five highest scoring FFA teams.
- Five highest scoring 4-H teams.
- Over-all Champion Team (highest scoring three-member team) - one award only.
- INDIVIDUALS:
- Five highest scoring FFA individuals.
- Five highest scoring 4-H individuals.
- Highest Over-all scoring individual -- one award only.
MID AMERICA CONTEST RULES: Revised: July, 2005
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