Most quiz night arguments are not about the answers. They are about the rules nobody explained. Choose a scoring system, say it out loud before the first question, and stick to it.
The classic: one point per right answer
Simple, fair and quick to mark. Every correct answer is worth the same, and the team with the most points wins. It is the right choice for most home quizzes, especially if you are marking on paper.
Its only weakness is that it does not reward anything except knowing the answer. If you want more drama, add one of the twists below to a single round rather than the whole quiz.
Speed bonuses
Speed scoring rewards the quick as well as the clever. A few ways to do it:
- First correct answer gets a bonus. Everyone who is right scores, and the fastest gets an extra point.
- Falling points. A question starts at a high value and drops as the seconds tick by. This is hard to run by hand but works brilliantly with a timer on screen.
- Early-guess bonus on picture rounds. Reveal a picture bit by bit and give more points to whoever names it first.
Speed scoring can favour confident adults over careful thinkers, so it suits one round rather than a whole evening.
Negative marking
Negative marking takes points away for a wrong answer. It stops wild guessing and makes people think twice, which can add real tension. It also makes some players freeze, so use it carefully.
- Keep the penalty smaller than the reward. If a right answer is worth two, a wrong one might cost one.
- Always allow a pass. Choosing not to answer should score zero, not lose points.
- Avoid it with young children. Losing points is a lot less fun at eight than at forty.
- It works best in buzzer rounds, where it stops people buzzing before they know the answer.
Jokers and double points
A joker lets each team pick one round to score double. Teams hand in their joker before the round starts, so they have to bet on their strengths. It adds a bit of strategy and gives a struggling team a way back into the game.
Variations include a wager round, where teams stake some of their points on the final question, and a banker, where a team can lock in its score at any point and sit out the rest of a round.
Buzzer etiquette
Buzzer rounds are the most exciting part of many quizzes and the most likely to end in a row. Agree these rules before the first buzz:
- Buzz, then answer. Once you have buzzed, you must answer straight away. No thinking time.
- First answer counts. No changing your mind, and no "I meant to say".
- Interrupting is allowed, but risky. Decide whether players can buzz before the question has finished. If they can, a wrong answer should cost them.
- Wrong answer, others get a go. After a wrong answer, that player is out for that question and the rest get a second chance.
- No conferring in individual buzzer rounds, and no shouting the answer if it is not your turn.
Without real buzzers, a hand slap on the table or shouting your team name works. Appoint the most impartial person in the room as judge of who was first.
House rules worth agreeing up front
- Spelling: does it count if it is recognisable? Usually yes.
- Surnames: is a surname alone enough for a famous person? Decide now.
- Phones: away, or face down on the table where everyone can see them.
- Disputes: the host decides, and the decision is final. Note the question and look it up afterwards if you must.
- Late arrivals: do they start from zero or join a team?
How to settle a tie
Ties at the top are common, so have a plan ready:
- Nearest number. Ask a question with a numerical answer. The closest guess wins, and you will almost never get another tie.
- Sudden death. One question at a time to the tied players. The first to buzz in and answer correctly wins.
- Best round. The team with the highest score in a chosen round, often the last one, takes it.
Whatever you pick, announce it before the quiz starts. A tie-break decided after the tie always looks suspicious to the losing side.