OFFICIAL RULES FOR SPELLING BEE MOROCCO™ 2015

Eligibility

Only organizations may register to hold Spelling Bee Morocco qualifying events. Individuals enter
the competition by registering to take part in a local organization's event.

The following types of organizations/programs are eligible to register for Spelling Bee Morocco: public and
private schools including Access programs, and MATE Regional Organizations. Organizations that participated
last year (2014) will be given first priority to participate this year. Organizations that registered last year but
did not send spellers to a District Championship, will be put on a waiting list.

Spelling Bee Morocco is open to students through the last year of the baccalaureate. Students who have
placed first in a prior national championship are ineligible. Native speakers of English are ineligible. Students
may not have reached the age of 20 before May 1, 2015 (i.e. have a birthdate after 30 April 1995). Students
may not register individually, but must participate in a spelling competition sponsored by an eligible
organization. Students may only compete for one organization (i.e., their school, Access program, or Regional
MATE chapter). The highest placing individuals and teams advance to succeeding levels of competition.
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Students participating in the Novice Team Competition may not yet have completed 9 grade or reached the
age of 17 before May 1, 2015 (i.e., have a birthdate after 30 April 1998). There is no lower age limit for
participation.

Conditions

Qualifiers at the School Championships must complete a Participant Profile before the district competition,
agree to stay at the accommodations provided by Spelling Bee Morocco, and allow their photos to be used by
MATE and its sponsors in communications about Spelling Bee Morocco. Images will not be used for
commercial purposes or given to other people to use.

Since there is a limit on the number of places in the competition, organizations should provide a
school championship date at least 2 weeks before the deadline. If they do not, they may lose their
place in the competition.

Dictionary of Record
The Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners is the dictionary of record for the competition. All
words used in the competition can be found in the in the MEDAL. The MEDAL will be the final word on any
disputes involving spelling. In cases where American and British spelling differs, spellers may use either one.
Homonyms: If a word has a homonym, the pronouncer will note that and provide the definition of the
desired word when he or she gives the word. If the pronouncer fails to do that, and the speller provides the
correct spelling of any of the homonyms, it will be considered correct.
Official Rules for the Spelling Bee Morocco™ Team Spelling Bee

1. No, cell phones or other electronic devices are allowed during the competition.
2. Teams consist of three spellers. Each team receives a dry erase board and marker
3. In each round, all teams spell the same word.
4. The pronouncer will give the word and repeat the word.
5. Any of the teams may ask for clarification, such as part of speech or definition or to have the
word repeated, but only one time.
6. Once the word has been pronounced and any questions answered, the judges will start the timer.
7. Teams have 30 seconds to decide on the correct spelling and write it clearly on their board.
8. Team members may confer about the proper spelling and they may use pen and paper in figuring out
their spelling.
9. When time is called all teams show their boards and keep them visible until a judge has inspected it
and declared the spelling to be correct or incorrect.
10. Continuing to write after time has been called, or failure to show your board after time has been called,
will be considered a misspelling. Illegible or ambiguous writing may also result in a misspelling.
11. Teams are eliminated after the third misspelling.
12. If a team misses a round, it will be considered a misspelling.
13. The last team remaining is the winner. If any teams are tied for one of the top three places, the judges
will hold separate rounds to determine their place of finish.

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Official Rules for the Spelling Bee Morocco Novice Team Spelling Bee

14. The Novice team spelling bee is conducted in exactly the same way as the Team Bee, except that age
and class limits as spelled out in Eligibility apply.
15. The Novice Team Spelling Bee will be held only at the District Championship Level.
16. Participants in the Novice Team Bee are eligible and encouraged to compete in both the Team Bee and
Solo Bee at the District Level.
Official Rules for the Spelling Bee Morocco™ Solo Spelling Bee

1. No, cell phones or other electronic devices are allowed during the competition.
2. Spellers will be assigned numbers at random to determine the order of spelling. In each round, the speller
must be present when his or her number is up. Failure to be present will be considered a misspelling.
3. In each round, spellers receive one word to spell. If they spell it correctly, they continue to the next
round. If incorrectly, they are eliminated, and must leave the stage.
4. Spellers may not receive help of any sort from other spellers or members of the audience. If that
occurs, the speller will be disqualified.
5. When it is their turn, spellers should approach the microphone and face the judges.
6. The speller should repeat the word to make sure they have heard it correctly (failure to repeat the word
will not result in disqualification)
7. After the pronouncer has given the word, the speller may ask
a. To have the word repeated
b. The part of speech
c. The definition
d. To hear the word used in a sentence
8. Having once begun to spell, the speller may start over, but may not change the letters or order of
letters they have spelled.
9. When finished, the speller should repeat the word so the judges know they are done. (Failure to do so
will not result in disqualification.)
10. Spellers must use the names of the letters in the English alphabet, not the sound of the letters or
the names of the letters in French or any other language that uses the Roman alphabet.
11. Spellers must spell each letter. They may not use “double _” or any other shorthand in their spelling.
For example, HALL must be spelled H-A-L-L, not H-A-double L.
12. A speller’s failure to start spelling when asked by the judges may result in disqualification, as will failure
to complete the spelling within a reasonable length of time.
13. The competition continues until there is only one speller left, and he or she is the winner. If there are
spellers tied for the other places, the judges will hold additional rounds among those spellers to
determine the order of finish.
14. The rules change slightly when the competition gets down to two spellers, or when all but one speller
misspells in the round. At that time, the remaining speller must correctly spell another word in a round of
one. If he or she does not, all the spellers in the preceding round remain in the competition. In other
words, the competition continues until the final speller spells two words in a row.
15. Any challenges to judges’ decisions must be made before a speller would have been scheduled to receive
his or her next word. In case of such a challenge, the judges will confer and render a decision on the
appeal. The decision of the judges is final.