The Original College Bowl Format

This format is still  in use in several countries, including the long-running United Kingdom version. The New Zealand format also uses the original format.

Two teams of four players each compete. The game begins with a Tossup (or Starter) worth 10 points asked by the moderator. Any player may signal to answer, either interrupting the question or waiting until it's complete. Players may not confer on a Tossup. Answer correctly, earn 10 points. Answer incorrectly and the question is turned over to the other team. Additionally, if a player interrupts and answers incorrectly the team loses 5 points.

If a player answers a Tossup correctly his team receives a Bonus question. Historically, bonuses may be worth anywhere from 20-30 points. In recent versions the point value has been standardized at twenty.

The game proceeds in exactly this fashion – Tossup followed by Bonus – until time runs out. The team with the most points wins.