Competition Rules — Intermediate Level

I. General Rules

1. Each team shall consist of three (3) Intermediate Level students in grades 7 through 9.

2. Each team is responsible for correctly writing its table number on the answer sheet for each round.

3. Electronic devices are not permitted during the competition, including cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, calculators, or other electronic devices. Failure to comply may result in disqualification of the team or school, as determined by the chief judge.

4. Permitted materials on the table are pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and any other materials expressly authorized by the League. Books, notebooks, formula sheets, notes, additional paper brought by participants, or reference materials are not permitted. All paper used to solve the problems will be provided or authorized by PRIML.

5. Judges will grade the problems and announce results using only the table number assigned to each team.

6. Each team must remain at its assigned table until instructed otherwise. Students must maintain appropriate conduct and avoid any action that interferes with the work of other teams.

7. Communication with members of other teams, intentionally viewing their answers, sharing information, or receiving help or information from anyone outside the team during a round is prohibited. Any such situation will be evaluated by the chief judge and may result in zero (0) points for the round or disqualification, depending on the severity of the situation.

II. Round Format and Procedures

8. The competition will consist of ten (10) problems distributed over ten (10) rounds. Each problem will have a maximum value of ten (10) points, for a total possible score of one hundred (100) points.

9. Each round will provide five (5) minutes to solve the problem. After the five minutes end, teams will have an additional one (1) minute exclusively to submit the answer sheet containing the procedure and final answer. During this one (1) minute, teams may not continue working, perform calculations, write, erase, or modify the answer. At the end of this period, no additional sheets or changes to the submitted answer will be accepted.

10. When the five (5) minutes of work are called, all team members must immediately stop writing and place their pencils on the table. The answer sheet must be available for collection or submission according to the usher’s instructions. The additional one (1) minute is exclusively for completing the submission process.

11. Team members may divide the work and solve the problem individually or collaboratively. At the end of each round, the team must submit one answer sheet.

12. To receive the corresponding score, the answer sheet must include the final answer and the procedure used. Judges may award partial credit for mathematically correct procedures even when the final answer is not completely correct. Points will be assigned according to the grading criteria established for each problem and applied uniformly to all teams.

13. The first round will begin immediately after the opening and welcome proceedings but may not begin before 9:00 a.m. If a team arrives late, it will receive zero (0) points for each round completed before its arrival. If the team arrives while a round is in progress, it must wait until that round ends and may join at the beginning of the next round.

14. A break will take place after the fifth round is completed.

III. Attendance, Teachers and Guests

15. Students are encouraged to use the restrooms before the competition begins, during the break, at lunch, or after the activity. If a student needs to leave during a round, the student may do so but may not rejoin the team until the beginning of the next round. The remaining team members may continue working.

16. A specific area will be designated for teachers and guests. During the rounds, no teacher, coach, or guest may approach team tables or communicate with participants. Communication with students is permitted only during periods authorized by the organization.

17. After the tenth round and the corresponding procedures are completed, teams will receive instructions to proceed to the lunch area designated by the host institution.

IV. Appeals

18. Appeals may be submitted in accordance with the procedure established by the Mathematics League. Each team may submit a maximum of two (2) written appeals, using only the official form provided for that purpose: one (1) for Problems 1 through 5 and one (1) for Problems 6 through 10.

19. The appeal must be delivered to the usher assigned to the table before any team member leaves the table or communicates with teachers, guests, participants from other teams, or any other person outside the team. Once any member leaves the table or establishes such communication, the team will be considered to have waived its right to submit the appeal for that block of problems.

20. Appeals may address possible grading errors, errors in the addition or recording of points, interpretation of an answer, or possible ambiguities related to the problem. An appeal may not be used to modify, complete, or replace an answer after the round has ended or after the solution to the problem is known.

21. Judges’ determinations regarding grading, scores, and appeals are final and binding.

V. Tie-Breakers and Awards

22. If a tie affects award positions, an additional tie-break round will be administered exclusively to the tied teams. If the tie continues, a second tie-break round will be administered.

23. If the tie persists after the two (2) additional tie-break rounds, the final position will be determined by comparing the scores obtained by the tied teams on the regular competition problems, beginning with Problem 10. The team with the higher score on Problem 10 will receive the higher position. If the teams obtained the same score on Problem 10, the scores on Problem 9 will be compared. If the tie continues, the scores on Problem 8 will be compared, and this process will continue in descending order through the previous problems until a problem is reached in which one of the tied teams obtained a higher score. That team will receive the higher final position.

24. The five (5) teams with the highest cumulative scores at the end of the competition and, when applicable, the tie-break rounds, will receive awards.

Note: Participation in the competition constitutes acceptance of these rules and of the official decisions of the judges and PRIML.