Difference between revisions of "Length limit"

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m (Jonah Greenthal moved page Character limit to Length limit: There are other forms of length limits, and it makes sense to cover them all on one page (which I will do))
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'''Character limit'''s (also called '''character cap'''s, '''length limits''', '''line limit'''s, or '''length cap'''s) are formal or informal decisions by the editors of a tournament to restrict the length of questions, especially tossups. Character and length limits are common in high school quizbowl and less so in collegiate formats. Proponents of length caps claim that they encourage crisp, clear writing, efficient use of clues rather than non-clue words, and the swift completion of many-round tournaments; opponents of such limits claim that they impede writing more than they help, particularly if the cap is very low in comparison to the usual length of [[mACF]] tossups, and may not actually save hosts much time in the running of tournaments when other disturbances (talking between questions, logistical issues, etc.) take up far more time.
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Many packet sets limit the lengths of their questions. There is considerable variance in method of limiting the length, the actual limit, and the strictness with which the limit is enforced.
  
===Examples===
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Proponents of length caps claim that they encourage crisp, clear writing, efficient use of clues rather than non-clue words, and the swift completion of many-round tournaments; opponents of such limits claim that they impede writing more than they help, particularly if the cap is very low, and may not actually save hosts much time in the running of tournaments when other disturbances (talking between questions, logistical issues, etc.) may take up more time.
*[[NAQT]] [[A-set]] tossups: 291 characters, incl. spaces
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*[[NAQT]] [[IS-set]], [[HSNCT]], and [[Division II]] tossups: 425 characters, incl spaces
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==Character-based limits==
*[[NAQT]] [[Division I]] tossups: 500 characters, incl. spaces
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[[NAQT]] has both minimum and maximum numbers of characters in its tossups. (Spaces count; pronunciation guides don't count; there are other, more arcane details about which characters count.) The current limits are 260–291 characters for middle school and introductory high school questions, 375–425 for regular- and national-level high school questions and [[Division II]] collegiate play, and 460–500 for [[Division I]] collegiate play. These limits are enforced absolutely. In the first decade of the 2000s, NAQT was widely criticized for length limits, but since then, length limits (of varying types) have become much more prevalent on [[the circuit]].
*[[ACF Fall]] tossups: hard cap, six lines of text, 10 point Times-New Roman
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*[[2010 ACF Winter]] tossups: cap, seven lines of text, 10 point Times-New Roman (except finals)
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[[PACE]] uses an upper limit of 750 characters for its tossups.
*[[Early Autumn Collegiate Novice]]: five lines of text for tossups, fewer than 2 for each bonus part
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No organizations are known to implement a specific character limit on bonuses. Editorial philosophies differ on the extent to which brevity is desirable in bonuses. NAQT strives to keep bonuses short (but, since about 2012, still use full sentences) because they are often used in [[timed play]].
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==Line-based limits==
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Many [[circuit]] tournaments specify limits on length based on the number of lines of text (measured in terms of specified fonts, sizes and layouts, such as "10-point Times New Roman with one-inch margins, pre-powermarking"). Sometimes different limits are given for initial [[packet submission|submissions]] vs. final products. These limits are sometimes enforced strictly and sometimes loosely.
  
[[PACE]]'s Question Set Certification Program uses length as one of its criteria for judging a set as "exemplary" or "satisfactory." Tossups are expected to be mostly under 650 characters or six lines of 10-point Times New Roman in length, and bonus parts are not to be longer than 200 characters or two lines of 10-point Times New Roman.
 
  
 
[[Category:Quizbowl lingo]]
 
[[Category:Quizbowl lingo]]
 
[[Category:Question Writing]]
 
[[Category:Question Writing]]

Revision as of 16:33, 21 November 2017

Many packet sets limit the lengths of their questions. There is considerable variance in method of limiting the length, the actual limit, and the strictness with which the limit is enforced.

Proponents of length caps claim that they encourage crisp, clear writing, efficient use of clues rather than non-clue words, and the swift completion of many-round tournaments; opponents of such limits claim that they impede writing more than they help, particularly if the cap is very low, and may not actually save hosts much time in the running of tournaments when other disturbances (talking between questions, logistical issues, etc.) may take up more time.

Character-based limits

NAQT has both minimum and maximum numbers of characters in its tossups. (Spaces count; pronunciation guides don't count; there are other, more arcane details about which characters count.) The current limits are 260–291 characters for middle school and introductory high school questions, 375–425 for regular- and national-level high school questions and Division II collegiate play, and 460–500 for Division I collegiate play. These limits are enforced absolutely. In the first decade of the 2000s, NAQT was widely criticized for length limits, but since then, length limits (of varying types) have become much more prevalent on the circuit.

PACE uses an upper limit of 750 characters for its tossups.

No organizations are known to implement a specific character limit on bonuses. Editorial philosophies differ on the extent to which brevity is desirable in bonuses. NAQT strives to keep bonuses short (but, since about 2012, still use full sentences) because they are often used in timed play.


Line-based limits

Many circuit tournaments specify limits on length based on the number of lines of text (measured in terms of specified fonts, sizes and layouts, such as "10-point Times New Roman with one-inch margins, pre-powermarking"). Sometimes different limits are given for initial submissions vs. final products. These limits are sometimes enforced strictly and sometimes loosely.