• A three person Judging Panel including a Chief Judge, an Assistant Judge, and a Leak Testing Judge.
• Two Timers
• A Recorder.

• A steady table with a top measuring at least 3 ft by 7 ft
• Plastic table cover, with tape to hold it steady
• Wooden 1x2 stock, or other material with which to raise the plastic around the edges of the table so that spills are contained except for one area which can drain into a bucket
• A waste water bucket
• Water soluble food coloring to color the water
• Enough clear plastic 1 liter soft drink bottles which meet the size specifications in the problem statement so that each team may have one for fitting and adjustment purposes prior to the start of the contest.  If the one liter bottles are obtained by buying a commercially availiable soft drink and throwing away the contents it is strongly recommended that the original one-liter level of the fluid be marked on the outside of a few bottles immediately after opening with a permanent marking pen.  These can then serve as reference bottles.
• The tare weights of all empty bottles to be used in the contest should be determined and marked in permanent marker on the bottle.  This should be done right after each bottle has been filled, then emptied and shaken out to remove excess moisture.  (The bottles should not be dry inside, or the first teams to use them will have a disadvantage during the running of the contest.)
• A collection of caps for the soft drink bottles with the anti-tampering strip removed.   (Contrary to early versions of the problem statement, the bottle cap should now have any original cap liner in place.)
• A balance or scales on which to weigh the filled and empty bottles.
• A sponge or chamois and paper towels with which to clean up spills.

• The Regional Vice President should appoint the Judging Panel and Chief Judge prior to February 15, 2000, and report their names and e-mail addresses to the Student Design Contest Committee Chair.
• Timers and a Recorder should be appointed prior to the RSC.
• All personnel involved with the contest should read the problem statement and all Question & Answer bulletins very carefully. Anything unclear or confusing should be discussed by the Judging Panel before the contest.
• The Judges should have a pre-contest meeting with the contestants to discuss the contest rules and procedures, and to answer any questions.
• Note:  The Chief Judge must be THE point of contact for any and all questions before or during the contest. The Chief Judge may discuss questions with the Judging Panel before answering them.  This seems arbitrary, but is necessary to avoid the probability that two different judges might answer the same question differently, leading to anger and hard feelings on the part of the contestants.
• The running order for the teams should be selected randomly (e.g., by having the teams pick numbers from a hat).

• When a team checks in with the judges upon arriving at the contest site it will be given one of the "official contest bottles".  The team then has approximately one-half hour to adjust their system to the particular bottle used and run a "wet test" to make sure the system is working.  At the end of the half hour they must return the bottle to the judging panel.
• Once the preliminary test is completed the teams must return their devices to their 30x30x50 cm box and prepare for the actual test.
• When a team is called to the test table they will be given their liquid supply pre-metered in two one-liter bottles.  The contest then proceeds as laid out in the contest rules:
• While the judges watch and time, the team assemble their device and charge it with fluid, bottle, and cap.  The team must clearly signal the judges when their assembly and charging process is completed.  After that the team may not adjust or modify their system.
• The team then makes a presentation to the audience lasting at least two minutes describing the primary features of their device and how they expect it to operate.  Major design decisions and the reasons for the choices made are of primary interest.
• The team makes the first run
• The judges take charge of the filled bottle.  The bottle is carefully wiped with a paper towel to remove any spilled liquid on the outside or under the cap edge and is passed to the Leak Testing Judge.
• The Leak Testing Judge places the bottle on its side in a shallow pan for the two minute leak test.  The judge is responsible for watching  over the bottles during leak testing and for "reading" the results at the end of the two minute interval for each bottle.
• If any liquid is visible at the edge of the cap or in the pan any time during the two minutes a 100 point penalty is assessed.
• The bottle is then weighed with its contents to the nearest gram to determine the volume of fluid transferred for the scoring formula.
• The Chief and Assistant Judges agree on the times and scoring for everything but the leak test for the first run.
• The second run may proceed while the leak testing for the first run is being completed under the watchful eye of the Leak Testing Judge.  Therefore, when cleared by the Head Judge, the teams may place a new bottle, a new cap, and additional liquid into their system following the contest rules.
• A second run is then made with the identical procedures
• The team must then clear their device from the testing area and help clean up any spills.
• The next contest team can then be called to the testing site.
• After the judges have agreed on the scoring for both runs, have gotten the results of the leakage tests from the Leak Testing Judge, and assessed any penalties incurred by the team, they should calcluate and post the results.

 

The winner will be the team with the highest rating, calculated as given in the contest rules.

Note:

• If there is a tie, the Judging Panel can select a winner based on "reliability" and "potential to succeed at the finals" as subjective measures. A run-off  may also be used.
• The Regional Vice President is encouraged to give special awards to teams for originality, aesthetic appeal, enthusiasm, etc.