Bounceback

In formats with bounceback, bonus parts incorrectly answered by the team in control of the bonus are then given to the opposition, which usually is given three seconds to answer. Bouncebacks are sometimes referred to as steals. Bouncebacks are very rare in the open and college game, but there are many examples of their use in the high school game.

Arguments in favor of bouncebacks:

• Teams answering very few tossups get a chance to answer some questions and possibly score some points.
• Teams not in control of the bonus pay more attention to the bonus.
• Points go to a team that knows something their opponent does not know.
• Teams that are very weak in a topic are encouraged to learn something about it to prevent other teams from rebounding their bonuses in that topic.

Arguments against bouncebacks:

• They lengthen matches, especially if the moderating crew has some weak members, meaning that tournaments last longer or have fewer rounds.
• They complicate statistics, potentially leading to a greater turnaround time for reseeding pools.
• They change the nature of bonuses, making them less of a "bonus" for the team that answered the tossup.
• They can lead to game strategies near the end of a game in which a team is better off not answering a tossup.
• Teams controlling a rebounding bonus have to confer quietly to avoid giving information to the other team.

The most prominent tournament using bouncebacks is the PACE NSC. Several states, including Illinois and Missouri, used bouncebacks at pretty much all high school tournaments before 2005 but now have several of tournaments both with and without them.