Changing your answer

Disclaimer: This article is about rules. Its contents are not authoritative. Please consult official rules for up-to-date information.

The Rules of the Game

Rules

Before the game

Affiliation

Eligibility

Division I and Division II

Undergraduate

During the game

Tossups

Powers

Conversions

Negs

Bonuses

Blurting · Conferring · Leading articles
Recognition · Changing your answer
Prompts

Protests

Moot

While answering a question, a player may change their answer to something else. In general, this is acceptable if it is done sufficiently quickly and without pausing. Corrections to pronunciation are included under the umbrella of "changing one's answer".

This is governed by ACF gameplay rule F2 and NAQT gameplay rule I8.

Examples

The following table describes a question with a correct answer of George Washington:

Scenario	ACF	NAQT
Player: Jeffer—Washington	Accepted The answer of Jeffer— is not "at least one word that could uniquely identify a potential answer" and thus the player has not completed an answer until after they changed to saying Washington. Additionally, even after completing their answer the player has the opportunity to change their answer "without any unnatural pause, before the moderator has ruled on any answer that player has given".	Accepted (under moderator discretion) If the moderator rules that the player has "not completed any incorrect substantive word" by saying Jeffer—, then their subsequent answer of Washington will be ruled on.
Player: George Jeffer—Washington	Accepted Though the player has started their answer, they have not "[completed] all other words of within that potential answer" and thus do not finish it until they amend their response to be George Washington. Additionally, even after completing their answer the player has the opportunity to change their answer "without any unnatural pause, before the moderator has ruled on any answer that player has given.	Accepted (under moderator discretion) The word George is not an "incorrect substantive word", as it is part of the correct answers. If the moderator rules that the player has "not completed any incorrect substantive word" by saying Jeffer—, then their complete answer of George Washington will be ruled on.
Player: Washintgon—er, Washington	Accepted The player has the opportunity to change their answer "without any unnatural pause, before the moderator has ruled on any answer that player has given". In this scenario, the player was able to amend their original answer immediately before it was ruled on. Note that the original answer is not an acceptable pronunciation under the vowel rule.	Rejected The player has completed an "incorrect substantive word" (Washintgon), per the guidelines of the vowel rule.
Player: Jefferson. Moderator: Player: Moderator: Player: I mean Washington	Rejected (under moderator discretion) The moderator can decide that this constitutes an "unnatural pause" and rule on the first answer directed.	Rejected The player has completed an "incorrect substantive word" (Jefferson).
Player: Jefferson. Moderator: Incorrect. Player: Oh uh, actually Washington	Rejected The opportunity for changing answers only extends to the point at which the moderator rules - a player obviously cannot change their answer after being told it is incorrect (or correct, for that matter).	Rejected The player has completed an "incorrect substantive word" (Jefferson).