Math Competition

In order to qualify as a competitor:

• You must be a deaf or hard-of-hearing student enrolled in grades 6-8.
• You must be age 15 or younger.
• You must be a part of a registered team.

To register a team:

• Teams must consist of four qualified competitors and up to two coaches.*
  • Coaches must be employees of the school or district.
  • *Teams of three may participate, but will be at a disadvantage for the Tiger Team Challenge.
• Each team must compete in their regional competition to advance to Nationals.
• Competitors on a team must be a part of the same school district, live in the same county/parish, or live within 75 miles of each other.
• Teams must pay a $200 registration fee.

For questions about forming a team, contact mathcompetition@rit.edu. 

To participate in the Math Competition, a coach will need to:

1. Register their team online (school name, location, coach name, and shirt size)
2. Complete student online registration (student’s name, address, parent’s information, and additional information needed)
3. Submit registration information and paperwork for each member of their team
   • If your school or district is interested in applying for a spot in your regional competition, coaches may apply and secure a place in the competition prior to finalizing their team roster.

Registration will open on September 30, 2026.

For regional competitions, teams are responsible for their own transportation to the competition site. RIT/NTID covers all lodging and meals starting on the first day of each regional competition. 

For the national competition, all expenses are paid for by RIT/NTID for the top 4 teams from each region. 

Friday night is Spirit Night! Teams should show their school colors, wear school t-shirts, face paint, and wacky headgear to show school spirit. The effort and spirit behind their attire, paired with energy, kindness, and sportsmanship displayed through the weekend, will determine the recipient of the annual Ben Hall Spirit Award. This applies to regional competition only.

All teams will participate in the Tiger Team Challenge. Each team will be given a set of 10 problems to solve within 45 minutes. When all 10 problems are complete, teams hand over their answer sheets to a member of the Math Competition staff. The judges will check the sheets and return the problems back to the team if there are any incorrect answers. Each team has at most three checks from the judges within the 45-minute limit. At the end of the challenge, all answer sheets will be collected. Each correct answer is worth 2 points towards the team’s overall score.

All individuals will participate in the Solo Tiger Challenge, where competitors work alone. This round is 40 minutes and consists of 30 math problems that feature mathematical reasoning and problem-solving processes. Calculators are permitted during the Solo Tiger Challenge.

Following the Solo Tiger Challenge, all competitors participate in the Tiger Strike Challenge and work alone. This round is 20 minutes and consists of eight math problems that feature multi-step problems that engage students in mathematical reasoning and problem-solving processes. Calculators are permitted during the Tiger Strike Challenge.

Students will work together to solve 4 different puzzles in order to decipher a code that unlocks a prize! The puzzles for Roar Your Way Out are:

• Math Pyramid
• Sudoku
• Shape Equations
• KenKen (5x5)
• Logic Puzzles

Puzzle selections are updated annually. The Math Competition team reserves the right to make minor adjustments or substitutions to the schedule if needed.

The Play-In and Championship rounds form the final stage of the Math Competition.

• Championship Round (Top 6 Teams):
  • Teams placing 1^st–4^th based on Friday night and Saturday morning scores automatically qualify.
  • Teams placing 5^th–10^th compete in the Play-In Round, with the top 2 teams advancing to fill the remaining championship spots.

Format & Structure

Both the Play-In and Championship rounds follow the exact same format:

1. Team Round (6 Questions)
   • Time: 90 seconds per question.
   • Scoring: 2 points per correct answer.
   • Rules: Collaboration and calculators are permitted.
2. Individual Round (8 Questions)
   • Pre-Round Setup: Teams must assign players as Player 1, 2, 3, or 4 for specific individual questions. This order cannot be changed once set.
   • Time: 90 seconds per question.
   • Scoring: 1 point per correct answer.
   • Rules: Work individually; no calculators allowed.
   • Roster Constraints:
     • 4-player teams answer all 8 questions.
     • 3-player teams must sit out for Questions 4 & 8.

Rules & Disputes

• Objections: The Team Captain must inform judges of any objection before the next question is displayed.
• Technical Issues: Write your answer on paper and hold it up before time expires. Judges and proctors have final authority on all technical rulings.

Tiebreaker Rules

If teams are tied after the standard rounds, a single tiebreaker round of 4 individual questions will be played. If the tie persists:

For 2 Tied Teams:

1. Sudden Victory: 4 individual questions (45 seconds each). The first player to answer correctly wins.
2. Preliminary Score Seed: If still tied, the team with the higher combined score from Friday night and Saturday morning wins.

For 3+ Tied Teams:

1. Additional Rounds: Teams will play successive 4-question individual rounds until the tie is broken.
2. Preliminary Score Seed: If the tie persists, final rankings revert to combined Friday night and Saturday morning scores.

The Top Tiger Championship is an individual, bracket-style tournament featuring the highest-scoring students from Saturday morning's competition.

• Qualification: Top individual performers from Saturday morning.
• Field Size: At least 10% of total competitors, capped at a maximum of 16 students.
• Calculators: Strictly not permitted.

Tournament Format & Scoring

Preliminary & Elimination Rounds (Before 3rd Place & Finals)

• Match Format: Best 2 out of 3 questions wins (first to get 2 correct answers advances).
• Time Limit: 45 seconds per question.
• Speed Advantage: Correct answers submitted faster give the competitive edge.
• Tiebreakers:
  1. Sudden Victory: Up to 5 additional questions; the first competitor to answer correctly advances.
  2. Preliminary Score Seed: If still tied after 5 extra questions, the student with the higher individual score from Saturday morning advances.

Finals & 3rd Place Match

• Match Format: First competitor to answer 3 questions correctly wins.
• Time Limit: 45 seconds per question.

Rules & Simultaneous Submissions

• Simultaneous Submissions: If both competitors submit at the exact same time:
  • If both are correct, both competitors receive a point.
  • If only one is correct, that student receives the point.
• Objections: Competitors must raise any objection with the judges before the next question is displayed.
• Technical Issues: Write your answer clearly on paper and hold it up before time expires. Judges and proctors hold final decision-making authority.

Calculators will be provided for all members of the team.

Teams should get comfortable practicing with only basic four-function calculators.

Teams will not be using scientific or graphing calculators during the competition.

Teams are also encouraged to practice with the following features: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square, square root, and percent.

• A sharp mind for doing mathematics.
• An open hand to meet and socialize with new friends.
• Your school spirit—wear your school colors!
  • Bring things to dazzle your table at Spirit Night! Things like pom-poms, ribbons, banners, school swag and apparel are all things your team can bring.
  • Glitter is NOT allowed.

The top four teams in each region are invited to compete at the National Competition at RIT/NTID.

The following prizes are awarded:

Regional Top 4 teams

• All expenses paid trip to the National competition at RIT/NTID.

Regional Top 3 individuals

• 1st $300
• 2nd $200
• 3rd $100

National Top 4 teams 

• 1st $1000
• 2nd $800
• 3rd $600
• 4th $400      

National top 4 individuals

• 1st  $500
• 2nd $250
• 3rd $125
• 4th $50

Top Scorer:

• A trophy will be awarded to the Top Scorer from each region and the national competition.

Ben Hall Spirit Award:

• This award recognizes a student’s enthusiasm for math, their encouragement of peers, and their positive attitude throughout the competition. It celebrates those who cheer on their teammates and help keep everyone motivated.

Tiger Team Sportsmanship Award:

• This award recognizes a team that demonstrates fairness, respect, and integrity during a competition. They follow the rules and respect the judges and fellow competitors, regardless of the outcome.

• Regional and National competitions will happen In-person
• There are 4 geographic regions in which competitions will take place:
  • West
  • Southeast
  • Northeast
  • Midwest
• The top 4 teams from each region move onto the national competition at RIT/NTID

Yes! Coaches must be a teacher, paraprofessional, or other school/district representatives. Each team may have up to two coaches. Please contact us if you have questions about who can be a coach. Coaches will work in tandem with the NTID Youth Programs team in relaying information to interested students, distributing and collecting completed registration forms, and coaching/readying the competitors for all levels of the competition.