Breaking Ties

Ties

Tie scores happen. This adds an element of suspense and drama! Don't panic. 
After you're done scoring and reading answers, let teams know they have a tie to break for X place. (You only need to do this if the tie affects a prize, but some hosts enjoy running tiebreakers for any place. Poll the players by applause before you take the time to do the latter, because not everyone has the patience for it.)

Call up ONE representative from each team, and say, “I will ask you a question that has a numerical answer. Keep your answer to yourself until you [whisper it in my ear/write it on this piece of paper]. Whoever guesses closest to the real answer wins!” No phone a friend option - that rep is on their own!

We don’t follow The Price is Right rules (closest without going over) - it’s just who is closest. 

Once you know who wins, announce the new rankings into the mic. Award the prizes at the teams' tables when you get a group photo.

In the App

This section gives you the complete rundown on doing a Tiebreaker! Essentially, the App will show you on the leaderboard where there are ties to be resolved, and help you do it right in that interface.  

On Pen and Paper

The tiebreaker questions are listed at the end of the Question sheet/doc. You will have to write down their answers and do the math to determine who is closer. Again - don't panic! Pull up the calculator on your phone if you don't feel confident in your ability to scribble it out in front of a crowd. Remember that five seconds in reality can feel like a million years when you're on the spot, but it's not worth rushing and making a mistake. 

Keep in mind that for each two teams with the same score, the loser will get bumped down a place. 
So, two teams tied for third will end up getting third and fourth place (meaning, one won't get a prize) - many a host has accidentally given a prize to a team that didn't actually win one!