During NAL® competitions, a team of 20 to 35 students under the direction of a coach play a four-quarter game focusing on curriculum-based questions correlated to national standards. Players use strategies to keep possession of a question sequence, learn teamwork as they huddle to answer a complex question, learn to problem-solve by preparing and presenting a solution to real-world problems, and engage in a fast-paced, quick-answer contest.

The Quarters Are:

Quarter One:
Roundabout
Individual team members alternate in an effort to be the first to answer three questions correctly. A player fouls out of the quarter after two incorrect answers and must be replaced by a substitute.

Quarter Two:
Teamwork
All five players on each team collaborate as they seek to buzz in and correctly answer first. If their answer is incorrect, the opposing team may use the balance of the shot clock to answer.

Quarter Three:
Problem Solving
Team members have the opportunity to demonstrate higher-order thinking skills in this quarter, which rewards creative but thorough approaches to problem solving. Up to 10 players from each team solve a real-world problem while working in a separate room. The group's final, collaborative response is given in a three- to five-minute presentation.

Quarter Four:
One-on-One
A round of head-to-head "pairs" competition rewarding speedy answers and penalizing incorrect responses.

...and...

If teams are tied at the end of the fourth quarter, they play a nail-biting two-minute overtime period, following the One-on-One format. May the best team win!