COMPETITION RULES & FAQ

Image
Header Image

COMPETITION RULES & FAQ

2023-2024 Official Rules + Procedures for the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series

Please click the button below to go to the Official Rules + Procedures for the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series. The MATHCOUNTS Foundation reserves the right to alter these rules and procedures at any time. Coaches are responsible for being familiar with the rules and procedures outlined on that page. Coaches should bring any difficulty in procedures or in student conduct to the immediate attention of the appropriate chapter, state or national official. Students violating any rules may be subject to immediate disqualification.

Image
RTX logo
Thank you to the National Competition Title Sponsor!
General Program Questions

What exactly does a MATHCOUNTS competition consist of? What do students do in this program?

The Competition Series has 4 levels of live, in-person math competitions - school, chapter, state and national. Each level of competition is comprised of 4 rounds - Sprint, Target, Team and Countdown Round. Altogether the rounds are designed to take about 3 hours to complete.

Usually, beginning in the fall, students work with their coaches to prepare for the competition, using resources provided by MATHCOUNTS. Then, competitions begin in the winter and run through the spring. Learn more about the programLearn more about the role of a coach.

 

Is the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series in my area?

Yes! More than 500 MATHCOUNTS competitions take place in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and in schools worldwide affiliated with the Dept. of Defense and State Department. Any U.S. middle school (with students in grades 6-8) can register.

Please refer to the list of Registered Competition Series Schools for 2023-2024 to see if your student's school already has registered for this year. You can use the Chapter & State Competition Search tool to contact the volunteer coordinators who plan and run local competitions to get additional information for your area.

Who is eligible to compete?

Please refer to the Official Rules + Procedures for the Competition Series for complete information regarding student eligibility, including information about Non-School Competitors (NSC).

Students enrolled in grades 6-8 are eligible to participate in the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series. Students taking middle school mathematics classes who are not full‑time students in grades 6-8 are not eligible. All types of schools—public, private, charter, virtual and home schools—are eligible to register for the Competition Series. In addition to their registration form and payment, participating home schools must submit a separate Home School Participation Form. Tutoring/enrichment centers or other groups that do not function as students' official school of record are not eligible.

When specifically are the competitions and what happens if I have a conflict of dates for my local competition?

Click here for the MATHCOUNTS Critical Dates. A conflict with a religious observance is the only type of conflict that is accommodated. Refer to the Official Rules + Procedures for the Competition Series for complete details.
  • School competitions: November 2023 – January 2024, determined by the school’s coach. A copy of the 2024 School Competition will be released online Nov. 1, 2023.
  • Chapter competitions: February 1-29, 2024. To find the specific competition date for your area and your chapter coordinator's contact information, use the Chapter and State Competition Search tool.
  • State competitions: March 1 – March 31, 2024. To find the specific competition date for your state and your state coordinator's contact information, use the Chapter and State Competition Search tool.
  • 2024 RTX MATHCOUNTS National Competition: May 13 - 14 in Washington, DC.

Can a school participate in more than one MATHCOUNTS program?

Yes! We encourage schools to participate in both MATHCOUNTS programs!
Registration + Payment Questions

How can I register a school for the Competition Series?

Teachers and school administrators:
Parents and other volunteers not employed by the school:
  1. Check with the school’s administration and math department to ensure a program is not already established at the school. You also should refer to the list of Registered Competition Series Schools for 2023-2024 to see if a teacher already has registered.
  2. Get permission from the school administration to register, if there is no program already established and you would like to start one. We recommend having this permission in writing from a school administrator to keep for your records.
  3. Register using one of the methods listed above under "Teachers and school administrators."

How do non-school competitors (NSCs) register for the Competition Series?

Before registering, NSCs must ensure they are eligible. A student may register as an NSC only if their official school of record is not registering for the Competition Series and will not support student participation in the program through the school. MATHCOUNTS may contact the schools of registered NSCs to confirm that the school is not participating in the Competition Series and reserves the right to cancel an NSC’s registration, without refund, if their school registers for the Competition Series. There is a limit of 12 NSCs per school.

The parent/guardian of an NSC must register online and pay with a credit card. Offline forms are not accepted for NSCs.

 

My student’s school isn’t registered for the Competition Series. How do I sign up?

Parents/guardians and other volunteers not employed by the school:

  1. Check with the school’s administration and math department to ensure a program is not already established at the school. You also should refer to the list of Registered Competition Series Schools for 2023-2024 to see if a teacher already has registered.
  2. Get permission from the school administration to register, if there is no program already established and you would like to start one. We recommend having this permission in writing from a school administrator to keep for your records.
  3. If you receive permission from the school administration to register, complete a school-based online registration here or download the offline form here. Please note there is a $15 processing fee if using the offline form. If the school will not register for the Competition Series and will not support your child’s participation in the program through the school, complete an NSC registration.

What is the difference between a home school student, a virtual school student and an NSC? How do I know what type of registration I should complete?

Refer to the Official Rules + Procedures for the Competition Series for complete details regarding NSCs, virtual schools and home schools.

  • home school student is a student whose official school of record is a home school—even if some of their coursework is done through a virtual program or service. Home school students should not register as NSCs and instead should register as school-based competitors and complete the 2023-2024 Home School Participation Form.
  • virtual school student is a student whose official school of record is a virtual school—even if that student is doing their coursework at home. Virtual school students should first try to register as school-based competitors through their virtual school by contacting school administrators/educators. A virtual school student should register as an NSC only if their virtual school will not register for the Competition Series and will not support their participation through the school.
  • An NSC is a student whose school—whether virtual or brick-and-mortar—will not register for the Competition Series and will not support their participation through the school. 

My child is enrolled at a brick-and-mortar school but this year is taking all their classes in virtual school. How do we register?

If you child’s official school of record is the brick-and-mortar school, they should register through that school, even if they are doing virtual classes.

If your child’s official school of record is the virtual school, then they should register through the virtual school. If your child’s official school of record is a district-wide online school—and students at that virtual school are not segmented into smaller schools for enrollment purposes—please contact the MATHCOUNTS national office to ensure you complete the proper registration. Refer to the Official Rules + Procedures for the Competition Series for complete details regarding NSCs, virtual schools and home schools.

How much does it cost to participate?

Early Bird Rate: Registrations received (postmarked) by Nov. 1, 2023
  • $30 per student or $360 for the max registration of 12 students (1 team of 4 + 8 individuals)
Regular Rate: Registrations received (postmarked) by Dec. 15, 2023
  • $35 per student or $420 for the max registration of 12 students (1 team of 4 + 8 individuals)
  • $70 for an NSC
Late Rate: Registrations received (postmarked) after Dec. 15, 2023 until January 8, 2024
  • $40 per student or $480 for the max registration of 12 students (1 team of 4 + 8 individuals)
  • $80 for an NSC
Title I schools receive a 50% discount on their registration fees. Title I schools are public /charter schools that meet one or both of the following criteria: (1) 40% or more of the school's students qualify for free/reduced lunch; (2) the school receives School Wide Title I funding. NSCs are not eligible for the Title I schools discount.

Where is the offline registration form for NSCs?

NSCs are required to register and pay with a credit card online. Offline registrations are not accepted for NSCs.

What is included with my registration?

For both schools and NSCs, registration includes:
  • The mailed School Competition Kit, with a hard copy of the MATHCOUNTS School Handbook, participation certificates and ribbons.
  • Entry into the Chapter Competition. Schools can send however many students they register (1-12 students per school). NSCs are considered 1 student but no more than 12 NSCs from the same school may register for the Competition Series (eligibility is based on a first-come, first-served basis).
  • Competition entry for the school’s students for as far as they progress in the Competition Series. If a student progresses to the state or national level, there are no additional registration fees required.

How can I obtain a copy of the MATHCOUNTS W-9 form?

Please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Request MATHCOUNTS W-9.”

What forms of payment are accepted? Can I pay with a credit card?

For NSC registrations, MATHCOUNTS only accepts payments via credit card. For school-based registrations, MATHCOUNTS accepts payments via credit card, check, purchase order (PO) and money order.

  • Credit card information cannot be provided on offline registration forms. To pay with a credit card, either 1) register online or 2) submit an offline form and select “Credit Card” as your payment option so MATHCOUNTS can send you an electronic invoice to accept payment.
  • POs can be used with either online or offline registrations. The PO number must be provided if registering online, and a copy of the PO must be included with offline registration forms.

How can I get an invoice for my school’s Competition Series registration?

The person who completed a school's registration (typically a coach, bookkeeper or other school official) can get a school's invoice by clicking on Orders under the Account menu at the top right of our website (marked in green).

If, after looking in that Orders section, you are unable to locate your invoice, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line "Request Competition Series Invoice," and in your email include your school name, city, state and ZIP code.

If I already have submitted my registration, can I add additional students at a later date?

Yes, if you initially registered fewer than 12 students, you can add more students to your school's registration (up to a total of 12 registered students). Coaches can add students to an existing registration through their Coach Dashboard or use this offline registration form. Please note there is a $15 processing fee if using the offline form.

How can I get a refund for my Competition Series registration?

MATHCOUNTS cannot guarantee your refund request will be approved. In some circumstances, MATHCOUNTS will provide a partial or full refund to schools that have registered for the Competition Series. However for any full refunds, a $50 fee will be charged to cover the cost of the School Competition Kit materials and shipping, as well as processing the refund. Note, for schools that register using the offline registration form, the $15 processing fee is non-refundable. If you would like to request a full or partial refund for the Competition Series, email [email protected] with the subject line "Request Refund" and in your email include the school name, city, state and ZIP code; the reason for the refund request and the refund type (full or partial). No cancellations or refund requests will be processed after February 1, 2024

Refunds requests will not be granted for non-school competitor (NSC) registrations for 2023-2024.

Registered Coach Questions

Where can I find the MATHCOUNTS School Handbook with solutions and the School Competition online?

Log in to the Coach Dashboard and click on the “Competition Coach Resources” link. The handbook will be posted in mid-August when registration opens, and the 2024 School Competition will be posted November 1, 2023.

When can I expect to receive my mailed School Competition Kit?

School Competition Kits are mailed on a rolling basis from late-August 2023 through January 31, 2024. Generally kits are shipped via USPS First Class or Priority and arrive 1-2 weeks after we receive your registration. If you have not received your kit within 3 weeks of registering, please email [email protected].

How do I submit the names of my students who will be competing at the chapter level?

Participant information will be submitted through your school's listing on the Coach Dashboard. You must be logged in to do this.

My school is registered, and I am listed as a coach. Why can’t I access the Coach Dashboard?

If your school’s registration was completed online, the account that registered the school is automatically given access to the Coach Dashboard. Please note, this is not necessarily the account of the head coach listed in the registration. If a school secretary or someone at your district’s office completed the registration, their account would have automatically been granted this access. If needed, please email [email protected] to have the Coach Dashboard access switched over to the appropriate person. If you submitted an offline registration form, the Coach Dashboard access was given to the listed head coach. 

When can I expect to receive information about my local chapter competition?

Most local coordinators get in touch with the registered schools in their area in the fall. If you would like to get in touch with your local coordinator, please use the Chapter and State Competition Search tool to find the coordinator running your local competition. If you have not heard from your coordinator by early January, please email [email protected] and provide your school name, city, state and ZIP code.

Still Have Unanswered Questions?