The National Middle School Science Bowl is a middle school academic competition, similar to Quiz Bowl, held in the United States. Two teams of four students each compete to answer various science-related questions. In order to determine which student has the right to answer the question, a buzzer system (or "lockout system") is used, similar to those seen on popular television game shows such as Jeopardy!. The National Middle School Science Bowl (" NMSSB") has been organized and sponsored by the United States Department of Energy since the competition's inception in 2002. Subject areas Questions are asked in the categories of Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Energy, and Mathematics. Although they are not subcategorized, the questions fall into the subcategories of Chemistry, Algebra, Computer Science, Biology, Physics, Astronomy, Geometry, and Current Events. The newest addition was a category specially made for the 2006 National competition: a group of about 5 questions asked through graphics and models projected onto computer screens and as hard copies distributed to competing teams. These were only used in semi-finals and championship rounds. Before the 2010 year, there was no Energy category, and Earth and Space Science was called Earth Science. The General Science category was dropped in 2017. Regional competitions Each year, in late April or early May, the National Science Bowl competition is held in Chevy Chase, Maryland in the National 4-H Youth Conference Center. The winning team of each regional Science Bowl competition is invited to participate in the National Science Bowl all expenses paid. There are a number of regional competitions all over the United States; the exact amount changes from year to year. Typically, any middle school that meets the eligibility rules of the National Middle School Science Bowl competition is permitted to register for any regional competition in the country, but no middle school or student group may compete in multiple regionals. In addition, some regional competitions permit schools to register up to three teams. Teams composed entirely of homeschooled students are also permitted to enter. Rules This section is concerned with the rules of the national competition. The rules of regional competitions vary greatly. There are very few prescribed rules for regional competitions. Some regionals are run nearly identically to the national competition, while others use variations of the rules or different methods of scoring. General rules A team consists of four or five students from