Bornova Treasure Hunt Participation Requirements

Teams must consist of 4 members.
Participants must be newly enrolled at one of the universities in Bornova for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Bornova Treasure Hunt Competition Rules
1. Team Structure and Refereeing

Squads: The competition will take place between groups of 4 people. All teams will start the competition simultaneously.
Referee Management: Each team will be accompanied by a referee throughout the entire process. Timekeeping, scoring, rule compliance, and card penalties are entirely under the referee's control.
Transportation: Movement between locations must be done solely on foot. The use of any mode of transport is strictly prohibited, and team members may not separate from one another along the route.

2. Locations and Time Targets

Route: A total of 10 checkpoints will be visited, and a total of 9 questions will be answered at these locations.
Target Time: The pure walking time between locations is 45 minutes. Including the time spent solving questions, the total game duration is intended to be between 100 and 105 minutes.

3. Checkpoint Question and Scoring Rules (Maximum 7 Minutes)
The referee starts the stopwatch the moment a team reaches a location and the question is revealed. Scoring is based on time and technology usage as follows:

3 POINTS (First 2.5 Minutes): A team that answers the question correctly within the first 2.5 minutes without using a phone (relying instead on interacting with the surroundings or observation) earns 3 points.
2 POINTS (Between 2.5 and 5.0 Minutes): If the answer is not provided within the first 2.5 minutes, the timer continues to run. Phone usage remains prohibited until the initial 5-minute period elapses. A team that finds the correct answer—either independently or with outside assistance—before the 5-minute mark earns 2 points.
1 POINT (Between 5.0 and 7.0 Minutes – Internet/AI Permitted): If no answer has been found by the 5-minute mark, the use of phones, internet searches, and artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, etc.) becomes permitted upon the referee's signal. Teams have exactly 2 minutes during this technology phase. A team that finds the correct answer using technology before the 7-minute mark earns 1 point.
0 POINTS (After 7.0 Minutes): If the correct answer is not found within the total 7-minute period, the team receives no points for that question. The referee reveals the correct answer to the team, and the team proceeds to the next location without delay.


4. Penalty and Yellow Card System
To ensure fair competition, referees will issue Yellow Cards in the following situations:

Using a phone or technology—secretly or openly—without the referee's permission (within the first 5 minutes),
Failing to adhere to team rules, engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct, or obstructing other teams during the walk or while answering questions.
Following other teams, attempting to eavesdrop on their discussions, copying their answers, or hiding/tampering with other teams' clues or questions constitutes grounds for disqualification.
Disqualification: Any team receiving a second Yellow Card—whether as a group or individually—during the competition will be disqualified via a Red Card.

5. Determining the Winner

The team that accumulates the highest score among those who successfully complete all checkpoints and reach the finish line becomes the competition champion. In the event of a tie, the team that completes the course in the shorter time takes the lead.