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Rule 1 lays out detailed eligibility requirements, including grade level limits, age limits, restrictions on family employment ties, prior championship prohibitions, school enrollment conditions, and restrictions on grade repetition and test-based academic classification declarations.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/scripps-national-spelling-bee-2026-contest-rules/411509/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/scripps-national-spelling-bee-2026-contest-rules/411509.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Kyle","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-09","2026-09-28",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Do the 2026 SNSB Contest Rules apply to local/regional spelling bees?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The rules apply only to the SNSB National Competition. SNSB does not have authority over the conduct or outcomes of local spelling bees run by regional partners.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What key eligibility limits apply to grade level and age for the 2026 National Competition?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"A speller must not have passed beyond the eighth grade (or international equivalent) on or before August 31, 2025, and must not have reached their 15th birthday on or before August 31, 2025.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Which restrictions affect eligibility related to prior wins and school participation?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"A speller must not previously have won an SNSB National Competition, must attend a school enrolled with SNSB for the 2025-2026 program year, and must not repeat a grade to extend eligibility under these rules.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},411509,1790780105,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,95,100,105,110,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":126},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":130},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":132},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":133,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":116,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},3985741905716,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","Contest Rules of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee  \nPreface  \nThe Scripps National Spelling Bee (SNSB) requires spellers, parents and regional partners to read these rules prior to the SNSB National Competition.  \nThese Contest Rules of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee are the rules in effect at the National Competition only. The SNSB has no authority over the conduct of local spelling bees and will not render judgments relating to their conduct or outcomes.  \nALL DECISIONS OF SNSB OFFICIALS ARE FINAL.  \nDefinitions  \nNational Competition: The current (as indicated by the date hereof) annual competition hosted and administered by the SNSB.  \nOfficial(s): An administrator of the Scripps National Spelling Bee National Competition, including the executive director, competition directors, record keepers, judges, pronouncersand word panelists.  \nRoot: The simple element inferred as the basis from which a word is derived by phonetic change or by extension (as composition and addition of a prefix, suffix, inflectional ending, or replacive). As used in these rules, Root has the meaning provided by Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, noun sense 6.  \nRound(s): A portion of the competition in which all spellers who have not been eliminated from the competition are given one word to spell or one vocabulary question to answer, beginning with the lowest numbered speller and ending with the highest numbered speller.  \nWord list: The set of words, word information, and vocabulary questions and answers prepared in advance of the competition for use in the competition.  \nChampionship Word List: The set of words and word information prepared in advance of the competition for use in an anticipated winning round, a round in which only one speller is competing (the only speller who has not been eliminated from the competition) .  \nSpell-off: a special round of the competition used to determine a champion or co-champions in the case where the competition exceeds or may exceed a certain time. The details of the Spell-off and the circumstances under which a Spell-off is activated are explained in Rule 3.  \nSpell-off word list: The set of words and word information prepared in advance of the competition for use in the event a Spell-off is activated, which is always delivered to each individual competitor in the same order.  \nSpeller(s): A student who has qualified to participate in the SNSB National Competition who has met and continues to meet all eligibility requirements defined below.  \nRegional Partner: An organization that holds an agreement with the SNSB to run an SNSB-sanctioned program, organize and host a regional competition, and advance a speller, or spellers, to the national competition.  \nPrizes: cash or other items of value given as a result of a Speller’s participation or advancement in the Scripps National Spelling Bee; prize details shall be listed prior to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee at: [https://spellingbee.com/prizes](https://spellingbee.com/prizes).  \nRule 1: Eligibility  \nA speller qualifying for the 2026 SNSB National Competition must meet these requirements.  \nWho they are:  \n1. A speller must not have passed beyond the eighth grade or an international equivalent on or before August 31, 2025.  \n2. A speller must not have reached their 15th birthday on or before August 31, 2025.  \n3. A speller must not have any first-, second-or third-degree relatives (i.e., sibling, parent, stepparent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, half-sibling, stepsibling or first cousin) who are current employees of The E.W. Scripps Company (including its affiliates or subsidiaries) as of February 1, 2026.  \nWhat they do:  \n4. The speller must not previously have won a SNSB National Competition.  \n5. The speller must attend a school that is enrolled with the SNSB for the 2025-2026 program year.  \n6. The speller must not have repeated any grade for the purpose of extending their eligibility under these rules. If the spell","cbCaihjjxJsS7LY7","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihjjxJsS7LY7","pdf",152178,"English","# Eligibility\n## Who they are\n## What they do","[{\"question\":\"Do the 2026 SNSB Contest Rules apply to local/regional spelling bees?\",\"answer\":\"The rules apply only to the SNSB National Competition. SNSB does not have authority over the conduct or outcomes of local spelling bees run by regional partners.\"},{\"question\":\"What key eligibility limits apply to grade level and age for the 2026 National Competition?\",\"answer\":\"A speller must not have passed beyond the eighth grade (or international equivalent) on or before August 31, 2025, and must not have reached their 15th birthday on or before August 31, 2025.\"},{\"question\":\"Which restrictions affect eligibility related to prior wins and school participation?\",\"answer\":\"A speller must not previously have won an SNSB National Competition, must attend a school enrolled with SNSB for the 2025-2026 program year, and must not repeat a grade to extend eligibility under these rules.\"}]","Scripps National Spelling Bee - 2026 Contest Rules | PDF",1790588757,23]