What's a Young Physicists Tournament?
 The US Invitational YPT is a round-robin tournament between school-based
teams debating their proposed solutions to the Tournament's research problems. The one on one debates are called Physics Fights. Follow that blue
link in the last sentence for a complete explanation of how those are conducted.
This page is explains the Tournament and the USIYPT Regulations.

The Tounament begins at the Opening Ceremonies
where the roles the teams will play in each
preliminary Physics Fight are determined by draw.
The draw order is based on the schools' alphabetical
names.

When a team Captain draws a number that determines their number in the MATRIX
(the 2008 matrix is pictured below)

The 2008 MATRIX was formed by the USAYPT Tournament Director for a YPT of 7 teams. The Director forms the MATRIX after all teams have submitted their registration forms and fees AND the juror list has been completed. The MATRIX will be placed in the Team Captain binders and distributed at the USAYPT Board/Members Meeting which is usually held in the early afternoon of the arrival day (Friday). The Board and Members discuss any last minute changes to the By-Laws, Regulations, or logistical arrangements for the Tournament. That evening all participants should be at the Opening Ceremonies to participate in the Draw.
Usually, participating teams should anticipate that the during the Preliminary Physics Fights their team will be presenting their solutions as the Reporting Team at least twice and challenging other teams' solutions as the Opposing Team at least twice. This all depends on the number of participating teams. The Director may decide to use a Poster Session in place of a Preliminary Physics Fight round. This possibility is explained in the USIYPT Regulations.

This means that there are TACTICS to think about as a team after the DRAW and before the first round of Preliminary Physics Fights. If you start as an Opponent during the first round, you can challenge any problem you like. But suppose, the Reporting Team decides to reject that problem? If you start as a Reporter then you have to react to a challenge and therefore must know your possible rejections.

The tactics change round by round as problems are used. It is extremely important that the Team Captain understand how problems are "lost" for use due to previous use and how problems "return" during the later rounds. These features are covered in the USIYPT Regulations. It's time to read them, right? The Tournament Director will hand each team a Fight Card that lists the problems that can be played. However, as Pasteur noted "Luck favors the prepared mind." So prepare for all contigencies you can imagine.

A crucial part of your team preparation involves understanding the juror grading rubrics which are located here. A good way to prepare is to grade your talks before you leave your school using those rubrics.

The two teams with the highest Tournament Score at the end of the Preliminary Physics Fights are the teams that go to the Finals. They get to select which problems they will Report. Whoever wins the Finals, finish in 1st Place, are the Champions, and take home the traveling Championship Trophy. The other Finalist finishes in 2nd Place and takes home the Finalist Trophy. All other teams are declared to have finished in 3rd Place.

GOOD LUCK. You will have PHYSICS PHUN. Trust us.

Team Advisors should carefully think about student participation. We permit teams of 2, 3, or 4 students.
Each team regardless of size MUST have 3 of the 4 Tournament problems prepared for competition. ONLY ONE PROBLEM MAY BE REJECTED .

Teams of 2 students will be busy all day with multiple presentations (Report or Opponent) by each team members. Teams of 3 and/or 4 students may in fact have a student who does not get to Report or Oppose
as the Tournament proceeds. Free-form Tournaments have this as a built in possibility.