Rock Paper Scissors Tournament of Champions

Renaissance Hall of Famer Jamie Mooring and the Staffulty of Puyallup High School decided they needed to do something to bring joy back into the school day, so they held a school-wide Rock Paper Scissors Tournament of Champions.
They involved the student media department in live-streaming the semis and finals to the school (complete with color commentary), and several art students created a 9’ tall trophy that resides in the champion’s homeroom until the next tournament. Cheers could be heard throughout the building as rounds were played and class champions moved on to the next round! Read more below for tournament details and directions, or watch the student-produced video describing how the tournament brought the school community together.
How to do a Rock Paper Scissors Tournament of Champions!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
People required: Staffulty to create diplomas and coordinate with senior and Staffulty schedules of the presentation
Timing: Home room time during March, or any time of the year when your school needs some excitement.
Materials:
- Bracket with locations for each advancing champion face off to play
- Treat for the ENTIRE District the champion belongs to.
- Prize for EACH class champion (ring pops, etc)
- Donuts, hot chocolate, and Cider for the 2nd period the Ultimate Champion belongs to
- Ultimate Champion Prize Package:
- Pizza and Soda delivered to their lunch table the day of the Tournament
- Custom-designed Ultimate Champion Trophy that will stay with their 2nd period (until the next tournament)
- Official Rock Paper Scissors Champion sweatshirt
Rock Paper Scissors Tournament Set Up:
The Players:
-
- Homeroom teacher – help manage your group. Pay attention to instructions in this document, help your kids have fun!
- The Class Champion – winner of 2nd period who will battle to be the Ultimate Champion with the opportunity to win riches beyond their wildest dreams (or a donut party and trophy and sweatshirt)
- The Official Class Reporter – (the student in your class who comes in second place (or whoever you choose) who will have the responsibility of reporting to the District Official if your Champion wins their bout and is moving on.
- Official Banner Carrier – Choose a student
- Everyone in the homeroom class – cheer on your champion!
- District Official – administrator who is assigned to your “district” (hallway, floor, etc).
Directions:
- When homeroom starts, the homeroom teacher will get students into pairs, but wait for the announcement to signal the official tournament kick off.
- At the signal, begin playing until a class champion is crowned.
- The champion will now be your official representative – please honor them with the Official Rock Paper Scissors Tournament of Champions Ring (the Ring Pop delivered with the rules and regulations)
- The student who came in SECOND PLACE, is now your Official Class Reporter.
- If 2nd place winner doesn’t want to be a class reporter, pick someone else.
- Now it’s time to choose your Class Banner Carrier – this student should carry your Fire-Drill-name-sign so the class who will battle you next can find you.
- Once your Class Champion, Official Class Reporter, and Class Banner Carrier have been identified, wait for the announcement for the district tournament to start.
- Once the announcement happens, move into the hallways and seek out the class you will be facing.
- Rock, Paper Scissors Face Off
- Losing Champion and their second period return to classroom and Click on Live Feed Link to wait for the broadcast of the semi-finals and Championship – remember, if the Tournament Champion is from your district, the whole district will win a prize.
- Winner sends Class Reporter to report win to District Official
- District Official will tell Reporter who they play next
- If results haven’t been reported from the other battles, Reporter waits with District Official until results are in
- Reporter returns to class to get the group moving to the next battle
- Start battle when both Champions are facing each other, are stretched, and are ready to compete…no need to wait for another signal.
Round 1 – The Class Champion
- When the tournament kicks off (through an all-call announcement), the battle begins within homeroom periods.
- Students should pair off (if there is an odd number, the teacher should join as well)
- The official “primer” and “delivery” of RPSTC will defer to The World Rock Paper Scissors Society’s international standards on priming mandate “rock, paper, scissors, shoot,” with the delivery on shoot.
- If the student wins the face-off, they continue on in the classroom tournament. Loser is out
- Winners continue to match up – loser-out, until you have a Class Champion to send into the Tournament of Champions
Round 2 – The District Champions – Quarter Finals
If you have a large campus, divide into Championship Districts. Once the Class Champions round has been completed, the Rock Paper Scissors Tournament of Champions Bracket will kick in with class champions playing within their district to determine a District Champion. As each class champion plays on, the homeroom class should follow their champion into the district round, cheering them on to further victory!
- Check out the bracket so each champion and class knows where the next face off will be taking place.
- “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!”
- Loser takes their class back to homeroom, winner and their homeroom cheering squad move on to face the next champion.
Round 3 – Semi Finals
The District Champions will then move forward to battle each other, working to earn a prize for their whole district. Consider live streaming the semi-finals and championship so the classes not still cheering on their champion will be able to watch the semifinals and finals in their homeroom.
- District Champions and cheering squad meet opponents in location listed on bracket
- Rock, Paper, Scissors SHOOT! – winner is best of three!
Round 4 – The CHAMPIONSHIP
- Finalists and their 2nd period squads meet up for the Championship Face-Off
- Rock, Paper, Scissors SHOOT! – winner is best of three!
- CELEBRATE! Deliver prizes either immediately or the next day’s homeroom period.


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