ICPC-style contests

Teams against one problem set on one clock, ranked by problems solved and then penalty time — 20 minutes per rejected attempt — with a scoreboard that can freeze before the end until the organizer reveals it. Free to host.

How does an ICPC-style contest work on CodeKairo Battles?

An ICPC-style contest is a team event on one clock: every team works the same problem set — up to 15 problems from the CodeKairo catalogue, hidden until the start — for as long as the organizer sets, three hours by default. The organizer enters the teams, of one to three members each, by CodeKairo email or username. The scoreboard ranks by problems solved, then by penalty time — the minutes from the start to each problem's first accepted submission plus 20 for every rejected attempt before it — then by who reached their last solve first; compile errors cost nothing. The public board can freeze for the last stretch, an hour by default, until the organizer reveals the final standings. Hosting one is free. CodeKairo Battles is not affiliated with the ICPC; the format follows its scoring rules.

How it works

  1. The organizer enters the teams. One team per line: its name, then each member's CodeKairo email or username. Up to 500 teams in one upload, checked as a whole, with every problem reported by line.
  2. Everyone starts together. At the start the problem set opens for every team at once. Members sign in with their own accounts and work in the same contest room.
  3. Solve for the board. Each accepted problem adds one to your count and its minute to your penalty; each rejected attempt before it adds 20 minutes. A compile error adds nothing.
  4. The freeze, then the reveal. In the last stretch the public board shows other teams' attempts as pending. When the contest ends, the organizer reveals the final standings.

Who it is for

Colleges running an internal round before a regional, clubs that want teams rather than individuals, and teams who want the real format — the shared clock, the penalty minutes, the freeze — before the contest that counts.

Frequently asked questions

How is an ICPC-style scoreboard ranked?
By problems solved, then by total penalty time, then by who reached their last solve first. Teams level on all three share a rank.
How is penalty time counted?
For each solved problem: the minutes from the start to its first accepted submission, plus 20 minutes for every rejected attempt before it. An unsolved problem costs nothing, and later submissions on a solved problem are ignored.
Does a compile error count as a wrong attempt?
No. A compile error, or the judge failing to run the code, costs no penalty and is not an attempt. Wrong answer, time limit, runtime error and memory limit are.
What is the scoreboard freeze?
For the last part of the contest — an hour by default, set by the organizer, or none — the public board stops showing other teams' results: their attempts appear as pending. After the end, the organizer reveals the final standings.
How big can a team be?
The organizer sets it to one, two or three members. Each member signs in with their own CodeKairo account and works in the same contest room.
How long is a contest?
As long as the organizer sets it, from 10 minutes to 12 hours; three hours is the default. Every team starts and finishes on the same clock.