Official rules

The SC DECA Chapter Challenge is a season long recognition program that awards points to chartered South Carolina DECA chapters for verified participation in approved activities.

The season is conducted in two rounds. Round One is the Open Competition, during which leaderboards are visible. Round Two is the Blind Competition, during which leaderboards are concealed. Article IX governs both rounds.

These rules apply to every chartered SC DECA chapter, every chapter member, and every chapter advisor participating in the Challenge. Submission of any activity constitutes acceptance of these rules in full.

Participation in the Challenge is voluntary. Participation does not affect a chapter's standing in competitive events, conference eligibility, or any other SC DECA program.

These rules operate in addition to, and never in place of, the DECA Inc. Code of Ethics, the SC DECA Association bylaws, and the policies of each participating member's school and district. Where any conflict arises, school and district policy governs.

A chapter must be a chartered SC DECA chapter in good standing for the current membership year to earn or retain points.

Each participating chapter shall designate one advisor of record and at least one chapter representative authorized to submit activities on the chapter's behalf. The chapter is accountable for every submission made under its account regardless of which individual entered it.

Chapters are responsible for maintaining the security of their account credentials. Credentials shall not be shared with individuals outside the chapter's designated representatives.

Only activities completed during the current season and by the submitting chapter are eligible for points.

Static values. Point values assigned to each activity remain fixed for the full duration of the season. No activity's value shall be increased or decreased mid season. This provision exists to guarantee that every chapter competes under identical conditions.

Published catalog. The official activity catalog, including each activity's description, point value, maximum uses, and submission window, is published by SC DECA and is the sole authority on what may be submitted.

Submission limits. A chapter may submit a maximum of five activities in any given week. A chapter may submit the same activity a maximum of five times in any given calendar month. These limits deter volume based strategies that do not reflect genuine chapter work.

Activity maximums. Each activity carries its own season maximum, stated in the published catalog. Certain activities and milestones may be earned only once per season. Once a maximum is reached, additional submissions of that activity will be declined.

No double counting. An activity that could reasonably fall under two categories shall be submitted under one category only. A chapter may not claim points twice for a single event. By way of example, a mock competition may not also be submitted as a chapter practice meeting. The chapter must select one. The only exception to this provision is stated in Section 3.6.

Stated exception. A guest speaker hosted during a chapter practice meeting may be submitted under both the guest speaker activity and the practice meeting activity. This is the only permitted exception to Section 3.5 and shall not be extended by analogy to any other pair of activities.

Internally awarded activities. Certain activities are awarded directly by SC DECA and are not open to chapter submission. These activities appear in the published catalog so that chapters understand how they are earned, but no chapter shall attempt to submit them. Records for these activities are maintained by SC DECA.

Proposing new activities. Chapters may propose additions to the activity catalog by contacting SC DECA directly and answering all questions posed regarding the proposed activity. If an activity is adopted, the chapter that proposed it does not receive points for its own first completion of that activity. This provision removes any incentive to propose activities a chapter has already completed.

Every chapter submitted activity requires proof sufficient for a reviewer to independently confirm that the activity occurred, that it was conducted by the submitting chapter, and that it satisfies the activity description as published.

Proof shall be authentic, contemporaneous, and specific to the submitted event. Acceptable documentation includes photographs, sign in sheets, flyers, links to published posts, and compiled PDF records, as specified in each activity's requirements.

Chapters bear the burden of documentation. Where an activity is scored on a range according to scale and impact, the quality and completeness of the documentation provided will directly affect the points awarded.

Chapters shall obtain any photograph and media permissions required by their school or district before submitting images of members. Chapters shall redact financial records, personal contact information not requested by the activity, and any information a school or district policy protects.

Chapters should retain their original documentation for the duration of the season. SC DECA may request original files in the course of an audit or investigation.

All chapter submissions are reviewed by SC DECA state officers serving as activity reviewers.

A reviewer may approve a submission, request additional proof, or deny a submission. Where documentation is merely insufficient, the reviewer shall request additional proof and allow the chapter an opportunity to supplement the record. Where a submission is clearly false, the reviewer may deny it outright without a request for further documentation.

The decision of the reviewer is final. This provision is necessary for consistent and timely administration of the Challenge across all participating chapters.

Notwithstanding Section 5.3, a chapter that believes a decision resulted from a factual error or a misapplication of the published catalog may seek review under Article VIII.

Reviewers shall recuse themselves from any submission made by their own chapter. Where recusal is not practicable, the submission shall be routed to the program administrator.

The Chapter Challenge is built on the honesty of the chapters that participate in it. Every member and advisor is expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with DECA's principles of competence, innovation, integrity, and teamwork.

By submitting an activity, the submitting chapter affirms each of the following:

• The activity described actually took place.
• The activity was organized, hosted, or completed by the submitting chapter.
• All documentation provided is authentic, unaltered in any material respect, and depicts the event claimed.
• All figures reported, including counts of members, attendees, posts, or donations, are accurate to the best of the chapter's knowledge.
• The activity has not been submitted previously and is not being claimed under more than one category in violation of Section 3.5.

Advisors are expected to exercise reasonable oversight of their chapter's submissions. An advisor who becomes aware of an inaccurate submission shall promptly notify SC DECA.

A chapter that discovers an error in its own submission and reports it to SC DECA before the error is otherwise identified shall have the submission corrected without penalty. Self correction is always preferred to enforcement and will be treated as evidence of good faith.

The following conduct is prohibited:

• Fabrication. Submitting an activity that did not occur.
• Falsified documentation. Altering, staging, or digitally manipulating proof to misrepresent an event, its scale, or its participants.
• Misattribution. Claiming an activity conducted by another chapter, another organization, or a prior season as the submitting chapter's own work.
• Misreporting. Knowingly overstating counts of members, attendees, posts, donations, or any other quantity on which points are calculated.
• Duplicate claiming. Submitting a single event under multiple activities in violation of Section 3.5, or resubmitting an activity already credited.
• Circumvention. Deliberately structuring submissions to evade the weekly limit, the monthly limit, an activity maximum, or a cooldown period.
• Account misuse. Submitting on behalf of a chapter without authorization, or sharing credentials with unauthorized individuals.
• Interference. Attempting to influence a reviewer improperly, or interfering with another chapter's participation.
• Retaliation. Any adverse action directed at a person who reports a suspected violation in good faith.

Repeated submission of activities that a chapter knows or should reasonably know to be ineligible may be treated as circumvention under Section 7.1 even where each individual submission is not itself fabricated.

SC DECA further reserves the right to correct the standings at any point in the season, including after the close of submissions and prior to the announcement of final results, where a correction is necessary to preserve the integrity of the Challenge.

The authority described in this Section rests with the SC DECA Association and is exercised through the program administrator in consultation with the state officer team and the state advisor.

Penalties shall be proportionate to the conduct at issue, and shall account for whether the conduct was inadvertent or deliberate, whether it was isolated or repeated, and whether the chapter self reported.

The following penalties are available:

• First violation, inadvertent. Denial of the submission and correction of the chapter's point total. The chapter receives written notice describing the error and the applicable rule. No further sanction.
• First violation, deliberate. Denial of the submission, forfeiture of all points associated with the activity for the season, and written notice to the chapter advisor. The chapter's subsequent submissions may be placed under heightened documentation requirements for a period determined by SC DECA.
• Second violation, or a first violation involving falsified documentation. Forfeiture of all points earned in the category in which the violation occurred, and suspension of the chapter's submission privileges for a period of up to thirty days. Written notice is provided to the chapter advisor.
• Third violation, or any pattern of systematic dishonesty. Forfeiture of all points accumulated during the season, disqualification from the Chapter Challenge and from any recognition or award associated with it, and written notice to the chapter advisor and the state advisor.

Where a violation has already resulted in recognition or an award, SC DECA may rescind that recognition and, where appropriate, reissue it to the chapter properly entitled to it.

Conduct that violates a school or district policy, or the DECA Inc. Code of Ethics, may be referred to the appropriate school administration or to DECA Inc. independent of any penalty imposed under these rules.

Penalties imposed under this Article apply to the chapter. Nothing in these rules limits the authority of a school or district to address the conduct of an individual member.

Any member, advisor, or officer may report a suspected violation by contacting the program administrator in writing. Reports should identify the chapter, the submission at issue, and the basis for the concern.

Reports made in good faith are protected. A report that is itself knowingly false constitutes a violation under Section 7.1.

Before any penalty is imposed under Sections 7.7 or 7.8, SC DECA shall notify the affected chapter's advisor in writing, describe the conduct at issue, and provide the chapter a reasonable opportunity to respond and to supply additional documentation.

A chapter may appeal a penalty by submitting a written appeal to the state advisor within seven days of receiving notice. The appeal shall state the specific grounds on which the chapter believes the determination was in error.

The determination of the state advisor on appeal is final.

Two rounds. The season is conducted in two consecutive rounds. Both rounds form a single continuous competition, and points earned in Round One carry forward into Round Two.

Round One, Open Competition. Round One runs from September 7, 2026 through December 31, 2026. During Round One, leaderboards are visible. A chapter may view its own point total, the top ten chapters in each region, and the top ten chapters in the state.

Round Two, Blind Competition. Round Two runs from January 1, 2027 through February 19, 2027. During Round Two, all leaderboards are concealed. A chapter may view only its own point total. No chapter will be able to see regional standings, state standings, or the totals of any other chapter, and no chapter will know whether it has retained its position or how far it stands from the chapter ahead of it.

Purpose of the blind round. The blind round exists to ensure that chapters continue to compete on the strength of their own work rather than on calculation against a visible margin. No chapter should assume that a lead established in Round One is sufficient, and no chapter should assume that a deficit is insurmountable.

Rules unchanged across rounds. All provisions of these rules, including point values, submission limits, activity maximums, proof standards, and the Code of Honor, apply identically in both rounds. The only difference between the rounds is the visibility of the leaderboards.

Points unaffected by visibility. Concealment of the leaderboards does not affect scoring in any respect. Submissions are reviewed and points are awarded during Round Two on exactly the same basis as during Round One, and each chapter's own total remains visible to that chapter at all times.

Final standings. Final standings are determined at the conclusion of Round Two, following the review of all submissions properly filed before the close of the season. SC DECA reserves the right to complete outstanding reviews and to apply any correction required under Article VII before final standings are announced.

Integrity during the blind round. Chapters shall not solicit, share, or attempt to obtain concealed standings information during Round Two, whether from a state officer, from SC DECA staff, or through any technical means. Any attempt to obtain or distribute concealed standings constitutes circumvention under Section 7.1 and is subject to the penalties described in Article VII.

Activity windows. Certain activities carry their own submission windows, which are published in the activity catalog and which operate independently of the round structure. A chapter shall consult the catalog for the deadline applicable to each activity.

SC DECA may amend these rules or the activity catalog during the season where necessary to correct an error, close a loophole, or respond to circumstances not anticipated at the start of the season. Amendments are prospective only and shall not retroactively reduce points properly earned under the rules in effect at the time of the activity, except where those points were obtained in violation of Article VII.

All chapters shall receive written notice of any amendment.

Section 3.1 is not subject to amendment. Point values remain static for the full season without exception.

Questions regarding the interpretation of these rules should be directed to the program administrator before an activity is submitted. Chapters are encouraged to ask in advance rather than submit an activity of uncertain eligibility.