Normal ladder
Regional is the starting round. State takes every Regional competitor. Nationals takes the top three at State. First place at Nationals is National Champion. Second and third receive prizes and finalist recognition.
Legacy ladder
Each event is scored out of 1,000. Regionals advance the top three eligible teams from each regional pool, separately in each event. A thin pool advances its eligible teams. No empty qualifiers.
State standing equals 35 percent Regional raw score plus 65 percent State raw score. The single highest cumulative standing in each event advances to Nationals. Proposed National standing is 15 percent Regional, 25 percent State, and 60 percent National. That national formula is published before registration and is not changed after results are seen.
State ties use the higher State raw score, then the safety or clinical criterion, then live adaptation, then a common 15-minute tie case. The numbers in the handbook example are illustrations of the formula, not real chapter results.