If a contestant responds correctly, the stage tech resets the system for the next clue. So, the game is flowing what happens next? This quarter-second lockout works like a “digital policeman” that keeps the game flowing. If a contestant attempts to ring in before the gameboard lights activate, the system locks out their signal for a quarter of a second.

Then, it shows who has rung in first by lighting up that contestant’s podium. The system works by detecting the first signal it receives after the system is armed and ignoring subsequent signals. Simultaneously, the system that controls the signaling devices is engaged. So unless you’ve been to a taping of the show, you’ve never seen these indicator lights. For viewers at home, the text of the clue is still on screen. Now, as soon as the host has finished reading the last syllable in the last word, a staff member sitting offstage presses a button that serves two functions.įirst, it illuminates a series of lights on both sides of the gameboard to let the contestants know that their devices are now armed and that they can ring in. In the early days of the show, contestants could ring in at any time and that led to a lot of quick guesses, negative scores and general confusion. The first thing to know is that the host must finish reading the clue before the signaling devices are activated.

Multiday champs and one-time challengers will all tell you the same thing: It’s all about mastering the signaling button. Jeopardy! contestants are known for their ability to access a seemingly limitless amount of information at lightning speed, but having the reflexes to ring in at the proper time – and ahead of your competitors – is what makes Jeopardy! a game.

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