O. Henry Museum
Pun-Off
World Championships
Official Pun-Off Competition Rules
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*** 2025 Edition ***
This year, the Pun-Off returns again to its original location, Brush Square Park, to pun-veil some brand new renovations, including a new stage for word domination! Music will be performed from 10am-11am, and the punning will commence right after the live music ends.
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Each PunSlingers contestant is given a strike for reusing a word or pun on the word. However, after the PunSlingers first round, emcees will not give any do-overs for a "repaired" pun and a strike will be awarded.
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REGISTRATION
The O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships are divided into two contests: Punniest of Show and PunSlingers. Registration is required for each event. Contestants may enter either or both contests. A maximum of thirty-two (32) entrants per event will be accepted in a random lottery. Online registration for the 2025 lottery was open from noon CDT on April 1, 2025 until 11:59 pm CDT on April 4, 2025 at https://www.punoff.com. A lottery for 2026 contestants will open April 1, 2026.
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On the day of the Pun-Off, contestants selected by lottery must sign in and pick up their registration packet at the Pun-Off location between 10:15 am. - 11:15 am. Packets not picked up may be assigned to other names on the registration contestant stand-by waiting list who can be present when called to the stage. Contestants unable to meet these requirements must contact the event organizers and make other arrangements ASAP or the day before the Pun-Off competition.
PUNNIEST OF SHOW
Each contestant will be allowed to present a routine lasting up to two minutes. They may use in any format (e.g., visual, musical, stand-up routine, shaggy dog, etc.), and will be scored on a scale of 1 to 100 by a panel of judges. A contestant's score will be determined after eliminating the highest and lowest scores and totaling the remaining scores. If a judge displays a score greater than 100 or less than 1, that score will be lowered or raised to the nearest allowable score (i.e., a 110 becomes a 100, a 0 becomes a 1, etc.). Contestants may be judged on content, originality, and general effect of the presentation, including judges' interpretation of audience response. Contestants may use notes or scripts but should keep in mind that the judges may consider this when determining their score.
Contestants should endeavor to keep their routines ninety 90 seconds in length. Each routine will be timed by the timekeeper, who will allow for audience response and other technical difficulties when determining if 90 seconds have passed. At the end of 90 seconds, the timekeeper will sound a warning signal, indicating that 90 seconds have expired and a 30-second grace period is now in effect. At the end of this grace period (a total of two minutes), the timekeeper will sound a second signal, and the contestant will be asked to leave the stage.
Although the judges may still give a score for the routine, any contestant whose presentation exceeds 2 minutes is automatically disqualified. The Emcee(s) will make the final determination of elapsed time based on the timekeeper's signals. In the event of an incorrect or inadvertent signal from the timekeeper, the Master(s) of Ceremonies will, as they deem necessary, adjust the contestant's remaining time.
The contestant with the highest score will be declared the winner. In the case of a tie score, the tied contestants will be called back on stage, where they will present part of their routine again. After all tied contestants finish, the audience response will be taken. The contestant that receives the best audience reaction, as determined by the judging panel and the Master(s) of Ceremonies, shall win the event.
PUNSLINGERS
This competition will consist of five rounds of single-elimination heats. For each preliminary round, two contestants will be called to the stage (a pairing), at which point they will be given a topic. The contestant with the lowest entry number will have 5 beats to deliver a pun on the topic. The other contestant has a five count to respond with another pun on the topic. Contestants who exceed the allotted five count will be eliminated from the competition. The survivor of each pairing advances to the next round. Each pairing round will result in the elimination of one contestant. There will be a ten-minute time limit in any bout. A panel of judges will pick a winner of that round. In the event of an odd number of contestants, a round may consist of three contestants with two being eliminated.
Puns may NOT be made on the same word during a round. A contestant who violates this rule will receive a "strike" and will be given another five count to come up with a pun that has not been used during the pairing. In the first round of 32, At the discretion of the emcee, an acceptable "repair" may be offered. An unsatisfactory "repair" will be considered a strike and. Three "strikes" against either contestant immediately end the round. Once each preliminary round pairing has begun, the topic will not be changed. The Master(s) of Ceremonies reserves the right to change, define, or narrow the topic or draw a new topic before starting any round of play.
Timekeeping (beat counting) by emcees will allow for audience response and other technical difficulties when determining if a five count has passed. The emcee(s) will make the final determination. In the event of an incorrect or inadvertent signal from the bell ringer, the Master(s) of Ceremonies will, as they deem necessary, adjust the contestant’s remaining time. The survivor of the final bout will be declared the winner, and champion PUNSLINGER.
CONTESTANT NUMBERS AND ORDER OF APPEARANCE
During registration (see above), contestants will receive a number for each event entered. If a contestant enters both events, the contestant will receive one for each contest. These numbers will determine the contestant's order of appearance in each contest. Contestants will not be allowed to trade or exchange numbers drawn for either event unless cleared to do so by the emcee(s) or registration officials.
Contestants in the Punniest of Show competition will appear in numerical order, starting at 1 and ending at 32. If fewer than 32 people enter Punniest of Show, non-selected entry numbers will be skipped and the contestants will be called to the stage in numerical order.
Contestants in PunSlingers will be paired against each other according to the numbers they draw during registration for the event. If the maximum of 32 entrants is not reached at the end of registration, each contestant will be paired up against the contestant whose entry number is numerically closest. If a contestant leaves the contest before their number is drawn for either event and/or does not respond when their number is called, their number will be skipped and the contestant will be disqualified from further competition in that event for the day.
If there are an odd number of entrants competing in the first round of Punslingers, the remaining unpaired contestant will be given a bye to the next round and will be paired against the contestant who survived the previous round.
FINAL AUTHORITY
The Master(s) of Ceremonies shall not overrule or change the positions determined by the judges' scores in the Punniest of Show competition (except in matters of an exceeded time limit and/or audience response) but will have final authority over all other phases of registration and of both contests, including the interpretation and implementation of these rules.
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RESPONSIBILITY
No employee of the O. Henry Museum or the City of Austin, nor any member of, or anyone officially associated with the Brush Square Museums Foundation, emcee, or judge shall be held liable in any way for the final outcome of either contest or for any other matter regarding the competition as a whole or in part.
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