Explanation of ESPN's 2Minute Drill
Version 2.0

Game Play

Round 1:

The show starts with ~~three~~ two contestants, each of which have selected a specialty topic (e.g. the 1999 Cincinnati Reds). It can be any topic relating to sports. This will come into play if the contestant wins the game.

The game starts with the first contestant getting a "2-minute drill" where he/she has two minutes to answer as many questions as possible from a group of four panelists, each of whom has a different category (e.g. touchdowns, agents, etc.). The contestant can choose whichever panelist he/she wants, ~~but if the contestant misses or passes on a question, he/she must go to another panelist before returning to the previous panelist~~ and that panelist will read all four questions. The contestant than proceeds to another panelist. ~~This same process is repeated for the two other contestants.~~

Each panelist has ~~five~~ four questions, and the contestant gets one point for each correct answer. If the contestant gets all ~~five~~ four questions right from a given panelist, he/she receives one bonus point. ~~After all three contestants have played, the two highest scores advance to the next round.~~

Any ties are broken with a question asked prior to taping. Each of the contestants submits an answer. The tie will be broken with whoever is closest to the answer. The answers are typically revealed on the show, but not always.

Round 2:

Round two is nearly identical to round 1 with a few exceptions. This time, no categories are given, and the contestant is no longer able to choose who they want to read the next question. The four panelists ~~and host Kenny Mayne~~ randomly fire off questions to the contestant.

In this round, the contestant still gets one point per correct answer, but there are no bonus points for sweeping categories. The contestants also retain their scores from round 1. The highest total after the second round is the winner and wins cash, a sports fantasy of their choice, and a chance to double their money.

Bonus Round:

The bonus round is where the contestant's specialty category comes into play. Kenny Mayne gives the contestant a briefing about the category, and then gives him/her a question about the category. If the contestant correctly answers the question, he/she doubles his/her money. If the contestant is wrong, he/she keeps the money already won and the sports fantasy. Regardless of what happens, the winning contestant is returns for the next round of the tournament.

The Tournament

The tournament will be an elimination tournament ~~that will end on Christmas Day~~, with the winner winning at least ~~$100,000~~ , and a chance to win as much as ~~$200,000~~ . The actual prize money won will vary depending on how many times the contestant is able to answer his/her specialty category question.

There are four five rounds in the tournament. The first round will consist of 17 games, with the highest-scoring non-winner receiving a wild card entry into the second round (for a total of 18). The second round (quarterfinals) will then consist of six games, narrowing the field to six. The third round (semifinals) will consist of two games. As in the first round, the highest-scoring non-winner will advance to the final as a wild card. After that the final will determine the winner of the tournament, who is guaranteed $100,000. The tournament will progress like a standard single elimination tournament (e.g. NCAA hoops tourney).

For every game a contestant wins, he/she receives an "ESPN Experience" along with a cash prize. The cash prize varies depending on which round of the tournament the contestant has just won. The prizes (in order of rounds) are: ~~$5,000, $15,000, $30,000, and $50,000~~ . The contestant can then double that prize by correctly answering the question in his/her specialty category. This provides a minimum of ~~$100,000~~ and a maximum of ~~$200,000~~ .

Note: Strike-throughs indicate rules no longer used. Blue indicates new rules for the current season.