An apparent change to a rule regarding Toss-Up puzzles had Wheel of Fortune viewers scratching their heads.
Toss-up puzzles are meant to be solved quickly, as letters are steadily revealed.
If one of the three contestants on stage believes they can correctly solve the puzzle, they must ring in using their hand buzzer before providing their answer.
If the first two contestants’ guesses are incorrect, the third contestant gets a chance to solve the puzzle.
For many years, under Pat Sajak’s reign, Wheel of Fortune contestants weren’t required to buzz in if they were the last player to crack a guess at a Toss-Up puzzle.
During the December 5 episode of Wheel of Fortune, viewers noticed Ryan Seacrest stopped the game to consult with producers, resulting in a loss for one player.
Wheel of Fortune viewers compare clips
On Reddit, a Wheel watcher shared an old clip from April 2024 featuring Pat Sajak as host compared to the recent episode featuring Ryan Seacrest at the helm.
In the first clip, the first two contestants couldn’t solve the puzzle, so Pat turned it over to the third contestant, allowing her a chance at cracking it without having to buzz in first.
In the second clip, a similar scenario played out, only this time, Ryan withheld a contestant because she didn’t press her buzzer.
After her opponents’ unsuccessful guesses, Jenn Walker from Sarasota, Florida, was told by Ryan, “It’s down to you, Jenn, so take your time and don’t let it fill out.”
Ryan Seacrest consults with producers during a Toss-Up round
After a few seconds on the clock, Jenn came up with the correct solution on the recent episode, but as soon as she uttered her answer, Ryan turned to the judges, asking, “Buzzer?”
Ryan stopping the game astounded the audience, who collectively groaned.
“Going to the judges on that,” Ryan said, adding, “She didn’t buzz but gave an answer?”
“No, sorry,” Ryan informed Jenn. “You gotta buzz in for that. ‘Well-balanced meal’ was the correct answer there, but you gotta use that little device.”
Wheel watchers react to the apparent rule change
In the comments section of the Reddit post — captioned, “It seems the changed the rule on whether you have to buzz in if you’re the last remaining player on a Toss-Up” — Wheel of Fortune fans discussed the apparent rule change and debated whether Ryan was in the right.
“I’m glad someone posted about this. I had the same thought watching it,” wrote u/roguemomqueen.
Another Redditor called the change a “Lame technicality ruling.”
Further griping that the rule shouldn’t be in place, the comment continued, “Common sense would be evident if your the last person in the round there would be no need to buzz. DUH!”
As the original poster noted, however, buzzing in pauses the letters being revealed, preventing a contestant from unfairly reading the puzzle as it’s slowly revealed.
Another Wheel watcher felt it didn’t matter if Jenn buzzed in or not since she was the last person in the Toss-Up to take a guess.
“Maybe since she didn’t buzz the last letter came up while she was guessing,” they voiced. “It is the first time I noticed the last person having to buzz.”
Ultimately, Jenn’s loss didn’t affect the game’s outcome. Unfortunately for Jenn, though, her opponent, Clint, was the big winner, taking home a grand total of $26,150.
When all was said and done Jenn still walked away $20,490 richer.