2020-2021

Version 2021.1.1
Updated January 5, 2021

High School Unified Manual

Chapter, Rules, and Tournament Operations

The National Speech & Debate Association is the largest interscholastic speech and debate
organization serving middle school and high school in the United States. The Association
provides competitive speech and debate activities, high-quality resources, comprehensive training,
scholarship opportunities, and advanced recognition to more than 150,000 students and coaches
every year. For more than 90 years, the National Speech & Debate Association has empowered nearly
two million members to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaders in our
society.

OUR MISSION: The National Speech & Debate Association connects, supports, and inspires a diverse
community committed to empowering students through competitive speech and debate.

OUR VISION: We envision a world in which every student has access to membership in the National
Speech & Debate Association, providing the educational resources, competitive opportunities, and
expertise necessary to foster their communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creative skills.

Editor’s Note: For quick reference throughout this document, new changes for the current year are highlighted in yellow.
Other recent changes made within the past one or two years remain highlighted in gray.

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Table of Contents
SECTION 1: High School Chapter Manual .........................................................................................6
Membership ...................................................................................................................................7
I. School Membership ............................................................................................................................. 7
II. Recording Merit Points........................................................................................................................ 8
III. Individual Membership .................................................................................................................... 11
IV. Degrees ............................................................................................................................................ 12
V. Chapter Procedures........................................................................................................................... 13
Supplies ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Code of Honor .............................................................................................................................. 18
Coaches Code of Ethics.................................................................................................................. 18
District and National Leadership ................................................................................................... 19
I. District Committee ............................................................................................................................. 19
II. Board of Directors ............................................................................................................................. 19
Quick Reference for Chapter Advisors/Coaches ............................................................................. 21
Schools .................................................................................................................................................. 21
Students ................................................................................................................................................ 21
Tournaments ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Points .................................................................................................................................................... 21
SECTION 2: High School Event Rules Manual.................................................................................. 23
Main Event Rules .......................................................................................................................... 24
Policy Debate ........................................................................................................................................ 24
Public Forum Debate............................................................................................................................. 25
Lincoln-Douglas Debate ........................................................................................................................ 27
Congressional Debate ........................................................................................................................... 35
Original Oratory .................................................................................................................................... 44
Informative Speaking ............................................................................................................................ 44
Program Oral Interpretation ................................................................................................................. 45
Interpretation........................................................................................................................................ 46
Extemporaneous Speaking.................................................................................................................... 50
Supplemental Event Rules ............................................................................................................. 54
Extemporaneous Commentary ............................................................................................................. 54
Prose and Poetry ................................................................................................................................... 54
Extemporaneous Debate ...................................................................................................................... 55
Expository ............................................................................................................................................. 57
Impromptu ............................................................................................................................................ 57
Storytelling ............................................................................................................................................ 57
USA World Schools Debate Invitational ......................................................................................... 59
SECTION 3: District Tournament Operations Manual ..................................................................... 60
Planning the District Tournament .................................................................................................. 61

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Unified Manual 2
 Guidelines for Scheduling ..................................................................................................................... 61
Online Registration and Tabulation: [Link] or SpeechWire...................................................... 61
Tournament Roles and Responsibilities ......................................................................................... 61
Tournament Officials ............................................................................................................................. 61
Suggested Tournament Roles................................................................................................................ 61
Standards for Holding a District Qualifying Tournament ................................................................ 62
District Eligibility ................................................................................................................................... 62
National Qualification Levels ................................................................................................................ 64
Auto-Qualification ................................................................................................................................. 65
School Eligibility and Entry Limits ......................................................................................................... 66
Student Eligibility and Requirements.................................................................................................... 67
Online District Tournament Requirements .................................................................................... 70
Online Requirement .............................................................................................................................. 70
Rules for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices ........................................................................................... 70
Online Tournament Platforms and Software ........................................................................................ 70
Judge Instruction................................................................................................................................... 70
Speech Events ....................................................................................................................................... 70
Asynchronous Speech Requirements.................................................................................................... 71
Duo Interpretation ................................................................................................................................ 71
Extemporaneous Speaking.................................................................................................................... 71
Debate Events (PF, LD, CX, BQ).............................................................................................................. 71
Running the District Debate Tournament ...................................................................................... 73
General Rules and Instructions ............................................................................................................. 73
Absolute Pairing Priorities..................................................................................................................... 74
Pairing Rounds One and Two ................................................................................................................ 74
Pairing Subsequent Rounds .................................................................................................................. 75
Running the District Congressional Debate Tournament ................................................................ 77
General Rules and Instructions ............................................................................................................. 77
Assigning Students to Chambers........................................................................................................... 79
Tabulation ............................................................................................................................................. 79
Qualifiers and Alternates ...................................................................................................................... 80
Running the District Speech Tournament ...................................................................................... 81
General Rules and Instructions ............................................................................................................. 81
The Up/Down Model .................................................................................................................... 82
Sectioning in the Up/Down Model ....................................................................................................... 82
Sectioning.............................................................................................................................................. 82
Moving Entries from Sections ............................................................................................................... 82
Speaker Order ....................................................................................................................................... 83
Balance of Power .................................................................................................................................. 83
Changing Ranks ..................................................................................................................................... 83
Scoring Ties ........................................................................................................................................... 83
Final Round ........................................................................................................................................... 83
Determining National Qualifiers and Alternates................................................................................... 83

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The California Plan ........................................................................................................................ 85
Planning Preliminary Rounds ................................................................................................................ 85
Preset Preliminary Round ..................................................................................................................... 85
Powered Preliminary Rounds ................................................................................................................ 87
Determining Semifinal Qualifiers .......................................................................................................... 87
Pairing the Semifinal Round .................................................................................................................. 87
Determining Final Round Qualifiers ...................................................................................................... 88
Pairing the Final Round ......................................................................................................................... 88
Determining National Qualifiers ........................................................................................................... 88
Sweepstakes Awards .................................................................................................................... 89
Overall District Sweepstakes Plaque ..................................................................................................... 89
Congress, Debate, and Speech Sweepstakes Awards ........................................................................... 90
District Cumulative Sweepstakes Award ............................................................................................... 90
Reporting to the National Office ................................................................................................... 91
District Tournament Audit Procedures .......................................................................................... 92
District Tournament Rules and Penalties ....................................................................................... 93
Debate Events ....................................................................................................................................... 94
Speech Events ....................................................................................................................................... 95
Judge Instructions and Guidelines ................................................................................................. 96
General Instructions.............................................................................................................................. 96
Statement on Conflicts of Interest in Judging ....................................................................................... 96
District Team for USA World Schools Debate Invitational .............................................................. 98
Methods to Select the World Schools District Team............................................................................. 98
Coach of the World Schools District Team ............................................................................................ 99
District Qualification Process for Big Questions Debate ............................................................... 100
Entries/Qualification Process .............................................................................................................. 100
SECTION 4: National Tournament Operations Manual ................................................................. 101
Entry Requirements .................................................................................................................... 102
Instructions for Registering ................................................................................................................. 102
General Rules ............................................................................................................................. 105
Eligibility and Qualification ................................................................................................................. 105
Overarching Competition Rules .......................................................................................................... 106
Tournament Procedures for Debate Events ................................................................................. 108
General Rules and Instructions ........................................................................................................... 108
Protocol for States with Seven or More Districts ................................................................................ 109
Debate Pairing Instructions ................................................................................................................. 109
Tournament Procedures for Main Speech Events......................................................................... 113
General Rules and Instructions ........................................................................................................... 113
Speech Sectioning Instructions ........................................................................................................... 113
VII. Speech Rules Infractions ............................................................................................................... 116
National Congressional Debate Procedures ................................................................................. 119

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Supplemental Event Procedures .................................................................................................. 124
Supplemental Events........................................................................................................................... 124
Sectioning and Tabulation................................................................................................................... 124
World Schools Debate Procedures: USWSDI ................................................................................ 126
Basic Overview .................................................................................................................................... 126
Entries ................................................................................................................................................. 126
Judges.................................................................................................................................................. 126
Motions ............................................................................................................................................... 126
Participation in Supplemental Events ................................................................................................. 126
Big Questions Capstone Event Logistics ....................................................................................... 127
Entries ................................................................................................................................................. 127
Judges.................................................................................................................................................. 127
Topic .................................................................................................................................................... 127
Participation in Supplemental Events ................................................................................................. 127
National Tournament Awards ..................................................................................................... 128
Team Awards ....................................................................................................................................... 128
Individual Awards................................................................................................................................ 129
APPENDIX A: Debate Event Time Limits ....................................................................................... 130
APPENDIX B: Speech Event Time Limits ....................................................................................... 131
APPENDIX C: Casebook Questions ............................................................................................... 132
APPENDIX D: Congress Evidence Challenge Form ......................................................................... 136
APPENDIX E: Change Log ............................................................................................................. 137
Questions?.................................................................................................................................. 147

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Unified Manual 5
 2020-2021

SECTION 1: High School Chapter Manual

The National Speech & Debate Association functions on two levels: first, as an organization to govern
and promote speech and debate activities; and second, as an honor society to recognize and support
speech and debate education.

This section focuses primarily on official rules pertaining to high school membership, individual
student and coach participation, member enrollment, governance, and acknowledgement of service.

For questions not answered here, please contact the national office at info@[Link] or
call (920) 748-6206.

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Membership
I. School Membership
A. Chapter Activation: Eligible schools may join the Association or renew membership by paying annual dues and
completing an online renewal with the permission of their principal or head school administrator. Paid chapters are
entitled to:
1. Access to the online point recording site (Points Application) and enrollment of individual students/coaches
upon payment of individual enrollment fees (see below).
2. Rostrum, the official publication of the National Speech & Debate Association, is issued five times a year in
mid-August, mid-September, mid-November, mid-February, and mid-April. Each paid member chapter
receives one copy. There is a fee for additional subscriptions, which may be ordered at
[Link]/store.
3. Access to the district tournament to qualify for the National Tournament. Entry allotment is based on the
chapter strength of members and degrees on record prior to the district tournament entry deadline set by
the District Committee. A District Committee may also choose to charge an entry fee for entry to the district
tournament.
4. Access to thousands of resources on the Association’s website. From lesson plans, coaching techniques, and
live webinars to recorded videos and sample final round performances, the National Speech & Debate
Association is the leading provider of academic and competitive resources for speech and debate.
Important Notice: To best serve our students, strengthen the creation and sustainability of programs, and
establish continuity from middle school to high school, the Board of Directors voted at the Fall 2015 Board
Meeting to require school affiliation for all memberships beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. Any high
school, middle school, home school, or virtual school recognized as an accredited public or private school by the
state in which those schools compete may join the National Speech & Debate Association. All current non-
school-based clubs and organizations are encouraged to work with the Association and area school districts to
create speech and debate programs through their students' schools. Students who are currently Association
members through their area non-school-based clubs and organizations may request to have their memberships
transferred at any time to their accredited public and private schools by contacting info@[Link].

B. Chapter Classification: Each school is designated a member chapter or charter chapter, which determines its credit
toward a district’s strength of chapters and therefore the district's number of qualifiers to the National Tournament.
1. Charter Chapter: The Association’s highest school membership honor. A chapter is automatically chartered if,
after at least one year at member status, it has earned at least 50 degrees within a three-year period. Small
schools with a grade 9-12 enrollment of fewer than 500 students must earn at least 25 degrees within a
three-year period. If at any point a charter chapter does not meet the minimum three-year strength
requirements, it can apply for a one-year extension, or it reverts to member chapter status. If a charter is
suspended for non-payment of dues, it may return as a charter chapter if it has been less than three years
since its last membership and all prior invoices (including missing year dues) are paid in full. Charters issued
before 1931 are permanent and remain valid as long as chapter dues are paid. The school principal may
surrender the charter.
Schools earning charter status for the first time are issued a complimentary commemorative plaque by the
NSDA. Schools chartered before the 2016-2017 school year have the option of purchasing a plaque from the
NSDA Store to complement their original charter document.
2. Member Chapter: A chapter that has never earned charter status, is returning after more than five years of
absence, or as a former Charter did not maintain charter strength renewal requirements over a three-year
period.

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C. District Placement: New member schools are placed in a district by the national office based on geographic location
and district size equalization.

D. District Size: No district will be allowed to split into two districts unless they establish 40 charter chapters for two
consecutive years.

II. Recording Merit Points

A. Chapter Records
1. A student will gain high school membership immediately after the student membership fee is paid.
2. Students earn merit points for participating in interscholastic contests and for service in non-competitive
speaking engagements, judging middle school or novice competition, coaching middle school students, and
participating in theatrical speaking performances. See rules under each section below for more details.
3. Points may be recorded any time during a student’s enrollment in grades 9-12 for speaking activities
occurring during those grade levels, except for service projects, which may be recorded for up to one year
prior. Only the chapter advisor of record may submit emails with changes/corrections to records.
4. Points may not be entered for graduated seniors after July 15 of their graduation year.
5. The coach must take care to enter the student’s legal name (not nickname), capitalizing appropriate letters.
This is important for consistent identification of the student. “Jon,” “Johnny,” or “Jack” should not be a
substitution for “Jonathan.” “James Andrew Smith” is different than just “Andrew Smith.”
6. Please record points promptly after each event in which points were gained. Indicate the correct start and
end date; separate recording may be necessary for Congress, where there is a daily limit of 24 points.
7. Under "Where Held," list the place of each contest. If a school, list the name of the city and the name of the
school (e.g., Omaha-North HS). Generic names such as "Washington HS" are vague and such entries may be
stricken. Instead, use complete names (e.g., Kansas City-Washington HS). If a college, list the name and city
(e.g., Central State Univ.–Edmund). Avoid acronyms like UCLA or CSU.
8. An interested student or parent who is not deeply involved in debate or contest activity may be appointed
Recording Secretary and given the responsibilities of keeping the credit point records. The instructor must
still check records for accuracy.
9. Several tournaments participate in our automatic point recording program. Please see our High School Point
Recording Guide for more information.

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B. Recording Interscholastic Debates
1. Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, and Policy Debate are recorded in the “Debate” category, and are worth 6
points per win and 3 points per loss or non-decision. Only one win/loss is recorded per round, so for a panel
of judges, the prevailing decision is entered.
2. Congressional Debate or other assembly speaking is recorded in the “Congress” category. Students earn 1-6
points per speech or per complete hour of presiding (so a panel of judge scores must be averaged). When a
6-pt. scale is not awarded, use the following conversion table:
8-pt. scale 30-pt. scale 60-100-pt. scale Pts. to Record Tourney Placement Pts. to Record
8 28-30 97-100 6 1st 24
6-7 23-27 90-96 5 2nd 23
4-5 18-22 84-89 4 3rd 22
3 13-17 77-83 3 4th 21
2 8-12 70-76 2 5th 20
1 1-7 60-69 1 (and so forth)

No more than 24 points may be recorded per calendar day. An official scorer must be present. At least four
hours of debate must be held.
3. A minimum of four schools must be present at a tournament for merit points to be earned in all events.
4. Non-Association debate events, such as Mock Trial, Parliamentary Debate, or Spontaneous Argument are
recorded in the “Debate” category, and are worth 4 points per win and 2 points per loss or non-decision.
5. If there is no official scoring, Girls/Boys State participants may earn up to 24 total points if they are a
candidate for elected public office.
6. If a debate round is cancelled or not held due to forfeiture or drawing of a bye, no points are recorded.
7. If a tournament has middle school competitors, a high school student may only earn points for rounds
against middle school competitors if the tournament has at least four high schools competing.
8. Wins or losses may not be recorded for debates against non-school entities, such as a civic organization.
Public debates held before an audience of such an entity may be recorded under “Service,” but cannot also
be recorded with a win/loss under “Debate.”
9. The International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) debate essay contest is recorded under Debate, either as Policy
Debate or Public Forum Debate.
10. Students may earn NSDA merit points for asynchronous competition. Students may only earn points for
competing in one asynchronous competition per day. Tabulation software and the NSDA site will not regulate
this; it will be the affirmative duty of coaches to ensure what is posted is in line with this rule.
11. The NSDA is piloting a rule for 2020-2021 that allows students to earn up to 75 merit points for intrasquad
and intersquad competitions that do not have the required four schools participating. Tabulation software
and the NSDA site will not regulate this; it will be the affirmative duty of coaches to ensure what is posted is
in line with this rule.

C. Recording Interscholastic Speech Contests

1. A minimum of four schools must be present at a tournament for merit points to be earned in all events.
2. Public speaking or interpretive events are recorded by their individual category name. Student ranks, or rank-
equivalents (conversion for point totals or alternate systems) are used.
3. Only one rank or round placing may be entered for a panel of judges. For elimination rounds prior to a final
round, an average of a panel’s ranks may be used. For the final round, tournament placement is the rank.

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 4. Main Association events may earn 6 points per 1st rank, 5 points per 2nd rank, 4 points per 3rd rank, 3 points
per 4th rank, and 2 points for ranks of 5 and below. Those events include Extemporaneous Speaking, Original
Oratory, Informative Speaking, and Humorous, Dramatic, Duo, and Program Oral Interpretation.
5. Non-main Association events may earn 5 points per 1st rank, 4 points per 2nd rank, 3 points per 3rd rank, 2
points per 4th rank, and 1 point for ranks of 5 and below. Use the appropriate category name, or a similar
category name as appropriate.
6. Extrapolate what speech categories best match outside contests. For example, American Legion Oratorical
Contest’s two speaking events are recorded as Original Oratory and Extemporaneous Speaking. Poetry Out
Loud, Slam Poetry, and Spoken-Word Poetry are recorded as Poetry. Where ratings are used instead of
rankings, please use the table below.
7. Students may earn NSDA merit points for asynchronous competition. Students may only earn points for
competing in one asynchronous competition per day. Tabulation software and the NSDA site will not regulate
this; it will be the affirmative duty of coaches to ensure what is posted is in line with this rule.
8. Use the following table to convert non-rank ratings to ranks for the purpose of online recording:
Non-Rank Round Rating Grade Points Points Rank to Input
Superior 25 95-100 1
Excellent 24 90-94 2
Good or Exceeds Expectations A 20-23 71-89 3
Fair or Meets Expectations B 15-19 42-70 4
Average or Does Not Meet Expectations C 10-14 10-41 5
0-9° 0-9° None
°Severe deficiency, and therefore, not worth any points
D. Recording Non-Competitive/Service Speaking
1. Limits: Up to 200 service points may be reported per year; service activities can be recorded retroactively for
the current and immediate past school years only. Students may not record points in both contest and service
speaking (this includes final rounds that may have an audience of more than five people). Coaches have the
autonomy to determine what service activities qualify for service points within the following parameters.
2. Point Value: Students receive five points for each service activity, with a limit of four activities per day.
3. Audience: An audience of at least five people must be present for each service speaking activity. For non-
speaking service activities, an audience is not required.
4. Disallowed Activities: Students may not record points for service activities done as part of a classroom
requirement or for competitive performances at a summer institute. Work for which students are financially
compensated may not receive points.
5. Examples of Service Activities:
a. Coaching middle or elementary school students for two hours prior to a tournament
b. Judging a round of middle school competition
c. Performing a speaking role in a play or musical
d. Participating in reader’s theatre, one-act, or a choral reading group
e. Giving a speech at a political rally
f. Volunteering at a homeless shelter
g. Doing a demo debate for new students on the team
h. Recording an episode for a podcast

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 i. Participating in a panel discussion or public debate
j. Volunteering to help at the ballot table at an after school tournament
k. Volunteering at a summer camp for middle or elementary school students
l. Working at a team fundraiser
m. Speaking as part of a religious service
6. District and National Tournament Points: Points earned at the district and national tournaments are
automatically posted. Coaches must accept these points

III. Individual Membership

A. Students
1. The school will be assessed a $20 membership fee per student enrolled by the local chapter advisor. A
student becomes a member upon payment of this fee. Points are recorded online for student participation in
interscholastic contests or service speaking endeavors. Once a student has earned 25 merit points (see
section on point recording), at least 10 of which were gained in interscholastic contests, the student will earn
their first Merit seal in the National Forensic League Honor Society.
2. Standards: The applicant should have a real interest in speech, maintain a high standard of contest ethics,
and be of good character. Tests to be applied to each applicant should include:
a. Deserving by ability and achievement, to be honored with Association membership and the key or
pin?
b. Will granting membership to this person favorably affect the significance of Association membership
in this school and elsewhere?
In case of doubt, it is better to defer granting membership. The applicant can always be admitted later; once
admitted, it is difficult and painful to remove them.
All students who become members of the National Speech & Debate Association must affirm the honor
society’s Code of Honor. Member students pledge to uphold the highest standards of integrity, humility,
respect, leadership, and service.
3. Student applicants should rank scholastically in the upper two-thirds of their class. Rank may be based either
on the work of the previous semester or upon the entire high school record, whichever the principal believes
will most fairly measure the scholastic worth of the applicant. If the applicant ranks in the lowest third of the
class, membership must be deferred until their work improves. In special circumstances the principal may by
letter recommend to the Board of Directors that a student be accepted for membership in spite of scholastic
or credit point deficiency.
4. The high school faculty is also authorized to elect members and it should be requested to do so if the chapter
without just cause declines to elect a qualified applicant.
5. Ninth grade students in a junior high school may be elected to membership by the high school they expect to
attend. Only ninth grade students may be elected to high school Association membership in junior high
chapters. Ninth grade students may, if local rules permit, participate as members of the high school squad.

B. Instructors/Coaches
1. Instructors receive all points recorded for students they coach. They qualify for membership and advanced
degrees according to the same schedule provided for students and must apply and pay the individual
membership enrollment fee. On attaining a total of 15,000 points, the instructor will be entitled to wear a
diamond-set Association key or pin; additional diamonds accrue at 30,000, 60,000, 90,000 and each 30,000
points thereafter, and the minimum time for each diamond is five years as a member coach.

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 2. An instructor who obtained membership as a student will have all of their points earned as a student
transferred. An instructor who obtained membership as a student prior to 1996 should report that fact to the
national office for assistance with the points transfer.
3. Degrees for up to three paid member coaches may count in each chapter toward district standing and
tournament apportionment. Member coaches must have paid memberships to be eligible. However, more
than three paid member coaches may earn points during a season.

C. Enrollment/Application
1. Coaches will generate a $20 invoice for each new member after the student is enrolled online. Please pay
this invoice within 30 days. Schools may pay this fee online by credit card or remit a check or money order
payable to National Speech & Debate Association. Any individual membership fee not paid within 60 days
of the membership merit date will be assessed 1.5% of the invoice. A school with any outstanding debt to
the Association will not be allowed to participate in the District or National Tournament until those fees are
paid in full.
2. Refund requests must be submitted within 72 hours of creating an invoice and are granted on a case-by-case
basis.
3. The advisor will receive a paper copy of the hand-engrossed certificates for each new member. The chapter
advisor should inspect certificates for accuracy and report any issues or missing certificates to the national
office within 30 days. Beyond 30 days, a replacement fee of $5 per certificate is charged.

D. Transfer of Membership: A student or coach may transfer from one chapter to another without charge or loss of
points. If a new certificate is desired, $5 must be remitted. Transfer may be done automatically on the points system,
or by emailing/calling customer service staff.

E. District Eligible Members: Up to three paid member coaches and all paid member students will count in
determining chapter strength, and therefore, district standing. Students are district eligible if their membership is paid,
they have 25+ merit points, and they have a valid, unique email address on to their NSDA account.

F. Student Website Registration Procedures: Only students officially registered as a member user on the
organization’s website may compete in district competition. Learn how students can create and link an account, as
well as how advisors can accept linked account requests at [Link]
management/.

IV. Degrees
A. Advantages of Advanced Degrees: Advanced degrees provide constant incentive for further effort. To obtain the
many advantages of advanced degrees, advisors should record points earned by members as soon as they have
qualified for such degrees. Doing so will give the chapter and district the fullest measure of recognition and provide
the maximum interest and enthusiasm for the program.
1. Each degree adds a distinctive seal to the membership certificate.
These are sent to chapters, periodically, as individuals advance in
their degrees. Seals should be affixed to the original membership
certificate so that three-eighths of an inch of the left side of the
former seal will remain uncovered by the new one.
2. The key or pin of the member may be jeweled to designate the
highest degree held. Students who attain 500 points may wear the
silver monogram.
3. Degree of Excellence and above permits students to receive service
points for judging novice rounds.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 12
 4. The number of entries in the district tournament from each chapter is based upon the number of
paid members and degrees on record prior to the district tournament entry deadline set by the
District Committee.
5. Seats in the district Congressional Debate are apportioned among the chapters on the basis of
membership and degrees on record based on the last district standing prior to the district
tournament entry deadline set by the District Committee.
6. The charter chapter report of standings is based upon the number of members and degrees enrolled
during the past year. Each degree counts as much as one individual membership.
7. Each degree adds to the cumulative chapter record, which leads to earning the Leading Chapter
Award, and helps to advance the standing of the district.
Alert chapters will see to it that each degree award is mentioned in the school or local paper. It is a proper form
of publicity and highly effective in expanding student interest in speech. Newspapers are usually eager to use
brief items concerning honors awarded to local students by a national organization. Coaches may access custom
press release templates at [Link].

B. Applying for Degrees: No application or fee is required for any advanced degree. The degrees will be recorded in
the national office as soon as a member has the necessary number of points on record.

Degree Points Strength Certificate Seal Pin Insignia - Gem

Honor 75 2 Bronze Emerald
Excellence 150 3 Silver on White Blue Sapphire
Distinction 250 4 Metallic Gold on Gold Ruby
Special Distinction 500 5 Silver on Pink Double Ruby
Superior Distinction 750 6 Silver on Blue Triple Ruby
Outstanding Distinction 1,000 7 Silver on Violet Quadruple Ruby
Premier Distinction 1,500 8 Silver on Black Quintuple Ruby

V. Chapter Procedures
A. Approaches to Recognizing Students: Certificates, degrees, and keys should be presented to the members at a
school assembly, an awards day program or other appropriate occasion. Both school and community papers
should be given the names of the students honored and asked to give brief acknowledgment of the achievements
the honor represents.
Giving full and deserved recognition to successful speakers is a sure way of arousing in younger students the
desire to follow the same course and likewise to be honored for their achievements.

B. Induction: The national organization prescribes no ritual for the initiation of new members, inasmuch as such
procedure might be contrary to local school regulations. In the absence of such rule, an appropriate ceremony for
the induction of new members may be employed.

C. Insignia: The emblem of our organization is shaped like a key, symbolizing the unlocking of the powers of
expression. The shape of the main part of the emblem is octagonal, which symbolizes the many angles from
which a question must be studied. The eye symbolizes the light which study will throw upon all questions. The
letters “NFL” stand for “National Forensic League.” The lamp designates knowledge. The emblem is made of
sterling silver plated with rhodium to preserve indefinitely its metallic luster. Silver is used instead of gold to
distinguish the emblem from the collegiate honor keys. One should be very proud to wear this distinctive insignia.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 13
 Generations of students have proudly worn our insignia as a tangible sign of their success in mastering the
techniques of effective communication. Keys and pins, and especially the advanced degree jewels make excellent
awards to worthy students. Any member may obtain a key or pin (plain or jeweled) to reflect standing in the
Association.
Keys are made of silver, heavily plated with a special rhodium plating, and are guaranteed against defect by the
manufacturer. Should one be found unsatisfactory, please return it to the national office for replacement.

TIP: Chapters may find it to be simpler, quicker, and cheaper to

establish a small “bank” of insignia so members can trade their pins
for jeweled pins as they qualify for them. These members release
their plain pins for use by new members, who in turn will qualify for
jeweled items later.

D. Ordering Keys and Pins: Honorary insignia are available as either keys or pins in the actual sizes shown here. All
items may be ordered either plain or with designated jewel. Visit [Link]/store to order online.
1. Advisors may order silver keys and pins for students. Gold insignia are for instructors only.
2. Please order insignia online at [Link]/store.
3. If an emblem is lost, a new order completed in the regular manner may be submitted. There is no
rule barring possession of more than one emblem by any member.
4. All orders for new insignia are to be mailed to the national office, not to the manufacturer.
5. A member holding an advanced degree when they obtain a key may order the jewel at that time.
6. Insignia for jewelling or change of jewelling is not to be sent to the national office. Send the insignia
and a copy of the degree report sent to the chapter, plus the proper remittance to the manufacturer.

Supplies
Various supplies are available for purchase or offered complimentary to Association chapters. Ordering may be done via
the online NSDA Store. Remittance must accompany the order for any purchases. Following is a sample listing of supplies.
• Diploma Seals: Chapters wishing to affix Association seals to the diplomas of their graduating members may
obtain such seals from the national office. The seals are one inch in size, embossed on bronze, silver, gold, rose,
blue, and purple foil to designate the degree held by the member. Each package contains an assortment of seals.
Replacement packets of all bronze, all silver, all gold, all rose, all blue, all purple, or all black are available.
Diploma seals must not be awarded to members not attaining advanced degrees.
• Magazine: Rostrum, the official publication of the National Speech & Debate Association, is issued five times a
year in mid-August, mid-September, mid-November, mid-February, and mid-April. Each paid member chapter
receives one copy. There is a fee for additional subscriptions, which may be ordered at
[Link]/store.
Awards
• Leading Chapter Award: Each year, the Association presents a Leading Chapter award to the school that has
accumulated the highest total members and degrees in each district.
o To be eligible in a given year, a school must:
▪ have at least five years of membership;
▪ add new members and degrees during the school year.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 14
 o A school must not:
▪ have received the award in the prior five years;
▪ have lost its charter status, become suspended or expelled.
o A tie is broken in favor of the school which enrolled the greater number of new members and degrees
during that school year.
o After winning the award, the school's accumulated total returns to zero and it begins a new record.
o The standing of each chapter in the district is made available each Fall.

• Honorary Membership: A chapter may elect one Honorary member for each 100 members and degrees earned
by that chapter; not more than one a year. Honorary members must be adults who have contributed in some
significant way to the speech program of the local chapter, but have not earned Association membership as a
student or instructor.
A special form for honorary membership is required and is available from the national office. There is no fee. An
appropriate membership certificate is issued. A Gold Chapter Honorary key is obtainable from the national office.
• Student Honor Cords: Where local rules permit, graduating seniors may wear official Association Silver and Ruby
Honor Cords at Graduation ceremonies. The cords may be ordered at [Link]/store.
• District Chair Awards in Honor of Ralph E. Carey: District chairs are charged with running district tournaments,
are responsible for the welfare of the Association in their districts, and advise the Board on Association policy.
District chair awards are earned in the following manner:
1. The chairperson of the district in first place on May 1 receives 8 units, the next three receive 4 units, and the
next nine receive 2 units. All others receive 1 unit.
2. For 3 units, a chair is given a bronze chairperson award, for 5 units a silver award, and for 8 units a Ralph E.
Carey gold award. No chair is ever given a lower award than one previously received, but units accumulate
over several years toward a gold award; more than one may be earned.
3. The Ralph E. Carey Distinguished District Chair Trophy is a career award presented each year to one
outstanding chair for lengthy and superlative service. Awards also are presented to the best new chair, chair
of the year, and the best chair communications.
• Student of the Year: Each Chapter may nominate one graduating senior as District Student of the Year using the
designated form. The nominee must: be an Association member in their senior year of high school; demonstrate
strong academic standards; actively engage their community through service and action; exhibit dedication to
forensics and commitment to values of the Association. Each individual district determines the manner in which
nominees are reviewed and selected. Each District Student of the Year is eligible for consideration as National
Student of the Year, determined through a review process coordinated by the national office.
• All American: Each year, the Association recognizes the top 25 student point earners in the country. Standards
are based on a combination of competitive points and service points, of which no more than 25% of the point
total can include service. In order to qualify, a student must have competed once at Nationals.
• All State: The All State Award recognizes the top 1% of point earners in each state. Standards are based on a
combination of competitive points and service points, of which no more than 25% of the point total can include
service.
• Academic All American: The Academic All American award recognizes students who have:
o Earned the degree of Superior Distinction (750 points)
o Completed at least 5 semesters of high school
o Demonstrated outstanding character and leadership
o Earned a GPA of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent)

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 15
 NOTE: If the GPA is between 3.5 and 3.7 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent), students also must have
received an ACT score of 27 or higher, or a New SAT score of 1300 or higher
Coaches of students who meet these requirements should submit an application for the award, available online,
along with character references and academic transcripts.
• Student Service Citations: Students receive one citation for every 100 service points achieved. A single act of
service, such as community speaking, usually garners between two and five service points. The number of
citations a student receives will be noted as “first degree,” “second degree,” “third degree,” and so on. Coaches
will receive notification on the Points Application when students reach new degrees, and may download
certificates and press releases when students earn those honors.
• Student Service Plaques: Each chapter may award Association service plaques to students who render service
(conducting chapter affairs, running tournaments, judging, etc.). The 4.5” x 6.5” plaques feature the embossed
NFL seal. Plaques may be ordered from the national office.
• Hall of Fame: Individuals with 25 years of coach membership in the National Speech & Debate Association, or
who are retired from coaching and teaching, are eligible to be nominated for this prestigious award. Existing Hall
of Fame members and all coaches with three or more diamonds elect each year’s class to the Hall of Fame.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 16
 • Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Award: A special honor conferred upon coaches by the Association is the
Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Award (renamed in 2018). A special gold key is granted to a coach member
for 20 citations and a bronze plaque is given for each additional 50 citations for the following services:
Recruiting a new chapter .................................................................... 2
Sponsoring a new chapter .................................................................. 2
Year as a district chair ......................................................................... 5
Year as member of a District Committee ............................................ 3
Year as member of the NSDA Board of Directors................................ 3
District tournament tab staff (non-District Committee member) ....... 1
Holding a tournament for 4+ schools ................................................. 1
Tabbing a tournament for 4+ schools ................................................. 1
Volunteering at the National Tournament .......................................... 1
Serving in a tab room at the National Tournament ............................ 3
Chairing an event at the National Tournament................................... 3
Serving on the National Tournament host committee........................ 5
Curriculum/educational support for national office ........................... 1
Pre-approved speech and debate advocacy events ............................ 1

Whenever a member is entitled to a citation, the Coach Service Citation form (available online) should be filled
out and sent to the national office, but no application should be submitted for a service not specifically listed
above.
1. The service should be described by citing time, place, name, or event so as to establish its identity beyond
possibility of confusion with any similar one. Several services may be listed on one blank, but the forms
should not be crowded.
2. Citations must be applied for within two years from the date of the service or they cannot be allowed.
3. Signature of school official is required only if the service has not been established by national record or
attached papers.
4. Citations approved at the national office will be signed by the Executive Director and kept at the national
office until the number required for an award has been attained. At that time, they should again be sent to
the national office to claim the award.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 17
Code of Honor
“As a member of the National Speech & Debate Association, I pledge to uphold the highest standards of
integrity, humility, respect, leadership, and service in the pursuit of excellence.”

Integrity: An honor society member obeys the highest ethical standards and adheres to the rules of the organization. Members
recognize that integrity is central to earning the trust, respect, and support of one’s peers. Integrity encompasses the highest regard for
honesty, civility, justice, and fairness.

Humility: A member does not regard oneself more highly than others. Regardless of a person’s level of success, an individual always
looks beyond oneself to appreciate the inherent value of others.

Respect: A member respects individual differences and fosters diversity. They promote tolerance, inclusion, and empowerment for
people from a variety of backgrounds including race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and ability.

Leadership: A member influences others to take positive action toward productive change. Members commit to thoughtful and
responsible leadership that promotes the other core values in the Code of Honor.

Service: A member exercises their talents to provide service to peers, community, and the activity. At all times a member is prepared to
work constructively to improve the lives of others.
(Adopted September 23, 2007 | Updated December 6, 2017)

Coaches Code of Ethics

The function of a coach is to educate students through participation in speech and debate. Students should be treated with the utmost
respect, and their welfare should be considered in decisions by coaches at all times. Accordingly, the following guidelines for coaches
have been adopted by the National Speech & Debate Association.

Coaches shall be aware that they have a tremendous influence, for either good or ill, on the education of their students and, thus, shall
never place the value of winning above the value of instilling the highest ideals of character.

Coaches shall practice integrity by upholding the honor and dignity of our profession. In all personal contact with students, judges,
tournament officials, activities directors, school administrators, other coaches, the media, and the public, coaches shall strive to set an
example of the highest ethical and moral conduct.

Coaches shall take an active role in the prevention of student drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse.

Coaches shall be expected to uphold their school’s policy in regards to drug, alcohol, and tobacco use when in contact with students.

Coaches shall strive to understand the contest rules and to teach them to their students. Coaches shall not seek an advantage by
circumvention of the spirit or letter of the rules.

Coaches shall exert their influence to enhance sportsmanship and fair-play by competitors and other coaches.

Coaches shall respect and support tournament officials. Coaches shall not indulge in conduct that would incite other coaches or
students against tournament officials. Public criticism of tournament officials, other coaches, or students is unethical.

Coaches shall set the correct tone for a tournament or competition.

(Adopted December 14, 2016)

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 18
District and National Leadership
I. District Committee
Election: Each district shall elect a district committee to provide stewardship and leadership to its chapters,
conduct the district tournament, and perform such other local duties. One advisor at each chapter may cast a
ballot online for members of the District Committee from a list of coaches affiliated with a current member
school in the district. Advisors must rank a minimum of six and a maximum of eight coaches. Each paid member
school shall have one vote. Elections will be held in odd-numbered years. District Committee members will be
elected to serve a two-year term.
A member of the committee has the right to serve even though they leave the school from which they were
elected if they transfer to another school within the district. If a position becomes vacant, a new member is
chosen according to the original vote. After the election, the District Committee may deliberate and appoint one
additional member to serve a term simultaneous with their elected term via majority vote of the committee
members.

II. Board of Directors

A. Election: Note: In 2019, the Board of Directors voted to eliminate the age-based 70-rule for the 2020 election and
beyond. Election of national officers shall be conducted in even numbered years as follows:
1. Any member coach with five years of Association coaching experience, who is listed as a member coach of
record at an paid member school, may become a candidate for the Board of Directors by so advising the
executive director in writing before January 19 via certified mail.
2. Eligibility requirements for elected Board of Director candidates, beginning with the 2024 election:
a. Any individual who has served 12 or more years on the Board is ineligible to run for the Board.
b. Any individual who has served only one term is eligible to run for a second term immediately
following the first term.
c. Any individual who has served two consecutive terms must step off the Board for a minimum of four
years before being eligible to run for a third and final term.
d. Any individual who did not serve their first and second terms consecutively is eligible to run for a
third and final term immediately following the second term.
3. Present national officers whose terms expire on July 31 shall become candidates for re-election by filing a
written statement with the executive director by January 19 via certified mail.
4. Candidates shall be allotted one column in Rostrum, not to exceed 400 words in length, to support their
candidacy, due January 19.
5. Each chapter shall vote online for up to four directors. Each paid member school shall have one vote. Those
candidates not elected to the Board shall be designated as alternates in order of finish.

B. Organization:
1. The Board of Directors consists of a president, vice president, at least six elected directors, one
representative from secondary school administrators, and additional Board appointed directors. The number
of Board appointed directors is not to be equal to or greater than the total number of elected directors. The
Board, by majority vote, may expand or decrease the number of elected and appointed directors as long as
the action does not violate the above provisions.
2. The Board of Directors will select one of its own as president, and another of its own as vice president. Only
elected Board members, currently serving on the Board, who have served a minimum of two full years on the
Board, are eligible for appointment to a Board leadership position. All leadership positions are elected for
two-year terms in even numbered years at the Fall Board meeting by the Board members present at the
meeting.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 19
 3. If the term of office of the current Board president ends on August 1 of the leadership election year, the
current vice president will assume the role until the Fall Board meeting election. If there is a vacancy in the
middle of the term of office of the current Board president, the vice president assumes the office of
president for the remainder of the current term.
4. If the term of office of the current Board vice president ends on August 1 of the leadership election year, the
seat will remain vacant until the Fall Board meeting election. If there is a vice presidential vacancy in the
middle of the term of office of the current vice president, the Board will select one of its own to serve as vice
president for the remainder of that term.
5. If the term of office of both the current Board president and vice president ends on August 1 of the
leadership election year, an interim president will be appointed by the current Board president before their
term ends. They will serve from August 1 to the Fall Board meeting election. In the event of vacancies in both
offices in the middle of their terms, a new officer election will be held at the next scheduled Board meeting.
Appointed directors and the school administrator serving on the Board are not eligible to be president or vice
president.
6. Any Board member who serves at least one full four-year term as a member of the Board of Directors will be
invited to serve the following year as an advisor to the Board’s standing committees, ad hoc committees,
working committees, or focus groups as an emeritus member. When appropriate, these advisors will be
called upon by the chairs of these committees for advice and counsel.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 20
Quick Reference for Chapter Advisors/Coaches
Schools
• Eligible schools may join the Association or renew membership by paying annual dues and completing an online
renewal with the permission of their principal or head school administrator.
• To earn and retain a charter, enroll at least 50 new degrees within a three-year period or 25 new degrees for schools
with fewer than 500 students enrolled in 9th through 12th grade. Annual dues must be paid every year to retain the
charter, or it is suspended.

Students
• The school will be assessed a $20 membership fee per student enrolled by the chapter advisor. Points are recorded
online for student participation in interscholastic contests or service speaking endeavors.
• Student members retain their points as they move from middle school to high school.

Tournaments
• Equitable Tournament Practices
o This list is applicable to all tournaments. District Committee members have additional expectations for
running the district tournament. See page 94 for Equitable Tournament Practices at the district tournament
series.
o Equity is a core value of the National Speech & Debate Association. Tournaments should read through the
Inclusive Tournament Checklist and implement relevant methods for making their tournaments as safe,
welcoming, and inclusive as possible.
o All tournament hosts are encouraged to adhere to and make public a Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
Tournaments are welcome to use the NSDA Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
o Tournament hosts are encouraged to create an Equity Office to hear inquiries and reports related to the
Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
o Tournament hosts are encouraged to use the following language on top of all ballots used at the district
tournament:
▪ “We are all influenced by implicit bias, or the stereotypes that unconsciously affect our decisions.
When judging, our implicit biases negatively impact traditionally marginalized and disenfranchised
students. Before writing comments or making a decision, please take a moment to reflect on any
biases that may impact your decision making.”
▪ If tournaments are held online, hosts are encouraged to include this additional language on their
ballots: If a district tournament is held online, ballots must also include this language:
“Please remember that the video quality of a student’s performance or speech may be impacted by
lighting, internet, access to equipment, and other family members’ presence in the home. To ensure
a more equitable experience for our participants, please be sure your decision-making process and
comments are related only to the content and quality of the presentation or speech itself.”
o Tournament hosts are encouraged to share the free judge training course and free cultural competency
course materials found here, created in partnership with NFHS, with all tournament judges.

Points
• A student may earn points at any time while that student is enrolled in grades 6-12. Points may be recorded while the
student’s school is a member of the Association.
• Point values for interscholastic competition:
o Only one ranking or decision shall be entered per round. For speech rounds with panels, the average rank is
used, except for finals, where overall tournament placing is used.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 21
 o Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, and Policy Debate: 6 points per win; 3 per loss or no decision.
o Mock Trial, Parliamentary Debate, Supplemental, and other non-Association debates: 4 per win; 2 per
loss/no decision.
o Association main speech events (Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Informative Speaking,
Dramatic/Humorous/Duo/Program Oral Interpretation): rank of – 1st = 6 points; 2nd = 5 points; 3rd = 4 points;
4th = 3 points; 5th/lower = 2 points.
o Non-Association main speech events (including Impromptu, Commentary, Expository, Poetry, Prose, etc.):
rank of – 1st = 5 points; 2nd = 4 points; 3rd = 3 points; 4th = 2 points; 5th/lower = 1 point
(see p. 5 for a chart of how to convert non-ranks to ratings).
o Congressional Debate: 1-6 points per speech (average of panel); 1-6 points per complete hour of presiding.
Maximum 24 points per calendar day; an official scorer must be present.
o The NSDA is piloting a rule for 2020-2021 that allows students to earn up to 75 merit points for intrasquad
and intersquad competitions that do not have the required four schools participating. It is the responsibility
of the coach to ensure that no more than 75 points per student are entered for scrimmages.
• Point values for service:
o Limit: 200 points per school year
o Audience Speaking Engagements: Audiences of at least five people if it’s a speaking activity, outside of
interscholastic competition, outside of classroom requirement
o Value: 5 points per project; limit 4 projects per day
o See the section on Novice/Middle School Judging and Coaching points.
• Coaches become members upon payment of the membership fee.
• Coaches earn all the points of their students and will retain all of their points earned as a member student on their
coaching record.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Chapter Manual 22
 2020-2021

SECTION 2: High School Event Rules Manual

The following rules should be interpreted literally and followed exactly. All members are entitled to
assurance that points were earned and reported strictly according to the rules. The national office
will check all reports critically and strike out incomplete or questionable entries.

For questions not answered here, please contact the national office at info@[Link] or
call (920) 748-6206.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Event Rules Manual 23
Main Event Rules
Policy Debate
1. Resolution: The resolution will be one requiring a policy judgment. The current national question will be used. Refer
to [Link]/topics for the current topic.
2. Entries: An entry is comprised of two students from the same school; each debating both sides of the resolution and
advancing on its own record. No substitution is permitted once the tournament has begun.
3. Order of Speeches: Each debater must give one and only one constructive speech, one period of questioning, one
period of answering, and one rebuttal speech, in the following order:
Note: In 2020, the Board of Directors voted to permanently increase each team’s preparation time to eight minutes.

Affirmative Constructive Speech 8 minutes

Negative Cross Examines Affirmative 3 minutes
Negative Constructive Speech 8 minutes
Affirmative Cross Examines Negative 3 minutes
Affirmative Constructive Speech 8 minutes
Negative Cross Examines Affirmative 3 minutes
Negative Constructive Speech 8 minutes
Affirmative Cross Examines Negative 3 minutes
Negative Rebuttal 5 minutes
Affirmative Rebuttal 5 minutes
Negative Rebuttal 5 minutes
Affirmative Rebuttal 5 minutes
Prep time 8 minutes per team

4. Prompting Philosophy: Oral prompting, except time signals, either by the speaker's colleague or by any other person
while the debater has the floor, is discouraged though not prohibited and may be penalized by some judges. Debaters
may, however, refer to their notes and materials and may consult with their teammate while they do not have the
floor.
5. Use of Electronic Devices: The use of laptop computers is permitted at the National Tournament. The use of laptop
computers at the qualifying tournament will be the autonomous decision of each district. Laptop use must comply
with the “Guidelines for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate Events.”
6. Timing: Timekeepers are an option but not required. If no timekeeper is used, debaters may time for their partners or
the judge may keep time. Prep time for each team is eight minutes.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Event Rules Manual 24
Public Forum Debate
1. Resolution: Specific resolutions for district tournaments held during certain months and the National Tournament
topic are available online at [Link]/topics. Public Forum Debate focuses on advocacy of a
position derived from the issues presented in the resolution, not a prescribed set of burdens.
2. Entries: An entry is comprised of two students from the same school; each debating both sides of the resolution and
advancing on its own record. No substitution is permitted once the tournament has begun.
3. Procedure and Order of Speeches: Prior to EVERY round and in the presence of the judge(s), a coin is tossed by one
team and called by the other team. The team that wins the flip may choose one of two options: EITHER the SIDE of
the topic they wish to defend (pro or con) OR the SPEAKING POSITION they wish to have (begin the debate or end the
debate). The remaining option (SIDE OR SPEAKING POSITION) is the choice of the team that loses the flip. Once
speaking positions and sides has been determined, the debate begins (the con team may lead, depending on the coin
flip results). Following the first two constructive speeches, the two debaters who have just given speeches will stand
and participate in a three-minute "crossfire". In "crossfire" both debaters "hold the floor." However, the speaker who
spoke first must ask the first question. After that question, either debater may question and/or answer at will. At the
conclusion of the summary speeches, all four debaters will remain seated and participate in a three-minute "Grand
Crossfire” in which all four debaters are allowed to cross-examine one another. The speaker who gave the first
summary speech must ask the first question. The speakers from each team will continue to ask and answer questions.
Teams should alternate asking and answering questions rather than allowing one team to dominate so that a balance
between teams is achieved. All speakers are encouraged to participate in the Grand Crossfire. Speakers should listen
respectfully to opponents’ questions and answers.
Note: In 2020, the Board of Directors voted to permanently add one additional minute to each summary speech
and one additional minute to each team’s preparation time.

First Speaker - Team A 4 minutes

First Speaker - Team B 4 minutes
Crossfire 3 minutes
Second Speaker - Team A 4 minutes
Second Speaker - Team B 4 minutes
Crossfire 3 minutes
Summary - First Speaker - Team A 3 minutes
Summary - First Speaker - Team B 3 minutes
Grand Crossfire 3 minutes
Final Focus - Second Speaker - Team A 2 minutes
Final Focus - Second Speaker - Team B 2 minutes
Prep Time 3 minutes per team

4. Plans/Counterplans: In Public Forum Debate, the Association defines a plan or counterplan as a formalized,
comprehensive proposal for implementation. Neither the pro or con side is permitted to offer a plan or counterplan;
rather, they should offer reasoning to support a position of advocacy. Debaters may offer generalized, practical
solutions.
5. Prompting Philosophy: Oral prompting, except time signals, either by the speaker's colleague or by any other person
while the debater has the floor, is discouraged though not prohibited and may be penalized by some judges. Debaters
may, however, refer to their notes and materials and may consult with their teammate while they do not have the
floor and during the Grand Crossfire.
6. Use of Electronic Devices: The use of laptop computers is permitted at the National Tournament. The use of laptop
computers at the qualifying tournament will be the autonomous decision of each district. Laptop use must comply

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Event Rules Manual 25
 with the “Guidelines for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate Events.”
7. Timing: Timekeepers are an option but not required. If no timekeeper is used, debaters may time for their partners or
the judge may keep time. Prep time for each team is three minutes.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Event Rules Manual 26
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
1. Resolution: The resolution will be one requiring a value judgment. Districts must use the current Lincoln-Douglas
topic for the month in which the competition occurs. Refer to [Link]/topics for the current topic.
2. Entries: Each contestant will debate both sides. No substitution is permitted once the tournament has begun.
3. Order of Speeches:
Affirmative Constructive 6 minutes
Negative Cross Examination 3 minutes
Negative Constructive 7 minutes
Affirmative Cross Examination 3 minutes
Affirmative Rebuttal 4 minutes
Negative Rebuttal 6 minutes
Affirmative Rebuttal 3 minutes
Prep Time 4 minutes per debater

4. Timing: A timekeeper is an option but isn’t required. If no timekeeper is used, debaters may time for their opponent
or the judge may keep time. Prep time for each debater is four minutes.
5. Use of Electronic Devices: The use of laptop computers is permitted at the National Tournament. The use of laptop
computers at the qualifying tournament will be the autonomous decision of each district. Laptop use must comply
with the “Guidelines for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate Events.”

Previous Guidelines for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate Events

Below are the previous guidelines for laptop use in debate events. These rules will no longer be used at the National
Tournament beginning in 2020. If the district tournament is held in person, districts may choose to use these guidelines,
provided 60 days advance notice is given to the district. If a district tournament does not state otherwise, the New
Guidelines for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate Events will govern their contest.
A. Computers equipped with removable wireless cards must have the cards removed before the beginning of any
round of competition. It is the responsibility of the contestant to disengage the equipment.
B. Computers with built-in wireless capability may be used only if the wireless capability is disabled. It is the
responsibility of the contestant to disable the equipment.
C. Wired connections (Ethernet or phone) during rounds of competition are not permitted.
D. Computers or other electronic devices may not be used to receive information from any source (coaches or
assistants included) inside or outside of the room in which the competition occurs. Internet access, use of email,
instant messaging, or other means of receiving information from sources inside or outside of the competition
room are prohibited. (This does not prohibit non-electronic communication between debate partners during prep
time.)
E. Penalty: Contestants found to have violated provisions A through C above will forfeit the round of competition
and receive zero merit points. Contestants found to have violated provision D (above) will be disqualified from
the tournament and will forfeit all rounds and merit points.
F. Availability of Evidence: Contestants electing to use computers have the responsibility to promptly provide a
copy of any evidence read in a speech for inspection by the judge or opponent. Printers may be used. Evidence
may be printed in the round or produced electronically, but must be provided in a format readable by the
opposing team and the judge.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Event Rules Manual 27
 G. Contestants electing to use computers are responsible for providing their own computers, batteries, extension
cords, and all other necessary accessories. Tournament hosts will not be responsible for providing computers,
printers, software, paper, or extension cords for contestants.
H. Because public speaking decorum remains an important element of debate, all debaters are expected to stand at
the front of the room facing the judge while speaking.
I. Contestants choosing to use laptop computers and related equipment accept the risk of equipment failure.
Judges and/or contest directors will give no special consideration or accommodation, including no additional
speech time or prep time, should equipment failure occur.
J. By choosing to use laptop computers in the round, debaters are consenting to give tournament officials the right
to search their files. Debaters who do not wish to consent should not use computers in the round.

NEW GUIDELINES for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate Events

These rules apply to Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Big Questions Debate. These rules
will be used at the National Tournament beginning in 2020. These rules are required for any district tournament whose
debate events are held online. If a district tournament does not state otherwise, these guidelines will govern their
contest.

A. Contestants may use electronic devices (including laptop computers, tablets, and/or cell phones) to access the
internet during debate rounds with the following conditions:

1. Computers or other electronic devices may not be used to receive information for competitive advantage
from non-competitors (coaches, assistant coaches, other non-competing students) inside or outside of the
room in which the competition occurs. Information that would be restricted would include but not be
limited to coach/non-participating competitor generated arguments, advice on arguments to run, questions
to ask during cross examination, and other information not generated by the participating competitors in
your round.
2. Internet access may be used to retrieve files, exchange evidence and/or arguments, research arguments,
and partner to partner communication, and communication between other participants in the round. These
electronic device guidelines do not limit communication between debate partners during the debate round.

B. Penalty: Contestants found to have violated these provisions will be disqualified from the tournament and will
forfeit all rounds and merit points in that event. 


C. Availability of Evidence: Contestants electing to use computers have the responsibility to promptly provide a
copy of any evidence read in a speech for inspection by the judge or opponent. Printers may be used. Evidence
may be printed in the round or produced electronically but must be provided in a format readable by the
opposing team and the judge. 


D. Contestants electing to use computers are responsible for providing their own computers, batteries, extension
cords, and all other necessary accessories. Tournament hosts will not be responsible for providing computers,
printers, software, paper, or extension cords for contestants. Host schools may provide wireless internet access,
but will not guarantee that contestants will be able to gain access when needed.

E. Contestants choosing to use laptop computers and/or related devices accept the risk of equipment failure.
Judges and/or contest directors will give no special consideration or accommodation, including no additional
speech time or prep time, should equipment failure occur. 


F. By choosing to use electronic devices in the round, debaters and other relevant parties are consenting to give
tournament officials the right to search their devices in the event of a protest. The device may only be searched
by tournament officials and must be restricted to files and/or electronic exchanges relevant to the protest.

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 Failure to comply would result in the upholding of the protest. Debaters and coaches should be present as their
device is searched. Debaters who do not wish to consent should not use electronic devices in the round.

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Evidence Rules for Policy, Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, and Big Questions Debate

Evidence is one of the important components of arguments in debate rounds. All debaters involved are expected to act in
an ethical manner that is in accordance with the rules. In keeping with the National Speech & Debate Association Code of
Honor, all participants are expected to use and interpret evidence, evidence rules, and procedures in good faith.

7.1. Responsibilities of Contestants Reading Evidence

A. Evidence defined. Debaters are responsible for the validity of all evidence they introduce in the debate. Evidence
includes, but is not limited to: facts, statistics, or examples attributable to a specific, identifiable, authoritative source
used to support a claim. Unattributed ideas are the opinion of the student competitor and are not evidence.
B. Oral source citation. In all debate events, contestants are expected to, at a minimum, orally deliver the following
when introducing evidence in a debate round: primary author(s)’name (last) and year of publication. Any other
information such as source, author’s qualifications, etc., may be given, but is not required. Should two or more
quotations be used from the same source, the author and year must be given orally only for the first piece of
evidence from that source. Subsequently, only the author’s name is required. Oral citations do not substitute for the
written source citation. The full written citation must be provided if requested by an opponent or judge.
C. Written source citation. To the extent provided by the original source, a written source citation must include:
1. Full name of primary author and/or editor
2. Publication date
3. Source
4. Title of article
5. Date accessed for digital evidence
6. Full URL, if applicable
7. Author qualifications
8. Page number(s)
D. Paraphrasing, authoritative source versus general understanding. If paraphrasing is used in a debate, the debater
will be held to the same standard of citation and accuracy as if the entire text of the evidence were read.
Paraphrasing may be used to shorten or clarify one specific portion of an original source. It should not be confused
with general summary of an entire book, chapter, study, etc., which may only be used for information that is widely
considered to be common knowledge. Paraphrasing focuses on a single idea, while summary focuses on a general
concept. For example, if a debater references a specific theory by a specific author, the debater must also be able to
provide an original source as well as the specific text from the original source which is being paraphrased. If a debater
were to reference social contract theory in general, that would not be an authoritative source that would require
citation. However, if the debater references “John Locke’s Social Contract,” evidence would need to be available.
E. Ellipses prohibited. In all debate events, the use of internal ellipsis (…) is prohibited unless it is a replication of the
original document. Debaters may omit the reading of certain words; however, the text that is verbally omitted must
be present in the text of what was read for opposing debaters and/or judges to examine. The portions of the
evidence read including where the debater begins and ends must be clearly marked (as outlined in 7.1.G.2.).
F. Availability of evidence.
1. In all debate events, for reference, any material (evidence, cases, written citations, etc.) that is presented during
the round must be made available to the opponent and/or judge during the round if requested. When
requested, the original source or copy of the relevant (as outlined in 7.1.F.2.) pages of evidence read in the round
must be available to the opponent in a timely fashion during the round and/or judge at the conclusion of the
round.
2. Original source(s) defined. Understanding that teams/individuals obtain their evidence in multiple ways, the
original source for evidence may include, but is not limited solely to, one of the following:

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 a. Accessing the live or displaying a copy of a web page (teams/individuals may access the internet to provide
this information if requested).
b. A copy of the page(s) the evidence is on, the page preceding, and the page following, or the actual printed
(book, periodical, pamphlet, etc.) source.
c. Copies or electronic versions of published handbooks (i.e., Baylor Briefs; Planet Debate, etc.).
d. Electronic or printed versions or the webpage for a debate institute or the NDCA sponsored Open Evidence
Project or similar sites.
3. Debaters, even if they have acquired the evidence other than by original research, are responsible for the
content and accuracy of all evidence they present and/or read.
G. Distinguishing between which parts of each piece of evidence are and are not read in a particular round. In all
debate events, debaters must mark their evidence in two ways:
1. Oral delivery of each piece of evidence must be identified by a clear oral pause or by saying phrases such as
“quote/unquote” or “mark the card.” The use of a phrase is definitive and may be preferable to debaters. Clear,
oral pauses are left solely to the discretion of the judge.
2. The written text must be marked to clearly indicate the portions read or paraphrased in the debate. See 7.2.B.3
for the penalty for failing to clearly indicate paraphrased text. In the written text the standard practices of
underlining what is read, or highlighting what is read, and/or minimizing what is unread, is definitive and may be
preferable to debaters. The clarity of other means of marking evidence is left to the discretion of the judge.
H. Private communication prohibited. Private, personal correspondence or communication between an author and the
debater is inadmissible as evidence.

7.2. Definitions of Evidence Violations

A. “Distortion” exists when the textual evidence itself contains added and/or deleted word(s), which significantly alters
the conclusion of the author (e.g., deleting ‘not’; adding the word ‘not’). Additionally, failure to bracket added words
would be considered distortion of evidence.
B. “Non-existent evidence” means one or more of the following:
1. The debater citing the evidence is unable to provide the original source or copy of the relevant pages when
requested by their opponent, judge, or tournament official.
2. The original source provided does not contain the evidence cited.
3. The evidence is paraphrased but lacks an original source to verify the accuracy of the paraphrasing. If a student
paraphrases from a book, study, or any other source, the specific lines or section from which the paraphrase is
taken must be highlighted or otherwise formatted for identification in the round.
4. The debater is in possession of the original source, but declines to provide it to their opponent upon request in a
timely fashion (as outlined in 7.4.C.).
C. “Clipping” occurs when the debater claims to have read the complete text of highlighted and/or underlined evidence
when, in fact, the contestant skips or omits portions of evidence.
D. “Straw argument”
A “straw argument” is a position or argumentative claim introduced by an author for the purpose of refuting,
discrediting or characterizing it. Reliance on a straw argument occurs in a debate round when a debater asserts
incorrectly that the author supports or endorses the straw argument as their own position.
Note: A debater who acknowledges using a “straw argument” when verbally first read in the round, would not be
misrepresenting evidence. However, if the debater fails to acknowledge the use of a “straw argument” and their
opponent questions the use of such an argument, then that debater has committed an evidence violation.

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7.3. Procedures for Resolving Evidence Violations
A. Judges are responsible for resolving disputes between debaters regarding oral citations (7.1.B.); written source
citations (7.1.C.); distinguishing between what parts of each piece of evidence are and are not read in a particular
round (7.1.G.). When the judge(s) have such a dispute in the round, they must make a written note on the ballot or
inform the tabulation committee of the dispute. They must do so particularly if it impacts the decision in the debate.
These decisions may not be appealed.
B. An appeal can only be made if the issue has been raised in the round with the exception of the issues listed in 7.3.C.
Appeals may only be made if judge(s) have misapplied, misinterpreted, or ignored a rule.
C. A formal allegation of violation of the evidence rules is permitted during the round only if the debater(s) allege a
violation of 7.2.A. (distortion); 7.2.B. (nonexistent evidence); 7.2.C. (clipping). If a formal allegation of violation of
these rules is made during a round, the following procedures must be followed: (see section 7.3.D. for procedures for
making a formal allegation after the conclusion of the round):
1. The team/individual alleging a violation must make a definitive indication that they are formally alleging a
violation of an evidence rule.
2. The team/individual alleging the violation of the evidence must articulate the specific violation as defined in
7.2.A.; 7.2.B. and/or 7.2.C.
3. The judge should stop the round at that time to examine the evidence from both teams/individuals and render a
decision about the credibility of the evidence.
a. If the judge determines that the allegation is legitimate and an evidence violation has occurred, the
team/individual committing the violation will be given the loss in the round. Other sanctions may apply as
well as articulated in 7.3.E.
b. If the judge determines that the allegation is not legitimate and that there is no violation, the
team/individual making the challenge will receive the loss in the round.
Note: Teams/individuals may question the credibility and/or efficacy of the evidence without a formal
allegation that requires the round to end. Teams/debaters may make in-round arguments regarding the
credibility of evidence without making a formal allegation or violation of these rules. Such informal
arguments about the evidence will not automatically end the round, and will be treated by the judge in the
same fashion as any other argument.
D. The tabulation committee is authorized to hear: (1) appeals, pursuant to 7.3.B., claiming that a judge ignored,
misinterpreted or misapplied rules other than those from which no appeal is permitted pursuant to 7.3.A.; (2) appeals
from a judge’s decision, pursuant to 7.3.C., on a formal in-round allegation of distortion or non-existent evidence
(note: judge decisions regarding clipping may not be appealed); and (3) a formal allegation of distortion or
nonexistent evidence that is made for the first time after conclusion of the debate.
E. The procedures for making an appeal or post-round formal allegation are as follows:
1. A coach or school-affiliated adult representative from the school(s) competing in the debate or a judge for the
round must notify the tabulation committee of intent to submit an appeal or formal post-round allegation within
20 minutes of the end of the debate round. The 20-minute time period begins once the last ballot from all
rounds (if flighted, both flights) has been collected by the tabulation committee.
2. The coach must submit the post-round formal allegation to the tabulation committee within 10 minutes of the
formal notification of the intent to appeal. The allegation must be in writing and articulate the specific evidence
violation that is being challenged. The challenged contestant and coach will then be notified.
3. If the tabulation committee determines that the original protest has merit, the coach or school affiliated adult
and contestant(s) being challenged will be given 20 minutes to provide evidence denying, or to the contrary of

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 the claim. If such evidence cannot be offered, the challenged debater(s) will be given the loss in the round and
may be subject to additional penalties. If the tabulation committee determines that the allegation is not
legitimate and that there is no violation, the team/individual making the challenge will receive the loss in the
round.
4. The tabulation committee has the discretion of extending the time limits for these actions if circumstances do
not allow a coach or school-affiliated adult to be available within the prescribed time limits.
F. The tabulation committee’s decision to disqualify a student can be appealed by the coach or school affiliated adult.
The following procedure should be followed:
1. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the tabulation committee within 10 minutes of the notification to
disqualify.
2. The tabulation committee will then submit the appeal to the national office referee(s). The committee will
contact the national office referee once the written appeal has been received. Both sides will be able to provide
written explanations and supporting evidence to defend their individual side.
3. A decision will be rendered in a timely manner. The decision of the national office shall be final and cannot be
appealed.
4. No more than one round may occur between the round being protested and the decision of the national office
referee.
5. If the appeal is successful and the contestant(s) may now continue in the tournament, they will be put into the
appropriate bracket for pairing the debates.
G. If appeals are made in rounds in which multiple judges are being used, normal procedures should be followed to
ensure each judge reaches their decision as independently as possible. Judges will be instructed not to confer or
discuss the charge and/or answer to the potential violation. It will be possible for one judge to determine that an
evidence violation has occurred and the other judge(s) to determine no violation has occurred. The tabulation
committee will record the panel's decision in the same fashion as a normal win or loss; the outcome is thus tabulated
in the same fashion as a round in which an evidence violation has not occurred. If the majority of the panel finds an
evidence violation did not occur, no sanction may be applied to the team/individual charged with the violation. If the
majority finds a violation has occurred, the appropriate penalties will be administered.

7.4. Penalties for Evidence Violations

A. If the judge determines that an entry has violated one of the rules listed in 7.3.A. and 7.1.H. (oral citation, written
citation, indication of parts of card read or not read, use of private communication), the judge may at their discretion
disregard the evidence, diminish the credibility given to the evidence, take the violation into account (solely or
partially) in deciding the winner of the debate, or take no action.
B. If a debater(s) commits an evidence violation for “clipping” (7.2.C.), the use of a “straw argument” (7.2.D.), or the use
of “ellipses” (7.1.E.), it will result in a loss for the debater(s) committing the evidence violation. The judge should
award zero speaker points (if applicable), and indicate the reason for decision on the ballot.
C. If debater(s) commits an evidence violation of “distortion” (7.2.A.) or have used “non-existent evidence” (as defined
by 7.2.B.) the offending debater(s) will lose the debate and be disqualified from the tournament. However, if a
debater(s) loses a round due to “non-existent evidence” (7.2.B.) violation during an in-round formal allegation, but
can produce it after the round within 20 minutes to the tabulation committee, the committee may decide not to
disqualify the entry. The loss that was recorded by the judge may not be changed. If a post-round protest is levied
against a debater for not providing evidence or an original source in round (non-existent evidence), and the judge
confirms they in fact did not provide the evidence in a timely fashion when requested in round, the debater(s) will
lose the round and be disqualified from the tournament. However, if a debater(s) produces the evidence within the
post-round challenge period, that debater(s) may avoid disqualification.

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D. Evidence infractions violate the Code of Honor. Depending on the severity, an offense may result in notification of
said offense to the contestant’s high school administration and chapter advisor, loss of all District and/or National
Tournament merit points, including trophy and sweepstakes points for the offending student(s), and/or revocation of
Association membership. These decisions would be left to the national office, and not the individual District
Committee.
7.5. Tournament Adjustments
A. Under no circumstance will a tournament or part of a tournament be re-run because of a violation of these rules.
B. In the case of a disqualification of a debater(s), all ranks and decisions of other debater(s) made prior to the start of
the round being protested stand and no revision of past round ranks will take place. Penalties listed in 7.4. will be
applied.
C. When a round has been held between the round being protested and a final decision regarding the protest, the result
of that round will be recorded as follows:
1. If the protest is upheld, and a debater is disqualified, the opponent of the disqualified debater will receive a
forfeit win.
2. If the protest is overruled, and the protesting debater won the protested round, no revision of the result on the
ballot will take place.
3. If the protest is overruled, the protesting debater lost the protested round, and had no previous losses, no
revision of the result on the ballot will take place.
4. If the protest is overruled, the protesting debater lost the protested round, and had a previous loss, the
opponent will receive a forfeit win regardless of the result on the ballot.

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Congressional Debate
1. A session is defined as including:
A. Minimum of three hours.
B. 18-20 students as the optimum number for a three-hour session; otherwise, a session should be lengthened by
ten minutes per each additional student beyond 20. Chambers may not be larger than 30 students.
C. Election of a presiding officer. The presiding officer must be elected with a majority of the vote. If one candidate
does not receive a majority of votes, eliminate the candidate with the fewest votes and vote again. If candidates
are tied for the fewest number of votes, vote to determine which of the tied candidates should remain in
contention. Repeat this process until one candidate receives a majority of votes.
D. New seating chart (necessary accommodations for students with special needs may be made).
E. Resetting of precedence/recency. See ‘Recognizing Speakers’ below.
F. New legislation that has not been debated in a previous session at that tournament.
G. Optional pilot rule for districts: Time for debate per legislation item should last no more than one-third of a
session’s floor time.
Note: In 2019, the Board of Directors voted to pilot a limit to the time per debate. Districts may choose whether
to use this rule during for their 2020-2021 district tournament. It will not be used at the 2021 National
Tournament.
2. Recognizing Speakers
A. When more than one speaker seeks the floor, the presiding officer must follow the precedence/recency method:
1) First recognize students who have not spoken during the session.
2) Next recognize students who have spoken fewer times.
3) Then recognize students who spoke earlier (least recently).
B. Before precedence is established, the presiding officer should recognize speakers fairly and consistently. They
may not link recognition of speakers to previous recognition of students asking questions, moving motions, or
longest standing (standing time).
C. During any session, precedence/recency should not reset, to ensure that all students in a chamber have an equal
opportunity to speak and receive evaluation from scorers. When a new session begins, precedence/recency will
be reset along with a new seating chart, and election of a presiding officer.
D. Before precedence is established, the presiding officer should explain their recognition process and it must be
fair, consistent and justifiable.
E. Scorers will include answers to questions when evaluating speeches.
F. A speaker may yield time on the floor during debate (for questions or clarifications) but that speaker will remain
in control of their three minutes (see #6 below regarding questioning).
3. Speeches introducing legislation are allotted up to three minutes, followed by two minutes of questioning by other
delegates. A student from the school (or at the national level, the district) who wrote the legislation gets the privilege
of recognition (called authorship), regardless of precedence; otherwise the presiding officer may recognize a
“sponsor” from the chamber, provided this recognition follows the precedence guidelines above. Regardless, this
speech of introduction must be followed by two minutes of questions. Should no student seek recognition for the
authorship/sponsorship, the chamber will move to lay the legislation on the table until such time that a student is
prepared to introduce it.
4. The first negative speech must be followed by two minutes of questions.
5. Following the first two speeches on legislation, the presiding officer will alternately recognize affirmative and
negative speakers, who will address the chamber for up to three minutes, followed by one minute of questioning by
other delegates. If no one wishes to oppose the preceding speaker, the presiding officer may recognize a speaker
upholding the same side. When no one seeks the floor for debate, the presiding officer may ask the chamber if they

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 are “ready for the question,” at which point, if there is no objection, voting may commence on the legislation itself.
There is no “minimum cycle” rule; however, if debate gets “one-sided,” the chamber may decide to move the previous
question.
A. In the event a student speaks on the wrong side called for by the presiding officer and the error is not caught, the
speaker shall be scored and the speech shall count in precedence, but the speaker must be penalized at least
three points for not paying close attention to the flow of debate.
B. In the event a student speaks on an item of legislation not currently being debated, said speech shall count in
precedence, but zero points shall be awarded.
6. The presiding officer fairly and equitably recognizes members to ask questions following each speech. The presiding
officer starts timing questioning periods when they have recognized the first questioner, and keeps the clock running
continuously until the time has lapsed. Speakers are encouraged to ask brief questions, and may only ask one
question at a time. Two-part/multiple-part questions are not allowed, unless piloting the direct questioning method
(see below). There is no formal “permission to preface,” however; presiding officers should discourage students from
making statements as part of questioning, since that is an abusive use of the limited time available.
7. The presiding officer will pause briefly between speeches to recognize any motions from the floor; however, they
should not call for motions (at the beginning of a session, the presiding officer should remind members to seek their
attention between speeches).
8. Amendments must be presented to the presiding officer in writing with specific references to lines and clauses that
change. This must be done in advance of moving to amend.
A. The parliamentarian will recommend whether the amendment is “germane”—that is, it upholds the original
intent of the legislation—otherwise, it is considered “dilatory.” The title of the legislation may be changed.
B. A legislator may move to amend between floor speeches. Once that motion is made, the presiding officer will
read the proposed amendment aloud and call for a second by one-third of those members present, unless they
rule it dilatory.
C. Should students wish to speak on the proposed amendment, the presiding officer will recognize them as per the
standing precedence and recency, and the speech will be counted toward their totals, accordingly.
D. Simply proposing an amendment does not guarantee an “author/sponsor” speech, and any speeches on
amendments are followed by the normal one minute of questioning.
E. Amendments are considered neutral and do not constitute an affirmative or negative speech on the original
legislation.
F. If there are no speakers or the previous question is moved, the chamber may vote on a proposed amendment
without debating it.
9. All major voting (such as the main motion/legislation) which a congressperson’s constituents should have a record of,
shall be done with a counted vote. Secret balloting is used when voting for presiding officer.
10. Students should ask permission to leave and enter the chamber when it is in session (move a personal privilege).
However, do not interrupt a speaker who is addressing the chamber.
11. Continuing in 2017-2018, District Committees may again pilot direct questioning at their district congress
tournament, provided 60 days’ advance notice is given to the community. Coaches are encouraged to check with
local tournament officials to see if direct questioning will be used in their area. At the 2018 National Tournament and
beyond, direct questioning will be piloted in the semifinal and final congressional sessions. The presiding officer will
open the floor for questions following each speech. The presiding officer will recognize questioners for a cross-
examination period of no more than 30 seconds. Questioners will be chosen according to a separate questioning
recency.
12. Use of Evidence (also see the section on Congressional Debate Evidence Rules)
A. Visual aids are permitted in Congressional Debate, provided they do not require electronic retrieval devices in the
chamber.

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 B. All evidence used is subject to verification. Honesty and integrity are of utmost importance in legislative debate.
Falsification or deliberate misuse of evidence may result in the legislator being suspended by tournament
officials.
C. NEW GUIDELINES for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Congressional Debate
These rules will be used at the National Tournament beginning in 2020. These rules are required for any district
tournament whose Congressional Debate events are held online. If a district tournament does not state
otherwise, these guidelines will govern their contest. If a district holds their Congressional Debate qualifying
events in person, they may choose to use the Previous Guidelines for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate
Events provided the decision is announced 60 days in advance of the event.

NEW GUIDELINES: The use of internet enabled electronic devices is permitted. Students may not use the
internet to gain help from coaches, other students, or any person, such that it would prevent the speech
from being the original work of the competitor. Electronic device use must comply with the “New Guidelines
for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate Events.”
13. Since the rules above ensure fairness for competition, they may not be suspended; the presiding officer should rule
such motions out of order; except to extend questioning and allow for open chambers provided the tournament staff
permits doing so.

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 Congressional Debate Legislation Guidelines
Most legislation should have a national/domestic focus that the U.S. A Bill to Establish a Specific Policy
Congress would have jurisdiction over, taking the form of a bill. A bill
BE IT ENACTED BY THIS CONGRESS THAT:
establishes details behind how a particular law must work, including
when it takes effect, how much tax levy would be appropriated (if SECTION 1. State the new policy in a brief
1.
applicable), how infractions/violations will be dealt with, etc. A bill may 2.
declarative sentence, or in as few
answer the who, what, when, where—and most specifically how—but it sentences as possible.
3.
will never answer “why. “Legislators explain rationale behind bills in their SECTION 2. Define any ambiguous terms inherent
speeches, and how a bill implements its solution can spark deeper, more 4.
in the first section.
meaningful debate. 5.
6. SECTION 3. Name the government agency that will
Students should consider what the U.S. Congress has jurisdiction over.
oversee the enforcement of the bill
Since the Executive Branch runs most of the agencies that enforce federal 7.
laws, understanding those helps; for more information, visit 8. along with the specific enforcement
[Link]/Agencies/Federal/ [Link]. While foreign affairs 9. mechanism.
often fall under the jurisdiction of the Executive Branch, funding efforts
10. SECTION 4. Indicate the implementation
such as USAID can have an impact on the success or failure of United
11. date/timeframe.
States involvement in other countries, and therefore, can be framed as a
bill. Inspiration for legislative ideas can be found at [Link]. 12. SECTION 5. State that all other laws that are in

13. conflict with this new policy shall

Writing an effective bill involves more time and research than
researching one written by someone else. Students must ask themselves 14. hereby be declared null and void.
what the legislation does, who is involved (government agencies), where
it happens, when it is feasible to take place and how much time is Introduced by Name of School
needed for implementation, and how it should be carried out (a plan of A Resolution to Urge Further
action). All of these questions must be answered in writing the sections Action on a Specific Issue
of the bill, with thoughtful consideration as to how thoroughly each
1. WHEREAS, State the current problem (this needs
section explains its plank of implementing the overall bill’s plan of action.
2. to be accomplished in one brief
Resolutions are simply position statements on issues Congress does not sentence); and
3.
have jurisdiction over (such as a foreign issue, although a bill can suggest
4. WHEREAS, Describe the scope of the problem
foreign aid), or further action (such as amending the Constitution).
5. cited in the first whereas clause (this
Resolutions lack the force of law, and never establish enforcement.
6. clause needs to flow logically from the
Appropriate topics exhibit seriousness of purpose. The action proposed 7. first); and
should be feasible, and such that the actual United States Congress might 8. WHEREAS, Explain the impact and harms allowed
debate it. Topics should be debatable, meaning substantive 9. by the current problem (once again,
argumentation exists on both sides. Legislation should be typed and 10. the clause needs to flow in a logical
double-spaced with line numbers, not exceeding one page. Capitalizing
11. sequence); now, therefore, be it
the words “WHEREAS” and “RESOLVED” in resolutions, and “SECTION” in
12. RESOLVED, By this Congress that: state your
bills, as well as inverse-indenting each clause or section helps to
distinguish between ideas and concepts. 13. recommendation for dealing with the
14. problem (the resolution should be a
The samples above show proper formatting. In the resolution, note the
15. clear call for action); and, be it
semicolon, and how it precedes the word “and” at the end of each
“whereas” clause, and the phrase “now, therefore, be it” at the end of 16. FURTHER RESOLVED, That (an optional additional
the last “whereas” clause. 17. recommendation; if not used, end the
18. previous clause with a period).
Note: Legislation that is submitted for consideration at the district
and/or national tournament may be rejected if serious issues exist with
Introduced by Name of School
the adherence to these guidelines.
Templates for bills, resolutions, and resolutions to amend the Constitution are available online at
[Link].

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 Congressional Debate Evidence Rules
Based on recommendations from the Congress Evidence Committee, the Board of Directors had a discussion of how
evidence is currently used in Congressional Debate and the concerns surrounding students’ appropriate, substantiated,
and ethical use of evidence in Congressional Debate speeches. The Board of Directors officially voted to adopt these
Congressional Debate evidence rules for use during the 2017-2018 competition season and beyond.

7.1. Responsibilities of Contestants Reading Evidence in Congressional Debate

A. Evidence defined. Debaters are responsible for the validity of all evidence they introduce in the debate. Evidence
includes, but is not limited to: facts, statistics, or examples attributable to a specific, identifiable, authoritative source
used to support a claim. Unattributed ideas are the opinion of the student competitor and are not evidence.
B. Oral source citation. In all debate events, contestants are expected to, at a minimum, orally deliver the following
when introducing evidence in a debate round: primary author(s)’name (last) and year of publication. Any other
information such as source, author’s qualifications, etc., may be given, but is not required. Should two or more
quotations be used from the same source, the author and year must be given orally only for the first piece of
evidence from that source. Subsequently, only the author’s name is required. Oral citations do not substitute for the
written source citation. The full written citation must be provided if requested by an opponent or judge.
C. Written source citation. To the extent provided by the original source, a written source citation must include:
1. Full name of primary author and/or editor
2. Publication date
3. Source
4. Title of article
5. Date accessed for digital evidence
6. Full URL, if applicable
7. Author qualifications
8. Page number(s)
D. Paraphrasing, authoritative source versus general understanding. If paraphrasing is used in a debate, the debater
will be held to the same standard of citation and accuracy as if the entire text of the evidence were read. For
example, if a debater references a specific theory by a specific author, the debater must also be able to provide an
original source. If a debater were to reference social contract theory in general, that would not be an authoritative
source that would require citation. However, if the debater references “John Locke’s Social Contract,” evidence
would need to be available.
E. Ellipses prohibited. In all debate events, the use of internal ellipsis (…) is prohibited unless it is a replication of the
original document. Debaters may omit the reading of certain words; however, the text that is verbally omitted must
be present in the text of what was read for opposing debaters and/or judges to examine. The portions of the
evidence read including where the debater begins and ends must be clearly marked (as outlined in 7.1.G.2.).
F. Availability of original source.
1. When challenged, the original source or copy of the relevant (as outlined in 7.1.F.2.) pages of evidence read in
round must be available to the student making the challenge within two speeches. In all debate events, for
reference, any evidence that is presented during the round must be made available to the opponent during the
round if requested.
2. Original source(s) defined. Understanding that teams/individuals obtain their evidence in multiple ways, the
original source for evidence may include, but is not limited solely to, one of the following:
a. Accessing the live or displaying a copy of a web page (teams/individuals may access the internet to provide
this information if requested).

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 b. A copy of the page(s) the evidence is on, the page preceding, and the page following, or the actual printed
(book, periodical, pamphlet, etc.) source.
c. Copies or electronic versions of published handbooks (i.e., Baylor Briefs; Planet Debate, etc.).
d. Electronic or printed versions or the webpage for a debate institute or the NDCA sponsored Open Evidence
Project or similar sites.
3. Debaters, even if they have acquired the evidence other than by original research, are still responsible for the
content and accuracy of the evidence they present and/or read.
G. Distinguishing between which parts of each piece of evidence are and are not read in a particular round. In all
debate events, debaters must mark their evidence in two ways:
1. Oral delivery of each piece of evidence must be identified by a clear oral pause or by saying phrases such as
“quote/unquote” or “mark the card.” The use of a phrase is definitive and may be preferable to debaters. Clear,
oral pauses are left solely to the discretion of the judge(s) and parliamentarian.
2. The written text must be marked to clearly indicate the portions read in the debate. In the written text the
standard practices of underlining what is read, or highlighting what is read, and/or minimizing what is unread, is
definitive and may be preferable to debaters. The clarity of other means of marking evidence is left to the
discretion of the judge.
H. Private communication prohibited. Private, personal correspondence or communication between an author and the
debater is inadmissible as evidence.

7.2. Definitions of Evidence Violations in Congressional Debate

A. “Distortion” exists when the textual evidence itself contains added and/or deleted word(s), which significantly alters
the conclusion of the author (e.g., deleting ‘not’; adding the word ‘not’). Additionally, failure to bracket added words
would be considered distortion of evidence.
B. “Non-existent evidence” means one or more of the following:
1. The debater citing the evidence is unable to provide the original source or copy of the relevant pages when
requested by their opponent, judge, or tournament official.
2. The original source provided does not contain the evidence cited.
3. The evidence is paraphrased but lacks an original source to verify the accuracy of the paraphrasing.
4. The debater is in possession of the original source, but declines to provide it to a student who challenges, the
chair, or the parliamentarian upon request.
C. “Clipping” occurs when the debater claims to have read the complete text of highlighted and/or underlined evidence
when, in fact, the contestant skips or omits portions of evidence.
D. “Straw argument”
A “straw argument” is a position or argumentative claim introduced by an author for the purpose of refuting,
discrediting or characterizing it. Reliance on a straw argument occurs in a debate round when a debater asserts
incorrectly that the author supports or endorses the straw argument as their own position.
Note: A debater who acknowledges using a “straw argument” when verbally first read in the round, would not be
misrepresenting evidence. However, if the debater fails to acknowledge the use of a “straw argument” and their
opponent questions the use of such an argument, then that debater has committed an evidence violation.

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7.3. Procedures for Raising Evidence Questions During a Congressional Debate Session
The procedures for making an In-round evidence question are as follows:
A. Congressional Debate entries must rise to a point of information after a speech to formally request a copy of the
evidence cited, the citation, or the original source of evidence. When requested during the point of information, the
presiding officer will instruct the debater being challenged to produce the copy of the evidence, citation, or original
source. The debater being challenged must produce the requested materials in a timely fashion. Should a debater
feel they are not receiving the information they requested in a timely fashion, they may rise to another point of
information for the presiding officer and parliamentarian to address the situation.
B. Debaters who request the information may receive the evidence from the presiding officer within a period of two
speeches. The round would not be put on hold for the request to be completed. For example, if a debater rises to a
point of order after speech #4, then by the conclusion of speech #6, the requested evidence should be presented to
the presiding officer.
C. If after reviewing the evidence in question, a debater feels that an evidence violation has occurred, they may submit
a formal allegation by completing an evidence challenge form (see Appendix) and, after making a motion to approach
the chair, the debater will present the form to the presiding officer and parliamentarian.

7.4. Penalties for Resolving Evidence Violations During Congressional Debate

A. All evidence challenges must occur during the session of Congressional Debate where an alleged violation took place,
and should happen before a vote on the pending legislation. If the concern arises during the last cycle of speeches,
the parliamentarian may grant a challenge after the vote, prior to the first speech on a new piece of legislation.
B. Parliamentarians are responsible for resolving disputes between debaters regarding oral citations (7.1.B.); and
written source citations (7.1.C.). When the parliamentarian has such a dispute in the round, the parliamentarian must
submit the protest form to the tabulation committee. All protest forms will be submitted to the tabulation
committee.
1. The parliamentarian will determine the legitimacy of the challenge, and if the parliamentarian considers the
request justified, the debater making the allegation will move a point of order to address the allegation to the
chamber.
2. The debater being challenged will be recognized by the presiding officer for a response to the evidence violation.
3. The parliamentarian will evaluate the legitimacy and severity of the charge and make a recommendation to the
presiding officer for action. The recommendation may be charged against either student involved in the dispute.
Depending upon the severity of the offense, the parliamentarian may opt to censure the debater(s). Refer to
section 7.5. for an outline of the severity of offenses and corresponding actions.
4. The presiding officer will announce the parliamentarian’s decision and recognize either/both debaters for
consequent action.
C. Procedures for Appealing the Parliamentarian’s Decision
1. An appeal can only be made if the issue-in-question has been raised, by a student, in the round. Appeals may
only be made if the parliamentarian has misapplied, misinterpreted, or ignored a rule.
2. A coach or school-affiliated adult representative must notify the tabulation committee of intent to submit an
appeal of the parliamentarian’s ruling within 20 minutes of the end of session as recorded by the Parliamentarian
for that chamber.
a. The coach must submit the post-round appeal to the tabulation committee within 10 minutes of the formal
notification of the intent to appeal. The allegation must be in writing and articulate the specific evidence
violation and ruling that is being challenged.

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 b. If the tabulation committee determines the appeal has merit, both parties involved in the original dispute
will be given 20 minutes to respond.
c. The tabulation committee will make a decision and has the discretion of extending the time limits for these
actions if circumstances do not allow a coach or school-affiliated adult to be available within the prescribed
time limits.
3. At the district tournament level, the tabulation committee’s decision to disqualify a student’s rankings for that
session can be appealed by the coach or school- affiliated adult. The following procedure should be followed:
a. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the tabulation committee within 10 minutes of the notification
to disqualify.
b. The tabulation committee will then submit the appeal to the national office representative(s). The
committee will contact the national office representative once the written appeal has been received. Both
sides will be able to provide written explanations and supporting evidence to defend their individual side.
c. A decision will be rendered in a timely manner. The decision of the national office representative shall be
final and cannot be appealed.
d. No elimination session may occur before a ruling is made by the national office.
e. If the appeal is successful, any student(s) involved will receive the appropriate rank as if the evidence
challenge was never called into question.
f. At the National Tournament, the appeal will go directly to the Rules Adjudication Panel, and accepted
procedures and practices will be followed.

7.5. Penalties for Evidence Violations in Congressional Debate

A. If the parliamentarian determines that an entry has violated one of the rules listed in 7.1(A-D, F-H) (oral citation,
written citation, indication of parts of card read or not read, use of private communication), the parliamentarian must
notify the judge(s) of the violation. The judge(s) and parliamentarian may at their discretion disregard the evidence,
diminish the credibility given to the evidence, take the violation into account (solely or partially) in the ranking of
chamber participants, or take no action. These offenses are considered minor and a parliamentarian sanction is the
only prescribed penalty.
B. If a debater(s) commits an evidence violation of “distortion” (7.2.A.), uses “nonexistent evidence” (7.2.B.), uses a
“straw argument” (7.2.C.) or the use of “ellipses” (7.1.E.) such action will result in the debater(s) committing the
evidence violation not being ranked by the judge(s) and parliamentarian. These offenses are considered major and
censure by the parliamentarian would be applied.
C. Evidence infractions violate the Code of Honor. Depending on the severity, an offense may result in the notification of
said offense to the contestant’s high school administration and chapter advisor, loss of all District and/or National
Tournament merit points, including trophy and sweepstakes points for the offending student(s), and/or revocation of
Association membership. These decisions would be left to the NSDA national office, and not the individual tabulation
committee.

7.6. Tournament Adjustments in Congressional Debate

A. Under no circumstance will a tournament or part of a tournament be re-run because of a violation of these rules.
B. In the case of censure, all ranks and decisions made prior to the start of the round being protested stand and no
revision of past session ranks will take place. Penalties listed in 7.4. will be applied.
C. When a session has been held between the session being appealed and a final decision regarding the protest, the
result of that session will be recorded as follows:

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 1. If the protest is upheld, all ranks and scores will remain as recorded. The evidence violation would apply only to
the session in which it occurred and not affect prior or subsequent sessions.
2. If the appeal is upheld, the judge and/or parliamentarian will restore any ranks and scores that were earned by
that debater.

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Original Oratory
1. Purpose: The general purpose of the speech is to persuade. Any other purpose such as to inform or entertain shall be
secondary.
2. Contest: This contest comprises only memorized orations actually composed by the contestants and not used by them
during a previous contest season. No visual aids are permitted.
3. Subject: Any appropriate subject may be used, but the orator must be truthful. Any non-factual reference, especially a
personal one, must be so identified.
4. Length: The time limit in Original Oratory is ten minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” If there are multiple judges
in the round, all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the
grace period, the student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace
period. The ranking is up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate
(stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum time is mandated.
5. Quotation: Not more than 150 words of the oration may be direct quotation from any other speech or writing and
such quotations must be identified in a printed copy of the oration supplied prior to registration. Extensive
paraphrasing from other sources is prohibited.
6. Script: The orator's script must identify the quoted materials, state the number of quoted words, include a work cited
page in APA or MLA format, and both the orator and the coach must attest by signature that the oration is the original
work of the contestant. It is the responsibility of the contestant to have a script ready upon request should the speech
be challenged. At the National Tournament, all quarterfinalists in OO are required to turn in a printed, typed copy of
their manuscript, including a works cited page, to the ombudsperson before noon on the third day of competition.
7. Re-Use: A student may not use an oration the student used in district or national competition in any previous contest
year.

At the Fall 2016 Board of Directors Meeting, the Board voted to make Informative Speaking (INF) and Program Oral
Interpretation (POI) main events at the district and national tournaments.

Informative Speaking
1. Purpose: An informative speech is an original speech designed to explain, define, describe, or illustrate a particular
subject. The general purpose of the speech is for the audience to gain understanding and/or knowledge of a topic.
Any other purpose such as to entertain or to convince shall be secondary. The use of audio/visual aids is optional.
(See # 4 on Aids.)
2. Contest: This contest comprises only memorized speeches composed by the contestants and not used by them
during a previous contest season.
3. Subject: Effective speeches provide new information or perspectives on a topic, including those that are widely
known. The responsibility for choosing a worthwhile topic rests with the contestant. A fabricated topic may not be
used. Any non-factual reference, including a personal reference, must be so identified.
4. Aids: Audio/visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. If used, the audio/visual
aids should enhance or support the message rather than distract from the overall effectiveness of the presentation.
During the presentation, no electronic equipment is permitted. Electronic equipment is defined as any object
requiring an electrical cord, battery, or solar power to operate it (projectors, cell phones, radios, iPads, computers,
etc.). The use of live animals or any additional people as visual aids is not allowed during the speech. Items of dress
put on and/or removed for illustration during the course of the presentation are considered costumes and may not
be part of the contestant’s presentation. Visual aids may not violate policies as dictated by local and state law
(weapons, drugs, etc.) Contestants may not distribute items to the judges or audience before, during, or after the
round. This includes but is not limited to food, objects, handouts, flyers, and promotional merchandise. The host

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 school is not responsible for providing any facilities, equipment, including tables, chairs, or easels, or assistance in a
contestant’s use of visual aids. In order to facilitate the video recording of the final round at the National
Tournament, one table will be provided for use by the contestants. This provision is only for the final round.
Expedient set up and take down of aids is expected. If a visual aid displays published pictorial material, the source
must be included in the work-cited page but does not need to be cited orally.
5. Length: The time limit is 10 minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” If there are multiple judges in the round, all
must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the grace period, the
student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace period. The ranking is
up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing
devices. No minimum time is mandated.
6. Quotation: Not more than 150 words of the speech may be direct quotation and such quotations must be identified
orally and in a printed copy of the speech supplied prior to registration.
7. Script: Manuscripts must be available at all district tournament contests in the event of a protest. However, it shall
be the choice of each individual District Committee whether or not to require these materials be submitted prior to
the district contest. The script must identify the quoted materials, state the number of quoted w ords, include a
work-cited page in APA or MLA format, and both the speaker and the coach must attest by signature that the
speech is the original work of the contestant. At the National Tournament, all quarterfinalists in OO are required to
turn in a printed, typed copy of their manuscript, including a works cited page, to the ombudsperson before noon
on the third day of competition.
8. Re-Use: A student may not use an informative speech the student used in district or national competition in any
previous contest year.

Program Oral Interpretation

1. Purpose: POI is a program of oral interpretation of thematically-linked selections chosen from two or three genres:
prose, poetry, drama (plays). At least two pieces of literature that represent at least two separate genres must be
used. Unlike the other interpretation events, Program Oral Interpretation may use multiple sources for the program.
The title or author of all selections must be verbally identified in either the introduction and/or transitional phrases.
The title may identify the primary source (e.g., book, anthology, journal, magazine, newspaper, approved website,
etc.) or the specific title within the primary source (e.g., a poem, a play, a short story, a journal/magazine article, a
newspaper article, etc.). If more than one author is attributed to the source, at a minimum, the primary author
should be verbally cited. A Works Cited of all sources must be available to tournament officials upon request.
Competitors are encouraged to devote approximately equal times to each of the genres used in the program. This
distinction pertains to these two or three genres as a whole, not types of literature within a genre (such as
fiction/nonfiction). Prose expresses thought through language recorded in sentences and paragraphs: fiction (short
stories, novels) and non-fiction (articles, essays, journals, biographies). Poetry is writing which expresses ideas,
experience, or emotion through the creative arrangement of words according to their sound, their rhythm, their
meaning. Poetry may rely on verse and stanza form.
2. Contest: The use of a manuscript during the performance is required. Common practices include the use of a binder
or folder. Reading from a book or magazine is not permitted. The intact manuscript may be used by the contestant
as a prop, so long as it is in the contestant’s control by remaining in contact with the body at all times. No
costumes or props other than the manuscript are permitted. Pictures, graphics, and/or illustrations are considered
a visual aid, even if included in the original manuscript, and may not be displayed. The contestant must address
the script; however, introduction and transitional material may be memorized.
3. Length: The time limit is 10 minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” If there are multiple judges in the round, all
must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the grace period, the
student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace peri od. The ranking is
up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function)
timing devices. No minimum time is mandated.

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4. Publication Rules: All literature performed must meet the publication rules of the Association.
5. Adaptations to material may only be used for the purpose of transition. Any word changes (to eliminate profane
language) and/or additions (for transition) must be indicated clearly in ink. Failure to clearly indicate the addition of
words will be subject to disqualification. Changes to the script may only be used for the purpose of transition or to
eliminate profane language. The voice of a script may not be changed. For example, changing “She moved to
California when she was 13” to “I moved to California when I was 13” is not permitted. Combining small fractions of
sentences or singular words to create humorous or dramatic dialogue, scenes, moments, and/or plot lines not
intended in the original literature is prohibited. For example, it is not permitted to take one word from page 13 (e.g.
home), a phrase from page 211 (e.g. ran away from), and a name, (e.g. Tyler) from page 59 to create dialogue
between characters or events that do not exist in the script. Example: adding “Tyler ran away from home.” when this
did not occur and was not said in the script is not permitted. Transitions only may be used to clarify the logical
sequence of ideas. They are not to be used for the purpose of embellishing the humorous or dramatic effect of the
literature.

Interpretation
This includes categories of individual (solo) performance of dramatic (serious) and humorous literature, as well as duo
performance of either emotive appeal, with selections drawn from published, printed: novels, short stories, plays, poetry,
or other printed, published works, PDFs, e-books, as well as limited online and recorded works as provided for in the rules
below.
1. Divisions. Contests are conducted in Dramatic, Humorous, Duo, and Program Oral Interpretation. See additional rules
for the supplemental interpretation events of Poetry, Prose, and Storytelling.
2. Length: The time limit in Interpretation Main Events (Dramatic, Humorous, Duo, and Program Oral Interpretation) is
ten minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” If there are multiple judges in the round, all must agree that the
student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the grace period, the student may not be
ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace period. The ranking is up to each individual
judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum
time is mandated.
3. Material: Selections used in the oral interpretation main events of Dramatic, Humorous, and Duo Interpretation must
be cuttings from a single work of literature (one short story, play, or novel), unless poetry is used, in which case
cuttings may come from one or more poems from a single source. If the source is an anthology collection of short
stories, plays, or novels, each selection of literature is independent and only one selection can be used, even if it is
from the same author. If the source is an anthology which includes poetry, multiple poems may be used from this
single source by one or a variety of authors. Unlike the other oral interpretation main events, Program Oral
Interpretation may use multiple sources for the program. Song lyrics may be used if the performer has an original,
hard copy of the lyrics such as sheet music or a CD jacket or if they can be found from online sources that meet the
digital source rules below. See specific rules for Program Oral Interpretation and Supplemental interpretation events.
Note: In 2020, the Board of Directors voted to pilot the following new rules regarding what sources for material
may be used in Interpretation events, including removal of the requirement that digital sources must be found on
the Approved Websites List.
Any source material is permitted as long as it meets the standards outlined below:
A. Original source material must not be written by the competitor who is performing it.
B. Original source material must be publicly accessible throughout the duration of the tournament. Digital printed
publications such as web pages and PDFs retrieved or purchased from web pages are permitted as long as the web
page is publicly accessible throughout the duration of the tournament. Digital unprinted publications such as
videos, audio files, and films are permitted as long as the original source is publicly accessible throughout the
duration of the tournament and the competitor can obtain an official transcript of the original source.
1. For print publications such as novels, short stories, plays, or poetry, the original source is the physical book or
e-book. Photocopies of original literature are not acceptable. Presenting the physical book or e-book is
sufficient to prove that a printed publication is publicly accessible.

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 2. For digital printed publications such as web pages, original source material is no longer required to come from
online publishing sources listed on the NSDA Approved Websites List. The original source must be publicly
accessible for viewing or purchase by a simple internet search or by a URL not requiring passwords or access
codes. Competitors must also present a printed manuscript to be used in the case of a protest, but presenting
a printed copy of a website is not alone sufficient to prove that a digital printed publication is publicly
accessible.
3. PDFs are permitted as long as the website from which the PDF is retrieved or purchased is publicly accessible
for viewing or purchase by a simple internet search or by a URL not requiring passwords or access codes.
Competitors must also present a printed copy of the PDF to be used in the case of a protest, but presenting a
printed copy of the PDF is not alone sufficient to prove that a PDF is publicly accessible.
4. For digital unprinted publications such as videos, audio files, and films, the original source must be publicly
accessible for viewing or purchase by a simple internet search or by a URL not requiring passwords or access
codes. Competitors must also present a printed official transcript of the original source to be used in the case
of a protest, but presenting an official transcript is not alone sufficient to prove that the original source is
publicly accessible. An official transcript is one approved by the original source's producer, licensing agent, or
copyright holder. As long as approval has been granted, an official transcript may be obtained through the
aforementioned parties or through an official transcription service such as TranscribeMe, Scribie, or iScribed,
which use non-automated, manual transcription.
C. Source Verification: It is the affirmative duty of each coach and each student entered in Interpretation contests to
determine absolutely that the cutting being performed meets all rules for material. Interp source material must be
available at all district tournament contests in the event of a protest. However, it shall be the choice of each
individual District Committee whether or not to require these materials be submitted prior to the district contest. At
the National Tournament, all quarterfinalists are required to turn in the following items to the ombudsperson by
noon on the third day of competition unless officially notified otherwise by the National Tournament director. Any
contestant failing to produce the following items to the ombudsperson by the aforementioned deadline will not
qualify for the semifinal rounds of competition.
New guidelines for script turn-in will updated prior to the 2021 National Tournament.
1) The original published source of any selection used must be immediately available at the tournament. When
requested by tournament officials, access to the source material upon demand, either in electronic or print
form, must be presented.
a. For print publications, the original source is the physical book. Photocopies of original literature are not
acceptable.
b. For PDFs, an original, unaltered PDF via flash drive, email, or on an electronic device (e.g., laptop) must
be presented. Manipulation of a PDF script outside the scope of the rules will be subject to
disqualification.
c. PDF publications from an online source that meets the above standards and e-books are permitted.
Competitors may turn in an e-book via flashdrive, email, or e-reader. For e-books, an original, unaltered
e-pub or other recognized e-book format via flash drive or email must be presented; however, as some
e-book formats are exclusive to their specific apps or electronic readers, students must provide the
required technology and/or internet access to verify the material performed for tournament officials.
d. For a digital publication, a printed manuscript will be turned in as the original source. Only the printed
manuscript shall be considered adequate proof of authenticity.
i. The material the competitor performs must presently appear on the website if questions arise in
competition. The website and online version of the digital publication need to be available for
comparison if challenged. Online access is the fundamental responsibility of tournament officials
and/or individual filing the protest. NOTE: If tournament officials cannot gain online access and the
above requirements have been met, the piece is considered legal for use.
ii. Manuscript items to be printed directly from the screen for digital printed materials:
a. The first page in the website (the home page)
b. All other linked pages needed to navigate to the literary text selected for competition shall be

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 printed out and the link must be highlighted in the manuscript
c. All web pages upon which the cutting appears
iii. Each page must have printed in the header and/or footer including:
a. Date the page was printed
b. Web address
2) A photocopy or printed screenshot of every page of the original source from which any line of the cutting
was taken. The photocopy will be kept for evaluation during the semifinal round.
a. Pages are to be placed in the order in which they are performed (e.g., if text from one page is used more
than once within the cutting, that page should be copied again with those words highlighted and re-
inserted where it is used in the cutting). Students are not required to photocopy or print pages that are
not used in their cutting.
b. All words used from the script should be highlighted (any words/lines not used should be left
unmarked).
c. Any word changes (to eliminate profane language) and/or additions (for transition) must be indicated
clearly in ink. Failure to clearly indicate the addition of words will be subject to disqualification. Changes
to the script may only be used for the purpose of transition or to eliminate profane language.
Transitions may be used to clarify the logical sequence of ideas. They are not to be used for the purpose
of embellishing the humorous or dramatic effect of the literature.
3) A printed, typed copy of the cutting. This must be the final cutting that the student is using for the
tournament, and it must match the copy of the cutting uploaded during registration.
4) Quarterfinalists in POI, OO, and INFO must also turn in a works cited page of all sources used. Please note
that competitors in POI must turn in original sources and photocopies for every source used.
5. Performance: The presentation may not use physical objects or costuming. During the presentation, the
contestant/team must name the author and the book or magazine from which the cutting was made. Additionally:
A. Adaptations to material may only be used for the purpose of transition. Any word changes (to eliminate profane
language) and/or additions (for transition) must be indicated clearly in ink. Failure to clearly indicate the addition
of words will be subject to disqualification. Changes to the script may only be used for the purpose of transition
or to eliminate profane language. The voice of a script may not be changed. For example, changing “She moved
to California when she was 13” to “I moved to California when I was 13” is not permitted. Combining small
fractions of sentences or singular words to create humorous or dramatic dialogue, scenes, moments, and/or plot
lines not intended in the original literature is prohibited. For example, it is not permitted to take one word from
page 13 (e.g. home), a phrase from page 211 (e.g. ran away from), and a name, (e.g. Tyler) from page 59 to create
dialogue between characters or events that do not exist in the script. Example: adding “Tyler ran away from
home.” when this did not occur and was not said in the script is not permitted. Transitions only may be used to
clarify the logical sequence of ideas. They are not to be used for the purpose of embellishing the humorous or
dramatic effect of the literature.
B. Humorous, Dramatic, and Duo Interpretation selections must be presented from memory. Program Oral
Interpretation must use a manuscript.
C. In Duo Interpretation, each of the two performers may play one or more characters so long as performance
responsibility in the cutting remains as balanced as possible.
D. Monologues, prose, and poetry selections are acceptable in Dramatic, Humorous, and Program Oral
Interpretation. In Duo Interpretation, if the selection is prose or poetry and contains narration, either or both of
the performers may present the narration.
E. Artistic Plagiarism: Videos of previous final round performances are intended to provide educational examples
for coaches and students. They are not intended to serve as a model to directly imitate or duplicate in
performance. The wholesale impersonation of final round performances is strongly discouraged.
6. Focus: In Dramatic, Humorous, and Program Oral Interpretation, use of focal points and/or direct contact with the
audience should be determined by the requirements of the literature being interpreted. In Duo Interpretation, focus
may be direct during the introduction [the performers may look at each other] but must be indirect [off-stage] during

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 the performance itself.
7. Re-Use: A student may not use a cutting from a work of literature the student used in National Speech & Debate
Association district or national competition in any previous contest year. A student entered in two events may not use
the same selection of literature in both events.
8. Suggested Websites List: The NSDA will maintain a list of websites as a resource for assisting coaches and students
with finding materials for use in competition. Students are no longer required to use only digital sources found on
this list. The list can be found at [Link]/suggested-source-material-for-interpretation-events/.

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Extemporaneous Speaking
1. Divisions: Two divisions of Extemporaneous Speaking will be held at the district and national level:
A. United States Division: Questions will cover U.S. domestic and U.S. foreign policy.
B. International Division: Questions will cover the domestic affairs of foreign countries and the foreign affairs of all
countries, including the United States.
2. Topics: The district chair will obtain a list of questions phrased for contest use and based on subjects discussed in
periodicals during the current school year. The contents of the list must not be disclosed except as contestants draw
questions. A new subject area will be used for each round with no duplication of questions between the divisions.
3. Entry: At the National Tournament, no student is allowed to enter both divisions in a single contest year. Each district
has the autonomy to determine whether double entry in Extemporaneous Speaking events is allowed. The decision of
the District Committee is final.
4. Drawing: Thirty minutes before the contest is to begin, the first speaker draws three questions, choose one, and
return the other two. The other contestants draw in like manner, in the order of speaking, at intervals of seven
minutes. The entire list of questions for that round must be used for each entry in each section. A contestant drawing
a question on which they have spoken previously in the tournament must return it and draw again.
5. Preparation: As soon as a question is chosen, the contestant will prepare a speech without consultation and without
references to prepared notes. Students may consult published books, magazines, newspapers and journals or articles,
provided:
A. They are originals or copies of whole pages.
B. Provided those originals or copies are uncut.
C. There is no written material on that original or copy other than citation information.
D. Topical index without annotation may be present.
No other material will be allowed in the Extemp prep room other than stated above. Extemp speeches, handbooks,
briefs and outlines are prohibited from the Extemp prep room. Underlining or highlighting in Extemp will be allowed if
done in only one color on each article or copy. Please see rules concerning Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in
Extemporaneous Speaking. Printed copies of information from online computer services may be used. Electronically
retrieved evidence used in any Association Extemp competition must conform to the citation standard of the Modern
Language Association [consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition) or
[Link]
6. Notes: Contestants may make notes during the preparation time, but the use of notes, cards, briefs or other aids is
prohibited during the speech.
7. Time: The time limit in both Extemporaneous Speaking events is seven minutes with a 30-second “grace period. “If
there are multiple judges in the round, all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a
student go beyond the grace period, the student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for
going over the grace period. The ranking is up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to
use accurate (stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum time is mandated.
8. Recuse: Contestants may not leave the preparation area until dismissed by the Extemp proctor. Consultation with any
person other than the Extemp proctor between the time of drawing and time of speaking is prohibited.
9. Cross-Examination: Each district has the autonomy to determine whether cross-examination will be used in the final
round of Extemporaneous Speaking events at the district tournament. The National Tournament will utilize an open-
cross examination period of two minutes for both the semifinal and final rounds. If cross-examination is used, the
district must use the National Tournament final round format. The decision of the District Committee is final.
Procedure: Each speaker shall be assigned a speaker order position. Drawing shall take place at 12-minute intervals.
Thirty minutes after speaker first has drawn, speakers first and last shall enter the contest room. Speaker first shall
give a speech and speaker last shall listen and may take notes. At the conclusion of speaker first's speech, speaker last
shall question speaker first for two minutes. Speaker last shall return to the prep room and speaker first shall stay and

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 question speaker second. Speaker second will question speaker third, etc. Unless it is unavoidable, students from the
same school shall not cross-examine one another. Speaker order should be adjusted accordingly.
10. Observation: Students in Extemporaneous Speaking are encouraged, but not required, to stay and watch the
remaining speakers after they deliver their speech. Students who are double entered may be able to observe as time
permits.

PREVIOUS GUIDELINES for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Extemporaneous Speaking

These rules will no longer be used at the National Tournament beginning in 2020. If the district tournament is held in
person, districts may choose to use these guidelines, provided 60 days advance notice is given to the district. If a district
tournament does not state otherwise, the New Guidelines for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Extemporaneous
Speaking will govern their contest.
The use of laptop computers in Extemporaneous Speaking is permitted.
1. Extemporaneous Speaking contestants may make use of electronic retrieval devices to store and to retrieve their subject
files at tournaments (district or national). Students can retrieve extemporaneous files to read, but cannot write speeches
or organize their thoughts on the computers. This rule in no way prevents students from still utilizing traditional paper
copy files to enable the competitor to successfully compete in Extemporaneous Speaking. The Association takes no
position on which form of file storage is preferable for use at tournaments (district or national).
2. The use of electronic retrieval devices at the district competition will be the autonomous decision of each individual
district committee.
3. Electronic retrieval devices are defined as laptop computers, netbooks, iPads, or other portable electronic retrieval
equipment. Secondary devices such as flash drives or external hard drives are allowed as well. Cell phones or smart
phones are prohibited from being used while preparing or before speaking at tournaments (district or national).
4. Source Materials: Students may consult published books, periodical articles, newspaper articles, think tank articles,
government reports or journal articles saved on their electronic retrieval device or present in hard copy form provided:
a. There are no notations made within or on the saved article other than citation information.
b. Any highlighting or underlining of the articles is done in only one color within each article. Bolding, italicizing, or
any other manipulation of the original text of sources (other than highlighting or underlining as previously
stipulated) is prohibited.
5. No other source materials will be allowed in the Extemporaneous prep room other than stated above. Pre-written
Extemporaneous speeches, handbooks, briefs or outlines are prohibited from the prep room, whether stored
electronically or present in hard copy form.
6. Power Source: Power plugs or outlets may not be used in the prep room at any time. All computers used in the prep
room must be battery operated at all times.
7. Competitors are responsible for making certain their electronic retrieval devices are fully charged at the start of each
competition day and for proper power management ensuring that their device remains functional throughout the
competition day. Contestants may not use external power sources in the prep room, such as wall outlets and/or
extension cords.
8. Internet: Extemporaneous Speaking contestants shall not access the internet or communicate electronically with any
other individual while in the prep room at any Association tournament (district or national). All computers must comply
with the following provisions:
a. Computers equipped with removable wireless cards must have the cards removed before the beginning of any
round of competition. It is the responsibility of the contestant to disengage the equipment.
b. Computers with built-in wireless capability may be used only if the wireless capability is disabled. It is the
responsibility of the contestant to disable the equipment.

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 c. Wired connections (Ethernet or phone) during rounds of competition are not permitted.
d. Computers or other electronic devices may not be used to receive information from any source (coaches or
assistants included) inside or outside of the room in which the competition occurs. Internet access, use of e-
mail, instant messaging, or other means of receiving information from sources inside or outside of the
competition room are prohibited.
e. Penalty: Contestants found to have violated provisions i through iii above will be ranked last in the round and
receive zero points. Contestants found to have violated provision iv (above) will be disqualified from the
tournament and will forfeit all round credits and points. At district tournaments, the district committee will
make the final decision concerning disqualification. In case of a serious dispute or critical question, the acting
tournament referee (representing the national office) may be contacted for a ruling.
9. Liability: Extemporaneous Speaking competitors accept full responsibility for the safety and security of their electronic
retrieval devices throughout the entire course of any Association tournament (district or national). The Association may
put stickers and/or tape on computers to ensure they are not opened or used, or to ensure appropriate owners take their
own machines. The Association does not assume any liability for the computers. Students are welcome to use Kensington
locks or other such devices to secure their computers in the prep room. Students, parents, and coaches should be aware
that the students are bringing and using the computers at their own risk. The Association is not responsible for lost,
stolen, or broken computers.
10. File Monitoring: The Association retains the right to view and search any electronic retrieval devices to ensure
compliance with any and all rules at any Association tournament (district or national).
11. Devices should be muted in the prep room. Contestants should not play games or engage in other distracting activities
on their electronic devices in the prep room. Tournament officials may ask a student to power-off the device if it
becomes distracting.
12. Students from the same school may share computers during preparation. However, communication among contestants
during preparation time is strictly prohibited.

Contestants with laptops are responsible for providing sufficient battery power.
No electrical power will be supplied by the tournament, and contestants may not
plug in to outlets in the Extemp prep area.

NEW GUIDELINES for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Extemporaneous Speaking

These rules will be used at the National Tournament beginning in 2020. These rules are required for any district
tournament whose debate events are held online. If a district tournament does not state otherwise, these guidelines will
govern their contest.

A. Preparation: As soon as a question is chosen, the contestant will prepare a speech without consultation and without
references to prepared notes. Students may consult published books, magazines, newspapers and journals or articles,
including internet enabled devices either used in the draw or those materials published from internet sources,
provided:
1. They are originals or copies of whole pages. 

2. Provided those originals or copies are uncut. 

3. There is no written material on that original or copy other than citation information. 

4. Topical index without annotation may be present.

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 5. Files stored either on a computer or electronic device hard drive or cloud storage system. All files in this
format must meet the same guidelines as printed sources.

6. Active research from the internet during the round that meets the established criteria found in the
“Guidelines for Use of Internet Enabled Devices.”

B. No other material will be allowed in the Extemp prep room other than stated above. Extemp speeches, handbooks,
briefs and outlines, including those stored on cloud storage systems or published on websites created for that
purpose, are prohibited from the Extemp prep room. Students may not use the internet to gain help from coaches,
other students, or any person, such that it would prevent the speech from being the original work of the competitor.
Students are prohibited from accessing outlines and speeches that have been written prior to their draw time.
Underlining or highlighting in Extemp will be allowed if done in only one color on each article or copy. Electronic
device use must comply with the “Guidelines for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate Events.” Printed copies
of information from online computer services may be used. Electronically retrieved evidence used in any Association
Extemp competition must conform to the same citation standards as evidence used in debate events as described on
p. 27 of the Unified Manual.

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Supplemental Event Rules
Extemporaneous Commentary
1. Topics: The tournament director shall obtain a list of topics phrased for contest use, based on subjects announced on
the Association’s website on May 1. The contents of the list shall not be disclosed except as contestants draw topics
therefrom.
2. Drawing: Twenty minutes before the round is to begin, the first speaker shall draw three topics, choose one, and
return the other two. The other contestants shall draw in like manner, in the order of speaking, at intervals of six
minutes. The same list of topics shall be used for the drawing by each section. A different topic area will be chosen
each round.
3. Preparation: As soon as a topic is chosen, the contestant shall withdraw and prepare a speech without consultation
and without references to prepared notes. Students may consult published books, magazines, newspapers and
journals or articles therefrom, provided:
a. They are originals or photocopies of originals.
b. Original articles or copies are intact and uncut.
c. No written material is on originals or copies.
d. Topical index without annotation is allowed.
No other material shall be allowed in the Commentary prep room other than stated above. Speeches, handbooks,
briefs, and outlines shall be barred from the prep room. Underlining or highlighting will be allowed if done in only one
color on each article or copy. Source citations of such materials must meet MLA standards.
Use of Internet-Enabled Devices at Nationals: The use of internet-enabled devices is permitted in Extemporaneous
Commentary at the National Tournament. Device use must comply with the “New Guidelines for Use of Internet-
Enabled Devices in Extemporaneous Speaking.”
4. Recusal: A contestant may not leave the prep area without first checking out with the proctor.
5. Notes: No notes are allowed during presentation.
6. Time: The maximum time limit is 5 minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” If there are multiple judges in the round,
all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the grace period, the
student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace period. The ranking is
up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing
devices. No minimum time is mandated.
7. Presentation: The commentary must be delivered seated behind a table or desk.

Prose and Poetry

1. Prose: Prose expresses thought through language recorded in sentences and paragraphs: fiction (short stories,
novels) and non-fiction (articles, essays, journals, biographies).
2. Poetry: Poetry is writing which expresses ideas, experience, or emotion through the creative arrangement of words
according to their sound, their rhythm, their meaning. Poetry may rely on verse and stanza form.
3. Selections: Only published, printed works may be used, unless the works meet the Interpretation Rules (p. 17-18)
for PDFs, e-books, and online material. No plays or other dramatic materials may be used. In Supplemental Prose, if
the source is an anthology collection of short stories or novels, each selection of literature is independent and only
one selection can be used, even if it is from the same author. In Supplemental Poetry, selections must be cuttings
from a single source. If an anthology collection of poems is used as the single source, the cutting may incorporate
multiple poems by an author or a variety of authors.

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4. Reuse: In the events of Supplemental Prose and Poetry, a student may not use the same source they used in the main
events of Duo, Dramatic, Humorous, or Program Oral Interpretation or Supplemental Prose or Poetry at any district
or national Association tournament. In the event of Supplemental Poetry, if the source is an anthology collection of
poems, the same anthology may be used; however, the same poems performed in a previous district or national
Association tournament in the main events of Duo, Dramatic, Humorous, Program Oral Interpretation, or
Supplemental Poetry, may not be used. In the event of Supplemental Prose, if the source is an anthology collection of
short stories or novels, the same anthology may be used; however, the same selection performed in a previous
district or national Association tournament in the main events of Duo, Dramatic, Humorous, Program Oral
Interpretation, or Supplemental Prose, may not be used. See general interpretation rules for additional guidance.

5. Time: The maximum time limit is 5 minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” If there are multiple judges in the round,
all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the grace period, the
student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace period. The ranking is
up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing
devices. No minimum time is mandated.
6. Presentation: Performances must be from a manuscript (which may be in a folder). Reading from a book or magazine
is not permitted.

Extemporaneous Debate
1. Resolutions: Tournament officials will post the resolution that will be debated for each round 30 minutes prior to the
start of flight A.
2. Sides: Contestants will be assigned sides by the tab room.
3. Evidence: Students may conduct research prior to the debate and use authoritative references within their speeches,
but are not required to do so. Students may use the internet to conduct research between the posting of the topic
and the start of the debate. If using authoritative sources, students are expected to act in accordance with the
Association’s “Evidence Rules for Policy, Public Forum, and Lincoln-Douglas Debate.”
4. Expectations of Debaters: Contestants must debate the topic that was assigned for the debate round. Students may
use materials they create during the preparation time before their rounds, including but not limited to research they
have completed, pre-written blocks, and flows. Contestants should directly clash with their opposition in the rebuttal
speeches and provide clear organizational schemes throughout the debate.
5. Expectations of Judges: Judges should decide the round as it is debated, not based on their personal beliefs.
6. Structure of the Round: All speeches are two minutes in length and all speech times are protected; a speaker may
not be interrupted by the other speaker or by the judge. The Proposition debater must affirm the resolution by
presenting and defending a sufficient case for that resolution. The Opposition debater must oppose the resolution
and/or the Proposition debater’s case.
Proposition Constructive 2 Minutes
Cross-Examination of Proposition 1 Minute
Opposition Constructive 2 Minutes
Cross-Examination of Opposition 1 Minute
Mandatory Prep Time 1 Minute
Proposition Rebuttal 2 Minutes
Opposition Rebuttal 2 Minutes
Mandatory Prep Time 1 Minute
Proposition Rebuttal 2 Minutes
Opposition Rebuttal 2 Minutes

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Event Rules Manual 55
7. Decisions: At the conclusion of the round, the judge(s) will determine which debater won the round. Judges will not
make any oral or written comments to the debaters. Ballots will not be returned to the debaters.

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Expository
1. Purpose: Expository speeches are original compositions of the contestant. The Expository speech is a speech to
inform, not a performance. It should describe, clarify, illustrate, or define an object, idea, concept, or process. A
fabricated topic/subject may not be used. In Expository, a student may not use any portion of their original oration or
informative speech entered at any district or national Association tournament.
2. Time: The maximum time limit is 5 minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” If there are multiple judges in the round,
all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the grace period, the
student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace period. The ranking is
up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing
devices. No minimum time is mandated.
3. Aids: No note cards, audio and/or visual aids are allowed. NO animals or other person(s) may be used as aids or aides.
Items of dress put on and removed during the course of the presentation are considered visual aids and may not be
part of the contestant's presentation.

Impromptu
1. Topics: Topics will include proverbs, abstract words, events, quotations, and famous people.
2. Drawing: A judge in each section/room shall be provided an envelope containing a uniform set of topics, with a
different subject area used for each round. Once the first speaker is called, the other speakers shall leave the room,
and wait outside the door. Each speaker will draw three topics, choose one, and return the other two to the
envelope.
3. Preparation and Delivery: The speaker has seven minutes in which to prepare a response and present a speech
without consultation of prepared notes. Students may consult published books, magazines, newspapers and journals
or articles therefrom, provided:
a. They are originals or photocopies of originals.
b. That original article or copy is intact and uncut.
c. There is no written material on original or copy.
d. Topical index without annotation is allowed.
4. No other material shall be allowed in the room other than stated above. Speeches, handbooks, briefs, and outlines
shall be barred. Underlining or highlighting in materials will be allowed if done in one color on each article or copy.
No electronic retrieval device may be used, but printed materials from online computer services may be used.
5. Recuse: Once a speaker has spoken, they may listen to other speakers in that round.
6. Notes: No notes shall be used during presentation.
7. Time: The maximum time limit is 7 minutes with a 30-second “grace period,” which includes both preparation and
speaking. If there are multiple judges in the round, all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period.
Should a student go beyond the grace period, the student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed
penalty for going over the grace period. The ranking is up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to
time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum time is mandated.

Storytelling
1. A single published, printed story, anecdote, tale, myth, or legend must be retold without notes or props. Any
theme/topic area may be used.
2. Time: The maximum time limit is 5 minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” If there are multiple judges in the round,
all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. Should a student go beyond the grace period, the

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Event Rules Manual 57
 student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace period. The ranking is
up to each individual judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing
devices. No minimum time is mandated.
3. The student may not tell a story they have used previously in any Association tournaments (district or national).
4. The delivery must be extempore, not read. No book or script may be used. The story may be delivered standing or
seated.
5. Gestures, pantomime and characterization, may be used with restraint but the focus must be on the narrative.
6. The retelling must be true to the original tale. The contestant may not add original material or materially change the
content of the story.

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USA World Schools Debate Invitational
World Schools Debate features a dynamic format combining the concepts of “prepared” topics with
“impromptu” topics, encouraging debaters to focus on specified issues rather than debate theory or
procedural arguments. This highly interactive style of debate allows debaters to engage each other, even
during speeches. This challenging format requires good teamwork and in-depth quality argumentation.

Please consult the 2020-2021 USA World Schools Debate Invitational Manual for official debate rules,
procedures, and protocols governing this event.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 High School Event Rules Manual 59
 2020-2021

SECTION 3: District Tournament Operations Manual

The National Speech & Debate Association is committed to providing every student with the
opportunity to qualify for the National Tournament in a fair and impartial manner. When running the
district tournament, due diligence must be made to ensure fairness and avoid any perception of
impropriety. The Board of Directors has established and approved these procedures for all district
tournaments. The Executive Director must approve specific exceptions to these rules in writing. Each
competitive event is governed by the rules established in the Event Rules Manual. During each
tournament, an ombudsperson is available through the national office to adjudicate disputes
regarding these rules. Please contact the national office to identify who your ombudsperson will be
as well as to clarify any of the rules or procedures regarding district tournament operations.

For questions not answered here, please contact the national office at info@[Link] or
call (920) 748-6206.

Note: In 2020, the Board of Directors voted to make the Congressional Debate pilot qualification rules the
permanent set of rules governing districts. During the 2020-2021 school year, the NSDA will continue to pilot
an alternative district qualification system for speech and debate featuring streamlined rules that, among
other changes, eliminate the traditional up/down system. District tournaments may choose to use the pilot
rules, provided 60 days advance notice is given to the district. Districts may opt in to run the pilot debate
method and/or pilot speech method. Districts may choose to run one, both, or none of these pilot methods.
To opt in, district chairs will select that they will run the pilot(s) on their “District Dates Form” on
[Link] by November 30, 2020. Please refer to the separate document titled “District Tournament
Pilot Speech and Debate Manual” for additional information. You can also visit
[Link]/pilot-district-qualification-method to learn more. The pilot qualification rules in
speech and debate will permanently become the sole set of rules governing district tournaments in 2021-
2022.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 District Tournament Operations Manual 60
Planning the District Tournament
The district chair, in consultation with the District Committee and members of the district, will determine the date, time,
and place of the district contest. This information and any changes to it must be reported to the national office
immediately.

Guidelines for Scheduling

• If any part of the district tournament series will occur before December 31, the District Committee must officially
register all tournament dates with the national office by October 31 of the competition season. If all parts of the
district tournament series will occur after January 1, the District Committee must officially register all tournament
dates with the national office by November 30 of the competition season.
• A district tournament may not be held after May 1. No part of a district contest may begin on or after May 1.
• The date should be determined after considering the interscholastic calendar so as to avoid conflict with state
contests, major school events, and college entrance examinations, if possible.
• The dates or host locations are made by a vote of the chapter schools or the District Committee, rather than by the
chair alone.
• If necessary, multiple weeks or weekends may be used.
• Site logistics (room access, judges, and cooperative hosts) should be prioritized over a centralized location or rotation.
• Non-district qualifying contests may be held at the same location or at the same time as the district qualifying
contests. The discretion to create additional competition opportunities is the autonomous decision of the District
Committee. However, any additions may not result in the limiting access of competitors to the district competition
participation.
• No round may start after 9:30 p.m. (Extemp round after 9:45 p.m.) unless it is the final day of the tournament.
• At least three rounds must be held in all contests.

Online Registration and Tabulation: [Link] or SpeechWire

All NSDA districts will be required to use either [Link] or SpeechWire for the registration and tabulation of their
NSDA district tournament, including Congress. The selected software must be used for all events of the district
tournament series, e.g. a district is not permitted to use [Link] for debate and SpeechWire for speech. Results
from tournaments that do not use the permitted software will not be accepted.

Tournament Roles and Responsibilities

Tournament Officials
• District Chair: The chair exercises general supervision over the tournament. The chair may or may not work one of the
other specified tournament roles. The chair should be available for consultation and give assistance where necessary.
The chair must have a mastery of this manual as well as understand each part of the tournament process.
• District Committee Member: As individuals, committee members should take major assignments in tournament
operations. As a committee, they adjudicate disputes, protests, and interpretations of rules. If a committee member’s
school is involved in a dispute, another party appointed by the committee may serve in this capacity.
• District Coaches: The chair and committee should work to make the operation of the tournament a community
experience. Distributing leadership beyond just the committee would assist in this endeavor.

Suggested Tournament Roles

● Registration Coordinator: oversees the on-site registration process, accepts outstanding payments from schools, and
communicates with tab staff regarding dropped entries.

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● Ballot Collectors: (two or three individuals) collect ballots after a judge adjudicates a round. They should check over
the entire ballot to ensure it’s filled out properly, is easy to read for the tab station, and appears to be a constructive
ballot that will help students.
● Ballot Sorters: oversee the scanning/copying and stuffing or posting of ballots for schools to see their judge feedback
and results after the tournament.
● Debate Coordinators and Assistants: oversee the pairing of rounds, entering of results, and judge assignments for
one or more of the following: Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Policy Debate, Big Questions Debate,
and World Schools Debate.
● Individual Events Coordinator and Assistants: oversee the pairing of rounds, entering of results, and judge
assignments for one or more of the following: Original Oratory, Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation,
Duo Interpretation, Program Oral Interpretation, Informative Speaking, United States Extemporaneous Speaking, and
International Extemporaneous Speaking.
● Congress Coordinators and Assistants: oversee the pairing of sessions, entering of results, and judge assignments for
Congressional Debate.
● Judge Training: checks in volunteer or hired judges, explains events, offers supplemental materials, and ensures
judges are prepared and informed. This role could be fulfilled on site or through an online training in advance.
● Logistics Coordinator: hosts the tournament, oversees hospitality, and is responsible for competition spaces.
● Sweepstakes Coordinator and Assistant: If your tournament offers sweepstakes awards, these individuals can
calculate the winners. They will take your parameters (rules/formula) and then create an excel spreadsheet to keep
track of the information. Alternatively, they may be responsible for pulling the relevant reports from an approved
software that calculates sweepstakes.
● Double Entry/Qualifier Auditor: If your tournament allows for double entry, this individual can calculate qualifiers
based off the Single Entry Letter of Intent.
● Extemp Prep Coordinator and Assistant: oversee the Extemp prep/draw process and work to ensure students are
preparing within the guidelines of the rules governing the tournament.
● Auditors: After every round, two people should check the work of the tab stations. They should check to be sure the
wins/losses, points, ranks, etc. were entered properly into the tabulation software.
● Tab Room Director: oversees the entire tabulation room, helps answer questions, is aware of the master schedule
and checks in with tab stations to ensure they’re on pace, ensures the audits are done properly, and makes changes
as necessary based upon circumstances of the tournament.
● New Coach Liaison: serves as a resource for coaches attending districts for the first time; answers questions.

NOTE: The district chair and committee may determine that additional personnel are necessary for the administration
of the tournament and assign additional roles, accordingly .

Standards for Holding a District Qualifying Tournament

District Eligibility
1. Minimum Schools Requirement: Any district that attained at least 12 charter chapters with paid membership, 20
chapters of any type with paid membership, 200 new members, or over 700 new degrees in the prior school year is
allowed to hold a district qualifying tournament series. If a district does not meet this minimum requirement, it may

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 not hold a tournament series unless it is on a pre-approved growth plan due to realignment or a district split.
However, schools in the district may petition to attend a qualifying tournament in a contiguous district. Schools must
attend the entire district tournament series (inclusive of debate, speech and congress) in their own district.
2. Minimum Entries Requirement: If a particular speech or debate event has fewer than four entries, regardless of the
district’s qualification level, no qualifiers are allowed in that event. An entry must participate in at least one round (or
in the case of Congressional Debate, must give at least one speech) in order to count as an entry.
3. Minimum School Entry Requirement: In order to qualify entries in a speech or debate event to the National
Tournament, a minimum of two schools must have entries that participate in the event. (See Congressional Debate
Exception below.)
4. Congressional Debate Exception: The number of Senate and House qualifiers is independent of all other district
tournament benchmark standards.
A. Senate
A district with eight (8) or more schools represented in the Senate will qualify two (2) senators to the National
Senate. If fewer than eight (8) schools are represented, no Senate may be seated; however, a district may still
conduct a House with sufficient entries.
B. House of Representatives
A minimum of 16 students must be represented in the House. Refer to the chart below to determine number of
House chambers, final round requirements, and advancement to the National House (note that the number of
students in the far left column is based on participation—speaking or presiding at least once).

National Tournament Qualification Requirements for House

Participating Students Qualifiers

16-29 2
30-58 4
59-87 6
88-116 7
117-145 8
146+ 9

Non-qualifying (non-District Congress) Houses may also be held for regular merit points. No more than nine (9)
students from a district may qualify to the National House of Representatives.

Contestants qualify to the National House of Representatives according to the number of actual participants in
each chamber (number of students giving at least one speech). No district shall state or imply that if a student
qualified in a previous event, that student may not enter the District Congress or imply that a student previously
qualified cannot qualify for the National Congress.

Establishing Chamber Sizes

A district must have a minimum of 16 competitors to seat a House of Representatives. Districts may choose their
chamber size within the approved range. For a district tournament held online, chambers must be between 8
and 15 students. For in-person district tournament events, chambers must be between 8 and 29 students. This
applies to preliminary chambers and elimination round chambers.

For more information, please consult the “Running the District Congressional Debate Tournament » National
Qualification” section of this manual.

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National Qualification Levels
Note: These are the revised entry requirements for the online 2021 National Tournament ONLY.

National Qualification: Level 1

1.1 Qualification Level 1 is reserved for districts on a growth plan due to realignment or district creation. A district that
meets the minimum schools and entries requirements is allowed two entries to the National Tournament per speech
and debate event, as long as the event meets the four-entry minimum. Also, for Level 1 districts:
1.1.1 If there are at least 16 entries in an event, that event is allowed 3 qualifiers.
1.1.2 If there are at least 32 entries in an event, that event is allowed 4 qualifiers.

National Qualification: Level 2

2.1 A district meeting the minimum district standard in the previous school year is allowed two entries to the National
Tournament per speech and debate event, as long the event meets the four-entry minimum:
2.1.1 Maintain 12 or more charter chapters with paid membership in the previous school year.
2.1.2 Maintain 20 or more chapters of any type with paid membership in the previous school year.
2.1.3 200 new individual student memberships as a district in the previous school year.
2.1.4 700 or more new degrees from schools with paid membership during the previous school year.
2.2 If the district qualifies for Level 2 under one of the above criteria, that district may:
2.2.1 Earn a third qualifier in any event with 10 entries.
2.2.2 Earn a fourth qualifier in any event with 20 entries.

National Qualification: Level 3

3.1 A district that meets the minimum district standard in the previous school year is allowed four entries to the National
Tournament in every speech and debate event as long as at least 10 entries in each event compete in at least one
round; if that minimum is not met by a particular event, only two entries shall be granted in that event:
3.1.1 24 or more charter chapters with paid membership in the previous school year.
3.1.2 40 or more chapters of any type with paid membership in the previous school year.
3.1.3 400 new individual student memberships as a district in the previous school year.
3.1.4 1400 or more new degrees from schools with paid membership during the previous school year.

Qualifiers to the National Tournament for 2021 ONLY – Entries Required per Event

National Qualifying Level 2 Qualifiers 3 Qualifiers 4 Qualifiers

Level 1 4 entries 16 entries 32 entries

Level 2 4 entries 10 entries 20 entries

Level 3 4 entries N/A 10 entries

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 As of 2019-2020, “entries” refers to both partner and solo entries in the district tournament.

Supplemental Event Entry for 2021 National Tournament

For the 2021 National Tournament only, every member school that participates in the district tournament series will
have the opportunity to enter up to two non-qualifying students in supplemental events at the online 2021 National
Tournament. These students must have attended the district tournament but not earned qualification in any event.
This applies to every school that participated in the district tournament, regardless of whether they qualified students
to the National Tournament, and it only applies to the 2021 National Tournament. If a student is chosen as one of the
two non-qualifying students for their school that enters in supplemental events and then moves up from an alternate
slot to qualify in a main event, their school may move an additional non-qualifying student into supplemental events.

Auto-Qualification
In any given year at the National Tournament, any student who places in the top 14 in any main event (or top 4 of Big
Questions or top 8 of World Schools Debate), has not completed more than six semesters of high school, and is still
enrolled in high school (as a student in good standing) may enter the following year’s National Tournament in the same
solo event or in the same team event with the same partner. The district will permit an auto-qualified student to
participate in the district contest and to double enter as specified by the district’s uniform double-entry policies. No rule
regarding double entry may be violated by auto-qualification. The entry must indicate acceptance of the auto-qualification
through their Single Entry Letter of Intent prior to its district competition. The district chair should notify the national
office of acceptance of the auto-qualification in reporting district results. A student who accepts auto-qualification may
double-enter based on rules above but must sign the single letter of intent, which is binding, in favor of the event of their
auto-qualification. If the entry signs the single letter of intent and rejects auto-qualification, the results of the district
contest are binding.

NOTE: An entry that accepts auto-qualification is above and beyond the number of qualifiers a district may earn as per
the Level 1-3 requirements above, whether or not the entry participates in the current year’s district tournament series.
However, an auto-qualifier may participate and help a district meet its quota requirements.

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Registering for the District Tournament
The district chair must notify chapter schools of tournament dates and locations in a timely manner as well as
communicate requirements for entry. Each school is responsible for ensuring all rules of entry are met prior to arriving at
the tournament site.

School Eligibility and Entry Limits

An entry is defined as a registered unit in any event. In a partnership event (Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, or Duo
Interpretation), each team is one entry. A student who is double entered counts as two entries. Two students in a
partnership event who both double enter (in solo events) are counted as three entries.
1. Allotment: The number of entries a school is permitted to enter is based upon the number of paid members and
degrees on record with the national office prior to the district tournament entry deadline set by the District
Committee. Each registration deadline must be set to begin no earlier than seven days (168 hours) prior and end no
later than one day (24 hours) prior to on-site registration of the event. Districts must establish their entry deadlines
for all events in their district tournament series at least 60 days prior to the start of series. If multiple dates are used,
allotment is assessed prior to each contest, subtracting entries that may have been used in a prior contest. Current
school strength can be found on the School Profile page of the Association website. Please refer to the High School
Unified Manual to determine how members and degrees are calculated. (The following entry limits were revised in
2016-2017 to account for the additions of POI and INF as main events.) To download our helpful guide for
understanding your team’s strength and why it matters, visit [Link]/what-is-strength.

Members Speech, Lincoln-Douglas, Members Senate House

and Degrees Policy, and Public Forum and Degrees Entries Entries
(Strength) Entries Allowed (Strength) Allowed Allowed
1-15 4 1-20 2 2
16-20 6 21-35 2 3
21-30 10 36-55 2 4
31-40 12 56-75 2 5
41-50 15 76-100 2 6
51-60 16 101-150 2 7
61-70 18 151-200 2 8
71-80 21 201-250 2 9
81-90 23 251-300 2 10
91-100 24 301-350 2 11
101-120 27 351-400 2 12
121-140 29 401 + 2 13
141-160 32
161-180 33
181-200 34
201-230 35
231-260 37
261-300 38
301-350 39
351-400 40
401-500 42
501-600 43
601 + 44

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2. Entry Limit per Event: Each school may enter up to four entries in each event. Congress uses a separate formula for
entry limits. See the Senate/House chart above under “Allotment.”
3. Penalty for Excess Entry: The District Committee must not permit excess entry. If a school enters in excess of its
allotment, it forfeits all coaching credit points and all sweepstakes points for the entire tournament as well as a
penalty of ten trophy points. If the excess entries create additional qualifiers, the District may face penalties resulting
in loss of qualifiers.
4. Bonus Entries: Any school that registers two entries in every category that actually compete (by participating in at
least one round) in the district tournament will be permitted to register two additional entries in the tournament.
However, not more than four entries are permitted in each event.
5. Registration: Tournament entry must be completed online using The Joy of Tournaments or [Link]—including
downloading and printing the official form, obtaining necessary signatures, and submitting it to the district chair.
Registration must be completed prior to the district tournament entry deadline set by the District Committee.
A. The district may choose to impose a late fee of $5 per day, or $5 per entry, whichever is less.
B. All NSDA districts may allow substitutions with eligible student competitors up to the conclusion of the on-site
registration.
C. Any substitutions in district entries after the close of registration must be approved by the district chair.
D. The district chair will accept incomplete registrations and notify the school that their registration is incomplete. If
registration remains incomplete at the start of the contest, the affected students will be ineligible to participate.
E. All school fees and outstanding invoices must be paid prior to the beginning of the tournament. The district chair
receives a list of outstanding balances prior to the tournament and should communicate this information to each
school. The chair will accept payment at the time of registration, which will be sent to the national office along
with other required tournament information. If outstanding fees are not paid prior to the start of the contest, the
school and its students are ineligible to participate. District chairs must call a tournament official before allowing
an unpaid school to compete or its results will be invalid.

Student Eligibility and Requirements

1. National Speech & Debate Association Membership: Only Association paid members in good standing are permitted
to participate in the district tournament. It is the affirmative duty of each coach to provide proof of Association
membership and proof of website registration for each new student member entered in the district contest. The
District Committee must disqualify any non-member student from competition. Beginning with the 2014-2015 school
year, only students officially registered as a member user on the organization website ([Link])
may compete in district competition. Further, only students who are registered will count toward a school’s allotment.
A. Students must be paid members prior to the district tournament entry deadline set by the District Committee. All
necessary fees must be submitted to the national office by this deadline.
B. A student may not have attended a secondary school more than nine semesters and must meet the age/eligibility
requirements of their state activities association.
C. Students must be officially registered as a member user with a valid, unique email address on the organization
website.
D. Students must have a minimum of 25 merit points, at least 10 of which were gained in interscholastic contests.

2. Community Standards: Prior to registering online for the district contest, all coaches are required to confirm the
following statement: “I certify that we, the coach(es), student(s), administrator(s) directly affiliated with our NSDA
chapter, have agreed that the student performance(s) reflect(s) our school standards in terms of subject matter,
language, and use of gesture.”

3. Double Entry Policy

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 A. No student may double enter at the National Tournament. Therefore, a Single Entry Letter of Intent must be filed
with the district chair indicating the event in which the student will compete at the National Tournament, should
they qualify. This letter must be on file before the student competes in the second event.
B. The District Committee may limit entry to one event in the district tournament. The district may choose to permit
double entry under the following guidelines:
1) Congressional Debate Exception: Students who double enter within the speech and debate district
tournament are still eligible to compete in the District Congress.
2) No Triple Entry: The District Committee is allowed autonomy in terms of its double entry policy. However,
triple entry is not permitted unless one of the events is Congressional Debate and/or Big Questions. Big
Questions does not count against a student’s entry limits, so a student may enter two main events,
Congressional Debate, and Big Questions, schedule permitting. A student who enters more than two of the
following events will forfeit National Tournament entry, district points, and trophy points: Humorous
Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Program Oral Interpretation, Informative
Speaking, Original Oratory, United States Extemporaneous Speaking, International Extemporaneous
Speaking, Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Public Forum Debate. No student may triple enter the
immediate aforementioned events even if portions of the tournament occur on different dates or different
times of the year or if they have failed to qualify in a previous event.
3) Qualifying in a Partnership Event: If a student qualifies in a partnership event (Public Forum Debate, Policy
Debate, or Duo Interpretation) and an individual event, the student must attend the National Tournament in
the partnership event.
4) Partnership Events: Students may only enter one partnership debate event (Policy Debate or Public Forum).
Students may enter in one partnership debate event as partners and in Duo Interpretation as the same
partnership. A student may not enter a partnership debate event and a Duo Interpretation with different
partners unless the two events are held on different weekends (see exceptions below).
5) Partnership Event Exception: If two students qualify for the National Tournament in a partnership event and
both individuals also qualify for the National Tournament in their respective individual events, the students
may choose to enter the National Tournament in their individual events if indicated on their Single Entry
Letter of Intent. If two students enter the district tournament in a partnership debate event and in Duo
Interpretation (as the same partners) in which the two events occur on the same weekend, the students
must choose one of the team events and both indicate the same preference on their respective Single Entry
Letter of Intent prior to the beginning of the tournament in which the partnership would double qualify. If
the partner debate event and the duo event do not occur on the same weekend, the school may forfeit its
alternate position that resulted from the first competition, allowing new partnerships to be created. If the
school wishes for the alternate status to be retained from the first competition, the same partnership has to
be used when entering the next competition. If the first competition resulted in a qualification for nationals,
those students are ineligible to enter a team event with different partners.
6) Individual Events: A student who is double entered in two individual events must submit a Single Entry Letter
of Intent indicating the event in which they will compete at the National Tournament, prior to the beginning
of the tournament in which the individual would double qualify.
7) Denial of entry: No student will be denied entry into an event or denied participation in the district
tournament based on previous National Tournament qualification or performance unless that student is
attempting to violate the above rules or has failed to submit a Single Entry Letter of Intent.
8) Penalty: Violation of the above rules will result in disqualification from National Tournament entry.

3. Orations and Literary Material

A. In interpretive events (Dramatic, Humorous, Duo, and Program Oral Interpretation), the same selection of
literature entered at on-site registration should be used for the duration of the tournament.

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 B. Oratory manuscripts must be available at all district tournament contests in the event of a protest. However, it
shall be the choice of each individual District Committee whether or not to require these materials be submitted
prior to the district contest. The script must identify quoted materials, state the number of quoted words, include
a work cited page in APA or MLA format, and both the orator and the coach must attest by signature that the
oration is the original work of the contestant.
C. All materials used are expected to meet the standards in the High School Unified Manual.

4. Penalties: An ineligible participant or one who uses ineligible material will not earn credit points, points toward
tournament trophies, tournament awards, or National Tournament entry. A student who competes in the wrong
contest section or against the wrong opponent, at no fault of their opponent or the tournament officials, will
automatically receive last in the round or a loss for that round.

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Online District Tournament Requirements
The following rules apply to any district tournaments that are held online. If there are any conflicts between the Online
District Tournament Requirements and the rest of the District Tournament Operations Manual, refer to the Online District
Tournament Requirements and reach out to the national office for assistance.

Online Requirement
All district tournaments in 2020-2021 must be held online unless special dispensation is received by the Executive Director
for outstanding circumstances.

Rules for Use of Internet-Enabled Devices

The New Guidelines Surrounding Use of Internet-Enabled Devices for debate, Congress, and Extemp will be used at all
2020-2021 district tournaments that are held online. District tournaments held in person may choose whether to use the
new or previous rules. The New Guidelines Surrounding Use of Internet-Enabled Devices for debate, Congress, and Extemp
will also be used at the 2021 National Tournament.

Online Tournament Platforms and Software

Districts will be given autonomy over the online video conferencing platform they use to run their online tournament. All
districts will still be required to use [Link] or SpeechWire for the registration and tabulation of their tournament.
SpeechWire only runs the pilot qualification rules. Districts will be responsible for any cost of an online video conferencing
platform they choose to utilize.

Judge Instruction
Judges of all online district competitions must be given the following instruction. We recommend that tournaments put
this language on the top of their online ballots.
“We are all influenced by implicit bias, or the stereotypes that unconsciously affect our decisions. When judging, our
implicit biases negatively impact traditionally marginalized and disenfranchised students. Before writing comments or
making a decision, please take a moment to reflect on any biases that may impact your decision making.
Please remember that the video quality of a student’s performance or speech may be impacted by lighting, internet,
access to equipment, and other family members’ presence in the home. To ensure a more equitable experience for our
participants, please be sure your decision-making process and comments are related only to the content and quality of
the presentation or speech itself.”

Speech Events
Districts have the option to run their speech events asynchronously or synchronously. The exceptions are United States
and International Extemporaneous Speaking, both of which must have their 30 minutes of preparation held live. Our
recommendation is that districts attempt to hold their speech district tournaments synchronously if possible. Aside from
Extemp and Duo Interpretation, districts must hold all of their speech events the same way; if a district does asynchronous
speech, all speech events must be held asynchronously. For safety reasons, Duo Interpretation may be held
asynchronously even if all other speech events are held live. Districts may choose to do a hybrid model of synchronous
and asynchronous events as long as it is consistent across all events, with the exception of Extemp and Duo. For example,
a district could require that all speech preliminary rounds are asynchronous and all speech elimination rounds are
synchronous.
Students competing in speech events must follow these rules, used at the National Tournament, during asynchronous or
synchronous performances. Rulings (answering questions or hearing protests) about this language will be made by the
District Committee:
“Competitors may not use green screens, virtual backdrops, on-screen text, or professional equipment enhancements
such as professional lighting kits or professional grade camera recording and audio devices during their performance in
any event. Professional equipment includes items like softboxes or an auditorium’s lighting system; use of these items
is not permitted. Backdrops of a solid color with no special markings may be used by competitors and judges.”

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 District Tournament Operations Manual 70
Asynchronous Speech Requirements
Students competing in asynchronous events must follow these rules, used at the National Tournament, while recording
their performances. Rulings (answering questions or hearing protests) about this language will be made by the District
Committee.
“Submissions or recordings may not be edited using any software; all submissions must be non-stop footage of the
entire performance done through the permitted submission platform. The camera being used must remain stationary
throughout the entire performance, and no zooming or panning is permitted. Other individuals may be present while
filming, but audience interaction (laughing, applause, etc.) must not be included in the performance.”
If a district does speech asynchronously, they may create their own procedures for the following items. Procedures should
be consistent across all speech events and communicated well in advance of their event. Districts are encouraged to
consider issues of equity while creating their procedures, recognizing that students have different access to technology,
quiet spaces, and internet:
• How students should record their performance. The recording platform used for the 2020 National Tournament
([Link]) is an option that is available through Priten Shah at [Link] for a price.
• How students submit their performance, e.g. tabulation softwares may have features that allow coaches to put a
link to student performances in their registration, students may upload their recording to a google form, etc.
• Timelines for students to submit their performances.
• Duration of a recording, i.e. whether the same student performance is judged throughout the entire tournament
or whether students have the chance to upload a new recording at any point in the event.
• Judging procedure, e.g. you may choose to have judges gather with performers in a live video conferencing room
so they can watch recorded performances together (like mains at the National Tournament), you can have judges
adjudicate performances on their own time (like supps at the National Tournament), etc.

Duo Interpretation
Regardless of whether Duo Interpretation is held synchronously or asynchronously, districts must only allow one type of
Duo to be performed at a district tournament. Districts may choose one of three options to hold Duo:
1. Synchronous competition where students perform live together in the same room
2. Asynchronous recordings where students perform live together in the same room
3. Asynchronous recordings where students submit split screen videos
For example, a district may not hold Duo asynchronously and allow some entries to submit split screen videos and other
entries to perform together. District Committees should choose an option that is in line with the best interest of the
students in their district.

Extemporaneous Speaking
Extemporaneous Speaking preparation must be held live; students must have 30 minutes to prepare a speech on a topic
they just learned. After the 30 minutes of prep, students may either give their speeches live to a judge or record speeches
to be judged asynchronously. We encourage districts to explore different options for holding Extemp draw live online and
to choose the option that works best for them.

Debate Events (PF, LD, CX, BQ)

Debate events must be held live. Districts may conduct a coin flip where necessary in whatever manner they deem best;
some tabulation softwares like [Link] offer an automated coin flip option. As long as NSDA evidence rules are
followed, districts may suggest different methods for evidence sharing throughout a debate, though no specific method
may be mandated.

In partner events, partners may either compete together in the same room or from two different locations. Partners may
share a device or use two separate devices. We recommend that all competitors follow local guidelines for social
distancing at the time of the tournament.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 District Tournament Operations Manual 71
Students competing in debate events must follow these rules. Rulings (answering questions or hearing protests) about
this language will be made by the District Committee:

“Competitors may not use green screens, virtual backdrops, on-screen text, or professional equipment enhancements
such as professional lighting kits or professional grade camera recording and audio devices during their performance
in any event. Professional equipment includes items like softboxes or an auditorium’s lighting system; use of these
items is not permitted. Backdrops of a solid color with no special markings may be used by competitors and judges.”

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Running the District Debate Tournament
The following rules apply to Lincoln-Douglas, Policy, Public Forum, and Big Questions Debate events at the district
tournament. The district tournament is a double elimination contest. Entries who receive their second loss are eliminated
from the tournament.

General Rules and Instructions

1. Starting Times: No debate is valid if started after 9:30 p.m. unless it is the final day of the tournament.
2. Minimum Rounds: At least three rounds must be held in all contests.
3. Number of Judges: One or three judges may be used in the first two debate contest rounds (even if there are eight
entries or less), as determined by the District Committee. When eight or fewer debate entries remain, three judges
must be used. Any odd number of three or greater may be used for debate elimination and final rounds. Once
multiple judges have been used, it is essential that the same number or higher be used for all subsequent rounds. All
sections within the same event must use the same number of judges. College-age judges are permitted at the
discretion of the District Committee. Current high school students may not judge any portion of the district
tournament series.
4. Fines: If a judge fails to fulfill a judging assignment, a fine may be assessed at the discretion of the District Committee.
5. Protest of Judges: Judges assigned by the tournament committee are final unless protested before the beginning of
the tournament. If a judge is added to the pool after the tournament begins, any protest must be made prior to the
round in which that individual is assigned to judge. If protested, the District Committee will hear the protest, and its
decision is final. If a member of the committee is involved in the protest, they should be recused.
6. Judge Strikes: The District Committee may permit a judge strike policy at the district tournament.
A. Districts are encouraged to solicit opinions of all schools in the district when determining whether a strike system
will be used, and if so, what type of system. The decision of the District Committee is final.
B. If a District Committee chooses to implement a judge strike system, the chair must submit a complete description
of the proposed strike procedure to the national office for the approval. The description must be approved at
least seven days prior to the beginning of the tournament. Strike policy wordings should be sent to
director@[Link].
C. The system used must be maintained throughout the entire district tournament.
7. Computer Usage: Permission to use laptop computers in any event shall be the autonomous decision of the District
Committee. Granting usage subjects debaters to the guidelines contained in the rules section of this manual.
8. Forfeits: Judges should notify the District Committee of a student who arrives to their round more than 15 minutes
after the posted start time of the round. If there are multiple judges in the round, all must agree that the student was
more than 15 minutes late. Debaters who are 15 minutes late forfeit the round, but the District Committee may waive
the penalty. For a speech competitor, the District Committee may choose to drop each judge score in the round by
two ranks. The judge(s) should not adjust the student’s ranks themselves. The District Committee may waive the
penalty.
9. Disqualification: In the case of a disqualification, all previous decisions will stand and no revision of decisions will
occur unless dictated by a specific protest procedure (e.g., evidence violation).
10. Harassment and Discrimination. Harassment and discrimination in any National Speech & Debate Association event
will not be permitted. All district tournaments must follow the NSDA Harassment & Discrimination Policy. All districts
are encouraged to create an Equity Office at their district tournament to respond to reported violations of this policy.
11. Scouting: Scouting is strongly discouraged.
12. Disputes: The District Committee or tournament committee appointed by it has the full power to adjudicate disputes
or interpretation of rules but may not change the rules. The District Committee is authorized to determine how a rule
is to be interpreted or applied in a specific situation. In case of a serious dispute or critical question of procedure,
which the District Committee cannot resolve, the national office or acting tournament referee must be phoned for a
ruling. Please consult the national office to determine the referee for your event.

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Absolute Pairing Priorities
The following seven pairing priorities are absolute and control the pairing procedures described below:
1. Draw a bye if one is required. Draw the bye first, before pairing any other rounds.
• See the “Drawing a Bye” section on p. 66.
2. Do not pair a school against itself unless they are:
A. The only two remaining undefeated entries, or 3 of 4 undefeated entries, or 4 of 5 undefeated entries.
B. The last two once-defeated entries.
C. The last two of three once-defeated entries and the other entry draws the bye.
D. A majority of the once-defeated after the bye is drawn and after the undefeated bracket has been paired.
3. Do not pair entries that have met before in the tournament.
• Exception: Two entries who have met previously may meet again to avoid the same school meeting, or they may
meet again if all remaining teams in that bracket have previously met.
4. Do not break brackets at any time. Undefeated entries are in one bracket and once-defeated entries are in another
bracket. If there are an odd number of undefeated entries, then and only then, should a once-defeated be drawn up
to meet an undefeated entry.
• Draw from the teams who are “due” the opposite side of the undefeated opponent they will face. In Public Forum,
draw from all eligible undefeated teams.
5. Entries in Policy and Lincoln-Douglas Debate (not Public Forum) who have debated an unequal number of affirmative
and negative rounds are considered due the side they have debated the least. Side constraints cannot violate the
priorities listed above that are substantially more important. When an entry has debated an equal number of
affirmative and negative rounds, the team is considered eligible for either side in the next round. Side alteration from
the previous round is not a priority and should not be considered in pairing. In Public Forum, no entry is due a side at
any time.
6. During a specific round’s pairing procedure, once an entry has appropriately been drawn up to the undefeated bracket
or has drawn the bye, that entry is no longer considered a part of the once-defeated bracket and should not be
considered when pairing the once-defeated bracket. Never re-pull an entry from the once-defeated bracket once an
entry has correctly been drawn up, even if that particular pull up creates a priority conflict in the once-defeated
bracket.
7. In every Public Forum debate, sides will be determined by a coin flip between the teams, even if the teams have
previously met.

Pairing Rounds One and Two

Both [Link] and The Joy of Tournaments software are designed to randomly create preliminary round pairings for
rounds one and two to meet the following constraints:
1. Seeding is not permitted in the preliminary rounds.
2. Unless the small number of entries or the random drawing of byes makes it unavoidable, no team should meet
another team from its school, and no school should meet another school more than once.
3. In Policy and Lincoln-Douglas Debate, each entry should be assigned one affirmative and one negative round
unless it draws a bye.
4. If necessary, a bye should be drawn but no school may receive two byes in rounds one and two.
*If preliminary rounds are manually assigned by cards, these constraints must be met.
It is the affirmative duty of tabulation staff to audit [Link] and SpeechWire pairings to determine all pairing rules
were followed.

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Pairing Subsequent Rounds
An entry is an independent unit and will be paired and assigned sides based upon its own record. The opponents debated
or sides debated by other teams from its school are irrelevant and must not be considered when pairing or assigning sides.

A. Drawing a Bye
1. All entries eligible for a bye must be included in the drawing of a bye.
2. Until three entries remain or drawing for a national qualifier, byes will first be drawn from entries losing to an entry
who is still undefeated. If no entries have lost to an undefeated or the entries losing to an undefeated have also drawn
a bye, a blind draw will take place among all once-defeated teams who have not drawn a bye.
3. No entry will have more than one bye until three entries remain. When three entries remain, the bye must go to the
undefeated even if the entry has previously received a bye. If no entries are undefeated, draw the bye from all entries
who have not previously drawn a bye.
4. An entry may not refuse a bye.

B. Pairing the Undefeated Bracket

The undefeated bracket takes priority over the once-defeated bracket once any eligible bye has been drawn. Once this
bracket has been paired correctly based on the Absolute Pairing Priorities (above), it must not be adjusted or changed to
eliminate conflicts in the once-defeated bracket.
NOTE: If a once-defeated entry is pulled up to create an Absolute Pairing Priorities conflict in the UNDEFEATED bracket and
there are entries in the once-defeated bracket that can be drawn up to avoid this conflict, a new entry should be pulled
up.
1. Pair undefeated entries against undefeated entries. When viewing pairings on Joy of Tournaments, use the “Show
Seeding” option to ensure that the undefeated entries are paired against undefeated entries.
2. In Lincoln-Douglas and Policy Debate, ensure that Joy of Tournaments has properly paired the entries to ensure side
equalization. Side alteration is never a priority, so this warning must be ignored.
A. If pairing manually, place cards of entries with more affirmative rounds (due negative in the next round), in a pile
to the right. Place cards of the entries with more negative rounds (due affirmative in the next round) in a pile to
the left. All entries who have an equal number of rounds (due either affirmative or negative) should be placed in
a separate pile. If the piles are unequal, randomly draw from the pile of equal sides to create equal piles.
B. If there are an odd number of undefeated entries, draw up a once-defeated entry who is due to uphold the
opposite side of the undefeated entry.
C. Shuffle and lay out cards of entries due affirmative into a column on the left side of the table. Shuffle and place
the cards of the negative entries in a column to the right of the affirmative column, ensuring that the Absolute
Pairing Priorities are met.
3. In Public Forum Debate, ensure that Joy of Tournaments has paired brackets properly and no absolute priority has
been violated. Side alteration and equalization warnings must be ignored.
A. If pairing manually, shuffle all of the cards for the undefeated bracket and lay half in a column on the left and the
remaining in a column on the right. If there are an odd number of undefeated teams, draw from the pile of
eligible once-defeated teams.

C. Pairing the Once-Defeated Bracket

1. If necessary, check to see if the software selected a once-defeated entry to meet an undefeated. Unless absolutely
unavoidable, ensure that the pull up into the undefeated bracket did not violate the Absolute Pairing Priorities.
2. At this point, the undefeated bracket is final and should not be altered for any reason. When using the software, be
sure not to move an entry into or out of the undefeated bracket.
3. Follow the rules from the undefeated bracket for Lincoln-Douglas and Policy Debate as described in #2 above and for
Public Forum in #3 above.

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 D. Determining National Qualifiers
1. If a district is eligible to send only one entry to the National Tournament, the qualifier is the final round winner.
2. If a district is eligible to send two entries:
A. The last two remaining entries are the qualifiers.
B. If three teams remain, one will draw a bye (which must go to the undefeated if there is one or to an entry who
has not previously drawn a bye) and the other two entries debate. The bye and the winner are the qualifiers.
3. If a district is eligible to send three entries:
A. The last three remaining entries are the qualifiers.
B. If four entries remain and one is undefeated, all four entries will debate.
1) If the undefeated loses, then three entries remain and are the qualifiers.
2) If the undefeated wins, it and the other winning entry qualify. The two entries who lost to the qualifiers will
debate to determine the third qualifier.
C. If four entries remain and there are no undefeated entries, all entries debate, and the two winners are two of the
qualifiers. The two losing entries debate again to determine the third qualifier.
D. If five entries remain, a bye goes to the undefeated. If there is no undefeated entry, draw a bye from all entries
who have not previously drawn a bye. The four remaining entries debate each other. The bye and the two
winners are the qualifiers.
4. If a district is eligible to send four entries:
A. The last four remaining entries are the qualifiers.
B. If five entries remain, a bye goes to the undefeated and the other four entries debate each other. An undefeated
entry should only receive the bye if it is the sole undefeated entry remaining. The bye and the two winners are
three of the qualifiers. The two losing entries debate again to determine the fourth qualifier.
C. If six entries remain, draw two byes. Byes first go to undefeated entries. If one undefeated entry remains, that
undefeated entry receives a bye and qualifies. Then, a bye is drawn from the remaining once-defeated entries
who have not already received a bye, and that entry qualifies. The remaining four entries debate each other. The
two byes and the two winners are the four qualifiers.
D. If seven entries remain, a bye goes to the undefeated and the remaining six debate each other. The bye and the
three winners are the qualifiers.

E. Determining Alternates
A list of 14 alternates must be determined in events with 30 entries or more. In events with 29 entries or fewer, no entry
that finishes in the bottom half of the field may be listed as an alternate. Alternates are determined by the most number
of rounds debated. Byes and forfeit wins are counted as rounds debated. Ties must be broken in the following order:
1. The result of a head-to-head debate between the entries, if they met in the tournament.
2. Total ballots. The number of ballots for a bye equals the number of judges in the round where the bye occurred.
3. A run-off round between the entries.

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Running the District Congressional Debate Tournament
Note: These are the pilot Congressional Debate qualification rules that have gone into
effect permanently for district tournaments beginning in 2020-2021.
General Rules and Instructions
1. Qualifier Numbers. The number of Senate and House qualifiers is independent of all other district
tournament benchmark standards.
a. Senate
A district with eight (8) or more schools represented in the Senate will qualify two (2) senators to the
National Senate. If fewer than eight (8) schools are represented, no Senate may be seated.
b. House of Representatives
A district must have a minimum of 16 competitors to seat a House of Representatives. Refer to the
chart below to determine number of House chambers and advancement to the National House
(note that the number of students in the far left column is based on participation—speaking or
presiding at least once):

National Tournament Qualification Requirements for House

Participating Students Qualifiers

16-29 2
30-58 4
59-87 6
88-116 7
117-145 8
146+ 9

Non-qualifying (non-District Congress) Houses may also be held for regular merit points. No more than
nine (9) students from a district may qualify to the National House of Representatives.
Contestants qualify to the National House of Representatives according to the number of
actual participants in each chamber (number of students giving at least one speech). No district
shall state or imply that if a student qualified in a previous event, that student may not enter
the District Congress or imply that a student previously qualified cannot qualify for the
National Congress.
2. Establishing Chamber Sizes. A district must have a minimum of 16 competitors to seat a House of
Representatives. Districts may choose their chamber size within the approved range. For a district
tournament held online, chambers must be between 8 and 15 students. For in-person district tournament
events, chambers must be between 8 and 29 students. This applies to preliminary chambers and elimination
round chambers.

3. Legislation. Chapters are encouraged to submit at least two bills or resolutions no later than 24 days prior to the
scheduled Congress. All legislation presented shall meet Association formatting criteria (see rules section) and must be
the original work of students from the submitting school. Non-original work shall not be considered for the agenda. It
shall be the affirmative duty of each school submitting legislation to ensure their materials are original.

A. The District Committee shall attempt to accept at least one bill or resolution from each school submitting bills or
resolutions, provided the legislation is submitted by the deadline.

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 B. At least 14 days before the official Congress date, the district chair should send to each participating school a
copy of not fewer than six bills or resolutions, which shall constitute the agenda for each chamber per day.
C. If the District Committee allows for a suspension of the rules, bills or resolutions not submitted may be
considered only after the district’s officially established legislative agenda has been considered (debated).
D. A District Committee may deny bills or resolutions from being offered from the floor at the District Congress.
4. Time Allowance and Sessions. A district must offer at least two rounds, one of which must be a final round. If a district
has only one chamber in a division (Senate or House), the scores from all rounds shall cumulatively determine
placement and advancement to the National Tournament; a final round is not required. When planning the schedule,
each round must include at least ten minutes per student in a chamber. For example, a round with 20 students in each
chamber must be at least 200 minutes long. However, if there are 25 or more students in a chamber, the district may
choose to hold four hour rounds instead. Additional time should be planned for breaks/meals. Each round includes:
A. Election of a presiding officer
B. New seating chart (necessary accommodations for students with special needs may be made)
C. Resetting of precedence/recency
D. New legislation that has not been debated in a previous session at that tournament
5. District Congress Officials
A. The District Committee will determine the manner in which judges are procured: whether from participating
schools, or from the community (such as local legislators, legislative staff, attorneys, law students, civic
organization members, chamber of commerce professionals, etc.). Unaffiliated judges and parliamentarians are
required. College-age judges are permitted at the discretion of the District Committee. Current high school
students may not judge any portion of the district tournament series.
B. A parliamentarian supervises each chamber and remains throughout all preliminary sessions: to call roll and
ensure students are in assigned seats, to monitor timekeeping by the presiding officer, to intervene in case a
student officer becomes too deeply involved in parliamentary rules, to correct gross errors in procedure, to
record session start and end times, and to record actions taken. Ordinarily one should remain in the background,
but step forward firmly when one’s presence is required. The purpose of Congress is to debate legislation; the
parliamentarian ensures this is done. They will holistically rank all participants at the end of the round (or end of
the last preliminary round), with the top 8 serving as a judge rank, and all ranks serving as a final tie break.
C. Scorers: In addition to the parliamentarian, at least two scorers must be used for each session in each chamber,
and those scorers must not be affiliated with students in that chamber.
i. For each round, scorers:
1. Rate 1-8 points per speech, considering answers to questions
2. Rate 4-8 points per full hour of presiding (fractions of an hour are not scored)
3. Rank their 8 most preferred legislators (which may include POs)
4. Assign up to eight (8) points per speech, considering answers to questions in the awarding of points.
ii. No more than 40 points may be awarded a day per student. A total of the average of the scorer panel’s points
for each speech and complete hour of presiding shall be recorded.
6. Protests. Judges assigned by the tournament committee shall be final unless protested before the tournament has
begun. If a judge(s) is added to the judge pool after the tournament has begun, any protests must be made prior to the
session in which that individual(s) is assigned to judge. If protested, the District Committee shall hear the protest, and
its decision shall be final. Members of the District Committee involved in the protest should recuse themselves.
7. Setting up the District Congress.
A. Rooms must allow for all contestants to be seated appropriately as to be seen by the presiding officer, with
no barriers between.

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 B. Obtain needed materials/supplies for presiding officers and parliamentarians: gavels (optional; may be
ordered at [Link]), timers/stopwatches, Table of Parliamentary Motions, amendment
forms, and recency charts.
8. Disqualification. In the case of a disqualification of a contestant in a district tournament series event, all previous
scores, ranks, and decisions of other contestants stand and no revision of past sessions will take place.
9. Harassment and Discrimination. Harassment and discrimination in any National Speech & Debate Association event will
not be permitted. All district tournaments must follow the NSDA Harassment & Discrimination Policy. All districts are
encouraged to create an Equity Office at their district tournament to respond to reported violations of this policy.
10. Petitions. Protests of District Committee decisions may be filed, in writing, with the Executive Director who shall issue
a decision. The director’s decision may be appealed to the Board of Directors, whose decision shall be final.

Assigning Students to Chambers

1. The District Committee may choose to either allow coaches to select which chamber their students will compete in
or randomly place students in each chamber using approved software. Chamber size within each division is
consistent and no more than 29 contestants.
2. Once chamber assignments are made, only replacing an absent student with an alternate is allowed, and no changes
shall be made once a chamber has convened.
3. Seating charts should be generated and printed facing toward the back for both the presiding officer and
parliamentarian. Seating charts should be printed facing toward the front for each scorer.

Tabulation
Tabulating Ranks

Scorer and parliamentarian ranks are inputted (software automatically considers non-ranked students as ranks of 9 and
uses higher parliamentarian ranks as tie-breaks only). Each individual chamber is tabulated independent of others.
Legislators with the lowest cumulative rank total advance to the next level of competition, employing the following
tiebreakers:

1. Judges’ preference (or students’ preference for the student rank option below)

2. Reciprocal fractions

3. Adjusted cumulative rank total after dropping highest and lowest ranks

4. Reciprocals of adjusted cumulative rank total

5. Rank by the parliamentarian (ranking first to last)

Student Rank Option

Districts have the option of allowing student cumulative rank totals (not student preferential redistribution of ballots) to
determine national qualifiers. If a district exercises this option, it must do so for both Senate and House. After judge
cumulative rank totals from elimination rounds have determined the top eight students in the chamber, students shall
rank order their preference next to each student’s name. Each individual rank for all participating students will be
inputted, to determine the lowest cumulative rank total. If a student completes a ballot incorrectly (duplicate or missing
rank), it must be discarded, and shall not count in tabulation.

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Qualifiers and Alternates
Qualifiers are determined by rank total from the final round only. The top contestants, up to 14th place in each chamber,
are qualifiers and alternates in order of finish. Alternates may attend if qualifiers withdraw before June 1, regardless of
whether or not the qualifier has entered the tournament. After June 1, alternates can only replace qualifiers that have
been officially entered into the tournament. No alternate (who is replacing an officially entered qualifier) may enter the
National Tournament after 4:00 p.m. on registration day of the National Tournament. National Tournament alternates are
determined as follows:

1. Alternates are first determined by order of placement, whether by rank total from the final round by judges or by
students.
2. If student ranking was used and additional alternates are necessary beyond those ranked by the students, the
original judge rank total from finals, using appropriate tiebreakers through the parliamentarian’s rank, shall be used.

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Running the District Speech Tournament
Unlike debate events, the speech portion of the tournament presents the district with an opportunity to autonomously
determine how to run its contest within a range of variations. When choosing a system, be certain that all rules for that
particular system are followed.
The Up/Down Method mimics the debate portion of the tournament by creating a double elimination system for
speech events. Half the contestants actually competing are marked up in each section. Three are marked up in a
section of five and seven. Four may be marked up in a section of seven if an unbreakable triple tie occurs for second
place or a triple tie occurs for second or third (see below). Five are never marked up. If an entry is ranked down twice,
it is eliminated from competition. Only one judge is required in the first two preliminary rounds. (Three judges may be
used, but if you do so, you cannot go back to using only one.) Three judges must be used in each subsequent round,
and only three judges may be used in the final round (when the number of entries remaining is seven or fewer).
The California Plan uses a more traditional speech tournament approach to determining the qualifiers. The number
of preliminary rounds is predetermined based upon the number of entries in the event. Either two or three judges
may be used in the preliminary rounds, three judges in the semifinal round, and five judges in the final round.
NOTE: The district must decide in advance whether it will use the Up/Down Method or the California Plan. If choosing the
California Plan, it must determine whether it will use two or three judges in each preliminary round. The number of judges
may not change from event to event or round to round. No hybridization is permitted. College-age judges are permitted at
the discretion of the District Committee. Current high school students may not judge any portion of the district
tournament series.

General Rules and Instructions

1. Starting Times: No round may start after 9:30 p.m. (Extemp after 9:45 p.m.) unless it is the final day of the
tournament.
2. Minimum Rounds: At least three rounds must be held in all contests.
3. Harassment and Discrimination. Harassment and discrimination in any National Speech & Debate Association event
will not be permitted. All district tournaments must follow the NSDA Harassment & Discrimination Policy. All districts
are encouraged to create an Equity Office at their district tournament to respond to reported violations of this policy.

4. Speech Rules Infractions

Districts whose committee members have completed the training video may choose to use the Speech Rule
Infractions options that are used at the National Tournament. This allows District Committees to determine
consequences for rule infractions in speech based on the circumstance and magnitude of the infraction. The
following options are listed progressively according to their level of severity. Each may be utilized independently.
.

A. Level 1: Issue a warning with the instruction to correct the infraction for the next round. If not corrected, the
competitor will be penalized accordingly.

B. Level 2: Cannot receive a rank of 1 from any judge in the round. All competitors’ scores will be re-adjusted
accordingly (e.g., over the grace period, etc.).

C. Level 3: Drop 2 ranks from all judges in the round (e.g., 1 to 3, 2 to 4, etc.). All competitors’ scores will be re-
adjusted accordingly.

D. Level 4: Change ranks to last or a loss from all judges in round. All competitors’ scores will be re-adjusted
accordingly. (e.g., a student competes in the wrong contest section or against the wrong opponent at no fault of
their opponent or tournament officials, failing to disconnect from the internet during extemporaneous
preparation events, etc.).

E. Level 5: Disqualify the entry. All competitors’ scores will be re-adjusted accordingly. (e.g., plagiarism, exceeding
transitional material guidelines, using non-existent evidence in extemporaneous preparation events,

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 misrepresenting the content of the script submitted with what is actually presented in the round, using internet
to communicate with outside sources during extemporaneous preparation events, etc.). If an entry is
disqualified, one or more of the following may happen:
1. If in a final round, any placings or points earned by that student will be vacated. All competitors ranked
lower than the disqualified competitor will be moved up one placement in that round. If multiple violations
in the same event have occurred, competitors will be advanced accordingly. If the violation is discovered
during the semifinal round, the offending competitor will be ranked last in the semifinal round. If the student
still qualifies for the final round with that ranking, their place in the final round will be vacated, and the next
place competitor will be placed in the final round. If re-ranking is necessary, it is only applicable to the round
in which the violation occurred, not previous rounds in the tournament.
2. If the violation occurs in a final round and the violation would result in a new champion, the championship
will be vacated. Potential scholarships may be forfeited.
3. All coaching points earned for all of the school/chapter’s competitors for the entire tournament will be
removed.
4. The offending school/chapter may lose up to four entry slots for the next year’s district tournament. The
school/chapter will not be eligible for any bonus entries for the district tournament.
5. All rounds in which the competitor participated will not be included in the count toward eligibility for School
of Excellence and Bruno E. Jacob awards.
6. The contestant’s high school administration and chapter advisor may be notified of the violation of the
Honor Code.
7. The offending student(s) may have their Association membership revoked.

The Up/Down Model

Sectioning in the Up/Down Model
Once [Link] or The Joy of Tournaments software has sectioned the preliminary rounds, the tabulation room should
ensure the following parameters are met. Each student is guaranteed two preliminary rounds of competition. It is the
affirmative duty of the tabulation staff to audit [Link] and The Joy of Tournaments pairings to determine that all
pairing/sectioning rules are followed.

Sectioning
Entries in each event should be divided as equally as possible into as many sections as required. The minimum number of
entries in a section is four; maximum is eight, acceptable only under extreme circumstances. A section with six entries is
ideal, while seven or eight should be avoided. Seeding is not permitted in sectioning either of the first two rounds. An
entry who receives at least one up in the first two preliminary rounds is eligible to continue competing until it receives two
downs.
In subsequent rounds, the total of each entry’s ranks will determine its seed. Entries should be sectioned to prevent the
highest seeds from meeting in each subsequent round. A serpentine (or snaking) distribution should be used.

Moving Entries from Sections

Entries are to be moved only to avoid (as much as possible) the following, in order of priority:
1. Two entries from the same school in a section.
2. Two interpretation entries with the same title in a section.
3. Having the same speakers compete against each other a second time.

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Speaker Order
Speaker order should be varied from one round to the next. Entries are guaranteed a variation in speaker position unless it
is impossible to provide variation based upon the number of previous rounds, the other pairing priorities, or unavoidable
tournament circumstances. In this case, the optimal pairing is one that does not replicate the previous round’s speaker
position and minimizes the number of repeated speaker positions.
NOTE: [Link] and The Joy of Tournaments highlights in red entries whose sectioning constraints have not been
met. Therefore, the least possible red highlighting is the optimal pairing.
Double entered contestants should be scheduled to appear early in one event and late in the second event. If an
Extemporaneous speaker is double entered, the speaker should be scheduled early in Extemp and later in the second
event.
In Extemporaneous Speaking events, unless it is unavoidable, students from the same school shall not cross-examine one
another. Speaker order should be adjusted accordingly.

Balance of Power
After the first two preliminary rounds, an optimal pairing is one that balances the power the sections. To determine the
power of a section, add the total ranks of each entry. The sum of each section should be as close to equal as possible. If
they are not, move entries from one section to another using the Moving Entries from Sections paragraph above. When
the number of contestants in each section is unequal, use the average power to balance.
When in conflict, cumulative rank totals are more important that ups when balancing sections.

Changing Ranks
Record all ranks of six and seven as fives except in the final round. Never break ties by using original ranks except in the
final round. In the final round, ranks of six and seven will be counted.

Scoring Ties
In general, a tie is not to be broken except to avoid marking up more than half the entries in a section. In that scenario, the
tie is broken to determine the up/down for that round only. Ties are preserved when determining cumulative scores.
• EXCEPTIONS: Three are marked up in a section of five. Four may be marked up in a section of seven if an unbreakable
triple tie occurs for second place or a triple tie occurs for second or third. Fives are never up.
Simple Ties: If a simple two-way tie must be broken, use judge’s preference to determine which entry receives the higher
place. If unbreakable by judge’s preference, use reciprocal fractions. If still unbroken, both students receive the higher
place. In a simple tie, both entries receive the place for which they tied. A place is to be skipped and placing continues as
usual.
Triple Ties: A triple tie shall only be broken to avoid marking more than three up in a section of four or five, or more than
four in a section of seven. To break a triple tie, judge’s ranks must be converted to reciprocal fractions. In a triple tie, all
three entries receive the middle place. One place is to be skipped, and remaining places continue as usual (e.g., if three
entries tie for first, all receive second place, and the next entry receives fourth).
Unbreakable Triple Tie: In a triple tie where all entries have identical ranks, the tie is unbreakable. All are to be given the
same middle place for which they tie and given an up if that number is in the upper half of a section or third in a section of
seven.

Final Round
The final round occurs when seven or fewer entries remain. Three and only three judges are to be used in the final round
(requirements are different for the California Plan; see the next section).

Determining National Qualifiers and Alternates

Final placement is determined by adding placements of each preliminary round and the three judges’ ranks in the final
round. Low final round total breaks a tie. The 14 alternates are determined in the following order (‘semifinals’ refers to the
round immediately preceding the final round):

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1. Final round placement as described above.
2. Total cumulative round ranks through semifinals.
3. If tied, determine the winner of a head-to-head competition in semifinals.
4. If the entries did not meet in semifinals or are still tied, count the number of ones, using all judge ranks, through
semifinals.
5. If still tied, count the number of twos, using all judge ranks, through semifinals.

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The California Plan
In 2009, the Board of Directors approved a streamlined process for using the California Plan in running district speech
contests. The district may select to use two judges or three judges in each preliminary round but must apply this decision
consistently throughout the tournament and across all events.

Planning Preliminary Rounds

New as of 2016-2017: When using the California Plan, District Committees in speech events with 14 or fewer entries may
determine to hold two preliminary rounds of competition.

Two Judge System: If using two judges in preliminary rounds, the number of rounds in each event is determined by the
number of actual participants in the event at the beginning of round one, based on the following table:

Minimum Number
Number of Entries of Preliminary Rounds
14 or fewer 2
24 or fewer 3
42 or fewer 4
43 or more 5

Three Judge System: If using three judges in the preliminary rounds, the number of preliminary rounds in each event is
determined by the number of actual participants in the event at the beginning of round one, based on the following table:
Minimum Number
Number of Entries of Preliminary Rounds
14 or fewer 2
24 or fewer 3
42 or fewer 4
43 or more 5

Preset Preliminary Round

Round One: The first round of each event will be preset using a random draw. Two or three judges must be used in each
preliminary round. The number of judges must be the same in every preliminary round and the same for each event.
Entries are to be changed from one section only to another to avoid the following in the precedence listed:
1. Entries from the same school in the same section.
2. (If possible) Entries with the same selection in the same section.
Only sections of five, six, or seven are permitted.
Speaking Order: In preliminary rounds, speaking order should be varied. Each entry should receive a top, middle, and
bottom speaker order, not to be repeated in preliminary rounds unless unavoidable.
1. In the semifinal round, speaking position is determined by blind draw.
2. In the final round, speaking order is determined by blind draw. However, an entry should not receive the same
speaking order it had in the semifinals.
Double Entries: Accommodate double entries by permitting entries to speak early in one event and later in another;
however, it is not necessary to place entries in the first or last position.
Rankings: Each judge will rank entries from one as the best to seven as the worst. Whenever a judge has marked an entry
lower than fifth, such rank will be changed to fifth before tabulation begins. However, after a sixth or seventh rank has
been tabulated as a five and a tie occurs between entries for a rank in the round, the six and seven is used to determine
the judges' preference.

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 Definitions of terms
• Composite re-rank: Sum the individual judge ranks for each entry and list the entry in order of their respective
totals. The entry with the lowest cumulative score would be re-ranked first, second-most as second, and so on.
• Adjusted rank: In sections of six or seven, each judge will rank entries through the sixth and seventh placing. The
tabulation staff will adjust each rank of six or seven to a five for the purpose of creating the composite re-rank.
This is the only instance when the adjusted rank is used.
• Actual rank: Rank the judge gave the entry, counting sixes and sevens.

Scoring: Add judges’ ranks and re-rank entries in each section based on the cumulative score.

Breaking Ties with Two Judges

In the event of a two-way tie, both entries are awarded the higher placing rank.
Example A
Speaker Judge 1 Judge 2 Sum of ranks Composite Re-rank
1 3 4 7 3
2 7(5) 5 10 6
3 2 1 3 1
4 4 6 (5) 9 5
5 1 2 3 1
6 6 (5) 3 8 4
7 5 7 (5) 10 6

In the event of a three-way tie, entries are awarded a tied, middle rank. In the event of a four-way tie, entries are
awarded an upper-middle rank (in a four-way tie for first, all entries would be ranked second). A composite re-rank
may not be higher than 5.
Example B
Speaker Judge 1 Judge 2 Sum of ranks Composite Re-rank
1 6 (5) 5 10 5
2 5 6 (5) 10 5
3 4 4 8 4
4 1 3 4 2
5 3 1 4 2
6 2 2 4 2

Breaking Ties with Three Judges

In the event of a two-way tie, the tie will be broken by judges’ preference.
In the event of a three- or four-way tie, the entries are awarded the better middle position for which the speakers are
tied. For other entries in the section, eliminate the next position after the tie ranking. In Example C (below), the next
ranking in the round would be fourth.
Example C
Speaker Judge 1 Judge 2 Judge 3 Sum of ranks Composite Re-rank
1 1 2 3 6 2
2 2 3 1 6 2
3 3 1 2 6 2

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Powered Preliminary Rounds
Round two and subsequent rounds must be determined after the results are recorded from the previous round.
Seeding: The entry’s seeding is determined by the sum of its composite re-ranks from previous rounds.
Sectioning Powered Rounds: Place entries in sections, by their seeding, in a serpentine or snaking pattern. Begin with
the first seed in section one and continue to place seeds in separate sections until placing an entry in the last available
section. Place the next seeded entry in the next available section and continue to place entries in separate sections as
indicated in Example D. Where ties in seeding occur, randomly place the equal seeds in subsequent separate sections.
Example D
Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4
1st Seed --> 2nd Seed --> 3rd Seed --> 4th Seed ⧫
8th Seed ⧫ 7th Seed <-- 6th Seed <-- 5th Seed <--
9th Seed --> 10th Seed --> 11th Seed --> 12th Seed

Altering Contestant Placement in Sections

Entries are to be moved from sections only under the following conditions:
1. To avoid an imbalance of schools. The higher seeded entry from a school must remain in the original section. The
lower seeded entry (Entry B) from the same school must be placed in the next available section in the snaking
pattern until school balance occurs. The next seeded entry (Entry C) is placed in Entry B’s original location.
2. If placement of Entry B results in a school imbalance, place Entry B in the next available section in the snaking
order until school balance occurs. If a school conflict is unavoidable, place the entry in the original seeding
location. The next seeded entry (Entry C) is placed in Entry B’s original location.
3. To balance power, entries may be moved from a suboptimal pairing to an optimal pairing if it does not result in
entries with the lowest composite ranks (equal to the number of sections in the round) meeting each other or an
imbalance of schools. The balance of power is determined by the sum of the composite ranks in each section if
sections have the same number of entries. If uneven sections exist, power is determined by the average of the
composite ranks in each section.
New as of 2016-2017: When using the California Plan, District Committees in speech events with 14 or fewer entries are
not required to hold a semifinal round and students may advance directly to the final round.

Determining Semifinal Qualifiers

Twelve entries will be selected to participate in the semifinal round on the basis of lowest cumulative score of composite
re-ranks from the entry’s preliminary rounds.
Breaking Semifinal Ties: If the cumulative score of composite re-ranks brings the total number of qualifiers to more
than 12, determine the qualifiers in the following order of precedence:
1. If the entries are still tied, the entry with the most number of ones, twos, etc., in composite ranks advances.
2. If the entries are still tied, the entry with the lowest sum of actual ranks advances.
3. If the entries are still tied, the entry with the most number of ones, twos, etc., in actual ranks advances.
4. If the entries are still tied, include those tied in the semifinals.

Pairing the Semifinal Round

NOTE: Three judges must be used in the semifinal round in each event.
1. Speaker order is determined by blind draw.
2. Use the same procedure outlined in “Powered Preliminary Rounds.”
3. No accommodation will be made to separate entries from the same school in a section where they are required
to meet by the previous rules as outlined in “Powered Preliminary Rounds.”

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 4. Accommodate double entries by permitting entries to speak early in one event and later in another, however, it is
not necessary to place entries in the first or last position.

Determining Final Round Qualifiers

Add composite preliminary round re-ranks and each judge’s ballot in the semifinal round to determine six qualifiers for the
final round.
*In the case of uneven semifinal sections, count sevens as sixes unless a tie occurs.
Breaking Final Round Ties: If the number of final round qualifiers exceeds six, use the following tiebreakers in order of
precedence:
1. If tied entries met in the semifinal round, determine judges’ preference in the semifinal round.
2. If still tied, advance the entry with the lowest total from semifinal ballots alone.
3. If still tied, advance the entry with the greatest number of ones, twos, etc., from the semifinal ballots.
4. If still tied, advance the entry with the lowest total of adjusted, actual preliminary round ranks and semifinal
ranks.
5. If still tied, advance the entry with the greatest number of ones, twos, etc., from all composite re-ranks and
semifinal round ranks.
6. If still tied, include those tied entries in the final round.

Pairing the Final Round

NOTE: Five judges must be used in the final round. If a district chooses to use seven judges in the finals, the high and the
low scores must be excluded when determining the National Qualifier.
1. Speaker order is determined by blind draw but must not be the same as the semifinal round speaking position.
2. No accommodation will be made to separate entries from the same school in the speaker order.
3. Reverse accommodations for double entered entries from any accommodation made in the semifinal round.

Determining National Qualifiers

Entries qualifying for the National Tournament are selected by determining the lowest total of preliminary composite re-
ranks, added to three semifinal ranks, added to five final ranks. If a tie exists among qualifiers or alternates, determine
final placement by using the following tiebreakers in order of precedence:
1. The cumulative score of final round judges only.
2. Judges’ preference in the final round only.
3. Greatest number of ones, twos, etc., in the final round only.
4. If still tied, repeat steps 1 through 3 by adding the semifinal scores.
5. If still tied, add the actual ranks from preliminary rounds to semifinal ranks and to final ranks, to determine
placement.

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Sweepstakes Awards
Overall District Sweepstakes Plaque
Overview:
1. A school must actively participate in both debate and speech with at least three entries in each area. Congressional
Debate is not currently included in calculation of the overall District Sweepstakes Plaque.
2. Top five speech and top five debate entries per school will count towards its sweepstakes calculation.
3. Team events (Public Forum, Policy, Duo) count as one entry.
4. Tie breakers:
A. Add the 6th speech and the 6th debate entry per school.
B. Greatest number of 1sts, 2nds, 3rds, etc.
C. Add the 7th speech and the 7th debate entry per school.
D. Add the 8th speech and the 8th debate entry per school.
5. Tiebreakers described in the District Tournament Operations Manual will be used to determine places. If ties cannot
be broken, both students will receive the points for the highest place in which they tie.
6. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place sweepstakes finishes should be awarded in each district.
Point Schedule Per Event - Points are allocated based on actual entries for qualification rather than any district bonus.
Category A Category B Category C
Event ≤ 37entries Event = 38-57entries Event ≥ 58entries
Team event ≤ 29entries Team event = 30-49entries Team event ≥ 50entries
1 or 2 qualifiers 3 qualifiers 4 qualifiers
Speech Debate Speech Debate Speech Debate
1st Place 6 7 7 8 8 9
2nd Place 5 6 6 7 7 8
3rd Place 4 5 5 6 6 7
4th Place 3 4 4 5 5 6
5th Place 2 3 3 4 4 5
6th Place 1 2 2 3 3 4

Example:
Team A Team B
PF 1st Place 12 points 2nd Place 6 points
2 Qualifiers 3rd Place
DUO
Policy 2nd Place 10 points 5th Place 3 points
2 Qualifiers 4th Place
LD 4th Place 5 points
3 Qualifiers
IX 6th Place 1 point 2nd Place 5 points
2 Qualifiers
USX 4th Place 4 points
2 Qualifiers 6th Place
DI 1st Place 6 points
2 Qualifiers
HI 2nd Place 5 points
2 Qualifiers
OO 1st Place 10 points
2 Qualifiers 3rd Place
Team A Total: 32 points Team B Total: 35 points

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Congress, Debate, and Speech Sweepstakes Awards
In addition to an overall District Sweepstakes Plaque, awards will be given for the three distinct divisions at the district
tournament: Congress, Debate, and Speech. Each of these areas functions essentially different and are often held on
different days/weekends. This also allows schools whose programs focus in one or two of the areas to still have a chance
at earning some type of squad award.
A school’s top eight placing speech, top six debate, and top five congress entries will count toward calculation in each
area, respectively.
Congress
Computing the sweepstakes award for Speech and the award for Debate functions in the same
manner as those two areas are figured for the overall sweepstakes award (see schedule for 1st Place 8
awarding sweepstakes points on the previous page). 2nd Place 7
3rd Place 6
In Congress, each of a school’s top five students who place in their respective Senate and
4th Place 5
House chambers will receive points based on the schedule to the right. If a preliminary and a
final session are held, only the final session will count. 5th Place 4
6th Place 3
Program Oral Interpretation and Informative Speaking count toward the Speech Sweepstakes
Award.

District Cumulative Sweepstakes Award

Rounds for all student entries accumulate from year to year and a District Tournament Trophy is awarded for one-year
possession to the school participating in the present tournament whose total is highest at the conclusion of the
tournament. Its record will be set back to zero and the records for other schools carried forward to the next year. The
trophy will become the permanent possession of the school winning it three (3) times. A tie will be broken in favor of the
school whose students were in the largest number of rounds in the present tournament. If still tied, the trophy will be
awarded to the school with the highest total of Association merit points earned at the present tournament. Program Oral
Interpretation and Informative Speaking count toward the Cumulative Sweepstakes Award.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 District Tournament Operations Manual 90
Reporting to the National Office
The district chair is required to submit several reports to the national office within 48 hours of the completion of the
district tournament. Please do not submit materials not requested here. Note that if your district uses SpeechWire to
tabulate your tournaments, the district chair must work with SpeechWire support to manually upload the data file to
[Link] after the completion of your district tournament series.
[Link] Districts:
1. Any fees due to the National Speech & Debate Association collected at the tournament. These should be sent
immediately after each portion of tournament.
2. Review the Qualifiers and Alternates Report under the Results tab. [Link] will generate this for all events. It is
the affirmative duty of the chair to ensure that the qualifiers and alternates listed on this page are accurate, but a
paper copy does not need to be submitted to the national office.
3. If your district had auto-qualifiers, mail or scan and email their Single Entry Letter of Intent forms to
info@[Link]. Since coaches on [Link] filled out event preferences for double entered students
during the online registration process, chairs only need to collect paper copies of the Single Entry forms from auto-
qualifiers. These should be sent at the conclusion of your tournament series, not after each portion.
SpeechWire Districts:
1. Any fees due to the National Speech & Debate Association collected at the tournament. These should be sent
immediately after each portion of tournament.
2. Review the qualifiers and alternates reported by SpeechWire. It is the affirmative duty of the chair to ensure that the
qualifiers and alternates are accurate before they are uploaded to [Link]. Uploads of tournament results
should occur after the entirety of the district tournament has been completed, not after each portion of the
tournament.
3. All Single Entry Letter of Intent forms. These should be mailed or scanned and emailed to info@[Link]
at the conclusion of your tournament series, not after each portion.
4. Work with SpeechWire support to upload the SpeechWire data file to Tabroom by logging into Tabroom, selecting
the name of your district tournament, and following the steps listed on the page. Uploads of tournament results
should occur after the entirety of the district tournament has been completed, not after each portion of the
tournament.

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District Tournament Audit Procedures
The required method of tabulating the district tournament is to use the approved tournament software on a computer.

At the completion of each round, the District Committee will produce an audit sheet. That sheet will be compared to the
ballots for each round to determine that the ballots have been accurately tabulated. If mistakes have been made, the
results will be evaluated and corrected.

Once events are tabulated, the District Committee must audit or check the results of rounds in two ways:

1. The audit will be conducted by an Audit Committee appointed by the District Committee.
2. Ballots and the audit sheet will be made public so that head coaches or their designees may take responsibility
for the audit.

District Committees are strongly encouraged to make the tabulation process as transparent as possible.

Before the tournament, one coach per school in attendance should be designated to receive ballots and audit sheets that
are made available at the conclusion of each round audit. Online ballots, if used, should be published to coaches after
each round audit. If a district is not auditing results and/or providing the audit to a coach representative, the coach
representative should file a protest to the Committee, citing this procedural violation. If a protest is filed, the District
Committee is required to contact the tournament ombudsperson for a ruling.

If coaches believe errors in tabulation have occurred, they must first address the issue with the District Committee in
a timely fashion. If the tournament is still in progress, the protest should be lodged within one round of the audit being
available to coaches.

The audit for the final round results must be made available before the awards assembly. No protests regarding
tabulation will be permitted after the awards assembly.

The national qualifiers determined by the national office will be official. If the District Committee erroneously identifies
and announces that a student has qualified for the National Tournament, that student will not keep that qualification spot
for the National Tournament.

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District Tournament Rules and Penalties
In addition to pairing/sectioning protocols outlined above, the district tournament series has specific rules and policies
that must be followed in order to ensure that qualification to the National Tournament is valid.
It is the affirmative duty of the District Committee to ensure all rules and procedures in this manual are followed. Failure
to adhere to these rules may invalidate tournament results.
Equitable Tournament Practices
• Equity is a core value of the National Speech & Debate Association. As such, District Committees are expected to
read through the Inclusive Tournament Checklist and implement relevant methods for making their tournaments
as safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible.
• All District Committees must adhere to and make public the NSDA Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
• District Committees must use the following language on top of all ballots used at the district tournament:
“We are all influenced by implicit bias, or the stereotypes that unconsciously affect our decisions. When
judging, our implicit biases negatively impact traditionally marginalized and disenfranchised students. Before
writing comments or making a decision, please take a moment to reflect on any biases that may impact your
decision making.”
If a district tournament is held online, ballots must also include this language:
“Please remember that the video quality of a student’s performance or speech may be impacted by lighting,
internet, access to equipment, and other family members’ presence in the home. To ensure a more equitable
experience for our participants, please be sure your decision-making process and comments are related only
to the content and quality of the presentation or speech itself.”
• District Committees are encouraged to share the free judge training course and free cultural competency course
materials found here, created in partnership with NFHS, with all tournament judges.
• District Committees are encouraged to create an Equity Office to hear inquiries and reports related to the
Harassment and Discrimination Policy.

Protest Adjudication
The members of the District Committee present shall have full power to adjudicate any protest, dispute, or interpretation
of the rules. Protests must be filed in writing and must include:
• Name of the school advisor or authorized adult representative(s) filing protest and school, city, state. To file a
protest, the advisor or adult representative must be on site. School advisors may appoint one or more adult
representatives who are permitted to file protests in case the advisor is absent or incapable of filing a protest due
to a tournament-related commitment. Authorized adult representatives must be approved by the school’s
administration and explicitly appointed prior to the tournament.
• Code of person/team being protested.
• Round being protested.
• Section /room and speaker number of person/team being protested.
• Specific infraction being protested described with supporting detail.
• Signature of protesting coach.
After the infraction has been observed/discovered, the protest must be filed in a timely matter. A timely manner is
defined as within one hour of the end of the round in which the infraction occurred, unless a specific rule specifies
otherwise.

If the district chair and/or committee are unclear as to how a rule should be interpreted or the penalty for a rule, please
contact the district tournament referee assigned to the district by the national office.

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This enumeration does not imply that other tournament rules may be violated.

Debate Events
1. Start Time: No debate may begin after 9:30 p.m. unless it is the final day of the tournament.
Penalty: No official winner of that event and no national qualifier.
2. Minimum Rounds: At least three rounds must be held in speech and debate events. Congressional Debate must
include at least five hours of floor debate for a one-day Congress, eight hours of floor debate for a two-day Congress,
and three hours of debate for a final session.
Penalty: No official winner of that event and no national qualifier.
3. Judges: One or three judges may be used in the first two debate rounds. When eight or fewer entries remain, three
judges must be used. Any odd number of judges greater than or equal to three may be used for debate elimination
and final rounds. Once multiple judges have been used, the same number or higher must be used in all subsequent
rounds. All sections within the same event must use the same the same number of judges. At least three judges per
session must be used in Congressional Debate.
Penalty: No official winner of that event and no national qualifier.
4. Electronic Device Usage: Permission to use electronic devices in any event at an in-person district tournament shall
be the autonomous decision of the District Committee. Granting usage subjects debaters to the Guidelines for Use of
Internet-Enabled Devices found in the Unified Manual.

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Speech Events
1. Start Time: No speech round may begin after 9:30 p.m. (Extemp round after 9:45 p.m.) unless it is the final day of the
tournament.
Penalty: No official winner of that event and no national qualifier.
2. Minimum Rounds: Three rounds must be held in all speech events.
Penalty: No official winner of that event and no national qualifier.
3. Final Round: No more than seven contestants may participate in the final round.
Penalty: No official winner of that event and no national qualifier.
4. Judges: The district must use the appropriate number of judges for the type of system.
• Up/Down: After the first two rounds three judges must be used.
• Two-judge California: Two judges must be used in each preliminary round, three judges must be used in the
semifinal round, and five judges must be used in the final round.
• Three-judge California: Three judges must be used in each preliminary round, three judges must be used in the
semifinal round, and five judges must be used in the final round.
Penalty: No official winner of that event and no national qualifier.

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Judge Instructions and Guidelines
General Instructions
• All judges are to report to their assigned rooms at least five minutes before the time the contest round is
scheduled to begin.
• Each judge's ballot is to be secured from contest official and returned immediately following each round.
• Read the instructions on the ballot.
• Do not confer with other judges.
• Judges should not interrupt the flow of debates or contests in any way. They are silent evaluators and should not
reveal their decision.
• College-age judges are permitted at the discretion of the District Committee. Current high school students may
not judge any portion of the district tournament series.

Statement on Conflicts of Interest in Judging

Fair competition requires not merely the absence of impropriety but also the absence of the appearance of impropriety. A
conflict of interest is a relationship that might reasonably be thought to bias a judge toward or against a competitor. Such
relationships may themselves be quite innocent, but they could reasonably be thought to compromise a judge’s
impartiality.
A judge must recuse themself from judging a student under the following conditions:
1. The judge and the student may be perceived to have a competitive or financial agreement that may bias the
judge’s impartial evaluation of the round. Examples include but are not limited to:
A. The student attends a school (or a collaboration of schools) that the judge attended, coached for, or
competed with. NOTE: Two potential exceptions to this guideline would be that if a designated committee or
ombudsperson felt that enough time has passed since that judge’s attendance at the school to resolve
concerns of impropriety. In addition, if both coaches felt comfortable with a judge that graduated from a
school of one of the competitors, the tab room may allow that judge placement.
B. The judge has a paid or unpaid coaching, consulting, or judging relationship with the student or school
during the same academic year. NOTE: Serving a tournament-hired judge does not constitute a conflict of
interest.
C. The judge has received or provided expressed or implied offers to provide future coaching, consulting, or
judging to a school or student.
D. The judge has provided exclusive pre-round preparation to a student either before or during a tournament
through any method including electronically, verbally, or through the transfer of resources. NOTE: Sharing of
information does not constitute preparation, but the discussion of strategies, arguments, evidence, etc.,
would constitute preparation. If such preparation is provided during a tournament, the judge should
immediately (before pairings are released) recuse themself from judging the student they prepared for the
rest of the tournament. If practice rounds before or during the tournament has occurred between schools
that a judge is fulfilling obligations for and could potentially judge, that would be defined as preparation and
all parties should consider that a conflict.
2. The judge and the student may be perceived to have a personal or social arrangement that may bias the judge’s
impartial evaluation of the round. Examples include but are not limited to:
A. The judge and the student may be perceived to have had a personal relationship that may bias the judge’s
impartial evaluation of the round.
B. The judge and the student are or have been in a familial, physical, or emotional relationship.
C. The judge and the student have communications of a personal nature over email, telephone, or the internet
including social networking sites that goes beyond causal exchanges. For example, communications that are

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2020-2021 District Tournament Operations Manual 96
 extensive and/or repetitive may create a conflict. Judges who socialize with the student outside of the
competition arena are considered to have established a personal or social relationship with that student.
3. The judge does not believe they are able to fairly and impartially adjudicate a competition involving a particular
student for whatever reason.
Judges may choose to recuse themselves from adjudicating a student under the following conditions. (If these conditions
exist, it is the affirmative duty of the judge to make such information publicly available prior to the round beginning.)
1. The judge shares transportation and/or lodging with the student’s team on a regular basis.
2. The judge has a personal, financial, or familial relationship with the student’s coach or member of the student’s
family.
3. The judge is an administrator of, currently employed by, or anticipates employment from a forensic-related
enterprise with whom a financial or advisory relationship exists or is sought with the student. NOTE: These
guidelines do not prohibit lab leaders/institute staff from judging their lab students; however, if those lab leaders
maintain consistent contact with those students and/or engage in personal relationships with them, they should
recuse themselves from judging those specific individuals.
The expectation of competitors, judges, and coaches is to engage in the highest levels of professionalism and integrity.
While the responsibility is on judges to aide transparency, the responsibility exists for coaches and student competitors as
well. It is the affirmative duty of all coaches and debaters to assist efforts in transparency. No decisions will be modified as
a result of disclosed information.

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District Team for USA World Schools Debate Invitational
All Association districts are allowed to qualify up to two teams of three to five students using the procedures outlined
below. The deadline for the district chair to officially name a team is May 1. Each district must provide a full-time judge
for each team available for the entirety of the competition. Districts that do not provide a full-time judge for each team
will not be permitted to enter.

Methods to Select the World Schools District Team

Teams are comprised of three to five members from each district opting to participate. After the entire district
tournament series (speech, debate, Congress) is complete, any student who competed at districts would be eligible for
participation on the World Schools District Team. The established criteria of the district should be made available to all
coaches attending the district tournament. This could be done via the tournament invitation or through an email
announcement.

A district has two options for selecting its members:

Option A – Districts may invite alternates to be on the team. To provide an objective method of selecting the team
members, districts would do the following:
• Invite the highest point earners that are senior, 1st alternates to serve on the team.
• If a student turns down the opportunity, go to the next name on the list of senior, 1st alternates by merit
points.
• If you get through all senior, 1st alternates, then go to senior, 2nd alternates by merit points.
• Keep working through the senior alternates (3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.). If there are no seniors left, go to junior, 1st
alternates by merit points, then sophomores, and then freshmen.

Option B – Any district participant would be given the opportunity to apply for consideration. The district would
select a committee to examine the applications and make decisions to field the team. The selection committee may
consist of current coaches, retired coaches, community members, administrators, and more. Selection committee
members should recuse themselves from scoring their own student applicants. In addition to the above criteria
suggested in option A, the selection committee might also consider additional criteria, but are not bound to them:
• Give preference to applicants who are from schools that did not qualify to the National Tournament.
• Give preference to applicants from schools with fewer than three entries.
• Give preference to new schools to the district.
• Give preference to schools with new coaches in the district.
Note: If your state association prevents hybrid teams, a district may select entries all from one school to enable a
participating team to attend Nationals.

Additionally, the application process could consist of a qualifying World Schools Debate tournament to determine
which teams will attend Nationals. All participants must compete or have competed in another event at their district
tournament.

Students do not have to be a non-qualifying entry from districts to be selected to compete for the district World
Schools Debate team. Students who attend the district tournament and qualify in a main event for the National
Tournament may forgo their qualification and participate in the USA World Schools Debate Invitational, if they are
selected for the team by their district and have preferred it on the Single Letter of Intent prior to the District
Tournament Series.

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Coach of the World Schools District Team
The coach of the district team could be selected by the District Committee. This person would be the main point of
contact between the national office and the district team.

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District Qualification Process for Big Questions Debate
For additional information about debate rules and access to resources and judge training, visit the Big Questions website
at [Link].

Entries/Qualification Process
• The top-placing student at each district’s Big Questions division will qualify to the National Tournament.
• District chairs must elect to hold a Big Questions national qualifying event on the [Link] District Dates
form.
• Districts will not be eligible to receive a sub-grant for hosting a Big Questions event.
• Big Questions entries will not count toward a school’s district entry limits.
• The district Big Questions division may be held in conjunction with the district tournament or as a stand-alone
event on a separate date as long as it occurs before May 1. The district event must meet the following
requirements:
• Minimum of 10 high school competitors.
• All students must compete as individuals.
• All competitors must be NSDA members and eligible to compete in the district tournament series.
• More than one school in attendance.
• The event must be organized through or with the permission of the district chair.
• The event will follow the tabulation method chosen by the District Committee for all other debate events.
This includes the double down method or the pilot method.
• The top-placing student will not be eligible to compete at the National Tournament if they have qualified in a
main event. Students may choose to attend the National Tournament in Big Questions instead of World
Schools Debate.
• If the Big Questions district event is held before the district’s main National Qualifying tournament, the top-
placing student’s name may be withdrawn and replaced with an alternate’s if the top-placing student
qualifies in another event.
• Only entries composed of individual debaters may compete at Nationals.
• Each qualifier must provide a full-time judge for the entirety of the competition at the National Tournament.
Students who do not provide a full-time judge will not be permitted to enter.

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 2020-2021

SECTION 4: National Tournament Operations Manual

The National Speech & Debate Tournament is the largest academic competition in the world. To
attend, students must place among the top competitors at one of the Association’s district
tournaments. The National Speech & Debate Association is committed to providing every student a
fair and impartial competition experience. All rules established in the Events Rules Manual guide the
specific rules for each event. This document provides the specific procedures established by the
Board of Directors. Tournament ombudspeople are available to answer questions and field protests
regarding infraction of rules herein enumerated.

For questions not answered here, please contact the national office at info@[Link] or
call (920) 748-6206.

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Entry Requirements
Official Notice: All schools must register ONLINE for the National Speech & DebateTournament at
[Link]/nationals. You must read all information below before beginning online registration. Please
direct all questions to the national office by calling (920) 748-6206 or by emailing info@[Link].

REMINDER: The NSDA no longer accepts mailed scripts or speeches. Advisors must UPLOAD the digital files during online
registration instead.

Instructions for Registering

1) Registration: National Tournament registration is available online beginning March 1. Although the entire
registration process does not have to be completed in one sitting, coaches must complete the online process
(including printing out ALL designated paperwork to collect/upload required signatures) and mail ALL appropriate
fees to the national office before the entry is considered official.
2) Community Standards: Prior to registering online for the National Tournament, all coaches are required to confirm
the following statement: “I certify that we, the coach(es), student(s), administrator(s) directly affiliated with our
NSDA chapter, have agreed that the student performance(s) reflect(s) our school standards in terms of subject
matter, language, and use of gesture.”
3) Supervision: To compete in the National Tournament, each student must be supervised by an adult approved by the
principal. The adult supervisor must be the student’s coach, a school district faculty member or administrator, or the
child’s own parent(s). The supervising adult must stay at the same lodging with student(s) under their supervision.
Students without an accredited supervisor staying in the same lodging will not be permitted to participate in the
tournament. Coaches from other school districts may not be the adult supervisor without prior written permission of
both school district superintendents submitted to the NSDA before the entry will be accepted.
4) Fees: Payment must accompany your registration materials. See below:

Policy, Public Forum, or Duo Entry $200 per entry

$150 per entry for teams staying WITHIN the hotel block
Speech, Lincoln-Douglas, or Congress Entry $100 per entry
$75 per entry for teams staying WITHIN the hotel block
World Schools District Team $75 per student
$50 per student for teams staying WITHIN the hotel block
Big Questions Debate $75 per student
$50 per student for teams staying WITHIN the hotel block
Supplemental Events $25 each event entered May pre-register for three speech
(Pattern A: Expository, Impromptu, Poetry events (no triple entry in a pattern) OR Extemporaneous
Pattern B: Commentary, Storytelling, Prose Debate only
Or Extemporaneous Debate)
A refund in full is available upon cancellation in writing received by the national office before May 1, and
50% upon cancellation before May 8. No refunds thereafter.

5) Deadline: The ENTIRE online entry MUST be completed and required payment postmarked via certified mail by
May 1. Only registrations complete with respect to every essential item will be accepted. Late or incomplete entries
and each entry lacking signatures or payment in full will be subject to a $200 late fee, or denial of entry. Alternates
will be notified of available vacant slots starting May 8. Alternates have seven (7) days to commit to entry once
notified, or they will forfeit their qualification. Deadline for registration of alternates is May 24.
6) Congressional Debate: District chairs are encouraged to UPLOAD one or two items of legislation (preferably, one bill
and one resolution) by April 1. The district chair must verify that the submitted legislation is the original work of the
student(s) in their district or risk various penalties (see page 108). Legislation is reviewed to ensure it adheres to

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 Association guidelines, and blindly vetted by a committee who rates and selects legislation from a variety of
geographic regions. The national docket will be released on the Association’s website by May 10. Judges interested
in adjudicating Congress should select “prefer Congress” and/or “Qualified Parliamentarian” in their National
Tournament registration. Note: Service as a parliamentarian is only a two-day commitment.
7) Original Oratory and Informative Speaking: Entrants must UPLOAD a copy of their manuscript and works cited
page during online registration, signed by the contestant and the coach, certifying the speech is the student’s
original work. Note: No more than 150 words may be quoted from other sources. Extensive paraphrasing from other
sources is prohibited. The document MUST include a complete work cited page in MLA or APA format. At the
National Tournament, all quarterfinalists are required to turn in a printed, typed copy of their manuscript, including
a works cited page.
a. Interpretation (HI, DI, Duo, and POI): Entrants must UPLOAD the highlighted manuscript of the original
source use during online registration. At a minimum, this must include the cutting the student will perform,
including the introduction. All POI entries must include a works cited page with their upload. At the
National Tournament, all quarterfinalists in Interpretation must turn in their original source, a highlighted
copy of every page of the original source used in the performance, and a printed, typed copy of the cutting
with any word omissions or additions identified in ink. Competitors in POI must also turn in their works cited.
These materials must be turned in to the ombudsperson by noon on the third day of competition. See
“Source Verification” on page 45 for details about the script turn-in.
8) No Double Entry: A contestant may enter only one main event category.

9) Supplemental Event Entry: For the 2021 National Tournament only, every member school that participates in the
district tournament series will have the opportunity to enter up to two non-qualifying students in supplemental
events at the online 2021 National Tournament. These students must have attended the district tournament but
not earned qualification in any event. This applies to every school that participated in the district tournament,
regardless of whether they qualified students to the National Tournament, and it only applies to the 2021 National
Tournament. Students may pre-register for three speech events (no triple entry in a pattern) OR Extemporaneous
Debate only. (Pattern A: Expository, Impromptu, Poetry. Pattern B: Commentary, Storytelling, Prose. Or
Extemporaneous Debate). There is a pre-registration fee of $25 per event. All students entering supplemental events
are required to pre-register with the national office before June 1. Re-registration for supplemental events will take
place online. Coaches will verify that their students are eligible and will participate in the event. If a student chooses
not to compete after re-registration has been confirmed, the school will be assessed a drop fee.

10) World Schools Debate: All NSDA districts are allowed to qualify up to two teams of three to five students using the
procedures outlined in the High School Unified Manual. The deadline for the district chair to officially name a team is
May 1. The entry fee is $75 per student (or $50 per student for teams staying WITHIN the National Tournament hotel
block). Each district must provide a full-time judge per team available for the entirety of the competition. Districts
that do not provide a full-time judge per team will not be permitted to enter.

11) Big Questions Debate: All NSDA districts are allowed to qualify one entry using the procedures outlined in the High
School Unified Manual as long as the event occurs before May 1. Only entries composed of individual debaters may
compete at Nationals. The cost of entry is $75 per student (or $50 per student for teams staying WITHIN the National
Tournament hotel block). Each district must provide a full-time judge for each entry available for the entirety of the
competition.

12) Lodging: If your team stays within the National Tournament hotel block, you will receive a $25 discount off the
current year’s main event entry fee per student. Information concerning hotels and tournament activities is available
online at [Link]/nationals. All attendees are encouraged to stay at one of the NSDA
recommended properties.

13) “Entry Release Forms”: Once you’ve printed and obtained signatures for ALL students competing, please UPLOAD
these forms as part of online registration. DO NOT mail these forms.

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14) Mailing: OUR ADDRESS HAS CHANGED! Send the required registration materials and fees via certified mail
postmarked no later than May 1, to: National Speech & Debate Association, 401 Railroad Place, West Des Moines, IA
50265-4730. NOTE: Nothing needs to be mailed except payment if paying by check.

NOTE: REMEMBER TO MAIL all tournament entry fees, not paid by credit card, including judge fees and judge bond.

15) Pre-Order Nationals T-Shirts: Guarantee you and your students get the shirts sizes you need! Sizes tend to sell out
quickly, so pre-purchasing is a great option. T-shirts may be pre-ordered at a discounted rate during online
registration OR by visiting [Link]/store by May 1. T-shirts will be available for pick up on Sunday
at the National Tournament and throughout the week. Get yours before prices go up in June!
16) Judging Information: All judges must be available to judge every round of the day they are assigned. All judges are
eligible to judge supplemental events regardless of main event assignment.
A. Minimum Judge Requirement Per School: Each school is required to cover a minimum of two judge days with
a judge as a condition for entry to the National Tournament. Schools that do not furnish a judge will be
assessed a minimum penalty of $700.
B. Judge Eligibility: One judge may cover a maximum of 3 days of judging. Judges must be at least two full years
out of high school. Judges must have a [Link] account before they may be registered. Ineligible judges
being entered into the judging pool will result in a penalty of $700 per ineligible judge.
C. Policy Debate: 2 days per entry. A school with one team registered owes 2 days, two teams owes 4 days, 3
teams owes 6 days, etc. Policy Debate judge days may not be bought out; schools must provide qualified
judges to cover their obligation. All Policy Debate judges must complete a paradigm card through the
[Link] Nationals registration system by May 1. A judge registered in the Policy Debate pool should
plan to be available Monday through Thursday. Each judge will be notified which of these days they are
judging the week prior to the tournament.
D. Public Forum Debate: A school with one team entered owes 2 days. A school with two teams entered owes 3
days. A school with three teams entered owes 4 days. A school with four teams entered owes 5 days. Public
Forum Debate judge days may not be bought out; schools must provide qualified judges to cover their
obligation. A judge registered in the Public Forum Debate pool should plan to be available Monday through
Thursday. Each judge will be notified which of these days they are judging the week prior to the tournament.
E. Lincoln-Douglas Debate: A school with one entry owes 2 days. A school with two entries owes 3 days. A
school with three entries owes 4 days. A school with four entries owes 5 days. Lincoln-Douglas Debate judge
days may not be bought out; schools must provide qualified judges to cover their obligation. All Lincoln-
Douglas Debate judges must complete a paradigm card through the [Link] Nationals registration
system by May 1. A judge registered in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate pool should plan to be available Monday
through Thursday. Each judge will be notified which of these days they are judging the week prior to the
tournament.
F. Speech: Each speech entry (including Duo) accrues one day of judging owed. A school with one entry owes 1
day, two entries owes 2 days, three entries owes 3 days, etc. Speech judge days may be bought out for $120
per day. A judge registered in the Speech pool should plan to be available Monday through Wednesday. Each
judge will be notified which of these days they are judging the week prior to the tournament.
G. Congressional Debate: Each Congress entry accrues one day of judging owed. A school with one entry owes 1
day, two entries owes 2 days, three entries owes 3 days, etc. Congress judge days may be bought out for $120
per day. A judge covering one day of a Congress obligation should expect to judge two sessions. Judges who
prefer to judge Congress should mark it as their preference in the Nationals registration system. A judge
registered in the Congressional Debate pool should plan to be available Monday through Thursday. Each
judge will be notified which of these days they are judging the week prior to the tournament.
H. World Schools Debate: Each district team must supply one full-time judge that is available for the entirety of
the tournament from Monday through Thursday. This judge may not be bought out.
I. Big Questions Debate: Each school with an entry must supply one full-time judge that is available for the
entirety of the tournament from Monday through Thursday. This judge may not be bought out.

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 J. Supplemental Events: A student entered in two supplemental events counts as two entries. A school that pre-
registers 1-2 entries owes one day. A school that pre-registers 3-4 entries owes 2 days. A school that pre-
registers 5-6 entries owes 3 days. A school that pre-registers 7-8 judges owes 4 days, etc. One student entered
in three events counts as three distinct entries. Supplemental judge days may be bought out for $120 per day.
Each judge will be notified which of these days they are judging the week prior to the tournament.
K. Judge Bond: Each school must post a judge bond of $200. This bond is in addition to entry fees and judge fees.
If all judges from a school complete all judging assignments, including semifinal round judging assignments,
the $200 will be returned by July 31 in the form of a check MAILED to the school or issued as a school credit.
You can log in to your [Link] account to view your selection (mailed check or school credit). No judge
bonds will be returned in cash and no checks will be returned at the tournament. If a check is not requested
during the registration process, a credit will be issued automatically, if due. Failure to report for a judging
assignment or pooling assignment will forfeit your judge bond of $200 for the first round missed, and a $100
per judge per round penalty will be assessed thereafter. A school will not be permitted to gain membership or
compete the following year unless all outstanding fees have been paid. Note: to ensure financial security and
appropriate auditing practices, judge bonds will no longer be returned at the national tournament.
L. Late Fee: The NSDA cannot accept registration unless the ENTIRE online registration process is complete, ALL
mailed materials have been received, and a check covering all fees has been received. Each incomplete
registration will be assessed a $200 late fee.

General Rules
Eligibility and Qualification
1. Events: The tournament shall consist of main event contests in Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, Lincoln-Douglas
Debate, Congressional Debate–Senate, Congressional Debate–House of Representatives, International
Extemporaneous Speaking, United States Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Informative Speaking,
Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Program Oral Interpretation, and World
Schools Debate. Supplemental contests may be conducted. Fees and judging requirements are established each year
by the Board of Directors
2. Qualification: National qualification shall be determined by district National Qualification Levels enumerated in the
District Tournament Operations Manual.
3. Auto-Qualification: In any given year at the National Tournament, any student who places in the top 14 in any main
event, top 8 of World Schools debate, or top 4 in Big Questions Debate, has not completed more than six semesters
of high school, and is still enrolled in high school (as a student in good standing) may enter the following year’s
National Tournament in the same solo event or in the same team event with the same partner. The district will
permit an auto-qualified student to participate in the district contest and to double enter as specified by the district’s
uniform double-entry policies. No rule regarding double entry may be violated by auto-qualification. The entry must
indicate acceptance of the auto-qualification through their Single Entry Letter of Intent prior to its district
competition. The district chair should notify the national office of acceptance of the auto-qualification in reporting
district results. A student who accepts auto-qualification may double-enter based on rules above but must sign the
single letter of intent, which is binding, in favor of the event of their auto-qualification. If the entry signs the single
letter of intent and rejects auto-qualification, the results of the district contest are binding.
4. Double Qualification: A student may not qualify for, or enter in, more than one main event.
5. Alternates: If qualifier(s) do not register for the National Tournament by the established and published deadline date,
alternate(s) may, in order of finish at the district tournament, register and attend the tournament. The top 14
contestants (teams) in order of finish in each event at the district tournament shall be designated as qualifiers and/or
alternates.
6. Eligibility: Any student who has attended a secondary school more than nine semesters cannot be entered into the
National Tournament. Any student who is not an Association member cannot be entered into the National
Tournament. No student may participate in the National Tournament who has not met the age and eligibility

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 requirement of their state activities association. If a student has already qualified to come to the National
Tournament before they graduate, they will be allowed to attend the National Tournament, but no student may
return from college and participate in a district tournament. Graduation is defined as the receiving of a diploma or its
equivalent, or notice of a passing GED test score.

Overarching Competition Rules

1. Forfeit: A contestant who does not appear at the scheduled time shall be marked last. A debate team more than 15
minutes late shall forfeit the decision. All forfeits in debate should be communicated to tournament officials, not
marked by the judge. The Rules Adjudication Panel may waive these penalties for valid reasons.

2. If a student/team competes in the wrong contest section or against the wrong opponent, at no fault of their
opponent or the tournament officials, that student/team will automatically receive last or will receive a loss for that
particular round.
3. Judges: Main event preliminary debates and speech events shall be judged by two judges; elimination rounds by
three judges; semifinals by five. World Schools Debate will have one judge in preliminary debates. In final rounds of
debate, any odd number 9 or greater judges will be assigned by the tournament director in consultation with the
local host and Board of Directors. In final rounds of speech events, at least 13 judges will be assigned by the
tournament director in consultation with the local host and Board of Directors, with a minimum of one high and
low rank dropped to allow for 11 final round ballots to be counted. College-age judges must have completed their
second year (four semesters). College courses taken in high school for advanced credit do not count toward judge
standing. The first ballot missed by a judge from a school will result in the loss of the judge bond. A $100 per judge
per round penalty is assessed when a judge misses each subsequent judging assignment. Judges assigned by the
tournament committee shall be final unless protested in writing for cause.
4. Protests: Protests are filed using the online protest form. The form includes:
a. Name of the school advisor or authorized adult representative(s) filing protest and school, city, state. To file
a protest, the advisor or adult representative must be on site. School advisors may appoint one or more
adult representatives who are permitted to file protests in case the advisor is absent or incapable of filing a
protest due to a tournament-related commitment. Authorized adult representatives must be approved by
the school’s administration and explicitly appointed prior to the tournament.
b. Code of person/team being protested.
c. Round being protested.
d. Section/room and speaker number of person/team being protested.
e. Specific infraction being protested described with supporting detail.
After the infraction has been observed/discovered, the protest must be filed in a timely manner. After filing a protest,
the coach must report to the Rules Adjudication Panel holding room. For coaches initiating protests, decisions of the
Rules Adjudication Panel are final. Coaches may not appeal the decision of the Rules Adjudication Panel. If a
perceived violation occurs in a subsequent round, another protest may be filed.
5. Disqualification: In case of a disqualification of a contestant in the National Tournament, all previous ranks and
decisions of other contestants stand and no revision of past round ranks will take place.
6. Cumulative Trophy Points: Each time a student appears in a debate or a main event contest, their school shall
receive one trophy point. Trophy points shall accumulate from year to year, and the participating school with the
largest total at the conclusion of each tournament shall receive the Bruno E. Jacob award sponsored by Pi Kappa
Delta.
7. Interpretation Material: The interpretation cutting performed in the first round of competition must be used
throughout the entirety of the tournament in that event (DI, HI, Duo, POI, Prose, Poetry, Storytelling). If a main event
(DI, HI, Duo, POI) cutting is changed between the date it is submitted online and registration, a new cutting must be
reported and submitted to the national office prior to the end of registration.
8. Harassment and Discrimination Policy: The National Speech & Debate Association is committed to providing its
participants, judges, coaches, and staff the opportunity to pursue excellence in their endeavors. This opportunity can

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 exist only when each member of our community is assured an atmosphere of mutual respect. The NSDA prohibits all
forms of harassment and discrimination. Accordingly, all forms of harassment and discrimination, whether written or
oral, based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship,
national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by any applicable federal,
state, or local law are prohibited, whether committed by participants, judges, coaches, or observers. Individuals who
are found to have violated this policy will be subject to the full range of sanctions, up to and including removal from
the tournament premises.
9. Tournament Adjustments:
a. Under no circumstance shall a tournament or part of a tournament be re-run because of a violation of these
rules.
b. In the case of a disqualification of a contestant, all previous ranks and decisions of other contestants stand
and no revision of past round ranks will take place.
10. Tabulation Errors: If a tab room error in speech events at the National Tournament results in a contestant being
incorrectly eliminated from the tournament, that contestant will be reinstated to the tournament at the earliest
possible time once the error has been discovered. If the final round is completed, the contestant will be placed at a
point one round beyond their elimination. Any awards that might have been earned at that point will be given. If a
tab room error prevents contestants from participating in the final round because of a tab room error in the semifinal
round, their final placement will be based on their accumulated ranks prior to the final round. If a tab room error at
the National Tournament results in an announcement at the awards assembly of an incorrect placement in an event,
no contestant’s place will be lowered. Contestants whose ranks justify a higher position will be awarded the correct
place and award. Ties may result.
11. Merit Points:
a. In preliminary rounds:
i. Main debate events with 2 judges: Win (2 judges) = 10 pts.; Split (1-1) = 8 pts.; Loss (0-2) = 7 pts.
ii. Main debate events with 1 judge: Win = 10 pts; Loss = 7 pts.
iii. Speech:
two judge totals of 2 or 3 = 10 pts.; 4 or 5 = 9 pts.; 6 or 7 = 8 pts.; 8 or 9 = 7 pts.; 10+ = 6 pts.
b. In elimination rounds:
i. Debate: Win = 10 pts.; Loss = 7 pts.
ii. Events 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th/7th
Speech 10 9 8 7 6
Supplemental 6 5 4 3 2
c. In Congress: average of points awarded by official scorers, on a scale of 3-9 points per speech and complete
hour of presiding.
d. Bonus: (to national winners): 1st = 15 pts.; 2nd = 10 pts.; 3rd = 5 pts.

Contestants with laptops are responsible for providing sufficient battery power.
No electrical power will be supplied by the tournament, and contestants may not
plug in to outlets in the Extemp prep area.

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Tournament Procedures for Debate Events
The following rules apply to Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, and Policy Debate events.

General Rules and Instructions

1. Entries: An entry is defined as a team of two Policy or Public Forum debaters, or an individual Lincoln-Douglas
debater. No substitution is allowed.
2. Codes: Entries are identified by a random alphanumerical code.
3. Advancement/Elimination: Entries are guaranteed six preliminary rounds; those who have won 8 or more ballots
compete in rounds 7 and 8. Beginning with round 7, an entry is eliminated as soon as it loses two debates.
4. Prompting Philosophy: Oral prompting, except time signals, either by the speaker's colleague or by any other person
while the debater has the floor, is discouraged, though not prohibited, and may be penalized by some judges.
Debaters may, however, refer to their notes and materials and may consult with their teammate while they do not
have the floor or during Public Forum Grand Crossfire.
5. Timing: Timekeepers are an option but not required. If no timekeeper is used, debaters may time for their partners or
the judge may keep time. See rules for each event, particular to preparation time.
6. Reading Case and/or Plan: An entry may decide, when asked by the opponent entry for a copy of their case and/or
plan, whether or not to provide it; if the team refuses they will not be penalized in any way. Entries must share
evidence if requested; review the Evidence Rules in the High School Event Rules Manual.
7. Oral Critiques: No debate ballot may be submitted without a written reason for decision. Oral commentary is not
considered a substitute for the written ballot. The Association strongly discourages judges from disclosing decisions in
the preliminary round of competition. Comments made by a judge (orally or written) should be constructive and
professional.
8. Judges:
1. Two computer-assigned judges will be used in all preliminary rounds; three judges in elim rounds prior to
semifinals. World Schools Debate will have one judge in preliminary rounds.
2. In semifinals, five judges are assigned who have been nominated for semifinals by the district chairs. The
semifinal is any round that may result in the finalists being determined upon its conclusion.
3. In the final round, any odd number 9 or greater judges will be assigned by the tournament director in
consultation with the local host and Board of Directors.
9. Conflicts: Contestants in any debate event who are about to be judged by someone who has taught them at any time
must report that fact immediately to the ombudsperson. Failure to comply may result in disqualification. Judges must
recuse themselves from judging a student under the following conditions:
1. The judge and the student may be perceived to have a competitive or financial agreement that may bias the
judge’s impartial evaluation of the round. Examples include but are not limited to:
A. The student attends a school (or a collaboration of schools) that the judge attended, coached for, or
competed with. NOTE: Two potential exceptions to this guideline would be that if the Rules Adjudication
Panel felt that enough time has passed since that judge’s attendance at the school to resolve concerns of
impropriety. In addition, if both coaches felt comfortable with a judge that graduated from a school of one of
the competitors, the tab room may allow that judge placement.
B. The judge has a paid or unpaid coaching, consulting, or judging relationship with the student or school
during the same academic year. NOTE: Serving a tournament-hired judge does not constitute a conflict of
interest.
C. The judge has received or provided expressed or implied offers to provide future coaching, consulting, or
judging to a school or student.
D. The judge has provided exclusive pre-round preparation to a student either before or during a tournament
through any method including electronically, verbally, or through the transfer of resources. NOTE: Sharing of

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 information does not constitute preparation but the discussion of strategies, arguments, evidence, etc.,
would constitute preparation. If such preparation is provided during a tournament, the judge should
immediately (before pairings are released) recuse themself from judging the student they prepared for the
rest of the tournament. If practice rounds before or during the tournament has occurred between schools
that a judge is fulfilling obligations for and could potentially judge, that would be defined as preparation and
all parties should consider that a conflict.
2. The judge and the student may be perceived to have a personal or social arrangement that may bias the judge’s
impartial evaluation of the round. Examples include but are not limited to:
A. The judge and the student may be perceived to have had a personal relationship that may bias the judge’s
impartial evaluation of the round.
B. The judge and the student are or have been in a familial, physical, or emotional relationship.
C. The judge and the student have communications of a personal nature over email, telephone, or the internet
including social networking sites that goes beyond causal exchanges. For example, communications that are
extensive and/or repetitive may create a conflict. Judges who socialize with the student outside of the
competition arena are considered to have established a personal or social relationship with that student.
3. The judge does not believe they are able to fairly and impartially adjudicate a competition involving a particular
student for whatever reason.
Judges may choose to recuse themselves from adjudicating a student under the following conditions. (If these conditions
exist, it is the affirmative duty of the judge to make such information publicly available prior to the round beginning.)
1. The judge shares transportation and/or lodging with the student’s team on a regular basis.
2. The judge has a personal, financial, or familial relationship with the student’s coach or member of the student’s
family.
3. The judge is an administrator of, currently employed by, or anticipates employment from a forensic-related
enterprise with whom a financial or advisory relationship exists or is sought with the student. NOTE: While these
guidelines do not prohibit lab leaders/institute staff from judging their lab students. However, if those lab leaders
maintain consistent contact with those students and/or engage in personal relationships with them, they should
recuse themselves from judging those specific individuals.
The expectation of competitors, judges, and coaches is to engage in the highest levels of professionalism and integrity.
While the responsibility is on judges to aide transparency, the responsibility exists for coaches and student competitors as
well. It is the affirmative duty of all coaches and debaters to assist efforts in transparency. No decisions will be modified as
a result of disclosed information.
10. Scouting: Scouting is strongly discouraged.

Protocol for States with Seven or More Districts

Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year: For the purposes of better facilitating pairing and judge placement
procedures at the National Tournament, any state that has seven (7) or more NSDA districts will be as evenly divided as
possible into two separate groups. The districts will be divided by the national office based on geographic location and
district size equalization.

Debate Pairing Instructions

I. Pairing Priorities
These take absolute precedence over pairing methods. Priorities are more important than side alternation.
A. The first priority is the drawing of byes.
B. The second priority is to avoid the pairing of teams from the same school.
C. The third priority is to avoid the pairing of teams who have met previously in the tournament, except to avoid
the pairing of teams from the same school.

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 D. The fourth priority is to avoid the pairing of teams from the same state except to avoid pairing teams from the
same school or teams who met earlier (waived after round 11).

II. Drawing of Byes

A. Once a bye has been correctly drawn, it cannot be changed.
B. All teams eligible for a bye must be included in the drawing.
C. Until three teams remain, byes shall first be drawn from teams losing to a team still undefeated. If no remaining
teams have lost to undefeateds or if team(s) losing to an undefeated have had previous bye(s), a blind draw shall
take place among once defeated team(s) which have had no bye.
D. When only 3 teams remain and only one is undefeated, that team must get the bye, even if it has had a previous
bye.
E. No team may refuse a bye.

III. Steps in Pairing

When pairing debate rounds at the National Tournament, the following order of business should be followed unless they
violate the pairing priorities above.
A. The first step is the drawing of byes.
B. The second step is the pairing of undefeated teams.
C. The third step is the selection of a once-defeated team to meet an undefeated team, if necessary.
D. The fourth step is the pairing of once-undefeated teams.

IV. Pairing of Guaranteed Rounds

A. A preset schedule for the first six preliminary rounds of the National Tournament will be prepared by computer.
B. Each team shall uphold three affirmatives and three negatives unless byed, except Public Forum rounds that
always flip to determine sides.
C. Byes, if necessary, are to be selected at random. No school or team may receive more than one bye in the six
guaranteed rounds.

V. Qualification for Elimination Rounds

A. Each debate in the six preliminary rounds will be judged by two judges.
B. Each team will count ballots cast in its favor [byes count as two ballots; receiving a forfeit win counts as two
ballots].
C. Any team who wins eight ballots or more qualifies for elimination rounds 7 and 8.

VI. Rounds 7 and 8

A. The qualifying teams shall begin rounds 7 and 8 with a clear record (0-0). Each team shall be affirmative in one
round and negative in the other, unless byed.
B. Pairings shall be made at random, but:
1. No team shall be paired against its own school.
2. Teams who have met previously shall not be paired.
3. Teams from the same state shall not be paired.
C. After round 8, those teams losing both rounds 7 and 8 are eliminated. The remaining teams continue until losing
a second time or reaching the final round.
D. No team shall be eliminated before losing twice or losing the final round.

VII. Pairing Methods for Subsequent Rounds

Philosophy: A team is an independent unit and shall be paired and assigned sides based upon its own record. The
opponents debated, sides debated, or byes drawn by other teams from its school are irrelevant and must NOT be used
when pairing or assigning sides.
A. Pairing the Undefeated Bracket
1. Pair undefeated teams against undefeated teams.

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 2. Teams should alternate sides, if possible; however, alternation of sides is not one of the core
priorities.
3. Pairing procedure in Lincoln-Douglas and Policy Debate:
a. The computer will first pair the undefeated bracket, alternating sides where possible.
b. If there is an odd number of undefeated teams, one randomly-chosen once-defeated team
who is due to uphold side opposite the odd undefeated team will be assigned to that
round. If this pairing creates a conflict in pairing priorities, the computer will randomly
choose a different once-defeated team who is due the appropriate side.
c. If there are no once-defeated teams who are due to uphold the side opposite the odd
undefeated team, a randomly-chosen once-defeated team who is not due will be assigned
to the round. If this pairing creates a conflict in pairing priorities, the computer will
randomly choose a different once-defeated team.
d. Teams who have debated an unequal number of affirmative and negative debates are
considered due the side in which they have participated in the least, these side constraints
CANNOT violate the priorities listed above in pairing priority rule I which are substantially
more important. When a team has debated an equal number of affirmative and negative
debates, the team is considered eligible for either side in the next round, and side
alternation from the previous round is NOT A PRIORITY and should not be considered in
pairing.
4. Pairing Procedure in Public Forum Debate: The computer will first pair the undefeated bracket. If
there is an odd number of undefeated teams, it will assign a randomly-chosen team from the once-
defeated bracket to that round.
5. Teams from the same school shall not be paired in the undefeated bracket unless,
a. They are the last two undefeated teams, or
b. The last three undefeated teams, or
c. Three of the last four undefeated teams, or
d. A majority of the undefeated teams (after a bye, if any,) has been drawn.
B. Pairing the Once-Defeated Bracket.
1. Pair once-defeated teams (except that one once-defeated team may be drawn to meet an
undefeated) against once defeated teams.
2. Teams should alternate sides, if possible.
3. Pairing Procedure in Lincoln-Douglas and Policy Debate:
a. The computer will randomly pair the remaining once-defeated teams. The computer will
attempt to give teams the side they are due to uphold.
b. If there is an uneven number of teams due to debate one side, the computer will randomly
choose teams not to uphold the side they are due.
c. Every effort should be made to adhere to pairing priorities as listed in Section I.
4. Pairing Procedure in Public Forum Debate: The computer will randomly pair the once defeated
bracket.
5. Teams who have met previously should not be paired unless too few teams remain. Too few teams
shall be deemed to remain when no combination of pairings can be constructed where all teams
are meeting for the first time without leaving the bracket.
6. Teams from the same school shall not be paired unless,
a. They are the last two once-defeated teams, or
b. They are the last 3 once-defeated teams.
c. Two of the last three once-defeated teams and other team draws a bye.
d. Three of the last 4 once-defeated teams, or
e. Three of the last 5 once defeated teams and one of the other two teams draws a bye.

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 VIII. Assignment of Sides
Sides are assigned in Policy and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Each team operates as an independent unit. Side assignments
are NOT based on sides debated by other teams from its school. Side assignment is less important than other pairing
priorities.
A. Side alternation is not a priority. However, in the prelim rounds each team should debate an equal number of
rounds as the affirmative and negative team. A bye can create an unequal number. Also, in rounds 7 and 8, each
debate must debate each side once.
B. No team should be assigned to debate three times in succession on the same side unless pairing priorities force
this to happen. Priority D is waived after round 11.
C. If teams meet a second time, they must reverse sides.
D. If teams meet a third time:
1. If both have had an unequal number of "affirmatives" and "negatives" and the less debated sides are
opposite, each shall be assigned the less debated side.
2. If one team has an uneven number of "affirmatives" and "negatives," and the other team an equal
number, the team with the uneven number shall be assigned its less debated side and the other
assigned the opposite side.
3. If both teams have an equal number of "affirmatives" and "negatives" and are, therefore, due to uphold
the same side, or if both teams have an unequal number, and both have debated more on the same side
and less on the other, then sides shall be assigned by blind draw.

Note: Sides are not assigned in Public Forum Debate. Every round is a flip round.

IX. Elimination and Final Round

A. Beginning with round 7, double elimination shall be in effect until there are two teams remaining.
B. When two teams remain, they shall be assigned to a final round. The decision of that round shall determine the
national debate champion.
C. Determining 3rd - 14th place:
1. Placement shall be determined by the most number of rounds. Byes and forfeit wins count as rounds
debated.
2. When contestants are eliminated in the same round, placement shall be determined by total ballot
count throughout the elimination rounds. Byes shall count as many ballots as judges in each debate in
the round where the bye occurred. Forfeits shall not count toward ballot count.
3. If still tied, placement shall be determined by total ballot count throughout the preliminary rounds. Byes
shall count as many ballots as judges in each debate in the round where the bye occurred. Forfeits shall
not count toward ballot count.
4. If still tied, placement shall be determined by the winner of a previous meeting between the two teams
in the elimination rounds.
5. If the tied teams did not meet in the elimination rounds, placement shall be determined by the winner
of previous meeting in the preliminary rounds, if one of the teams won both ballots.
6. If still tied, both contestants will receive the same placement and the same award.

XI. Tabulation of Speaker Points (Policy Debate and Lincoln-Douglas Debate only)
A. Each ballot is to be recorded. If ballots are submitted with incomplete information, every attempt should be
made to get information in order to complete ballot tabulations. Averages will be used if ballots remain
incomplete.
B. Determination of the top speakers shall proceed as follows:
1. Drop high and low ballots from 12 total ballots of 6 preliminary rounds.
2. Add up total speaker points from the remaining ballots of the guaranteed rounds (10 ballots).
C. Tie-breaking procedures:
1. Use total speaker points (12 ballots)
2. Drop a second set of high-low ballots (8 ballots).
3. The debater on the team advancing the furthest in the tournament.

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Tournament Procedures for Main Speech Events
General Rules and Instructions
1. Codes: Entries are identified by a random alphanumerical code.
2. Judges:
a. Two computer-assigned judges will be used in all preliminary rounds; three judges will be used in elim
rounds prior to semifinals.
b. In semifinals, five judges are assigned who have been nominated for semifinals by district chairs.
c. In the final round, at least 13 judges will be assigned by the tournament director in consultation with the
local host and Board of Directors. A minimum of one high and low rank will be dropped to allow for eleven
ballots to be counted for the final round.
3. Scripts:
a. Interpretation (HI, DI, DUO, and POI): Entrants must UPLOAD the highlighted manuscript of the cutting
and the printed copy of their speech during online registration. POI competitors must also upload a works
cited. It shall be the affirmative duty of each coach and each student entered in Interpretation to determine
absolutely that the cutting being performed meets Association rules.
b. Original Oratory and Informative Speaking: Entrants must UPLOAD a copy of their speech and works cited
during online registration. It shall be the affirmative duty of each coach and each student entered in Original
Oratory and Informative Speaking to determine absolutely that the manuscript being performed meets
Association rules.
c. All quarterfinalists in Interpretation must turn in their original source, a highlighted copy of every page of
the original source used in the performance, and a printed, typed copy of the cutting with any word
omissions or additions identified in ink. Competitors in POI must also turn in their works cited. These
materials must be turned in to the ombudsperson by noon on the third day of competition. See “Source
Verification” on page 45 for details about the script turn-in.
d. All quarterfinalists in Original Oratory and Informative Speaking must turn in a printed, typed copy of their
manuscript and works cited to the ombudsperson by noon on the third day of competition.

Speech Sectioning Instructions

I. Guaranteed Preliminary Rounds
Sectioning: Guaranteed rounds will be randomly paired by computer:
1. Pairings: No student is placed in a section with another student from their same school, Association district, or
state.
2. Opposition: Each student will meet different opposition in each round.
3. Order: Each student will be assigned a different speaker position each round.

II. Elimination Rounds:

A. Elimination Process:
1. After round 6, each main event will be reduced to the top 60 contestants determined on the basis of low
total ranks in the six preliminary rounds. Ties will be broken using the priority system. (See rule VII.)
2. The top 60 contestants in each individual event will be guaranteed competition through round 8.
3. At the conclusion of round 8, each individual event will be reduced to the top thirty contestants determined
by the total of judge ballots in rounds 7 and 8 only. Ties will be broken using the priority system.
4. The top 30 contestants in each individual event will be guaranteed competition through round 10. Rounds 9
and 10 shall be known as the quarterfinals.
5. At the conclusion of round 10, each individual event will be reduced to the top 14 contestants determined
by the total of judge ballots in rounds 7-10 only. Ties will be broken using the priority system.

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 6. The top 14 contestants in each individual event will be guaranteed competition through round 12. Rounds
11 and 12 shall be known as the semifinals.
7. At the conclusion of round 12, each individual event will be reduced to the top six contestants determined
by the total of judge ballots in rounds 7-12. Ties will be broken on the basis of the priority system.
8. The top six contestants in each individual event will compete in the final round.
9. At the conclusion of the final round, the final placement of contestants will be determined on the basis of
the low cumulative total of all judge ballots in rounds 7-12 plus eleven ballots from the final round after
dropping at least one high and low rank for each contestant in the final round only.

B. Paneling:
1. Number: The number of panels in each event shall be as follows:
a. Rounds 7 and 8: 10 panels of six contestants each.
b. Rounds 9 and 10: five panels of six contestants each.
c. Rounds 11 and 12: two panels of seven contestants each.
d. Round 13: one panel of six contestants.
2. Procedures: Total each speaker's ranks. Then organize the contestants in order A B C D E
from low total to high total. Determine the number of panels. Section 1 2 3 4 5
contestants in a back and forth (weave) pattern. 10 9 8 7 6
11 12 13 14 15
20 19 18 17 16
Example 1 – 5 panels (1 has the lowest total, 30 the highest total) 21 22 23 24 25
30 29 28 27 26

3. Balance: Pairing in the elimination rounds shall be balanced. The sum of contestant ranks in each section
shall be equal or be close to equal.
4. Adjustment: Contestants should be changed from one panel to another to avoid (in the precedence listed):
a. Contestants from the same school in the same panel.
b. Contestants from the same district in the same panel (through round 10).
c. Contestants with the lowest cumulative ranks total in the same panel.
d. Contestants who have competed against each other in preceding rounds.
In later rounds, some of these conditions become unavoidable; however, each and every one should be
avoided whenever possible.

III. Speaking Order

A. Philosophy: Speaking order for contestants should be varied throughout the tournament.
1. In the six guaranteed rounds, no contestant should be given a speaking position twice.
2. In all elimination rounds speaking positions should be varied. A speaker should not repeat a speaking
position until it becomes unavoidable.
B. Procedure: To determine speaking order, total the speaker's positions in previous rounds on each speaker's card, and
then arrange the cards in each section high to low. The higher numbers will speak in the top half of the round, and
the lower numbers will speak in the
Speaker Position Total Comment Position
bottom half. Adjust the cards within the Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Rd. 3 Rd. 4 Rd. 5
framework so that a student speaks in a A 1 3 5 2 11 Low total; never 7 7
new position, if possible. B 4 1 7 3 15 Never 5 5
Example 2: C 2 6 7 4 19 High total; never 1 1
D 7 1 6 2 16 2nd high; never 3 3
E 5 3 2 4 14 Never 6 6
Note that G, F, B, have same total, yet F 6 2 5 2 15 Never 4 4
speak 2, 4, 5 as adjustments are made to G 3 7 4 1 15 Never 2 2
give them a new position.

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C. Priority: New positions for several Speaker Position Total Comment Position
speakers takes priority over exact high to Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Rd. 3 Rd. 4
low placement order. A 2 5 3 10 2nd highest; has been 2, 3 4
Example 3: B 3 2 4 9 Middle; never 5 5
C 4 1 4 9 Never 3 3
D. In Extemporaneous Speaking events, D 4 3 1 8 Low; but never 2 2
unless it is unavoidable, students from E 6 3 2 11 High; never 1 1
the same school shall not cross-examine
one another. Speaker order should be adjusted accordingly.

E. Speaking order in the final round of speech events shall be determined by random placement.

IV. Elimination Round Selection

A. Round 7 Selection: On a low cumulative basis, totaling the 12 judges' ballots in the six preliminary rounds, rounds 7
and 8 shall be composed of the top 60 contestants divided into 10 panels of six each. If ties in cumulative scores bring
the number to over 60, the priority system shall break ties:
1. Greatest number of firsts, then seconds, then thirds, etc., in an individual judge's rankings.
2. If ties cannot be resolved by the above method, those tied shall be included in elim rounds 7 and 8.
B. Round 9 Selection: Using only the individual judge's ballots from rounds 7 and 8, round 9 shall be composed of the
top thirty contestants divided into five panels of six each. If ties in cumulative scores bring the number to over thirty,
the following procedure shall be employed.
1. In a two-way tie if the participants have met, the tie is resolved in favor of the winner. If there is a multiple
tie or the opponents have not met, then
2. Greatest number of judges' firsts, seconds, thirds, etc., in elimination rounds only.
3. Greatest number of firsts, seconds, thirds, etc., in elimination round re-rankings.
4. If still tied, both (all) participate.
C. Round 11 – Semifinalist Selection: On a low cumulative basis, considering the individual judge's ballots from rounds 7-
10, rounds 11 and 12 (semifinals) shall be composed of the top fourteen contestants divided into two panels of seven
each. If ties in cumulative scores bring the number to over 14, the procedure used above (for determining round 9
contestants) shall be employed.
D. Finalist Selection: The final round shall be composed of the top six contestants selected on a low cumulative basis,
adding the three judges’ ranks in each round 7-10, and the five judges in rounds 11 and 12 (22 numbers). If ties bring
the number over six, the following shall be considered in the order listed to break ties:
1. Low cumulative judges’ ballots counted in rounds 11 and 12 only (speakers need not have been in the same
panels).
2. Greatest number of firsts in both semis.
3. Greatest number of individual judge's firsts, seconds, etc., awarded in all elim rounds.
4. If ties cannot be resolved by the above methods, those tied are to be included in the finals.
E. Final Score: The winner in each event shall be determined on the basis of low total cumulative score, counting the
individual judges’ ranks in rounds 7-10 and the ranks of all 10 judges in rounds 11 and 12, and eleven individual
judge's ranks in the final round, after dropping at least one high and one low rank for each contestant in the final
round. IN ALL ROUNDS, ACTUAL JUDGES' RANKS SHALL BE RECORDED AND ADDED.

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F. Breaking Ties in Final Scores: If ties exist, the following shall be considered in order listed to break ties:
a. Low total in the final round only, after dropping high and low ranks for each speaker.
b. Judges' preference in the final round only, after dropping high and low ranks for each speaker.
c. Low total of all ranks in the final round.
d. Greatest number of firsts in the final round only.
e. Judges preference or reciprocals from all final round judges.
f. If ties still exist, duplicate awards will be given.
Speaker Rd. 7 Ranks Rd. 8 Ranks Rd. 9 Ranks Rd. 10 Ranks Rd. 11 Ranks Rd. 12 Ranks
A 1 2 3 1 4 1 1 5 2 1 1 1 1 5 2 2 1 2 3 2 1 4
B 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 4 3 3 1 1 4 2 1 1 3 2 2
C 2 3 3 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 1 5 3 2 1 4 1

Speaker Judge Ranks Cumulative Total

A (1) 4 1 3 3 1 2 1 2 2 (5) 3 2 70
B 4 (5) 2 2 2 3 (1) 2 3 5 2 2 3 77
C 2 3 3 1 (1) 2 (5) 2 4 1 1 4 5 70
* Two high and two low ranks dropped. Speakers A and C tie at 70 cumulative total. Speaker A wins with 24 in the final round.
Speaker C has 28.

V. Ties in Elimination Rounds

Speaker Judge 1 Judge 2 Judge 3 Cume Place
A. Two-Way Ties: Two-way ties shall be broken in elim rounds A 1* 3 2* 6 1st
(see example at right). B 2 1* 3 6 2nd
Speaker A is preferred by two of the three judges.
B. Three- and Four-Way Ties: Three- or four-way ties shall not
be broken in any panel (see example below).
Each contestant involved in a three- or four-way tie in a panel shall be awarded the better middle position for which the
speakers are tied. For other contestants in the panel, eliminate the next position(s) after the tie ranking.

Speaker Judge 1 Judge 2 Judge 3 Cume Place Speaker Judge Judge Judge Cume Place
A 1 2 3 6 2nd 1 2 3
B 2 3 1 6 2nd A 1 3 4 8 2nd
C 3 1 2 6 2nd B 2 5 1 8 2nd
The next rank in the round would be fourth. C 3 2 3 8 2nd
D 5 1 2 8 2nd
The next rank would be fifth.

VI. Tabulation of Results

A. In Preliminary rounds:
After each round, the two judges’ ranks for each student in that round should be recorded in the computer.
B. In Elimination rounds:
All judges will use online ballots through [Link]. The computer will then total the judges'
decisions and give a rank to each contestant, low cumulative ranking first, etc.

VII. Speech Rules Infractions

Rules infractions at the National Tournament will result in consequences based on the circumstance and magnitude of the
infraction. The following options are listed progressively according to their level of severity. Each may be utilized
independently.
.

A. Level 1: Issue a warning with the instruction to correct the infraction for the next round. If not corrected, the
competitor will be penalized accordingly.

B. Level 2: Cannot receive a rank of 1 from any judge in the round. All competitors’ scores will be re-adjusted
accordingly (e.g., over the grace period, etc.).

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 C. Level 3: Drop 2 ranks from all judges in the round (e.g., 1 to 3, 2 to 4, etc.). All competitors’ scores will be re-
adjusted accordingly.

D. Level 4: Change ranks to last or a loss from all judges in round. All competitors’ scores will be re-adjusted
accordingly. (e.g., a student competes in the wrong contest section or against the wrong opponent at no fault of
their opponent or tournament officials, failing to disconnect from the internet during extemporaneous
preparation events, etc.).

E. Level 5: Disqualify the entry. All competitors’ scores will be re-adjusted accordingly. (e.g., plagiarism, exceeding
transitional material guidelines, using non-existent evidence in extemporaneous preparation events,
misrepresenting the content of the script submitted with what is actually presented in the round, using internet
to communicate with outside sources during extemporaneous preparation events, etc.). If an entry is
disqualified, one or more of the following may happen:
1. If in a final round, any placings or points earned by that student will be vacated. All competitors ranked
lower than the disqualified competitor will be moved up one placement in that round. If multiple violations
in the same event have occurred, competitors will be advanced accordingly. If the violation is discovered
during the semifinal round, the offending competitor will be ranked last in the semifinal round. If the student
still qualifies for the final round with that ranking, their place in the final round will be vacated, and the next
place competitor will be placed in the final round. If re-ranking is necessary, it is only applicable to the round
in which the violation occurred, not previous rounds in the tournament.
2. If the violation occurs in a final round and the violation would result in a new champion, the championship
will be vacated. Potential scholarships may be forfeited.
3. All coaching points earned for all of the school/chapter’s competitors for the entire tournament will be
removed.
4. The offending school/chapter may lose up to four entry slots for the next year’s district tournament. The
school/chapter will not be eligible for any bonus entries for the district tournament.
5. All rounds in which the competitor participated will not be included in the count toward eligibility for School
of Excellence and Bruno E. Jacob awards.
6. The contestant’s high school administration and chapter advisor may be notified of the violation of the
Honor Code.
7. The offending student(s) may have their Association membership revoked.

VIII. National Tournament Audit Procedures

A. The national office will perform an audit of all semifinal round speech to confirm that no egregious violations
of the rules has occurred. An auditor will follow along during each performance, as well as capture an audio
recording of the round. Their role is to observe, listen, and make notations as needed. They are not there to
be a test of perfect script memorization, but rather, to record any overt concerns such as written material
being added to scripts to enhance the performance. The auditor will not lodge protests, make any
adjudications, or share their concerns with anyone but the members of the Rules Adjudication Panel; they
will simply report any concerns for consideration. The Rules Adjudication Panel will collect any information
from the auditor and determine if further action needs to be taken. In Extemporaneous Speaking, auditors
will record and check source citations. In Original Oratory and Informative Speaking, auditors will record
source information and observe visual aids if applicable.
B. At the National Tournament, the original source must to be turned in to tournament officials by
quarterfinals. It is due by noon on the third day of competition. If an electronic device is necessary to read
the document and cannot be accessed by tournament officials, it must be provided by the student.
Quarterfinalists must also turn in a highlighted copy of every page of the original source used in the
performance, and a printed, typed copy of the cutting with any word omissions or additions identified in ink.
Competitors in POI must also turn in their works cited. Quarterfinalists in Original Oratory and Informative

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 Speaking must turn in a printed, typed copy of their manuscript and works cited. These materials must be
turned in to the ombudsperson by noon on the third day of competition.

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National Congressional Debate Procedures
I. National Legislation
A. Each district can submit one or two items of legislation, preferably one bill and one resolution. The district
chair must verify that the submitted legislation is the original work of the student(s) in their district.
Submitting legislation that is not the original work of those students will be considered a violation of the
Code of Honor and will be subject to penalty which may include: removal of legislation from the national
docket, loss of Honor Society membership, forfeiture of entry at the National Tournament for the offending
student, loss of entries to future district tournament for the offending school, and/or loss of future entry
slots to the National Tournament for the district.
B. The National Office will review the legislation and select one item to be considered by a national committee
of coaches.
C. District identity will be kept blind from the committee, but legislation will be grouped in five geographic
regions of a balanced number of Association districts to ensure geographic diversity.
D. The committee will rate each bill and resolution, and rank within each geographic region. The top eight
ranked legislation, plus the next highest rated legislation overall will advance to a docket of 40 items, to be
ranked again by the committee.
E. The top 16 items ranked by the committee will comprise the elimination round dockets for the National
Tournament. Eight items will compose the House quarterfinal and Senate semifinal docket, and the other
eight will compose the House semifinal docket.
F. The next 15-ranked items will comprise the docket for preliminary sessions.
G. Legislation for the final session will be written by appointees designated by the Executive Director to avoid
duplication of topics and a balance of debatable issues.
II. Opening Assembly – includes the Pledge of Allegiance and Oath of Office, and general announcements. All times are
printed in the National Tournament Book. All participants and officials are expected to adhere to start and end times,
accordingly.
III. Preliminary Chambers – in the Senate and House of Representatives, there are chambers of approximately 16-21
students each.
A. Preliminary rounds are split into three sessions of about three hours apiece; each session:
1. Begins with electing a presiding officer.
2. Features a new seating chart, with necessary accommodations made for students with special
needs.
3. Resets precedence and recency.
4. Begins with debate on new legislation not debated in a previous session.
B. A parliamentarian will be assigned to a chamber for all preliminary sessions. Parliamentarians call their
chambers to order and will:
1. Announce they shall remain in the background but will not hesitate to step forward firmly when
their presence is required. They will impress upon members of their chambers that their purpose is
to debate legislation; no misuse of the parliamentary procedure will be tolerated. They will
announce that in questions of procedure, priority is as follows:
a. Association rules and procedures.
b. Rulings by the tournament director’s designee, who will consult Robert’s Rules of Order
and other Association officials if necessary.
c. The parliamentarian may not add guidelines or suggestions that are not approved by
Association rules and/or the tournament director’s designee.
2. When each session begins, conduct a single-ballot election for presiding officer. Unless one
candidate receives a majority of votes cast, the person with the fewest votes is dropped. If
combined votes of the two lowest candidates do not equal votes of the next lowest candidate, both
are eliminated. Once a candidate receives a majority, they will serve for the session immediately
following the election and receives an engraved gavel. Note: a student may run for presiding officer
each session, but once they are elected and serve, they may not be considered for future
preliminary sessions unless no other student wishes to serve.

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 3. Once elected, the presiding officer will conduct business of the chamber. At the beginning of
session 1, the chamber will establish an agenda, either by caucusing committees who will propose
agendas, or by nominating an agenda from the floor. Tournament staff may debrief the first session
presiding officers while chambers determine agendas.
4. Prior to establishing precedence and recency, presiding officers may not tie recognition for
speeches to questions and motions (often called “activity”), nor to “longest standing” or “standing
time.”
5. Parliamentarians should familiarize themselves with Association rules and procedures (furnished
with chamber materials) and become acquainted with names of students in the chamber as placed
on the seating chart.
6. Since different districts and leagues use their own rules, legislators frequently believe local rules are
synonymous with national rules. The parliamentarian must be well versed with the national rules
and willing to consult tournament staff when necessary. They must be firm but fair at all times.
7. Ensure that each session, the chamber reaches as close to three hours of floor debate as possible
(not counting recesses or presiding officer elections).
8. Ensure proper speech times: up to three minutes for speaking and one minute for questioning by
other delegates, with the exception of speeches introducing legislation, and the first negative,
which allow for two minutes of questioning.
9. Ensure the precedence/recency chart is reset for each new session. Contestants should keep a
record of how many speeches they have given and may confirm with the parliamentarian.
10. Keep a record of all amendments, proposed and passed, using amendment forms.
11. Keep a list of speakers and the total number of speeches each gives, making notes of the strengths
and weaknesses of each, but without consulting scorers. At the end of the preliminary session,
parliamentarians will preferentially rank all of the students, with the top eight ranks tabulated with
the other judges’ as part of the cumulative rank total.
C. Two scorers are assigned each session in rotation between sessions to various chambers. They will:
1. Award three (3) to nine (9) points per speech without consulting each another regarding their
evaluation. A speaker’s answers during the questioning period should weigh in the scorers’
evaluation.
2. Award the presiding officer three (3) to nine (9) points per complete hour of service.
3. Rank their eight (8) more preferred students in each session they evaluate.
D. There should be little consultation between Congress officials concerning the chamber when it is in session.
The parliamentarian should consult with scorers to confirm the number of speeches actually given by each
student.
E. Debate on legislation shall commence as follows:
1. The district congressperson shall have the right to open debate on their district’s legislation;
however, they may relinquish this right to the chamber.
2. Any amendment must be presented to the presiding officer in writing on the appropriate form
before being moved and presented. In consultation with the parliamentarian, the amendment will
be ruled either germane or dilatory. Any legislator may seek the floor to defend or oppose the
amendment, recognized in order according to precedence/recency.
F. After each preliminary session, the presiding officer (PO) will be presented a gavel and must either agree or
decline to serve as a PO if they advance to semifinals. This choice, once made in writing on the official form,
is binding, and a PO who has agreed to further service may not withdraw until that round of service has been
completed.
G. At the end of the preliminary session, the top students in each chamber will advance. Each chamber will
advance an equal number of students such that the total number of semifinalists does not exceed 60.
1. At the end of each scorer’s and parliamentarian’s judging commitment, they will rank their eight (8)
most preferred students in the chamber; the parliamentarian also will complete a ballot ranking all
students in the chamber. Students with the lowest cumulative rank total will advance to the next
level of competition. Ties will be broken in order of the following priorities:

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 a. Judges’ preference
b. Reciprocal fractions
c. Adjusted cumulative rank total after dropping highest and lowest ranks
d. Judges’ preference of adjusted cumulative rank total
e. Reciprocals of adjusted cumulative rank total
f. Rank by the parliamentarian
IV. Quarterfinal and Semifinal Sessions – The quarterfinal House session is comprised of chambers of 15-21 contestants
each. The semifinal sessions in the House and Senate are comprised of chambers of 15-18 contestants each.
A. Students are assigned to chambers in the priority listed:
1. Seed (mathematical progression; “snaking”)
2. Avoid district conflict
3. Equal distribution of presiding officer nominees.
4. Equal state distribution.
B. Three scorers and one parliamentarian will be assigned to each chamber.
C. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds are split into two sessions of three hours apiece; each session:
1. Begins with electing a presiding officer.
2. Features a new seating chart, with necessary accommodations made for students with special
needs.
3. Resets precedence and recency.
4. Begins with debate on new legislation not debated in a previous session.
D. Only preliminary session presiding officers may be considered as candidates for presiding the quarterfinal,
semifinal, and final sessions.
1. A student may decline nomination in writing at any time, but once they do so, they may not be
considered for presiding officer in later sessions. Once a student agrees to nomination, they must
serve in the next level of advancement, if designated.
2. The top four presiding officer candidates will advance in nomination for the next level of presiding,
using a priority system as follows:
a. Points awarded for presiding in the preliminary session.
b. Cumulative rank total.
c. Adjusted cumulative rank total.
d. Parliamentarian’s ballot.
E. At the beginning of each quarterfinal and semifinal session, conduct a single-ballot election for presiding
officer from among the candidates supplied by tournament staff, following the same procedures as in the
preliminary session (II.B.2). In the event there is no student in a chamber wishing and/or eligible to preside,
an adult official will be assigned to preside. The winner receives an engraved gavel. There is no longer an
audition period.
F. At the end of the House quarterfinal session, the top six legislators in each chamber advance to the semifinal
House session. At the end of the semifinal session of the House and Senate, the top six legislators in each
chamber advance to the final session:
1. At the end of each scorer’s and parliamentarian’s judging commitment, they will rank their eight (8)
most preferred legislators in the chamber; the parliamentarian also will complete a ballot ranking
all legislators in the chamber. Legislators with the lowest cumulative rank total will advance to the
next level of competition. Ties will be broken in order of the following priorities:
a. Judges’ preference
b. Reciprocal fractions
c. Adjusted cumulative rank total after dropping highest and lowest ranks
d. Judges’ preference of adjusted cumulative rank total
e. Reciprocals of adjusted cumulative rank total
f. Rank by the parliamentarian
2. Students not advancing to the final session may claim a Senator Karl E. Mundt Medallion during
Bond Checkout.

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V. Final Session
A. Eight (8) scorers and one parliamentarian will be assigned to each chamber.
B. Students will be randomly assigned seats on a seating chart randomly generated on computer by the tab
room, with necessary accommodations made for students with special needs.
C. Presiding officer nominees will be selected from those that served as a presiding officer in the semifinal
session, with the same caveats enumerated in III.D.1. The top four will be placed on the list of nominees,
based on the following criteria:
1. Points awarded in the semifinal session for presiding.
2. Points awarded in the preliminary session for presiding.
3. Semifinal cumulative rank total.
4. Adjusted semifinal cumulative rank total.
5. Parliamentarian’s ballot in the semifinal round.
D. Before electing the presiding officer, an audition period of approximately 30 minutes will be used, and
candidates’ names shall be drawn randomly to determine the order of auditioning. The audition is not
scored, nor will it count in precedence (for recognition purposes).In the event there is no student in a
chamber wishing and/or eligible to preside, an adult official will be assigned to preside.
1. Following auditions, the parliamentarian will conduct an election for the final session Speaker of the
House and President of the Senate. These students will be recognized at the awards assembly and
each presented a two-foot presentation gavel, engraved accordingly.
2. The final session presiding officer is eligible to be ranked among the speakers in the session.
3. All speeches given by the four presiding officer candidates will be scored, and merit points shall be
recorded, accordingly. The elected presiding officer also will receive points for presiding, per hour,
following the election. Auditioning time shall not count toward merit points.
E. Final Ranking:
1. At the end of each session, scorer’s will rank their top eight (8), and at the end of the segment,
parliamentarian’s will rank all members, with their top 8 counting towards initial ranking. Final
placement will be determined by adding up all of the ranks and determining the order based upon
the lowest cumulative rank. Ties will be broken in the following priorities:
a. Judges’ preference
b. Reciprocal fractions
c. Adjusted cumulative rank total after dropping highest and lowest ranks
d. Reciprocals of adjusted cumulative rank total
e. Rank by the parliamentarian
2. All final session participants receive the Senator John C. Stennis Medallion.
VI. Leadership Award: At the end of the preliminary session, the quarterfinal House session, the semifinal session, and
the final session, the students in each chamber shall preferentially rank a number of students in the chamber. The
student who advances to the final round in the Senate and in the House with the lowest cumulative rank total will
earn the leadership bowl, with ties broken:
A. Dropping the highest and lowest ranks
B. Reciprocal fractions
C. Most first place ranks
D. Placement by the judges, with any applicable tie-breakers factored
VII. Trophies and Awards
A. Each presiding officer will receive a gavel.
B. Non-advancing semifinalists will receive the Senator Karl E. Mundt Medallions.
C. All final session contestants will receive the Senator John C. Stennis Medallions.
D. Contestants finishing 7th through 14th will be recognized with a trophy following the conclusion of the
Public Forum final round.
E. Contestants finishing 1st through 6th will be recognized with a trophy at the Awards Ceremony.

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 F. Karl E. Mundt National Congress Trophy – This honor (awarded since the first National Congress in Wooster,
Ohio, in 1938) is presented each year to the school represented at that year’s National Congress whose
students have accumulated the most participation points, awarded as follows:
1. One point for each session (finals counts as two sessions, since it is so long)
2. Two points for advancing, or for being elected presiding officer in a session
3. Three points for placing 4th, 5th, or 6th
4. Four points for placing 2nd or 3rd place
5. Five points for the national champion in the Senate and House
6. Upon earning this award, a school’s total resets to zero

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Supplemental Event Procedures
Supplemental Events
1. Contestants eliminated from the main events after round 8 and Congressional Debate preliminary sessions may
participate in supplemental events.

2. Students may be registered for up to three of the speech events OR Extemporaneous Debate if pre-registered in
each. Students may pre-register in no more than two events per pattern.
Pattern A: Expository Speaking, Impromptu, Poetry.
Pattern B: Extemporaneous Commentary, Storytelling, Prose.

Sectioning and Tabulation

1. Preliminary Rounds: Four preset rounds of sections of 5, 6, or 7 will be evaluated by a single judge. All ranks
above 6 will be truncated to 6 in preliminary rounds.
2. Octafinals: After preliminary rounds, students will be ranked in order based on the following factors:
a. Lowest cumulative ranks
b. Highest reciprocals
c. Lowest opponent ranks
d. Highest total points
The number of students that break to octafinals will be based on wherever there is a clean break in ranks
(preferable) or reciprocals that puts as close to 60 competitors in the octafinal round as possible. No more
than 70 will break to octafinals; if needed in order to break less than 70, highest total points will act as the
tiebreaker. Three judges will evaluate each section in the octafinals. All ranks above 6 will be truncated to 6
in preliminary rounds.
3. Quarterfinals: After octafinals, the remaining students will be ranked in order based on the following
factors:
a. Lowest cumulative ranks from octafinals and prelim rounds dropping the highest rank
b. Highest reciprocals of ranks from octafinals and prelim rounds dropping the highest rank
c. Lowest cumulative ranks from octafinals
d. Judges preference from octafinals
e. If entries are still tied, both will advance.
The top 30 entries will break to the quarterfinal round. Three judges will evaluate each section. All ranks
above 6 will be truncated to 6 in preliminary rounds.
4. Semifinals: After quarterfinals, the remaining students will be ranked in order based on the following
factors:
a. Lowest cumulative ranks from elims
b. Highest reciprocals of elim ranks
c. Lowest cumulative ranks from quarterfinals
d. Judges preference from quarterfinals
e. If entries are still tied, both will advance
The top 14 entries will break to the semifinal round. Five judges will evaluate each section.
5. Finals: Seven judges will evaluate the final round. The final round shall be composed of the top six
contestants from semifinals, based on the following factors:
a. Lowest cumulative ranks from elims
b. Highest reciprocals of elim ranks
c. Lowest cumulative ranks from semifinals
d. Judges preference from semifinals

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 e. Lowest cumulative ranks from elims dropping the highest and the lowest ranks
f. Highest reciprocals of elim ranks dropping the highest and the lowest ranks
g. Continue dropping the highest and lowest ranks to determine lowest cumulative elim ranks, then
highest reciprocals of elim ranks, until the tie is broken.
6. Determining final round placement:
Finalists shall be ranked based on:
a. Lowest cumulative ranks from elims
b. Lowest cumulative ranks from finals
c. Judges preference from finals
d. Lowest cumulative ranks from elims dropping the highest and the lowest ranks
e. Lowest cumulative ranks from elims dropping two highest and two lowest ranks
Extemporaneous Debate
Determining 3rd through 14th place in Extemporaneous Debate:
If ties exist in determining placings, the following shall be considered in the order listed to break ties:
a. Placement shall be determined by the most number of rounds. Byes and forfeit wins count as rounds
debated.
b. When contestants are eliminated in the same round, placement shall be determined by total ballot
count throughout all rounds. Byes shall count as many ballots as judges in each debate in the round
where the bye occurred. Forfeits shall not count toward ballot count.
c. If still tied, placement shall be determined by total ballot count from rounds 6 to round eliminated.
Byes shall count as many ballots as judges in each debate in the round where the bye occurred.
Forfeits shall not count toward ballot count.
d. If still tied, placement shall be determined by the winner of a previous meeting between the two
debaters in any round.
e. If still tied, both contestants will receive the same placement and the same award.

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World Schools Debate Procedures: USWSDI
Basic Overview
Please consult the 2020-2021 USA World Schools Debate Invitational Manual for official debate rules, procedures, and
protocols governing this event.

The World Schools event will consist of six (6) preliminary rounds of competition. After prelims, up to 64 teams with a
record of 4-2 or better will be eligible to break to elimination rounds. In the case that fewer than 64 teams have 4 wins or
more, a partial triple octafinals will be held with byes going to the highest seeds in ascending order. No teams with less
than 4 wins in the preliminary rounds will be eligible for elimination rounds. A single elimination bracket will determine a
champion.

All judges and competitors will be required to attend a two-hour event training on Sunday (registration day).

Entries
• World Schools teams are comprised of three to five students. The cost of entry is $75 per student (or $50 per
student for teams staying WITHIN the National Tournament hotel block).
• The cost of travel and lodging is the responsibility of the participants.
• Each NSDA district may enter up to two teams to the National Tournament, provided they offer a second judge
to cover the commitment for the second team.
• Guest nations may enter teams, as well. See [Link]/nationals for details.

Judges
• Each team must furnish one judge. The judge may not be entered into any other judging pool at the National
Speech & Debate Tournament.
• There are no hired judges available.
• Judges must attend judge training on Sunday.

Motions
• There will be a mixture of prepared and impromptu motions for the competition.
• Prepared motions will be announced by May 1.

Participation in Supplemental Events

• Teams who do not advance to the single-elimination rounds are eligible to enter in supplemental events if pre-
registered. Coaches must re-register online or in-person during the student posting party Tuesday evening.

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Big Questions Capstone Event Logistics
For additional information about debate rules and access to resources and judge training, visit the Big Questions website
at [Link].

Entries
• The top-placing student at each district’s Big Questions division will be invited to participate at Nationals. (For
details, refer to the “District Qualification Process for Big Questions Debate” in the “District Tournament
Operations Manual” section of this manual.)
• Only entries composed of individual debaters may compete at Nationals. The cost of entry is $75 per student (or
$50 per student for teams staying WITHIN the National Tournament hotel block).

Judges
• Each district must provide a full-time judge for each entry available for the entirety of the competition. The judge
may not be entered into any other judging pool at the National Speech & Debate Tournament.
• There are no hired judges available.
• Judges must attend a mandatory judge training on Monday of the tournament.

Topic
• Students will debate the 2020-2021 topic, Resolved: Mathematics was discovered, not invented.

Participation in Supplemental Events

• Students who are eliminated from competition on Tuesday are eligible to enter in supplemental events if pre-
registered. Coaches must re-register online or in-person during the student posting party Tuesday evening.

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National Tournament Awards
Team Awards
Pi Kappa Delta/Bruno E. Jacob Trophy
Each time a student appears in a main event round, their school shall receive one trophy point. Trophy points shall
accumulate from year to year and the participating school with the largest total at the conclusion of each tournament
shall receive the Bruno E. Jacob Award, sponsored by Pi Kappa Delta.

School Awards
Coaches who believe their team has qualified for one of the following School Awards (see next page) may visit the bud
room on Friday to view a list of qualified schools. One coach from each qualified school should attend the National
Awards Assembly Friday evening to accept the award on behalf of their school.

Formula for Determining School Awards

Speech
Round 7/8 6 points
Round 9/10 + 4 points (Total 10)
Round 11/12 + 4 points (Total 14)
Round 13 + 6 points (Total 20)

Debate
Round 7/8 6 points
Rounds 9 through 12 + 2 points per round (Total up to 14)
Top 6 Place Winner + 6 points (Total 20)

Congress
Semifinalist 6 points
Finalist + 14 points (Total 20)

Schools of Outstanding Distinction

Top 10 schools after combining both debate and speech points (must score points in both divisions).

Speech Schools of Excellence

Top 20 schools in total speech points that did not win a School of Outstanding Distinction Award.

Debate Schools of Excellence

Top 20 schools in total debate points that did not win a School of Outstanding Distinction award.

Speech Schools of Honor

Top 21-40 schools in total speech points that did not win a School of Outstanding Distinction award.

Debate Schools of Honor

Top 21-40 schools in total debate points that did not win a School of Outstanding Distinction award.

Outstanding School Achievement

School administrators of the top six individuals or teams in each main event will be sent an Outstanding School
Achievement plaque within two weeks of the end of the National Tournament. The plaques will be personalized with
students’ names, school, event, place, and year.

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Individual Awards
1. Main speech event contestants eliminated after rounds 8 and 10 (excluding Top 14) may claim plaques.

2. Main debate event contestants eliminated after round 8 (excluding Top 14) may claim plaques.

3. Congressional Debate contestants in the final session receive a Stennis Medallion at the Congressional Banquet;
presiding officers receive award gavels in chambers; Congress semifinalists may claim a Senator Karl E. Mundt
medals.

4. Supplemental event contestants eliminated in the semifinal round (non-advancing semifinalists) may claim plaques.

5. The students earning the most merit points in Debate and in Speech during the current year’s National Tournament
will receive national recognition.

6. The winners of the final United States Extemporaneous Speaking, International Extemporaneous Speaking, and
Original Oratory round will each receive a President’s Bowl. The winners of the final round in Humorous, Dramatic,
and Duo Interpretation will each receive an Interp Bowl. The final round bowl for Duo will be named in honor of
Sandra Silvers.

7. The top 14 main event contestants and top 6 supplemental event finalists are awarded trophies.

8. In Policy Debate and Lincoln-Douglas, the top 14 debaters based upon preliminary round speaker points (dropping
high and low) will receive speaker awards. The Phyllis Flory Barton Trophy will be presented to the top speaker in
Policy Debate. The LD top speaker awards will be presented in memory of Tina Wang.

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APPENDIX A: Debate Event Time Limits

Policy Debate Congressional Debate – applies to each new legislation

Affirmative Constructive Speech 8 minutes Sponsor Speech 3 Minutes
Negative Cross Examines Affirmative 3 minutes Questioning of Sponsor 2 Minutes
Negative Constructive Speech 8 minutes First Negative Speech 3 Minutes
Affirmative Cross Examines Negative 3 minutes Questioning of First Negative 2 Minutes
Affirmative Constructive Speech 8 minutes All subsequent speeches 3 Minutes/each
Negative Cross Examines Affirmative 3 minutes Questioning of all subsequent speakers 1 Minute/each
Negative Constructive Speech 8 minutes
Affirmative Cross Examines Negative 3 minutes Extemporaneous Debate
Negative Rebuttal 5 minutes Proposition Constructive 2 Minutes
Affirmative Rebuttal 5 minutes Cross-Examination of Proposition 1 Minute
Negative Rebuttal 5 minutes Opposition Constructive 2 Minutes
Affirmative Rebuttal 5 minutes Cross-Examination of Opposition 1 Minute
Prep time, per team 8 minutes Mandatory Prep Time 1 Minute
Proposition Rebuttal 2 Minutes
Lincoln-Douglas Debate Opposition Rebuttal 2 Minutes
Affirmative Constructive 6 Minutes Mandatory Prep Time 1 Minute
Negative Cross Examination 3 Minutes Proposition Rebuttal 2 Minutes
Negative Constructive 7 Minutes
Affirmative Cross Examination 3 Minutes World Schools Debate
Affirmative Rebuttal 4 Minutes Proposition Team Speaker 1 8 Minutes
Negative Rebuttal 6 Minutes Opposition Team Speaker 1 8 Minutes
Affirmative Rebuttal 3 Minutes Proposition Team Speaker 2 8 Minutes
Prep Time, per debater 4 Minutes Opposition Team Speaker 2 8 Minutes
Proposition Team Speaker 3 8 Minutes
Public Forum Debate Opposition Team Speaker 3 8 Minutes
First Speaker - Team A 4 Minutes Opposition Rebuttal 4 Minutes
First Speaker - Team B 4 Minutes Proposition Rebuttal 4 Minutes
Crossfire 3 Minutes
Second Speaker - Team A 4 Minutes
Second Speaker - Team B 4 Minutes
Crossfire 3 Minutes
Summary - First Speaker - Team A 3 Minutes
Summary - First Speaker - Team B 3 Minutes
Grand Crossfire 3 Minutes
Final Focus - Second Speaker - Team A 2 Minutes
Final Focus - Second Speaker - Team B 2 Minutes
Prep Time, per team 3 Minutes

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APPENDIX B: Speech Event Time Limits

Event Preparation Period Maximum Time “Grace Period”

Extemporaneous Speaking 30 minutes 7 minutes 30 seconds
Original Oratory 10 minutes 30 seconds
Dramatic Interpretation 10 minutes 30 seconds
Humorous Interpretation 10 minutes 30 seconds
Duo Interpretation 10 minutes 30 seconds
Informative Speaking 10 minutes 30 seconds
Program Oral Interpretation 10 minutes 30 seconds
Extemp Commentary 20 minutes 5 minutes 30 seconds
Expository 5 minutes 30 seconds
Poetry or Prose 5 minutes 30 seconds
Impromptu 7 minutes to prepare and speak 30 seconds
Storytelling 5 minutes 30 seconds

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APPENDIX C: Casebook Questions
The following casebook questions were adopted at the 2016 Spring Board Meeting to help clarify the evidence rules in
Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, and Policy Debate.

Question: A team/individual reads evidence in a round that comes from a) a purchased handbook, b) the Open
Evidence Project sponsored by the NDCA, or c) a debate institute evidence packet. The other team calls for the original
source of their evidence. The team/individual a) shows the original page from the handbook, b) shows either the
original electronic or printed version of the OEP download or shows the webpage from which the evidence was
procured, or c) shows the electronic or printed version of the institute evidence. Is this sufficient proof for the original
source?

Answer: Yes. The team/individual has met the burden of demonstrating the original source of the evidence. However, if
the team/individual uses any of these sources, they are still responsible for the validity of the evidence.

Question: A team calls for the original source of evidence read by a team/individual. What are the choices that the
challenged individual/team has to produce the original source?

Answer: The team/individual may provide the original source of evidence in several acceptable ways:

1. The original source in an electronic or print version

2. Printed photocopies of the original source
3. Online versions of the original source that can be accessed at the conclusion of the round
4. The full text of the evidence from the original source with a full citation that can then be used to get the original
source

Question: A team/individual reads evidence from a book. The opposing team asks to see the original source of the
book. Must the team/individual produce the actual book as the original source?

Answer: If evidence is quoted from a book, the debater is not expected to carry the entire book with them. Instead, they
would be required to have either a printed or electronic copy of the page on which the evidence appears, the page
preceding, and the page following the evidence in question.

Question: A team/individual uses a “straw argument” (defined as a hypothetical statement made by an author which is
later disproven by the same author which is used by the team/individual as the real position of the author). May that
team/individual use such an argument?

Answer: Debaters may use a “straw argument” if they explicitly cite, when the argument is first presented, that it is a
straw argument and the author does not draw this conclusion.

Question: A team/individual reads a philosophy text, agrees with one or more arguments advanced by the author, but
disagrees with the author on what conclusions those arguments best justify. Is this an acceptable use of this evidence?

Answer: If the team/individual clearly establishes that it is their analysis, the conclusion of the author is not being altered,
and therefore, would be an acceptable use of evidence.

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Question: A team/individual reads a piece of evidence in the round. The opposing team/individual claims that the
team/individual has removed the word “not” from the evidence and is, therefore, misrepresenting the evidence. The
team/individual making the claim does not have a copy of the original source to substantiate their claim. Is this a
legitimate and substantive challenge?

Answer: The challenge is not a substantive one. The team making the challenge must have evidence that the team they
are challenging has misrepresented the evidence. They must provide the original source as described in Question #2.
Failure to do so would render the challenge illegitimate.

Question: A team/individual uses a narrative to describe a condition on which arguments are based. The opposing
team/individual claims that narratives are a violation of the evidence rules. Is this a legitimate violation claim?

Answer: The definition of evidence does not restrict sources that can be cited by debaters. Nontraditional or nonacademic
sources may be used to support claims. The definition is not intended to limit the range of material debaters can rely
upon to support their arguments in rounds, nor does it merely define the types of material to which the rules apply. It
does not favor traditional academic sources at the expense of organic intellectualism and other nontraditional
sources. The judge’s discretion may be used to determine the validity of the evidence and claim.

Question: The team/individual reads only the name and year of the source when presenting evidence. Is this adequate
to allow for the finding of a source?

Answer: Reading only the name and year of the source is a commonly accepted cite format. This format can often
determine the most basic level of validity/credibility from a quoted cite. The full cite information has to be available if
there is a question.

Question: A team/individual reads evidence by the same author from two different works by that author. May the
team/individual only use the author’s name or must they again cite author name and year as required for oral citation?

Answer: Since the team/individual has used two different works, both would need to be cited separately. Failure to do so
would be a violation of the oral citation requirement.

Question: Common academic practices require the use of the either MLA or APA citation when doing academic work.
Why aren’t our evidence guidelines following those same requirements?

Answer: MLA and/or APA requirements are not consistent with traditional expectations for various forms of debate.
Teams/individuals should adhere to the requirements listed in the NSDA guidelines.

Question: A team/individual paraphrases an author in the following manner(s): 1) In referring to the author’s
work/concept, the team/individual uses the specific author’s name; 2) In referring to the general theory, the
team/individual refers to the concept/work in general terms without specific reference to a specific author or person.
What are the evidence citation requirements?

Answer: In the first instance, the team/individual should be held to the same evidence citation standards as if they had
actually read evidence from that author/person. In the second circumstance, they are using the “general understanding”
concept and would not be required to offer a full source citation. However, they are still accountable for the accuracy and
validity of the claim they are making.

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Question: A team/individual uses “ellipses” in evidence by doing the following: 1) The team/individual uses evidence
from the same paragraph of a work, but uses the first part of the paragraph as one piece of evidence and the last part
of the paragraph as a second piece, omitting the sentence(s) between the two parts of the paragraph; 2) The
team/individual paraphrases the evidence they are citing, omitting parts of the evidence they are paraphrasing. Are
these violations of the evidence guidelines?

Answer: In both instances, the team/individual must be able to produce the original source of the evidence that would
include the entire language of the quoted material being used. Failure to do so would be a violation of the evidence
guidelines.

Question: A team/individual is charged with not having read particular parts of evidence that they claimed to have
read. How is that dispute to be resolved?

Answer: The team must give some clear oral cue as to the end of the piece of evidence they have read and clearly indicate
in the written text the portions of the evidence that have been read. If the judge determines that these standards have
not been met, then they may render their decision accordingly. If they choose to ignore the challenge and fail to follow
prescribed procedures, then that decision may be appealed to the tournament committee.

Question: A team/individual uses private correspondence as evidence in a round. Is such correspondence allowed to be
used in that manner?

Answer: Teams/individuals may not use private correspondence as evidence. The reasons are many. First, other teams do
not have the same access to the evidence that the team/individual might have. Corroboration and verifying the
authenticity of the evidence/correspondence is difficult, as well. For academic reasons, teams/individuals may be
encouraged to contact sources of evidence directly. However, they should do so only for their own education and ability
to better explain publically accessible evidence by that author/person.

Question: A team/individual challenges the evidence used or presented by their opponent. The judge determines that
the challenge is legitimate and an evidence violation has occurred. What should the judge do at this point?

Answer: In most cases the rules are very clear. In most cases, the team/individual is given a loss with no speaker points
awarded (if applicable). The judge(s) should then note on the ballot the reason for the loss and the lack of speaker points.
Judge education may need to take place to assist judges in such situations. Unless the judge has misinterpreted or failed
to follow a rule, their decision is final and binding. It may not be appealed.

Question: A team/individual issues an evidence challenge by 1) merely questioning the validity of the evidence with
little or no explanation or support; 2) producing the original source indicating that the opposing team has violated one
or more of the evidence requirements. Are these legitimate evidence challenges?

Answer: The second challenge is indeed legitimate and should be considered by the judge and/or tabulation committee.
The first is not a legitimate challenge. If such a challenge is offered, the judge has two choices. They may choose to merely
ignore the challenge and proceed with the round. They may also choose to pause the round, and ask the team making the
challenge if they would like to issue a formal challenge, with the understanding being that the round would then be over
once the challenge had been decided. The team would then choose to either proceed or make the formal challenge.
Challenging teams must meet particular criteria. The challenging of evidence is a serious charge and should not be taken
lightly.

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Question: A team/individual questions the legitimacy of evidence in the round, but does not issue a formal evidence
challenge. Once the decision is made, and the team/individual finds out that they have lost the round (or believes that
they have lost the round), they choose to file a protest with the tab room. Is this considered to be a legitimate evidence
challenge?

Answer: Any team or individual may protest the legitimacy of evidence at the completion of a round. However, the
allegation must meet the same burdens as if the challenge were made in the round. Failure to meet any of the burdens
required would render the challenge moot. The tabulation committee would follow the same procedures as a judge
would in the round to determine if the allegation is legitimate. The same consequences would apply as if the judge were
rendering the same decision.

Question: A team/individual makes a formal allegation that a team/individual has distorted evidence, which could
result in a loss for that team. The team/individual being charged now makes a counter allegation that the
team/individual is using non-existent evidence. How should the judge(s) proceed in this situation?

Answer: The judge(s) should address each allegation separately and in the order in which they were presented. In this
case, the judge(s) should address the allegation of distorted evidence first. If the allegation is found to be legitimate, the
judge(s) would give the loss to the team found to have violated the evidence rules. If the allegation had no merit, the
judge(s) would give the loss to the team making the allegation. The judge(s) would then address the second allegation.
The same procedures would be followed. If the allegation had no merit, the judge(s) would now be affirming the
previously awarded win. If the allegation had merit, the judge(s) would then give each team a loss in the round.
Subsequent penalties (7.3.B) would then apply to both teams.

Question: A team/individual makes a formal allegation that a team/individual has distorted evidence. The team being
accused does not respond, but allows the judge to render a decision. The judge upholds the allegation and votes
against the team/individual accused of distorting evidence. Once the ballot has been turned in, the team/individual
and/or their coach file a protest of the round, alleging that their opponent has violated the evidence rules. What
should the tabulation committee do at this point?

Answer: The allegation must be treated just as any other post round protest should be handled. The persons protesting
must do so within the prescribed time frame, with the same requirements to bring the protest. The team/individual being
protested has the right to respond. The tabulation committee would then rule in the same manner they would with any
other protest. If they choose to deny the protest, the decision in the round would stand. If they decide that a violation has
occurred, both teams/individuals would be given a loss in the round, depending on the violation that had occurred.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2019-2020 High School Unified Manual Appendices 135
APPENDIX D: Congress Evidence Challenge Form

To be submitted to the Parliamentarian for consideration within 20 minutes of the close of the session. (Please PRINT.)

Student: Code:

School: State:

Please detail the specific piece of evidence that you are challenging, including any cited source information and where in
the speech the evidence was used.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please explain your reasoning and/or proof for challenging this piece of evidence. Please include whether you are in
possession of the source and can produce it upon request.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I understand that alleging a violation without merit or to be found inaccurate could lead to a censure by the
parliamentarian.

Student’s Signature:

State:
Coach’s Name:

Supervising Adult’s Name:

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2019-2020 High School Unified Manual Appendices 136
APPENDIX E: Change Log
This section highlights revisions made to this document. Overarching modifications are indicated by a change in the
second digit (e.g., 2.1.0), while minor edits or revisions to the current document are indicated by a change in the third
digit (e.g., 2.0.1). The following are updates to the original versions.

Editor’s Note: For quick reference throughout this document, new changes for the current year are highlighted in yellow.
Other recent changes made within the past one or two years remain highlighted in gray.

SECTION 1: High School Chapter Manual Updates

Date Version Change Description
01/31/2011 2.0.2 Point recording chart for non-ranked evaluation in speech events added; chart for service
point recording added; conversation of ranks vs. points in Congressional Debate added.
Added graphics to clarify the individual application/enrollment process.
09/15/2011 2.0.3 Release for the 2011-12 school year. District committee information updated to reflect
abolishment of the alternate position, as well as online voting. Minor document formatting.
01/05/2012 2.0.4 Stipulation added that candidates for district committee members must be active coaches
(affiliated with a school) in the district.
Congressional Debate point recording conversation table added for when 6-pt. scoring is not
used.
Reference to automatic point recording added.
02/24/2012 2.0.5 Clarified that only one score can be entered per round for interscholastic competition (p. 4-5).
Speech ranks are averaged for panels, except for final rounds, where the overall tournament
placement is used. Note added on quick reference.
Added rule prohibiting retroactive point recording for service speaking projects beyond one
year prior.
Clarified that changes to online points database records must be submitted by the chapter
advisor of record.
Added information about the new Student Service Citations.
01/07/2013 2.0.6 Clarified changes in Recording Merit Points, including non-competitive/service points.
12/10/2013 2.1.0 Noted change to quarterly Rostrum publication cycle.
A minimum of four schools must be present at a tournament for Association merit points to
be earned in all events.
Added new procedures for Student Website Registration.
Updated the National Qualification Levels, which replace the red, yellow, green status system
previously in place.
8/22/2014 3.0.0 Updated branding to reflect the organization’s name change (National Forensic League to
National Speech & Debate Association).
Updated website and email contact information throughout: [Link] /
info@[Link].
Updated procedures for Student Website Registration.

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11/17/2015 2016.0.0 Release for the 2015-2016 school year:
Adapted formatting to create unified manual—content combined with High School Event
Rules Manual, District Tournament Operations Manual, and National Tournament Operations
Manual.
Added notice about school-based membership for 2016-2017.
No district will be allowed to split into two districts unless they establish 40 chapters for two
consecutive years.
10/19/2016 2017.0.0 Release for the 2016-2017 school year:
Clarified student website registration procedures with the launch of the Association’s new
website.
With the passing of the Constitutional Referendum in April 2016, each active member school
shall have one vote in district and national matters.
02/13/2017 2017.1.0 Added the Coaches Code of Ethics, adopted in December 2016.
01/08/2018 2018.0.0 Release for the 2017-2018 school year:
Student membership begins upon payment of the enrollment fee. High school students no
longer need to earn 25 points first to be considered a member.
Adopted more inclusive language within the student Code of Honor.
Updated the frequency of Rostrum magazine, which is now mailed five times per year with
the addition of the Nationals Chronicle tournament edition in mid-August.
Clarified the procedures used annually in determining the Leading Chapter Award for each
district.
10/01/2018 2019.0.0 Release for the 2018-2019 school year:
Renamed the service citation award for coaches after Don Crabtree. The honor will now be
referred to as the Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Award.
2/12/2019 2019.3.2 Clarified that participants in Girls/Boys State may earn up to 24 total points if they are a
candidate for an elected position.
5/6/2019 2019.4.0 Updated the District Committee election procedure to reflect the ranked voting and
requirement that individuals on the ballot are affiliated with an active school.
Clarified that in POI, keeping the manuscript in the contestant’s control means keeping the
manuscript in contact with the body at all times.
Reorganized the “Source Verification” requirements for Interpretation events and clarified
that Original Oratory and Informative Speaking quarterfinalists will turn in their manuscripts
and works cited pages at the National Tournament.
10/05/2020 2021.0.0 Release for the 2020-2021 school year:
Changed the student service point system that allows coaches autonomy to determine the
merit of events and reduces the number of people in a required audience.
Policy Debate preparation time is eight minutes per team.
Points may not be entered for graduated seniors after July 15 of their graduation year.
Clarified that four schools must be present for points to be awarded for any event.
Students may only receive points for one asynchronous competition per day.
Suggest that tournament hosts use the Inclusive Tournament Checklist.
11/10/2020 2021.0.1 The NSDA is piloting a rule for 2020-2021 that allows students to earn up to 75 merit points
for intrasquad and intersquad competitions that do not have the required four schools

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2019-2020 High School Unified Manual Appendices 138
 participating. Tabulation software and the NSDA site will not regulate this; it will be the
affirmative duty of coaches to ensure what is posted is in line with this rule.
All districts in 2020-2021 must be online unless they receive special dispensation from the
Executive Director.
Clarified that districts may do asynchronous Duo at their district tournament even if the rest
of their speech events are held live.
Clarified that districts may do a hybrid synchronous/asynchronous speech model at their
district tournament as long as it is consistent among speech events, with the exception of
Duo and Extemp.

SECTION 2: High School Event Rules Manual Updates

Date Version Change Description
11/17/2015 2016.0.0 Release for the 2015-2016 school year:
Adapted formatting to create unified manual—content combined with High School Chapter
Manual, District Tournament Operations Manual, and National Tournament Operations
Manual.
Added pilot event rules for Informative Speaking and Program Oral Interpretation.
10/19/2016 2017.0.0 Release for the 2016-2017 school year:
Updated the rules for Informative Speaking and Program Oral Interpretation, which were
adopted as official main events beginning in 2016-2017.
Updated the rules for Interpretation events regarding online publishing sources: PDF
downloads, e-books, and websites with editorial review.
Clarified the source verification rules in Interpretation events.
Clarified the transitions rule in Interpretation events.
Modified the Website Approval Submission Process for online publishing sources.
Updated the rules for Prose/Poetry to reflect use of PDFs, e-books, and online material.
In Original Oratory, the general purpose of the speech is to persuade. Any other purpose such
as to inform or entertain shall be secondary.
Adopted casebook questions for clarifying evidence rules in debate (see Appendix C).
Added pilot evidence rules for Congressional Debate.
Added provisions for direct questioning in Congressional Debate.
Added the Congress Evidence Challenge Form (see Appendix D).
02/13/2017 2017.1.0 Updated the Informative Speaking rules for parity with other event rules: “A student may not
use an informative speech the student used in district or national competition in any previous
contest year.”
01/08/2018 2018.0.0 Release for the 2017-2018 school year:
Clarified that distribution of items before, during, or after a round of Informative Speaking is
prohibited.
Noted that one table will be provided for use by the contestants during the National
Tournament final round in Informative Speaking.

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2019-2020 High School Unified Manual Appendices 139
 Added language about the proper identification of sources in Program Oral Interpretation
(POI).
Clarified manuscript use in Prose and Poetry to bring these rules into alignment with
manuscript use in Program Oral Interpretation.
Updated the Prose and Poetry rules to better define anthology and re-use of material.
Officially adopted the 2016-2017 piloted evidence rules in Congressional Debate.
Extended the pilot for district questioning in Congressional Debate.
10/01/2018 2019.0.0 Release for the 2018-2019 school year:
Updated pilot language about laptop use in Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum,
Congressional Debate, and Extemporaneous Speaking.
Clarified that, in POI, even visual aids found within the manuscript itself may not be shown to
the audience during a performance.
01/03/2019 2019.3.1 Updated pronoun usage to gender inclusive “they” instead of “he/she.”

02/18/2019 2019.3.3 Changed oral citation requirement for POI so that the title or author for all selections must be
verbally identified.
Clarified that the title cited in a POI may be the primary source or the specific title within the
primary source.
Added a requirement that a Words Cited for POI sources must be available to tournament
officials upon request.

09/05/2019 2020.0.0 Release for the 2019-2020 school year:

Added the new term limits and organizational structure for members of the Board of
Directors
Updated language to reflect the integration of middle school students into the NSDA Honor
Society
Added the Public Forum pilot rules about adding one minute to the summary speeches and
preparation time
Added the Congress pilot rule about limiting time for debate per item of legislation
Changed the national qualification levels requirements
Changed the definition of “active” status to “paid member”
Added the ability for District Committees to penalize a student in speech who is 15 minutes
late for their round
Added the ability for a District Committee to appoint a member
Clarified the ability to use anthologies in Supplemental Prose and Supplemental Poetry
Updated the number of service citations a coach receives per item

09/30/2020 2021.0.0 Release for the 2020-2021 school year:

Policy Debate preparation time is eight minutes per team.
Public Forum preparation time and summary speech times were both permanently increased
by one minute.
The New Guidelines for the Use of Internet-Enabled Devices in Debate, Congress, and Extemp
events are now the default rules that govern district contests. They are required for any

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2019-2020 High School Unified Manual Appendices 140
 online district event. The Previous Guidelines for Laptop Use may be used for in-person
districts if explicitly stated 60 days in advance of the district contest.
The debate evidence rules also apply to Big Questions.
The Board of Directors is piloting new rules regarding what sources may be used in
Interpretation events, including removal of the requirement that digital sources be found on
the Approved Websites List.
Clarified how original sources may be adapted for competition.

SECTION 3: District Tournament Operations Manual Updates

Date Version Change Description
12/01/2011 4.0.0 In interpretive events (DI, HI, Duo), the same selection of literature entered at on-site
registration should be used for the duration of the tournament.
Congressional Debate judges affiliated with a particular school must not judge a student from
that school.
01/16/2012 4.0.2 Added reminder to district tournament officials to check all judge/parliamentarian ballots in
Congressional Debate before tabulation begins to ensure that names are completed
correctly.
Added clarification of rules for discarding student ballots that are completed incorrectly for
tabulation of student ranks in Congressional Debate.
Clarified that chairs using Joy of Tournaments software must still send a signed copy of the
Qualifiers and Alternates form following the district tournament.
12/06/2012 5.0.0 All references to the former website have been updated.
Added new, uniform district standards for qualifying to Nationals.
Reminder that Congress judges may not personally know students in the chamber.
Added new rule that speaker recognition by student presiding officers may not be tied to
previous recognition of students asking questions, moving motions, or longest
standing/standing time.
Noted that legislation by each district for the National Tournament must be submitted online
via the Points Application.
Added new rules pertaining to online sources for literary material for interpretation. Please
note that merely finding material from an approved site does not make it legal; it must also
meet the criteria outlined in that section.
01/04/2012 5.0.1 Revised name of the District Cumulative Sweeps Award to more accurately describe it, since
the award used to be a trophy, and is now a plaque. Also, clarified tournament entry form
requirements.
02/28/2013 5.0.2 Revised Absolute Pairing Priorities for debate to clarify that entries from a school should not
be paired against each other, unless they are the only two remaining undefeated entries, or 3
of 4 undefeated entries, or 4 of 5 undefeated entries. Previously the rule said two or a
majority of undefeated entries, which implied that if 2 of 3 are from the same school, they
could be paired against one another, which was not the intention of that rule.
Added a table to clarify district qualifying levels.
03/06/2013 5.0.3 Clarified rules for published in print as well as online sources for Interp material.
12/02/2013 6.0.0 Added minimum school entry requirement.

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 Outlined website registration requirement for new student members.
Clarified the “Partnership Event Exception” explanation.
Added pilot “Evidence in Debate Rules,” which were optional in 2013-2014.
Clarified procedures regarding district tournament Interp source material and Oratory
manuscript submissions.
Added disclaimer about final round video performances.
Updated the list of Approved Websites for online sources of literary material.
Clarified observation of other Extemporaneous Speaking competitors.
09/24/2014 7.0.0 Updated branding to reflect the organization’s name change (National Forensic League to
National Speech & Debate Association).
Updated website and email contact information throughout: [Link] /
info@[Link].
Added revised standards for evidence in debate, which tournaments could choose to pilot in
2014-2015. Coaches are encouraged to check with local tournament officials to see which set
of rules will be used in their area.
Clarified rules pertaining to the “grace period” in speech events.
11/17/2015 2016.0.0 Release for the 2015-2016 school year:
Adapted formatting to create unified manual—content combined with High School Chapter
Manual, District Tournament Operations Manual, and National Tournament Operations
Manual.
Clarified that a district tournament may not be held after May 1, 2016. No part of a district
contest may begin on or after May 1, 2016.
Added pilot events for 2015-2016: Informative Speaking and Program Oral Interpretation.
Added the section entitled “District Audit Procedures.”
Clarified that a list of 14 alternates must be determined in events with 30 entries or more. In
events with 29 entries or fewer, no entry that finishes in the bottom half of the field may be
listed as an alternate.
02/03/2016 2016.1.0 In World Schools Debate, each Association district is allowed to qualify ONE team of three to
five students. Districts will not be allowed a second team.
10/19/2016 2017.0.0 Release for the 2016-2017 school year:
Adopted required community standards statement that coaches must affirm prior to District
and National Tournament competition.
As new main events, Program Oral Interpretation and Informative Speaking count toward the
Speech Sweepstakes Award and Cumulative Sweepstakes Award.
Adjusted the district entry quota formula in light of POI and INF.
When using the California Plan, District Committees in speech events with 14 or fewer
entries may determine to hold two preliminary rounds of competition.
When using the California Plan, District Committees in speech events with 14 or fewer
entries are not required to hold a semifinal round and students may advance directly to the
final round.
In World Schools Debate, each Association district may enter up to two teams to the
National Tournament, provided they offer a second judge to cover the commitment for the
second team.

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12/02/2016 2017.0.1 Removed the principal signature requirement for district tournament registration.
02/13/2017 2017.1.0 Outlined the district qualification procedures for Big Questions Debates.
01/08/2018 2018.0.0 Release for the 2017-2018 school year:
Beginning with the 2017-2018 competition year, all NSDA districts will be required to use
either The Joy of Tournaments or [Link] system for the registration of their NSDA
district tournament. Beginning with the 2018-2019 competition year, all NSDA districts will
be required to use either [Link] or The Joy of Tournaments for the registration and
tabulation of their NSDA district tournament.
Eliminated the mandatory seven-day (168 hour) district tournament entry deadline to allow
each District Committee to determine an appropriate district tournament entry deadline for
each event in their competition series.
Removed the college-age semester restrictions for judging at the district tournament. As a
reminder, current high school students may not judge any portion of the district tournament
series.
Removed the Congressional Debate tiebreaker procedure involving judges’ preference of
adjusted cumulative rank total (or student’s preference for the student rank option). It is no
longer used at the National Tournament, and this change brings the district tournament rules
into alignment for tabulation purposes.
District chairs must verify that Congressional Debate legislation submitted to the national
office for consideration is the original work of the student(s) in their district.
10/01/2018 2019.0.0 Release for the 2018-2019 school year:
Removed the restriction that prohibits the hosting of non-qualifying tournaments alongside
the district tournament series (such as a novice division).
Eliminated the language about the district chair not serving any other role but general
supervision at the district tournament.
During the 2018-2019 school year, the NSDA will pilot an alternative district qualification
system featuring streamlined rules that, among other changes, eliminate the traditional
up/down system. Districts that wish to pilot the new rules for speech and/or debate will have
the opportunity to indicate that when submitting district dates. Please refer to the separate
manual titled, “District Tournament Pilot Speech and Debate Manual.”
11/30/2018 2019.1.0 Made district language consistent with updated rules and the requirement that districts must
use approved tabulation software.
Added a link to our guide on understanding your team’s strength and why it matters.
Updated pronoun usage throughout to gender inclusive “they” instead of “he/she.”
12/06/2018 2019.2.0 Updated the district qualification procedures for Big Questions.
01/02/2019 2019.3.0 Clarified that districts may hold a qualifying World Schools Debate tournament to determine
the teams that will attend Nationals.
02/12/2019 2019.3.2 Clarified the materials that districts need to send to the national office after the conclusion
of their district tournament series.
09/05/2019 2020.0.0 Release for the 2019-2020 school year:
Changed the national qualification levels requirements.
Added the ability for District Committees to penalize a student in speech who is 15 minutes
late for their round.
01/02/2020 2020.1.0 Clarified that in the up/down debate model, an undefeated only receives a bye if it is the sole
undefeated remaining.

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 Changed that the Parliamentarian must rank all students in the round to serve as a
tiebreaker.
Clarified that Big Questions does not count against the triple entry policy at districts.
10/07/2020 2021.0.0 Release for the 2020-2021 school year:
The pilot Congress rules are now the permanent rules governing district tournaments
beginning in 2020-2021.
The pilot speech and debate rules will go into effect as the permanent rules governing
district tournaments beginning in 2021-2022.
Changed the chamber size requirements.
District Committees who have completed the training may use Alternate Penalties for Speech
Infractions at their district tournament.
Added additional requirements for any district tournament held online.
Added requirements that district tournaments utilize the NSDA Harassment and
Discrimination Policy. Encouraged districts to utilize the Inclusive Tournament Checklist.
Added that schools may appoint an in-person adult representative to file protests on a
school’s behalf.
01/05/2021 2021.1.0 Updated the district qualification entry requirements for 2021 only.
Added new rule for 2021 only that schools may enter up to two non-qualifying students in
supplemental events at the National Tournament.

SECTION 4: National Tournament Operations Manual

Date Version Change Description
05/24/2012 2012.0.0 Release for the 2012 National Tournament. New for 2012:
Auto-qualification extended from top 6 to top 14 students in each main event from the
previous year’s National Tournament.
Regarding protests, only the accused may appeal the decision of the ombudsperson. The
complainant may not appeal, but may protest subsequent rounds.
For interpretation material, the cutting performed in the first round of competition must be
used throughout the entirety of the tournament in that event.
Speech event points unified (previously, points earned in Interp. events were less than in
speech events).
In Congressional Debate, the final round seating chart will be generated by computer (rather
than drawn by random number at the beginning of the session). Also, speeches given by
presiding officer candidates will be scored with merit points, but auditioning periods for
presiding will not be scored.
03/28/2013 2013.0.0 Release for the 2013 National Tournament. New for 2013:
Added Congressional Debate to Debate Evidence Rules and penalties.
New Congressional Debate speaker recognition rule, disallowing “activity,” and “longest
standing”/“standing time” added.

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 In Congressional Debate, the semifinal session presiding officer audition period has been cut
to allow equivalent presiding time during the two separate sessions for the separate judge
panels.
New rules for online source material and verification in Interpretation.
New rules for Impromptu added. There no longer will be a separate prep room; students will
have a combined seven minutes to both prepare and speak in the same room with the
judge.
05/31/2013 2013.1.0 Clarified the number of judges in final rounds; and in speech, dropping at least one high and
one low rank to ensure eleven.
Clarified speaking order for final rounds of speech events.
06/06/2013 2013.1.1 When the previous update was released, the sentence pertaining to college-age judges was
erroneously omitted. It has been placed back, with additional clarification.
06/11/2013 2013.1.2 Clarified the number of Representatives that break in the House.
06/19/2013 2013.1.3 Corrected the reference bullet point on Impromptu time limit, referencing time to prepare
and speak.
05/01/2014 2014.0.0 Release for the 2014 National Tournament. New for 2014:
Updated “Instructions for Registering.” Coaches must UPLOAD digital files of Interp and
Oratory scripts during online registration rather than mailing hard copies to the national
office.
Clarified tie-breaking procedures for Supplemental Speech and Extemporaneous Debate.
Updated web link to list of Approved Websites for Digital (Online) Publishing Sources.
New rules for Extemporaneous Debate added. Due to the extemporaneous nature of this
supplemental debate event, debate topics will not be released in advance, instead requiring
a 30-minute prep period.
06/10/2014 2014.1.0 Clarified the number of contestants in each Congress semifinal chamber. This adjustment
allows the tournament director to adjust for available space and varying contestant fields.
Updated the formula and description of the School Awards given out at the National
Tournament.
09/24/2014 2015.0.0 Release for the 2015 National Tournament. New for 2015:
Adjusted the National Tournament entry fees.
Changed the judging requirement owed per supplemental event pre-registration.
Changed the judging requirement owed per consolation event pre-registration.
Adjusted the per round-hired judge fee.
Clarified rules pertaining to the “grace period” in speech events.
11/17/2015 2016.0.0 Release for the 2016 National Tournament. New for 2016:
Adapted formatting to create unified manual—content combined with High School Chapter
Manual, District Tournament Operations Manual, and National Tournament Operations
Manual.
Added pilot events for 2015-2016: Informative Speaking and Program Oral Interpretation.
Entrants in INF and POI must UPLOAD a copy of their speech during online registration.

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 Clarified final ranking in the Final Session of Congressional Debate.
Clarified the number of final round judges to be used in Supplemental and Consolation
Events.
02/03/2016 2016.1.0 In World Schools Debate, each Association district is allowed to qualify ONE team of three to
five students. Districts will not be allowed a second team.
06/04/2016 2016.1.1 Updated the names of main event speech final round bowls to reflect current sponsorship.
10/19/2016 2017.0.0 Release for the 2016-2017 school year:
Adopted required community standards statement that coaches must affirm prior to District
and National Tournament registration.
Added new main events for 2016-2017: Informative Speaking and Program Oral
Interpretation.
In World Schools Debate, each Association district may enter up to two teams to the
National Tournament, provided they offer a second judge to cover the commitment for the
second team.
Outlined National Tournament Audit Procedures.
02/13/2017 2017.1.0 Updated the mailing address for the national office: 401 Railroad Place, West Des Moines, IA
50265-4730.
Advisors now have the option to indicate how they would like their judge bond applied
during online registration. All judge bonds must be claimed by July 31, 2017. If you do not
claim your bond at the tournament or by July 31, it will be applied as school credit.

Clarified that all POI entries must include a works cited page with their script upload during
online tournament registration.
Added an overview of logistics for the Big Questions Capstone Event, which will be held in
conjunction with the National Tournament.
Signed “Participant Release Forms” should be uploaded during online tournament
registration, NOT mailed.
Outlined prescribed penalties for Speech Rules Violations, adopted in December 2016.
01/08/2018 2018.0.0 Release for the 2017-2018 school year:
Updated the 2018 National Tournament entry fees. Those teams that elect to stay within the
National Tournament hotel block will save $25 per entry fee per student.
Beginning with the 2018 National Tournament, re-registration for supplemental and
consolation events will take place online. Coaches will verify that their students are eligible
and will participate in the event. If a student chooses to not compete after re-registration
has been confirmed, the school will be assessed a drop fee.
Updated contestant sectioning and judge placement protocols for states with seven or more
districts.
Codified the reinstatement of speech contestants at various points of the tournament when
those students are eliminated at the fault of the tournament.
06/08/2018 2018.1.0 Clarified that the use of laptop computers is permitted in Extemporaneous Commentary at
the National Tournament. Laptop use must comply with the “Guidelines for Laptop Use in
Extemporaneous Speaking.”

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2019-2020 High School Unified Manual Appendices 146
10/01/2018 2019.0.0 Release for the 2018-2019 school year
5/6/2019 2019.4.0 Updated the NSDA Harassment and Discrimination Policy
A range of penalty options were created to better address varying levels of rules infractions I
speech events at the National Tournament. These penalty options will be piloted at the 2019
National Tournament and administered by the Rules Adjudication Panel.
At the 2019 National Tournament, there will be a quarterfinal round in the House. Updated
the National Congressional Debate Procedures, schedule, and formula for school awards to
account for the new House quarterfinal.
Changed the role of the ombudsperson. The ombudsperson will provide tournament
information, help resolve problems, and facilitate script turn-in. All formal protests will be
handled by a Rules Adjudication Committee. Decisions of the Rules Adjudication Committee
are final and may not be appealed.
Clarified the materials that quarterfinalists in Interp, Original Oratory, and Informative
Speaking must turn in to the ombudsperson to qualify for the semifinal round.
Updated the pairing procedures for debate to accommodate for the use of a computer
tabulation system.
Registration for the National Tournament opens online on March 1.
Judge bond checks will be mailed to the school or applied as credit to the school’s NSDA
account by July 31. Log in to [Link] to view how you selected you would like the bond
returned.
2/11/2020 2020.1.1 Added the registration requirements and entry patterns for supplemental events at the 2020
National Tournament.
Clarified that “entries” refers to both partner and solo entries in the table that describes the
number of entries necessary to gain additional national qualifiers at districts.
10/07/2020 2021.0.0 Release for the 2020-2021 school year:
Added changes from the 2020 Online National Tournament Manual, including the new LD
speaker awards, new judge requirements, and new supplemental tournament structure.
01/05/2021 2021.1.0 Added the 2021 rule that schools may choose to enter two non-qualifying students in
supplemental events.
Adjusted entry fee for supplemental events.

Questions?
We’re here to help! Email us at info@[Link] or call (920) 748-6206. You may also find more information
online at [Link].

National Speech & Debate Association • © 2019-2020 High School Unified Manual Appendices 147