Event Rules

Event Rules

Public Forum

Novice and Open Public Forum will be using the following NSDA Speech times. However, sides will be assigned during prelims, and the affirmative team will always speak first. Coin flips in elims for non-side locked debates will determine side only, since aff will still speak first. Please see structure below. 

First Speaker - Affirmative 4 minutes

First Speaker - Negative 4 minutes

Crossfire 3 minutes

Second Speaker - Affirmative 4 minutes

Second Speaker - Negative 4 minutes

Crossfire 3 minutes

Summary - First Speaker - Affirmative 3 minutes

Summary - First Speaker - Negative 3 minutes

Grand Crossfire 3 minutes

Final Focus - Second Speaker - Affirmative 2 minutes

Final Focus - Second Speaker - Negative 2 minutes

Prep time 3 minutes per team

Lincoln Douglas and Policy debate will follow NSDA rules for procedures and evidence standards.

Updates to Policy - Oct 30, 2021

In order to allow more teams the opportunity to participate in Policy debate, we will be adding a new division for Policy, called the “Rookie” division. This division will be similar to novice, except this division will have strict argument restrictions for teams competing in this division. Please see descriptions below to determine which division to register for. 

Rookie - Eligible for all novice debaters, but students will only be allowed to run the following arguments. 

- On the AFF students may only use the ban fracking affirmative. 

- On the negative, they may run case negative, and any disads and topicality arguments; however, no criticisms or counterplans. 

Novice - Eligible for all novice debaters, any argument type will be allowed in this division. 

Open - Eligible for all open/varsity debaters, any argument type will be allowed in this division.

Speech - Generally we use NSDA rules for all speech events but there are exceptions: Extemp is combined national and international. CHSSA rules will be used for OI and OPP. 

Parli will follow this set of rules and procedures.

DUO Interp - Duo Interp will be fully asynchronous. Links for video performances should be submitted by Friday, Nov 19th at 12pm. Videos should be filmed in a split-screen format, meaning students should NOT be in the same room while recording.