IDEA-NJFL-2009TournManual

8/7/2019 IDEA-NJFL-2009TournManual

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International Debate Education Association

National Junior Forensic League

National

TournamentManual

St. Marys Hall San Antonio, TX

June 26-28, 2009


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2 IDEA/NJFL Middle School National Tournament Manual

Tournament Schedule ........................................................................................................................3

Tournament Procedures

Entry Guidelines, Judging Responsibilities and Fees .................................................................4Debate ................................................................................................................................................4Individual Events (Speech) ..............................................................................................................7Congressional Debate.....................................................................................................................9Awards............................................................................................................................................. 10

Event Overviews

Public Forum Debate.................................................................................................................... 11Lincoln-Douglas Debate .............................................................................................................. 12Policy Debate ................................................................................................................................. 13Extemporaneous Speaking .......................................................................................................... 14Original Oratory............................................................................................................................ 15Impromptu ...................................................................................................................................... 15Interpretation Events.................................................................................................................... 16Student Congress.......................................................................................................................... 17Exhibition Events ........................................................................................................................... 21

JudgingGeneral Judging Instructions ...................................................................................................... 22Lincoln Douglas Debate ............................................................................................................. 23Policy Debate ................................................................................................................. ............... 24

Public Forum Debate.................................................................................................................... 24Extemporaneous Speaking .......................................................................................................... 25Original Oratory............................................................................................................................ 25Literary Interpretation Events.................................................................................................... 26Impromptu ...................................................................................................................................... 27Congressional Debate.................................................................................................................. 27

Frequently Asked Questions................................................................................28

Tournament Web Site (Updates/Topics, Ammenities, etc.)www.nflonline.org/AboutNFL/MiddleSchoolNationalTournament

Contact Information:

Registration, FeesElizabeth [email protected]

Tournament Operations (Event Procedures/Rules, Judging)Adam Jacobi

[email protected]

Please check the Frequently Asked Questions for an answer before contacting one of the coordinators.

Table of Contents


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IDEA/NJFL Middle School National Tournament Manual 3

Time Debate Speech Pattern A Speech Pattern B Congress

Thursday 25 June

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Early Registration, Cambria Suites

Friday 26 June

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Registration at St. Marys Hall9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Debate Round 1 Round 1A11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Lunch Lunch Lunch

11:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch Rnd. 1B (draw 11:30) Session 1 (starts 11:30)1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Debate Round 2 Round 2A3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Rnd. 2B (draw 3:00) Session 2 (starts 3:00)5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Debate Round 3 Round 3A

Saturday 27 June

8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Debate Round 4 1st Elim. Round10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Round 3B (draw 9:30) Session 3 (starts 9:30)11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Debate Round 5 Lunch12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch 2nd Elim. Round Lunch Lunch1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 1st Elim. (draw 1:00) Super Congress3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. 1st Elim. Round 3rd Elim. Round4:45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. 2nd Elim. Round * Exhibition *

Sunday 28 June

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. * Exhibition * 2nd Elim. (draw 8:00)10:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. 3rd Elim. Round12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch Lunch 3rd Elim. (draw 11:30) Lunch

Lunch2:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Awards Ceremony

Debate: Policy Debate, Public Forum, and Lincoln-DouglasPattern A: Dramatic Interp, Humorous Interp, Poetry, and Prose / Exhibition: Storytelling

Pattern B: Extemp Speaking, Original Oratory, Impromptu, and Duo Interp / Exhibition: TV CommercialStudent Congress

Cross-Entering: Students can enter one of the three debate events. In the speech events, students can enter two events per pattern (A or B) Any student entered in Debate can also enter in eitherStudent Congress ortwo events in Pattern B. Any student entered in Congress can also enter in eithera Debate event ortwo events in Pattern A. All students can participate in the Exhibition of TV Commercial if pre-entered/registered by their coach and ifthey

have not advanced to the 2nd Elim. Round of Debate. All students can participate in the Exhibition of Storytelling if pre-entered/registered by their coach and if they have

not advanced to the 2nd Elim. Round of Pattern B.

IDEA/NJFL Tournament Schedule


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I. Tournament EntryA. Registration Fees

1. School Fee: $125 - covers the annual organization membership dues for both IDEA and NJFL as allschools or clubs attending the tournament must be members in good standing with bothorganizations. In the event that a school or club is already a member in good standing with one or

both of these organizations, those dues may be deducted from the school fee (for example if aschool is a paid member of NJFL that school can deduct the $35 NJFL membership fee from theirschool fee).

2. Per Student Entry Fee: $30 - covers a student entry in up to two events and a lifetime membershipin IDEA and NJFL.

a. Each additional event entry/slot is $20. No student will be allowed to enter more thantwo events per speech pattern. Any student entering in a debate event will not be allowedto enter in events listed in pattern A.

b. Pre-registering for the exhibition events of TV Commercial and Storytelling is $5 per entry(with a school entry limitation of 5 entries in each event); students must be pre-registeredto be allowed to participate in these events, but are not required to participate

B. Eligibility for the 2009 IDEA/NJFL national tournament will be based on enrollment during the 2008-2009school year; students must have been registered in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade.

C.

Tournament Qualification: IDEA and the NJFL extend an open invitation to all students who meet theeligibility requirements. There is no qualification process for this tournament.D. A school may not enter more than eight (8) entries in any event. E. Cross-entry restrictions: see the Tournament Schedule and restrictions under each section for particular

details.F. Judging Responsibilities and Fees

1. All judges will be eligible to judge in both speech patterns regardless of their schools entries. Alljudges will be committed through the first elimination round in all events. Judges from a school withat least one student qualifying for elimination rounds will be committed through the conclusion ofthe tournament.

2. Judging Commitments: (new) we wish to encourage only those who aregenuinely interestedinevaluating students to provide an educational experience to judge at this tournament. We prefereducators and those with experience to write thoughtful and thorough critiques of students.Therefore, schools/clubs attending are asked to provide judges in the following ratios, orpay thehired judge fee as listed (lower costs than in the past):

Event Group One judge required for: Per Hired (Uncovered) Judge Fee

Speech Every 5 entries or fraction thereof* $65

Policy Debate Every 2 teams or fraction thereof* $65

PF/LD Debate Every 3 entries or fraction thereof* $65

Congress Every 8 entries (maximum/limit) $65

* e.g., 6 speech entries = 2 judges3. The NJFL is interested in hiring judges, and will offer a limited number of contracts. If you know of

someone interested in being hired to judge at the IDEA/NJFL National Tournament please havethem contact Adam Jacobi at [email protected].

II. EventsA. Debate: this tournament will offer competition in Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas and Policy Debate

formats. Students may not cross-enter between these events, but may enter Speech Pattern B orCongress.1. Topics announced at www.nflonline.org (see Current Topics) for the current NFL National

Tournament (for high schools) will in effect for this tournament.2. A Policy or Public Forum team shall consist of only two students, and an LD entry will be only one

student. No substitutions will be permitted within any team or for and LD debater oncecompetition has begun.

3. Prompting: Oral prompting, except for time signals, by a speakers debate partner is not prohibitedbut is discourages and may be penalized by some judges. Oral prompting, again except for timesignals, by any person other than the speakers debate partner is strictly prohibited and can result inthe disqualification of the debater(s).

Tournament Procedures


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4. Reading of evidencea. The team or debater is responsible for the validity of all evidence he/she/they read in the

round.b. In all rounds of Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum, debaters should, at a minimum, orally

deliver title of the source and the authors name. In Policy Debate, all debaters shall orallydeliver the name of the author title of source (E.G. title of book, not chapter; title ofjournal, not article), and complete date.

c. In all rounds of debate, complete citations for each piece of evidence introduced in theround must be available in the round. Written citations must include name of the author,qualifications, complete title of source (E.G. title of book, not chapter; title of journal, notarticle), and complete date. Online sources must also include the title of the site, database,or access point, the date accessed, and the web address. The additional citation requiredfor online sources must appear on all evidence, but is not required to be read. Should twoor more quotations be used from the same source, the author and title need be givenorally only for the first piece of evidence from that source. In the subsequent oral citation,only the authors name is required.

d. No internal ellipsis (Ellipses occur after the first word of the quotation and before the finalword) may be used in evidence cited on a card, or ellipses may be shown on cards, if theoriginal source or a Xerox copy is present. The evidence may be read in ellipsed form, butthe entirety of the evidence must be available in one of the two ways previously cited.

e. Personal letters, emails, interviews and telegrams are not be admissible as evidence.f. A debater/team when asked by the opposing debater/team for a copy of a card, plan

text, case, etc. is free to decided whether or not to provide the requested information. If

a team refuses to supply the information, they shall not be penalized in anyway. However,in such instances where a judge requests to see a card, plan text, case, etc. for the purposeof making his or her decision the debater/team should comply.

g. Challenging evidence cited in a debate: definitions of Non-existent evidence or evidencewhich seriously distorts the intention of the original source

i. "Serious Distortion" exists when the evidence itself contains added or deletedword(s) which do not clarify but in fact change the position of the author withrespect to the issues in question.

ii. "Non-existent evidence" means that01. Reasonable search is unable to produce the original source and/or the

team reading the evidence is unable to provide the original source or aXerox copy of the relevant pages.

02. The evidence cited is not located in the original source cited.03.

Typographical errors in citation will not automatically result in theevidence being labeled non-existent, if the team reading the evidence canproduce the correct information.

h. Procedures for initiating and reviewing evidentiary challengesi. Responsibilities of teams challenging evidence:

01. Indictments or protests of the validity of evidence must be made onsubstantive grounds.

02. A challenger must have either the original source or a Xeroxed copy ofthe source being cited, or

03. A challenger must demonstrate that reasonable search has not been ableto locate the source Xeroxed copies of relevant pages in Books inPrint, Readers Guide, P.A.I.S., etc.

ii. Initiating and reviewing protests:01. Any official protest on the validity of evidence citing specific violations

must be presented in writing to the Tournament Director, the schoolbeing challenged, and the tournament ombudsperson immediatelyfollowing the round in which the contested evidence was used and priorto the beginning of the next round of debate.

02. The Tournament Director shall rule on the protest no later than 7 daysof its receipt.

iii. Appeals01. Appeals of the Tournament Directors decision shall be made in writing

within 5 days to the Tournament Protest Panel.02. The Protest Panel shall use whatever means necessary in making the final

decision on the dispute.


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iv. Penalties01. Evidence lacking the required citation and challenged by the opposition

shall be disregarded by the judge unless said citation is proffered

immediately in the subsequent speech. At the conclusion of a challengerelated to the oral presentation of or the in round availability of a

citation, the judge is the sole determiner of the level of penalty in the

round in relationship to the level of the violation, not to exceed a

maximum penalty of a loss with zero points, as part of the judges

decision making process.

02. If an evidence violation is presented where a debater is found to havecommitted a serious distortion or to have used non-existentevidence, at the conclusion of due process, the offending debater(s) may

be disqualified from the tournament at the Tournament Committees

discretion.

03. Depending on the severity, an offense MAY result in notification of saidoffense to their school administration, loss of all tournament award,

including trophy and School of Excellent participation points for theoffending student(s), and/or revocation of membership.

v. Tournament Adjustments:01. Under no circumstance shall a tournament or part of a tournament be

re-run because of a violation of these rules.

02. In the case of a disqualification of a contestant, all previous ranks anddecisions of other contestants stand and no revision of past round ranks

will take place.5. Judging Conflicts: Contestants in any debate event who are scheduled to be judged by someone

who has, at any point in time, coached or taught them or with whom they have a close personal

relationship are responsible for reporting that fact to the ombudsperson immediately. Failure to

comply may result in disqualification from the tournament.

6. If fewer than 18 participants sign up for a particular debate event, then the event will be cancelled.7. Preliminary Round Pairing Procedures

a. The National Tournament shall consist of no fewer than five preliminary rounds for eachdebate category in which all entries are guaranteed participation (except in the even of a

bye).

b. In the event of an odd number of entries in a given debate format one team in each roundwill be awarded a bye. That bye will be tabulated as a win, and debater/team receiving the

bye will be awarded speaker points equal to their speaker point average in the other four

rounds of competition. The bye will be assigned randomly in rounds one and two. Inrounds three, four and five the bye will go to the lowest seed. In the event that the lowestseed has already received a bye the bye will advance to next lowest seed as no

debater/team will receive more than one bye.

c. Debaters/teams will be constrained from meeting other debaters/teams from their schoolor club.

d. Debaters/teams will be constrained from meeting other debaters/teams they havepreviously met in prelims.

e. Rounds one and two of all debate divisions will be paired randomly with exception of theprevious mentioned constraints. All rounds following round two will be paired using a

high-low with in brackets method of powering.

f. For Policy and LD sides will be randomly assigned for odd numbered rounds (1,3 and 5). Ineven numbered rounds (2 and 4) side constraints will be enforced and the debater/team

will be assigned to the side opposite from the side assigned in the previous round.

g. For Public Forum a coin toss will be used to determine sides and speaker order.h. Scheduling judges for preliminary rounds

i. All preliminary rounds of debate will be decided by one judge.ii. No coach shall be scheduled to judge his or her own debater/team.iii. When possible a judge will not be scheduled to judge a debater/team more than

once.

8. Pairing Procedures for Elimination Roundsa. The number of entries in each debate division will determine if the number of teams in that

division that will break to elimination rounds. Any division with less than 24 entries will

break directly to semifinals (top four debaters/teams). Any divisions with more than 24

entries but less than 40 will break to quarterfinals (top eight debaters/teams), and any


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division with more than 40 entries will break to octofinals (top 16 debaters/teams). Under

no circumstances will the National Tournament break more than 16 debaters/teams in a

given division of debate.

b. Once elimination rounds begin, school or club constraints will no longer apply. Adebater/team may be paired to debate another debater/team from the same school or

club. In such situations the coach of record for debaters/teams involved may opt to

advance either debater or team without holding the actual debate, or the coach may

decide to require his or her debaters to debate the round. In which case the tournament

will provide the necessary judges for the round to take place.

c. For elimination rounds all debaters/teams will be seeded and paired accordingly.Debaters/teams will be ranked using the following formula:

i. Total number of wins.ii. Single adjusted speaker points with the highest and lowest single-ballot points

dropped.

iii. Unadjusted speaker points.iv. Opposition win-loss record.v. Double adjusted speaker points with the first and second highest and lowest

single-ballot points dropped. At this point if the tie is still unbroken, speaker

points will continue to be adjusted to triple adjusted then quadruple adjusted if

necessary.

vi. In the event of an unbreakable tie, the seeding of the teams in questions will bedetermined by a coin toss.

d. The following guidelines will be used to pair elimination rounds.i. In the first elimination round the highest seed will debate the lowest seed, the

second seed will debate the second lowest seed, so on. For example in octofinals

the 1st seed would debate the 16th seed, the 2nd seed would debate the 15 th seed,

the 3rd seed would debate the 14th seed, the 4th seed would debate the 13th seed,

and so on ending with the 8th seed debating the 9th seed.

ii. Elimination round brackets are not reseeded following each round. This means ifthe 16th seed defeats the 1st seed in octofinals then the they assume the 1st seed.

iii. For Policy and LD - If the debaters/teams paired to debate in out rounds met inprelims then they will debate on opposite sides in the elimination round. If the

two debaters/teams have not met previously at the National Tournament then

they will flip a coin for sides. Sides in Public Forum will always be determined by

the coin toss.

e. Scheduling judges for elimination roundsi.

All elimination rounds of debate will be judged by a minimum of three judges.ii. No coach shall be scheduled to judge his or her own debater/team.iii. When possible a judge will not be scheduled to judge a debater/team more than

once.

B. Individual Events: this tournament will offer competition in eight individual speech events, whichinclude Dramatic Interpretation (DI), Humorous Interpretation (HI), Poetry (POE), Prose (PRO),

Extemporaneous Speaking (EX), Original Oratory (OO), Impromptu (IMP) and Duo Interpretation (DUO).

For scheduling purposes, these events will be divided into two patterns: A (DI, HI, POE and PRO) and B

(EXT, OO, IMP, and DUO).

1. Cross-entry restriction: Students entering a debate event will only be allowed to enter individualevents in Section B. No student will be allowed to enter more than two events in each section

2. If fewer than 18 participants sign up for a particular event, then the event will be cancelled unlessthat event is Prose, Poetry, Humorous Interpretation, or Dramatic Interpretation. In the case that

either prose or poetry (or both) fail to attract the minimum number of entries the events will becollapsed into one event. The same is true for Humorous and Dramatic Interpretation.3. Preliminary Round Sectioning

a. Each contestant is guaranteed three randomly sectioned preliminary rounds ofcompetition.

b. When possible no student should be placed in a section with another student from his orher school or club.

c. Each student should meet a variety of opposition in each round.d. Each student should be assigned a variety of speaker positions in preliminary rounds.e. If a student is cross-entered, she or he should be schedule as the first speaker (or as close

as possible) in one event and last speaker (or as close as possible) in the other event.

f. Scheduling judges for preliminary rounds


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i. Preliminary rounds of speech events will be evaluated and ranked by one judge.ii. No coach shall be scheduled to judge a student from her or his school or club.iii. No judge shall judge the same student more than once during prelims.iv. Contestants in any speech event who are scheduled to be judged by someone

who has, at any point in time, coached or taught them or with whom they have a

close personal relationship are responsible for reporting that fact to the

ombudsperson immediately. Failure to comply may result in disqualification from

the tournament.

4. Elimination Roundsa. The number of entries in each speech event will determine the number of individuals that

can advance to elimination round competition in that event. If an event has fewer than 24entries then the event will break directly to a final round of six contestants. If an event has

more than 24 but fewer than 60 entries that event will break to semifinals, and any event

with more than 60 entries will break to a quarterfinal round.

b. Prelim scores will not carry over to elimination rounds except that for the purpose ofscheduling the first elimination round. From that point on scores reset after each round.

c. Scheduling judges: elimination rounds of speech events will judged by at least three judges.No coach shall be scheduled to judge a student from her or his school or club. A judge

will not see a student more than once.

d. Quarterfinalsi. In the event that a quarterfinal round is necessary (for events with more than 60

entries), the top 24 contestants after prelims will advance to a quarterfinal round.

ii. The top 24 contestants will be determined using the following formula.01. lowest cumulative ranks from the three prelims02. Ties in ranks will be broken based on the highest number of speaker

points

03. If a tie still exist it will be broken based on the number of firsts inprelims, then seconds, then thirds, etc. if needed.

04. If a tie is unbreakable by this formula, all tied contestants shall beincluded in the quarterfinal round.

iii. Quarterfinals will consist of four sections with six contestants in each section.Sectioning will be done as follows, protecting school constraints before seeding

(speaker order will not necessary follow the seed strength listed):

Sectionx Sectiony Sectionz Section n

24th seed 23rd seed 22nd seed 21st seed

17th seed 18th seed 19th seed 20th seed




1st seed 2nd seed 3rd seed 4th seed

e. Semifinalsi. In the event that a quarterfinal round was held, the top 3 participants from each

quarterfinal section will advance to semifinals. Placement in each section will be

determined first by lowest composite rank. If a tie exist then preference will be

given to the contestant with the highest composite speaker points, and if a tie stillexist it will be broken based on the number of 1st in quarters, then 2nd, then thirds

and so on if needed. In the event that the tie can not be broken those tied will all

advance to semifinals. Once the top three from each section are determined they

will be seeded 1-12 using the same formula as was used to determine top three in

each section.

ii. If no quarterfinal round is held, the top 12 contestants after prelims will advanceto semifinals. The same formula used to determine quarterfinalists (see thesection on quarterfinals) will be used for semifinals.

iii. Semifinals will consists of two sections with six contestants in each. Sectioning willbe completed as follows (school constraints, speaker order same as d.iii. above):

Sectionx Sectiony

12th seed 11th seed

9th seed 10th seed

8th seed 7th seed

5th seed 6th seed

4th seed 3rd seed

1st seed 2nd seed


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f. Finalsi. After semifinals the top six contestants (3 from each section) will advance to the

final round. The process for determining these contestants is the same asdetermining semifinals (see section on semifinals). Finals will consist of a singlesection with six contestants.

5. Exhibition Events: to gauge interest in possibly offering events popular to regional/state middleschool leagues, we are this year offering two events, where students will be evaluated on a rubric,rather than competitive ranking, and can earn merchandise prizes by accruing a certain point total.

a. Storytellingb. TV Commercial

C. Congressional Debate: this tournament will offer the legislative format of debate, which will runon the same schedule as Speech Pattern B (cross-entry between Congress and Pattern B is not allowed).

1. Any coaches/teachers interested in submitting student-written legislation from their schools must e-mail it [email protected] by May 1. The complete legislation packet will be released forby May 7 at www.nflonline.org/AboutNFL/MiddleSchoolNationalTournament.Templates and guidelines for writing legislation are at www.studentcongressdebate.org. TheNational Junior Forensic League will review submitted legislation for adherence to the guidelines onthe aforementioned Web site, and will supplement the docket as necessary with age-appropriatebills.

2. Cross-entry restriction: Students entering Congress will only be allowed to enter Debate events orindividual events in Pattern A.

3. There must be at least 18 entries registered, or Congressional Debate will be cancelled.4. Preliminary Round Sectioning

a. Students will be assigned to Congress chambers of 14-28 students apiece, and will debatein three preliminary sessions of approximately two hours each.

b. Students from the same school/club will be separated, except to allow for an affiliatedjudge to score in a chamber without students from her/his school.

c. Preliminary sessions will be evaluated and ranked by two judges, who will score individualspeeches and answers to questions, as well as preferentially rank the students in eachsession. The parliamentarians ballot will break any otherwise unbreakable ties.

i. A parliamentarian will be assigned to each chamber (or one of the judges will bedesignated as parliamentarian). S/he will supervise each chamber: to call the rolland ensure students are in assigned seats, to intervene in case a chamberbecomes too deeply involved in parliamentary rules, and correct gross errors inprocedure. S/he should remain in the background, but step forward firmly whenher/his presence is required. The purpose of the Congress is to debate

legislation, and it is the parliamentarian's duty to see that this is done.ii. A high school student or adult will be assigned to serve as the presiding officer for

each chamber, who will call on contestants to speak, serve as timekeeper, andensure that tournament rules and parliamentary procedure are being adhered toin each chamber. The parliamentarian will assist the presiding officer as necessary.The presiding officer may be assigned to also serve as a judge, but then item iiiimmediately below will also apply.

iii. Contestants in Congress who are scheduled to be judged by someone who has, atany point in time, coached or taught them or with whom they have a closepersonal relationship are responsible for reporting that fact to the ombudspersonimmediately. Failure to comply may result in disqualification from the tournament.

5. Agenda: to facilitate maximum time for debate, the agenda will be set in the order legislationappears in the docket packet released by May 7. Students may move to Suspend the Rules and alter

the agenda in individual chambers, but the parliamentarian may step in and overrule this, if s/hebelieves this motion is being used abusively or excessively.6. Super Congress (Final Round)

a. If there are 14-18 contestants in the preliminary session, no Super Congress will be held.If there are 19-28 students, the top 12 will advance; if there are 29-36, the top 18 willadvance; if there are 37 or more, the top 24 will advance.

b. Scheduling judges for preliminary roundsi. The Super Congress will feature a panel of 3 or 5 judges.ii. No coach shall be scheduled to judge a student from her or his school or club.


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7. Ethics and Evidencea. Conduct

i. A congresspersons conduct shall be above reproach and he/she should never beguilty of intentional harassment. Impeaching and censuring other participants is

not allowed.

ii. Participation in this event demands the seriousness of purpose and maturitypossessed by real world policymakers. All adult officials, including scorers, will

hold each participant to this standard.

iii. Congresspersons should have a cooperative nature and if there is a problem, thenthe student should take any concerns to an adult official.

iv. Participation in the legislative debate is essential. Extended absence from thechamber during a session will affect a contestants overall impression and

performance. The practice of open chambers interferes with the

parliamentarians ability to monitor student participation.

b. Evidence and Use of Electronic Devicesi. Visual aids are permitted in Student Congress, provided they do not require

electronic retrieval devices in the chamber.

ii. All evidence used is subject to verification. Honesty and integrity are of utmostimportance in legislative debate. Falsification or deliberate misuse of evidence

may result in the legislator being suspended by tournament officials.

iii. Computers, cell phones, music players and games are not to be used in thechamber during a session. Traditional timing devices are permitted.

III. AwardsA. Individual awards: will be given to all students advancing to the semifinal and final rounds of all speech events

and quarterfinalists, semifinalists, and finalists in all debate events.

B. School awards: this tournament does not present sweepstakes awards, rather, it confers School ofExcellence awards. Exhibition events do not factor into these awards.

1. Contestants reaching elimination rounds will count towards School of Excellence Awards.a. A school will receive one point for each speech event entry qualifying for the quarterfinal

round (if necessary) and one additional point for each subsequent elimination round

reached.

b. A school will receive one point for each debater or debate team reaching the octofinalround (if necessary) and one additional point for each subsequent elimination round

reached.

2. The Debate School of Excellence Award will be presented to the top five point earning schoolswith at least one entry in debate and/or Congressional Debate.

3. The Individual Events School of Excellence Award will be presented to the top five point earningschools with at least one entry in a speech event.

4. The Overall School of Excellence Award will be presented to the top three point earning schoolswith at least one entry in both debate and speech.


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Public Forum is a team debate event that advocates or rejects a position posed by the monthly resolution topic. The clashof ideas must be communicated in a manner persuasive to the non-specialist or citizen judge, i.e. a member of theAmerican jury. The debate should:

Display solid logic, lucid reasoning, and depth of analysis Utilize evidence without being driven by it Present a clash of ideas by countering/refuting arguments of the opposing team (rebuttal) Communicate ideas with clarity, organization, eloquence, and professional decorum

The round starts with a coin toss; the winning team selects either: The side (pro or con) they will argue The speaker order (begin the debate or give the last speech).

The team that loses the toss will then decide their preference from the option not selected by the winner (i.e., if thewinning team decides to speak last, then the losing team may decide which side they will argue). The debate, therefore may beginwith the con side, arguing against the topic. Times for speeches are:

Speaker 1 (Team A, 1st speaker ) ....................4 min.Speaker 2 (Team B, 1st speaker)......................4 min.

Crossfire (between speakers 1 & 2) ............3 min.

Speaker 3 (Team A, 2nd speaker ) ...................4 min.Speaker 4 (Team B, 2nd speaker )....................4 min.

Crossfire (between speakers 3 & 4) ............3 min.

Speaker 1 Summary..............................................2 min.Speaker 2 Summary..............................................2 min.

Grand Crossfire (all speakers) ....................3 min.

Speaker 3 Final Focus ..........................................1 min.Speaker 4 Final Focus ..........................................1 min.

Each team may use up to two minutes of prep time.

The judge is the chairperson of the round (facilitating the coin flip and giving time signals if requested), and may halt anycrossfire lacking civility. S/he may not interactin the crossfire.

Judges evaluate teams on the quality of the arguments actually made, not on their own personal beliefs, and not on issuesthey think a particular side should have covered. Judges should assess the bearing of each argument on the truth orfalsehood of the assigned resolution. The pro should prove that the resolution is true, and the con should prove that theresolution in not true. When deciding the round, judges should ask, If I had no prior beliefs about this resolution, wouldthe round as a whole have made me more likely to believe the resolution was true or not true? Teams should strive toprovide a straightforward perspective on the resolution; judges should discount unfair, obscure interpretations that onlyserve to confuse the opposing team. Plans (formalized, comprehensive proposals for implementation), counterplans and

kritiks (off-topic arguments) are not allowed. Generalized, practical solutions should support a position of advocacy.

Quality, well-explained arguments should trump a mere quantity thereof. Debaters should use quoted evidence tosupport their claims, and well-chosen, relevant evidence may strengthen but not replace arguments. Clearcommunication is a major consideration. Judges weigh arguments only to the extent that they are clearly explained, andthey will discount arguments that are too fast, too garbled, or too jargon-laden to be understood by an intelligent highschool student or a well-informed citizen. A team should not be penalized for failing to understand his or her opponentsunclear arguments. In short, Public Forum Debate stresses that speakers must appeal to the widest possible audiencethrough sound reasoning, succinct organization, credible evidence, and clear delivery. Team points provide a mechanismfor evaluating the relative quality of debating by each side.

Public Forum Debate: Overview

During "crossfire," the two previous speakers stand, askingand answering questions in a polite, but argumentativeexchange. Unlike traditional cross-examination, both speakersmay question each other, however, the first question of thecrossfire period is asked to the speaker who just finished.

Summaryspeeches are rebuttals that extend earlierarguments made or answer opposing refutations, and may

incorporate new evidence, but not new arguments.

In the grand crossfire, all four debaters may remain seated,asking and answering questions. The first question is asked bythe team that had the first summary to the team which had thelast summary. After that, any debater may question or answer.

The final focus is a compelling restatement of why the judgeshould vote pro or con. Given the short period, the team mustdecide what arguments weigh most importantly on the decision.

No newarguments are accepted in the final focus speeches.


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Lincoln Douglas debate centers on a proposition of value, which concerns itself with what ought to be instead of what is.Values are ideals held by individuals, societies, governments, etc. Neither side is permitted to offer a plan (a formalized,

comprehensive proposal for implementation); rather, they should offer reasoning to support a general principle.

Debaters may offer generalized, practical examples or solutions to illustrate how the general principle could guide

decisions. Hallmarks include:

1. Parallel Burdens: No question of values can be determined entirely true or false. This is why the resolution isdebatable. Therefore neither debater should be held to a standard of absolute proof. No debater can realistically be

expected to prove complete validity or invalidity of the resolution. The better debater is the one who, on the whole,

proves his/her side of the resolution more valid as a general principle.

Burden of proof: Each debater has the equal burden to prove the validity of his/her side of the resolution as ageneral principle. As the resolution is a statement of value, there is no presumption for either side.

Burden of clash: After a case is presented, neither debater should be rewarded for presenting a speechcompletely unrelated to the arguments of his/her opponent.

Resolutional burden: The debaters are equally obligated to focus the debate on the central questions of theresolution, not whether the resolution itself is worthy of debate. Because the affirmative must uphold the

resolution, the negative must also argue the resolution as presented.

2. Value Structure: The debater establishes a value structure (or framework) to serve two functions: a) to providean interpretation of the central focus of the resolution, and b) to provide a method for the judge to evaluate the

central questions of the resolution. The value structure often (but not always) consists of:

Definitions: The affirmative should offer definitions, be they dictionary or contextual, that provides a reasonableground for debate. The negative has the option to challenge these definitions and to offer counter-definitions.

Value Premise/Core Value: A value is an ideal held by individuals, societies, governments, etc. that serves as thehighest goal to be protected, respected, maximized, advanced, or achieved. In general, the debater will establish a

value which focuses the central questions of the resolution and will serve as a foundation for argumentation.

Value Criterion/Standard: Generally, each debater will presents a standard, used to: explain how the value should be protected, respected, maximized, advanced, or achieved. measure whether an argument protects, respects, maximizes, advances, or achieves the value. evaluate the relevance and importance of an argument in the context of the round.

The relationship between the value premise and the criterion should be clearly articulated. During the debate, the

debaters may argue the validity or priority of the two value structures. They may accept their opponents valuestructure, prove the superiority of their own value structure, or synthesize the two.

3. Argumentation: Debaters are obligated to construct logicalchains of reasoning which lead to the conclusion of the affirmative

or negative position. The nature of proof may take a variety of

forms (e.g., a students original analysis, application of philosophy,

examples, analogies, statistics, expert opinion, etc.). Arguments

should be presented in a cohesive manner that shows a clear

relationship to the value structure. Research should be conductedand presented ethically from academically sound and appropriately

cited sources.

4. Cross-Examination: Questioning should clarify, challenge,and/or advance arguments in the round.

5. Delivery: Effective oral communication requires clarity of thoughtand expression. Arguments should be worded and delivered in a

manner accessible to an educated non-specialist audience. This

communication encompasses:

Written: Cases and arguments should be constructed in a manner that is organized, accessible, and informative tothe listener. The debater should employ clear logic and analysis supported by topical research.

Verbal: The debater has the obligation to be clear, audible and comprehensible, and to speak persuasively to thelisteners. Additionally, debaters should strive for fluency, expressiveness, effective word choice, and eloquence.

Non-verbal: The debater should demonstrate an effective use of gestures, eye contact, and posture.Throughout a round, debaters should demonstrate civility as well as a professional demeanor and style of delivery.

Timing - Timekeeping is required. If notimekeeper is used, debaters may time for

their opponent or the judge may keep time.

Affirmative Constructive 6 min.

Negative Cross-Examines Aff. 3 min.

Negative Constructive 7 min.

Affirmative Cross-Examines Neg. 3 min.

Affirmative Rebuttal 4 min.

Negative Rebuttal 6 min.


Prep time for each debater 4 min.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Overview


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Policy debate focuses on the advocacy of a plan or policy action. The affirmative team should outline the harms in the

current system or some sort of need. Then they should present a policy that would satisfy the needthey have outlined. Inaddition the affirmative may discuss additional advantages to the policy.

The negative team may argue that the affirmative policy fails to meet the need they have outlined (i.e. the affirmative does

not solve). The negative also has the option to present disadvantages to the policy (the policy may solve the problem, butit will create new problems).

Other ways do exist for structuring an affirmative case or negative strategy, but in the end the debate should focus on

whether or not a particular policy is an appropriate course of action.

Stock IssuesOften, judges view the round in terms of stock issues, or major

questions that both teams need to address. They are:

Inherency: Does the plan exist in the status quo (the waythings are now)?

Harms: Whats the problem with the status quo? Significance: How big is the problem in the status quo? Solvency: Does the affirmative plan solve the problem? Topicality: Does the affirmative plan meet the terms of

the resolution? Is it an example of the resolution?

In the traditional view, the affirmative has to successfully defend

the argument that their plan meets all five of the stock issues: itcant exist already (inherency), it has to address an important

problem (harms and significance together), it has to fix that

important problem (solvency), and it has to be an example of

the resolution, to ensure a fair debate (topicality). If the

negative can prove that the affirmative violates any one of the

stock issues for example, that the plan wont fix the problem

(solvency) then the negative wins the debate.

DisadvantagesSometimes an affirmative plan can solve for all five of the stock issues and still be a bad idea. For example, an affirmative

plan to dissolve the entire U.S. prison system would certainly remedy the problem of excessive detention, doesnt exist in

the status quo, and very substantially decreases the governments ability to detain without charge. However, there are

still extremely good reasons not to vote for such a plan: prisoners might run rampant on the streets; people would be

less afraid to commit crimes since they would know that there were no prisons to punish them for breaking the law; lots

of prison staff would be out of employment, and so forth.

A disadvantage is a somewhat more structured way of arguing that the negative consequences of a plan provide a reason

not to vote for it. Disadvantages have several important parts:

Uniqueness: is the disadvantage happening in the status quo? If a disadvantage argues that an affirmative plan willcause the economy to stagnate (stop growing), then it can be proved non-unique if an affirmative effectively argues

that the economy is already stagnating and, hence, the plan wouldnt make the economy any worse than it already is.

Link: does the plan cause the problem to happen? If a disadvantage argues that releasing detainees held atGuantanamo Bay would cause terrorism to increase, the negative has to prove that prisoners there are involved in

terrorism and that their captivity is important to preventing terrorism.

Impact: does the plan cause something bad to happen? If a disadvantage argues that limiting the governments abilityto conduct sneak and peek searches under Section 213 of the USA PATRIOT Act would impair the governments law

enforcement ability, the negative has to prove that law enforcement by the government is a good thing.

Cross-ExaminationThe questioner shall control the use of the time and may interrupt the respondent, but may not comment on the answers

or make any statement of his/her own views.

Timing - Timekeeping is required. If no

timekeeper is used, debaters may time for

their opponent or the judge may keep time.

Affirmative Constructive 8 min.


Negative Constructive 8 min.


Affirmative Constructive speech 8 min.


Negative Constructive speech 8 min.






Prep time, per team 8 min.

Eachindividualdebatermustgive

one

and

only

one

constructivespeech,oneperiodofquestioning,one

periodofanswering,ando

nerebuttal.

Policy Debate: Overview


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TopicsTopics will cover United States domestic policy, United States foreign policy, and the foreign policies of foreign nations.

The tournament director will obtain a list of questions aimed for middle level ages and phrased for contest use, based onsubjects discussed in standard periodicals during the current school year. Themes by round are:

Round 1: United States Political Issues Round 2: Science, Health & Technology News Round 3: Energy & Environment Issues First Elim. Round: International News Second Elim. Round: Business News Third Elim. (if needed): varied, from above

DrawingThirty minutes before the round is to begin, the first speaker shall draw three questions, choose one, and return the

other two. Other contestants shall draw in like manner, in the order of speaking, at intervals of seven minutes.

Preparation

As soon as a question is chosen, the contestant shall withdraw and prepare a speech without consultation and withoutreferences to prepared notes. Students may consult published books, magazines, newspapers, and journals or articles,

provided They are originals or Xeroxed copies of originals. Original articles or copies must be intact & uncut. There is no written material on original or copies. Topical index without annotation is allowed.

No other material shall be allowed in the extemp prep room other than stated above. Extemp speeches, handbooks,

briefs, and outlines shall be barred from the extemp prep room. Underlining or highlighting on materials will be allowed if

done in only one color on each article or copy.

No electrical retrieval device may be used, but printed material from on line computer services may be used. Source

citations of such materials must meet MLA standards.

RecusalA contestant may not leave the prep area without first checking out with the proctor. A student leaving without

permission will be ranked last in that round.

The Speech:Time: Contestants shall speak not more than seven minutes. No minimum time is mandated. Judges should provide time

signals at 6:00 and 6:30. A contestant who exceeds this time limit by more than :30 seconds is not eligible for a first place

rank. Speakers may use one index card per round, up to 4-inches by 6-inches. These cards may only be written on in the

preparation area.

Extemporaneous Speaking: Overview


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This contest shall comprise only memorized orations actually composed by the contestants and not used in any previouscontest year. No visual aids are permitted.

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.

Length Delivery shall require not more than 10 minutes. Judges should provide time signals at 9:00 and at 9:30. Acontestant who exceeds this time limit by more than :30 seconds is not eligible for a first place rank.

Quotation Not more than 150 words of the oration may be direct quotation from any other speech or writing andsuch quotations shall be identified in a printed copy of the oration supplied prior to registration. Extensive paraphrasing

from other sources is prohibited.

Script The Tournament Director must receive a copy of the orators script by Friday, June 5, 2009, e-mailed from the

same address as the head coach who registered to: [email protected]. The script should identify the quotedmaterials, state the number of quoted words, and by virtue of submitting the script, the orator and the coach attest that

the oration is the original work of the contestant.

Topics Impromptu topics will include proverbs, abstract words, events, quotations, and famous people.

Drawing Five minutes before the round is to begin, the first speaker shall draw three topics, choose one, and returnthe 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 subject area will be used for each round.

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,

provided: They are originals or Xeroxed copies of originals. That original article or copy is intact and uncut. There is no written material on original or copy. Topical index without annotation is allowed.

No other material shall be allowed in the impromptu prep room other than stated above. Speeches, handbooks, briefs,

and outlines shall be barred from the prep room. Underlining or highlighting in materials will be allowed if done in onecolor on each article or copy. No electrical retrieval device may be used, but printed materials from online computer

services may be used.

Recusal A student may not leave the impromptu prep room without permission of the proctor.

Notes Speakers may use one index card per round, up to 4-inches by 6-inches. These cards may only be written on in

the preparation area.

Time There is no minimum qualifying time, but the contestant must cover the subject adequately. Maximum time isfive minutes. Judges should provide time signals at 4:00 and at 4:30. A contestant who exceeds this time limit by more

than :30 seconds is not eligible for a first place rank.

Original Oratory: Overview

Impromptu Speaking: Overview


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Selections Selections used in these contests shall be cuttings from published, printed novels, short stories, plays orpoetry. A cutting must be from a single work of literature: one story, or one play, or one novel. No school publications

or recorded material that is not printed and published is acceptable. Adaptations may be made for the purpose oftransition.

Monologues are acceptable in Dramatic and/or Humorous Interpretation. During the presentation the contestant must

name the author and the book or magazine from which the cutting was made. Adaptations of television skits or othernon-published material are prohibited. 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. (If the selection is prose

or poetry and contains narration, either or both of the performers may present the narration.)

Poetryis writing which expresses ideas, experience, or emotion through the creative arrangement of words accordingto their sound, their rhythm, their meaning. Poetry may rely on verse and stanza form. During the presentation the

contestant must name the author and the book or magazine from which the cutting was made. No plays or other

dramatic materials may be used.

Prose expresses thought through language recorded in sentences and paragraphs: fiction (short stories, novels) and non-fiction (articles, essays, journals, biographies). During the presentation the contestant must name the author and the book

or magazine from which the cutting was made. No plays or other dramatic materials may be used. A student may not use

the same Poetic or Prose source s/he used in Duo, Dramatic or Humorous at any IDEA/NJFL/MSFL tournament, nor maya student duplicate the same work among cross-entered events.

Focus 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 and the performers may

look at each other but must be indirect (off-stage) during the performance itself.

Presentation & Time DI, HI, DUOEach selection is presented as a memorized selection without the use of physical objects, script, or costume. Presentation

shall not exceed 10 minutes. Judges should provide time signals at 9:00 and at 9:30. A contestant who exceeds this time

limit by more than 30 seconds is not eligible for a first place rank.

Presentation & Time Poetry, Prose

Presentations shall not last more than 7:00 minutes. Judges should provide time signals at 6:00 and at 6:30. A contestantwho exceeds this time limit by more than :30 seconds is not eligible for a first place rank. Performances must be from a

manuscript (which will be in a folder). Reading from a book or magazine is not permitted. Movement below the waist is

not allowed.

Literary Interpretation: Overview


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How Congressional Debate WorksLegislation: the purpose of legislation is to change the status quo, so ideas should stem from a desire to solveproblems or meet needs. The best legislation is debatable, meaning there is some degree of controversy in either thetopic or how the legislation intends to addresses the issue(s). Before students draft legislation, they should research

the scope of jurisdictional power Congress has for lawmaking on the given topic, and what agency (or agencies) ofthe federal government would be responsible for enforcement and implementation of that legislation.

The legislation must be typed, double-spaced, and no longer than one page. A specific title should indicatethe legislations intent or action (a title that simply states concerning or related to an issue doesnt indicateenough detail).

Preparing a bill - The first words of a bill are "Be It Enacted by the Student Congress hereassembled," followed by numbered sections (which may include lettered sub-points), which detailthe policy to be taken, defines key terms and outlines the plan of action including funding,describes the governing agency and enforcement mechanism(s), and implementation date.

Preparing a resolution Resolutions begin with one or more Whereas clauses, which state principal reasons for adoption. Following the final whereas clause, is a transitional phrase, now, therefore, be it which

immediately precedes the Resolved clause, which indicates the resolutions precise purpose,

Resolved, By the Student Congress here assembled that An optional Further resolved clause may indicate further purpose or intention for action.

All lines should be numbered, except the title and signature line. Generally, the authors name and school should be included following the last line of the legislation. Legislation that does not conform to these guidelines may be rejected from consideration for the docket.

Following are samples of legislation, formatted in the proper manner. Digital word processing templates for legislation

are available for download at www.studentcongressdebate.org.

Student Congress Debate: Overview

A Reso lu t ion t o Urge Fur ther

Ac t ion on a Spec i f i c Issue

WHEREAS, State the current problem (this needs to be

accomplished in one brief sentence); and

WHEREAS, Describe the scope of the problem cited in

the first whereas clause (this clause needs

to flow logically from the first); and

WHEREAS, Explain the impact and harms perpetuated

by the current problem (once again, the

clause needs to flow in a logical

sequence); now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, By the Student Congress here assembled

that: state your recommendation for

dealing with the problem (the resolution

should be a clear call for action); and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That (an optional additional

recommendation; if not used, end the

previous resolved clause with a period).

Introduced by Name of Student, School, NFL District

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.

A B i l l t o Es tab l ish a Spec i f i c Pol icy

BE IT ENACTED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE

ASSEMBLED THAT:

SECTION 1. State the new policy in a brief declarative

sentence, or in as few sentences as

possible.

SECTION 2. Define any ambiguous terms inherent in

the first section.

SECTION 3. Name the government agency that will

oversee the enforcement of the bill along

with the specific enforcement mechanism.

SECTION 4. Indicate the implementation

date/timeframe.

SECTION 5. State that all other laws that are in conflict

with this new policy shall hereby be

declared null and void.

Introduced by Name of Student, School, NFL District

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.


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Researching the Docket The tournament will post a docket of legislation. Schools/clubs are encouraged tobrainstorm affirmative and negative arguments and find supporting evidence through research.

Role Playing

Students should act the part beingthe senator or representative, who weighs the needs of thetheoretical constituents they represent. This includes speaking as a legislator would talk, and actinggenuinelynice

to other delegates. If students think of the purpose of Congress as serving a higher need of solving problems in

our society (rather than as a debate competition), they will take it more seriously. Humor is okay, but shouldnt

be the emphasis of speaking or conduct.

Students should dress the part professional legislators wear business attire. Dress shoes are highlyrecommended with restraint toward tasteful accessories that would not distract an audience.

Upon arrival, students are assigned to chambers, labeled as a Senate or House (of Representatives), wherethey would be assigned the appropriate courtesy title (Senator or Representative). A seating chart will beestablished, which facilitates easier identification by student presiding officers and judges.

When referring to another legislator, state Representative (or Senator) [last name] from The correct way to obtain the floor is to rise immediately at the conclusion of the preceding speakers remarks

and say Mr./Madam President (or Mr./Madam Speaker). If another legislator is recognized, take your seat until

he/she relinquishes the floor.

It is unnecessary for speakers to state they yield to questions, because the rules conventionalize the period forquestioning. The presiding officer who has a seating chart controls calling on questioners, however, alegislator may call for a suspension of the rules to allow for recognition by the speaker on the floor.

Do not argue with presiding officers; they are appointed to run the chamber, and their decisions should not bechallenged unless they violate the rights of the assembly or its members. For significant errors:

Stand and say I rise to a point of order. After the presiding officer says state your point, reply by statingwhat you believe has been done wrong, and then site down. Until the presiding officer who may first

confer with the parliamentarian answers, neither you nor any other member may say anything.

If you still believe the presiding officer is wrong and the mistake should be corrected, rise and say I appealthe decision of the chair. This motion requires a second. There is no discussion, but the legislator making

the motion may briefly explain why he/she thinks the presiding officer should be overruled. The presiding

officer then takes the vote by saying those voting to sustain the presiding officer and those voting to

overrule the presiding officer Once the vote has been taken and the results announced, the decision is

irrevocable and no further discussion is permitted on the manner.

Do not abuse the motion for previous question. The reason it requires a two-thirds vote is it limits the freeexpression rights of legislators in the chamber. While majority rules for actions an assembly takes, the rights of

minority to engage their peers in discourse is the very foundation of our democracy. When a legislator moves

the previous question immediately after speaking, it sends the message I gave a speech, and I dont care if others

wish to have the same opportunity. Limiting other contestants opportunities to engage in debate by suspending

rules to alter the agenda, or by laying legislation on the table is even worse, and should be discouraged by

presiding officers. If debate truly gets one-sided and repetitive, that is the only true purpose of the Previous

Question.

Procedure

1. Recognizing Speakersa. When more than one speaker seeks the floor, the presiding officer must follow the recencymethod:

i. First recognize students who have not spoken during the sessionii. Next recognize students who have spoken fewer timesiii. Then recognize the student who have spoken least recently (earliest)iv. Before precedence is established, the presiding officer should explain his/her recognition

process and it must be fair, consistent and justifiable.

v. During the preliminary session of Congress recency may not reset, to ensure that allstudents in a chamber have an equal opportunity to speak and receive evaluation fromscorers. Recency will reset for the Super Session.

b. A student may be recognized to speak as often as possible and may speak more than once on thesame issue.


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c. A speaker may yield time on the floor during debate (for questions or clarifications) but thatspeaker will remain in control of his/her three minutes (see #4 below regarding questioning).

2. Speeches introducing legislation are allotted up to three minutes, followed by two minutes of questioning byother delegates. A student from the school who wrote the legislation gets the privilege of recognition(called authorship), regardless of recency; otherwise the presiding officer may recognize a sponsor from

the chamber, provided this recognition follows the recency 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 should move to lay the legislation on the table until such time that a

student is prepared to introduce it.

3. Following the introductory speech on legislation, the presiding officer will alternately recognize negative andaffirmative speakers, who will address the chamber for up to three minutes followed by one minute ofquestioning 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 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 isnot caught, the speaker shall be scored and the speech shall count in recency, 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 shallcount in recency, but zero points shall be awarded.

4. The presiding officer fairly and equitably recognizes members to ask questions following each speech. Thepresiding officer starts timing questioning periods when s/he has 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, since they

monopolize time and disallow others to ask their questions). 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.

5. The presiding officer will pause briefly between speeches to recognize any motions from the floor, however,he/she should not call for motions (at the beginning of a session, the presiding officer should remind

members to seek his/her attention between speeches).6. 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 presiding officer will recommend whether the amendment is germane that is, it upholds theoriginal intent of the legislation otherwise, it is considered dilatory.

b. A legislator can only move to amend between speeches. Once that motion is made, the presidingofficer will read the proposed amendment aloud and call for a second by one-third of thosemembers present, unless he/she rules it dilatory.

c. Should students wish to speak on the proposed amendment, the presiding officer will recognizethem as per recency, and the speech will be counted toward their total, accordingly.

d. Simply proposing an amendment does not guarantee an author/sponsor speech, and any speecheson 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 theoriginal legislation.

f. If there are no speakers or the previous question is moved, the chamber may vote on a proposedamendment without debating it.

7. The PO determines the method of voting on each question that comes before the chamber. ALL simplemajority votes are based upon the number of legislators PRESENT and VOTING in the chamber; therefore,

the PO does not need to call for or count abstentions. For all votes requiring a fraction of the chamber to

agree to a motion or question (2/3, 1/3, 1/5, etc.), the chair determines whether the chamber agrees with

the motion/question using the number of legislators PRESENT in the chamber at the time of the vote.Because of this system, the PO must track the number of legislators in the chamber at all times. Notes on

voting:

a. Final votes on legislation, amendments, and motions to appeal the chair require a recorded vote.b. Voice voting is acceptable for all other votes, but a recorded vote must be taken if any one

legislator calls for a division of the chamber.

c. A roll call vote is permitted if such a request is agreed to by 1/5 of the chamber.8. 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.

9. Since the rules above ensure fairness for competition, they may not be suspended; the presiding officershould rule such motions out of order.


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TypeMotion Purpose Se

cond

Required?

Debatable?

Amendable?

RequiredVote M

ay

Interrupt?

24. Fix time for reassembling To arrange time of nextmeeting

Yes Yes-T Yes-T Majority Yes23. Adjourn To dismiss the meeting Yes No Yes-T Majority No22. Recess To dismiss the meeting for a

specific length of time Yes Yes Yes-T Majority No21. Rise to a question of privilege To make a personal request

during debate No No No Decision ofthe Chair YesPrivileged

20. Call for orders of the day To force consideration of apostponed motion No No No Decision ofthe Chair Yes

19. Appeal a decision of the chair To reverse a decision Yes No No Majority Yes18. Rise to a point of order or

parliamentary procedure To correct a parliamentaryerror or ask a question No No No Decision ofthe Chair Yes17. Division of the chamber To verify a voice vote No No No Decision of

the Chair Yes16. Object to the consideration

of a question To suppress action No No No 2/3 Yes15. Divide a motion To consider its parts separately Yes No Yes Majority No14. Leave to modify or

withdraw a motion To modify or withdraw amotion No No No Majority NoIn

cidental

13. Suspend the rules To take action contrary tostanding rules Yes No No 2/3 No

12. Rescind To repeal previous action Yes Yes Yes 2/3 No11. Reconsider To consider a defeated motion

again Yes Yes No Majority No10. Take from the table To consider tabled motion Yes No No Majority No9. Lay on the table To defer action Yes No No Majority No8. Previous question To force an immediate vote Yes No No 2/3 No7. Limit or extend debate To modify freedom of debate Yes Yes Yes-T 2/3 No6. Postpone to a certain time To defer action Yes Yes Yes Majority Yes5. Refer to a committee * For further study Yes Yes Yes Majority Yes4. Amend an amendment To modify an amendment 1/3 Yes No Majority No3. Amend To modify a motion 1/3 Yes Yes Majority No

Subsidiary

2. Postpone indefinitely To suppress action Yes Yes No Majority NoMain 1. Main motion To introduce a business Yes Yes Yes Majority No

* No. 5 should include: Nos. 3 and 4 by:1. How appointed? T = Time 1. Adding (inserting)2. The number 2. Striking (deleting)3. Report when? or to what standing committee 3. Substituting

Tab le o f Mos t F requen t ly Used Par l iamenta ry Mot ions

Adap ted fo r use in Na t iona l Fo rens ic League Studen t Congresses


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Television (TV) CommercialTV Commercials are for one to three people. The art of a commercial lies in the students ability to say a lot about theproduct or service in a short amount of time. The product being presented must be an original idea of the students

presenting it, not something taken form another source (such as spoofs from Saturday Night Live). Props, costumes,music, and anything else necessary to try to sell the product will be allowed. Attire appropriate to the presentation maybe worn. Catchy jingles or phrases are encouraged.

This event gives students an opportunity to use imagination in preparing and delivering a brief presentation. This is asimulation of a television commercial, therefore there can be no interaction between presenter(s) and audience.Rhetorical questions, however, are allowed. The speech must be presented from memory, using notes, orextemporaneously. Each contestant may use of one 4x6 card (or smaller), but note cards are not required.

Delivery shall require 1-3 minutes. A contestant/team who exceeds this time limit by more than :30 seconds is not eligiblefor a first place rank.

Judging

Judging will be based on originality, persuasiveness, creativity with props and costumes, vocal/facial/body expression, anduse of space by the whole team. The commercial should be done in good taste, but its tone can and should becreative, entertaining, and enthusiastic.

StorytellingThe art of storytelling is older than reading, dating back to long before printing was invented, but it is modern too. Thestoryteller uses vocal variation and physical movement to suggest different characters and character relationships in orderto make the story come alive in the mind of the listener.

Storytelling is a single published, printed story, anecdote, tale, myth or legend that must be retold without notes orProps, and is appropriate content for a five year old. It is to be memorized, include a memorized introduction to set the

scene, and give the title and author. Movement is allowed and one chair may be used. No other props or costumes willbe allowed. The performer should present the piece to the audience as if they were kindergarten children. Judging willbe based on the students interpretation of the story through vocal control, facial/body expressions, use of space, and theability to act out the story to make it come alive.

The maximum time is 5 minutes, but the story may be briefer without penalty. A contestant who exceeds this time limitby more than :30 seconds is not eligible for a first place rank. An introduction, which creates the atmosphere/mood forthe story, grasps the attention of the audience should include the title of the story, and either the author or culture fromwhich the story comes must be included within the 5-minute time limit (but may be delivered after a brief teaser). Thedelivery must be extempore, not read. No book or script may be used. The story may be delivered standing or seated.Gestures, pantomime and characterization, may be used with restraint but the focus must be on the narrative.

The retelling must be true to the original tale. The contestant may not add original material or materially change the

content of the story.

JudgingThe art of storytelling is to create a mood wherein a spoken narrative transports the audience to the time and place ofthe story being recounted. A storyteller is a narrator - not an actor or actress - and although gestures, pantomime,movement, and characterization are not barred, they must be used with restraint.

The focus of the presentation must be on the narrative, with the teller acting as a presenter and not a performer. Theteller must clearly grasp and convey the meaning of the tale. The judge should rate highly the mechanics of superiorspeaking: fluency, vocal variety, articulation, eye contact, gesture. The presentation should be extempore, not read. Nobook or script may be used. The storyteller may speak standing or seated. No props or visual aids may be used."When the teller has been successful in bringing the tale to life, the telling will seem entirely natural, almost effortless"

Exhibition Events: Overview


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Judges should report to the ballot distribution location at least 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the round. We ask judges to be Standby to replace other judges who do not show up. Since this is an important

commitment, we ask that Standby judges remain available in the lounge area.

Judges should report to their assigned room at least five minutes before the round is scheduled to begin. Please do not swap/trade judging assignments with another judge on your own. If theres a problem, please alert

tournament officials. Its important that we track exactly who judges a particular round, so we can ensure freshcritics throughout the tournament.

All judges should read the instructions and rules for any event with which they are unfamiliar. When judges serve on a panel, they must make their decisions independentlyof one another and NOT

CONFER regarding decisions/rankings/ratings.

Judges should in no way intervene in or interrupt a performance. Judges are to act as SILENT evaluators. Judges may converse with students before the round starts, but should not demonstrate favoritism . Students should always be respectful of one another and of you, and you should set a tone of decorum and professionalism. Judges should refrain from revealing their decisions to contestants. DISCLOSURE IS NOT PERMITTED!!! Judges must turn in ballots/critique sheets to tournament staff, immediately following each round.

A Positive Approach To Writing Critiques

Be tactful Judges must not make rude, cruel, unkind or sarcastic comments on the students critique sheets. Be constructive Judges must realize that criticism is not mere faultfinding. The best criticism is that which

builds up as well as tears down.Judges should make constructive suggestions for overcoming areas that need

improvement.

Be specific Judges should provide accurate and specific suggestions for improvement and avoid vague,general comments.

Be thorough Judges must go beyond a rank or rating, providing students with as thorough an analysis aspossible,justifyingtheir decision.

Judging Policy, LD and Public Forum

During the questions phase (cross-examination) of Policy and LD, the time belongs to the debater asking thequestions. The questions should be brief and the answer short and specific. The person asking questions should

not attempt to refute answers provided by the other team/debater, nor should the team/debater answering

questions attempt to argue with or question the individual asking the questions. At the judges discretion, policy debaters may opt for an open cross-examination where all four debaters

participate in the cross-examination.

During crossfire in Public Forum, the time is to be shared by both sides. The team speaking first in the debateshould be given the chance to ask the first question. Both questions and answers should be brief and specific.

Speakers should stand during regular crossfire and remain seated during the Grand Crossfire.

Judges must render their decision within ten minutes of the end of the final speech in the round.Judging Speech Events

If a contestant is not present when his/her number is called, the judge is to go on to the next one. When thetardy contestant arrives, s/he should be heard next. Some students are participating in another event scheduled

for the same time, and they cannot avoid being late. For the same reason, a student may have to leave

immediately after speaking. As students announce their subjects, the judge is to please write the title of the selection in the designated space

on the ballot.

If a contestant exceeds the time limit indicated for each event, the contestant is not to be disqualified, but if thespeaker is more than :30, that speaker is not eligible to receive a 1st place ranking

If a contestant does not arrive by the end of the contest, the judge is to inquire about the absent contestantbefore s/he marks the ballot. Every contestant should be heard.

After all contestants have been heard, they are to be ranked 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, in order of excellence. Number 1 isthe best speaker. You may have more than one contestant with a 5th place ranking.

General Judging Instructions


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Lincoln-Douglas Debate teaches critical thinking and public presentation skills. Your role as a judge is to determine whichdebater did a better job of convincing you that his/her side of the resolution more valid as a general principle.

1. Before the Round Find out the exact wording of the debate resolution and write it down.2. To Begin the Round You will be instructed as to which side the debaters have been assigned.

a. The Affirmative debater should be listed on the left side of the ballot and you may ask the debater to sit onthe left side of the room as you, the judge, look at the debaters.

b. The Negative debater should be listed on the right side of the ballot and you may ask the debater to sit onthe right side of the room as you, the judge, look at the debaters.

c. Record each debaters code and side. You can confirm this information with the debaters.d. When both debaters are ready, the Affirmative debater will stand in the front of the room to deliver the

initial speech.

3. During the Round a. While the debaters may keep track of their own time, judges need to monitor speaking times during the

round. Speech times and order are listed on the ballot.

b. Each debater has five minutes of preparation time (total) in each round, which can be used prior to any ofthat debaters speeches or cross-examination period. Judges need to monitor how much preparation time

has elapsed for each debater.c. You are encouraged to take note of arguments made to assist you in making your decision at the end.d. Keep track of what a debater says, if anything, in response to the other debaters arguments. To ensurefairness, your notes should help you determine if a debater is improperly making brand new arguments in

the final rebuttal speeches to which the opposing debater has no opportunity to respond.

e. Judges should not ask questions during the round.4. After the Round

a. Check your codes carefully. This is especially important when marking the winner of the debate.b. In your written comments, please be as constructive and educational as possible. Provide a detailed

justification of your decision, referring to the central issues the debaters presented in the round. Evaluatethe round based only on the arguments that the debaters made and not on personal opinions or on

arguments that you would have made.

Your decision about which team wins SHOULD NOT be based upon

Personal bias: A judges preference for a side of the resolution or a topic bias should not enter into the decision.A judge must decide the round based on the arguments presented in that round. Objectivity is the primaryresponsibility of any judge.

Partiality: The judge should not be influenced by the reputation of or relationship with the debaters, schools, orcoaches. If a situation arises where impartiality is in doubt, the judge has the responsibility to report this potential

conflict of interest to the tab room.

New arguments introduced in rebuttals: The judges shall disregard new arguments introduced in therebuttals. This does not include the introduction of new evidence in support of points already advanced or the

answering of a

IDEA-NJFL-2009TournManual

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