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SPEECH/DEBATEPolicies&Guidelines
CHAPTERI–UHSAAPolicies
ArticleI–Recommendations
Section1:RegionRepresentative
EachregionshallelectonemembercoachtorepresentthatregiontotheUtahDebateCoachesAssociationto
helpsolveproblemsoccurringatmajortournamentsandtokeepanopenlineofcommunicationwiththe
ActivitiesAssociation.
Section2:MissedSchoolTime
Itisrecommendedthatnostudentmissmorethanfivedaysofschoolforpracticedebateandforensicmeets
duringagivenschoolyear.
ArticleII–FinancialRules
Section1:EntryFees
Noentryfeeinexcessof$3.50perstudentpereventperdaymaybeassessedforanymeet.Amaximum$15
schoolentryfeeperdaymaybechargedatinvitationaltournamentsifdeemednecessarybythehostschool.
TheExecutiveCommitteemustapproveanyexceptions.
Section2:JudgeReimbursement
Judgesmaynotbereimbursedatanymeetortournamentmorethan$8perround,$30perhalfͲday(four
hours)normorethan$50forafullday.
Section3:NoShows
Acontractisformedwhenparticipantentriesaresubmittedtothestatetournamentdirectorandeach“no
show”entrywillbefined$25.Invitationaltournamentsmayalsolevya$25fineforeach“noshow”entryat
UHSAAsanctionedtournaments.
ArticleIII–ConductofTournaments
Section1:SanctionRequirement
AllspeechanddebatecompetitionsmustbesanctionedbytheUHSAA(seeUHSAAByͲLawsArticle4).Forms
mustbesubmittedtoandapprovedbytheUHSAAnolessthan30dayspriortothetournament.
Section2:PreliminaryRoundStartTime
Nopreliminaryroundofatournament,whichisnotaroundrobinoraTournamentofChampionsqualifier,may
startafter8:30p.m.
Section3:IntenttoParticipate
Coachesshouldnotifylocaltournamentdirectorsoftheirintenttoparticipateatleasttwoweeksinadvanceof
atournament.
Section4:NovicePolicyGuidelines
Noviceteamswillonlybeallowedtorunargumentsfromtheapprovedargumentlistandcorresponding
evidenceset.Novicepolicyteamswillbelimitedtoa"closeddeck"ofevidencefiles(everycompetitorwillhave
thesamesetofcards).Novicestudentsmayrearrangetheorganizationofevidencebutmaynotaddand/or
changethecontentinordertoproducenewargumentsnotlabeledintheevidenceset,norcantheyalterthe
fundamentalintentoftheargument.
TheselimitswillbeenforcedfromthestartoftheseasonuntiltheendofDecember.Noviceswillbeallowedto
runanyargumentorevidenceinJanuaryuntiltheendoftheseason.Anynoviceteamfoundtoberunningan
affirmativenotonthecaselistwillforfeittheround."Noviceteams"willbedefinedinthetournament
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invitation.
ThenoviceevidencesetisestablishedeachyearbytheUDCAandNFHStolimittheareasofthehighschool
debateresolutionthatnoviceswillhavetopreparetodebate.Thegoalistomakethedebatingmore
manageablefornovicestudentsandtoenhancethequalityofeachdebate.Judges,coachesanddebaters
shouldalsounderstandthatbyselectingthesespecificargumentlimits,theUDCA/NFHSisnotnecessarily
endorsingthetopicalityanycase,noraretheycommentingonthestrategicvalueofanyoneposition.
Traditionaltopicalityargumentscanstillbepresentedbythenegativeteamandshouldbeconsideredbythe
judge.Theoryandkritikargumentswillnotbeallowed.
AnexecutivecommitteeofcoacheswillcreatetheevidencesettobepublishedontheUtahDebateCoaches
websitebytheendofAugust.
Section5:CongressGuidelines
1. TheUDCAwillcreateacommitteewithchairofthreetofivecoachestooverseeCongressionaldebate
legislationselection.Coachesshouldrepresentschoolsfromacrossthestate.
2. StudentswriteCongresslegislationduringthe4thquarteroftheschoolyear.Coachesselectlegislationand
submititviaGoogleDocumentstotheUDCACongresscommitteebyJune1.
3. TheCongressionalcommitteewillmeetduringthesummertoselect20initialpiecesoflegislationfromthe
submittedstudentlegislation(thismeetingmaybeelectronic)tobereleasedbySeptember1.The
legislationwillbeselectedonthebasisofeducationalvalueandrelevancetocurrentandimportantnational
issues.TheselectedlegislationwillbepublishedontheUDCAwebsite,providingUtahtournamentswitha
statewidedocketfromwhichtournamentdirectorsmayselectlegislationtobedebated.
4. AdditionallegislationmaybesubmittedbyOctober10andJanuary31forconsiderationtobeaddedtothe
statewidedocket.OnthefirstdayofeachmonthbeginninginNovember,thecommitteewillrelease10
additionalpiecesoflegislation,drawnfromlegislationsubmittedatanyofthepriorsubmissiondeadlines.
5. Thestatewidedocketwouldbecomprisedof70totalpiecesoflegislation,pendingprovisionofadequate
legislation.
6. AstandardOrdersoftheDaywouldalsobesetandpostedontheUDCAwebsite.
7. Tournamentdirectorshavetwooptionsfortheirtournaments.Thedirectormaypreselectthelegislation
releasedinanymonthpriortothetournamentandcreateatournamentdocketfromthelegislationposted
ontheUDCAwebsite.Docketswillbepublishedintournamentinvitations.Alternatively,thedirectormay
allowforacaucusperiodatatournamentforstudentstochooselegislationandsettheirowndocket,
providedthatthelegislationselectedbythestudentsisalsofromthepreapprovedUDCAlegislation.
8. Sponsorshipspeechesforlegislationwillfollowpriority.Anystudentmayelecttogiveasponsorshipspeech
foranylegislation.
9. Seatingchartsforhouseswillbesetpriortoeachtournament.Seatingchartswillrotateforeachsessionof
debateasdirectedbyNFLbestpractices.
10.Anadultparliamentarianwillbepresentineachhouseduringdebate.Theparliamentarianwillfollowthe
jobdescriptionforparliamentariansasoutlinedontheNFLwebsite:JudgeGuidelines–Congressional
Debate(Parliamentarian).
Section6:Ballots
Ballotswillnotbeacceptedwith“oralcritique”onlywritten.Everyballotmusthaveawarrantedreasonfor
decisionstating,“Ivoteaffirmativeornegativebecause…”
Section7:
Foranyrulenotspecifiedherein,seetheUtahDebateCoachesAssociationHandbook.
Section8:ContestLimitations
ContestLimitationsare10meetsperindividualfor3A,4A&5A;8meetsperindividualfor1A&2A.
A. Contest:Anymeet,gameorcompetitiveactivity(includingpracticesandscrimmages)inwhichoneormore
studentsparticipate,atleastoneofwhomisnotamemberoftheschool’sownstudentbodyortheschool
sponsoredprogram,countstowardthecontestlimitation.
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B. Tournament:Competitionamongfourormoreschools.
C.Thecontestlimitationsapplyfromthestartingdateofcompetitionuntilthefirstdayofthestate
tournamentineachclassification.Thisappliestoalllevelsofcompetition(i.e.,varsity,j.v.,sophomore,
freshman,novice).Stateandqualifyingregion,NCFLandNFLnationalqualifyingtournamentsdonotcount
inthecontestlimitationtotal.
D. AnindividualwhoviolatesthecontestlimitisineligibletocompeteattheRegionorStateTournaments.
ArticleIV–ElectronicDevices
Section1:EventsinWhichComputerUseisAllowed
Noelectronicdeviceswillbeallowedinanycompetitionwiththefollowingexception:Theuseofcomputers
withintheguidelinesstatedinSection2isallowedatregionandstatetournamentsinthefollowingevents:
ExtemporaneousSpeaking
LincolnͲDouglasDebate
PolicyDebate
PublicForumDebate
StudentCongress
Section2:GeneralRules
A. Computersequippedwithremovablewirelesscardsmusthavethecardsremovedbeforethebeginningof
anyroundofcompetition.Itistheresponsibilityofthecontestanttodisengagetheequipment.
B. ComputerswithbuiltͲinwirelesscapabilitymaybeusedonlyifthewirelesscapabilityisdisabled.Itisthe
responsibilityofthecontestanttodisabletheequipment.
C. Wiredconnections(Ethernetorphone)duringroundsofcompetitionarenotpermitted.
D. Computersorotherelectronicdevicesmaynotbeusedtoreceiveinformationfromanysource(coachesor
assistantsincluded)insideoroutsideoftheroominwhichthecompetitionoccurs.Internetaccess,useofeͲ
mail,instantmessaging,orothermeansofreceivinginformationfromsourcesinsideoroutsideofthe
competitionroomareprohibited.(ThisdoesnotprohibitnonͲelectroniccommunicationbetweendebate
partnersduringpreptimeifapplicable.)
E. Penalty:ContestantsfoundtohaveviolatedprovisionsAthroughCabovewillforfeittheroundof
competition.ContestantsfoundtohaveviolatedprovisionD(above)willbedisqualifiedfromthe
tournamentandwillforfeitallrounds.
F. AvailabilityofEvidence:Contestantselectingtousecomputershavetheresponsibilitytoprovidepromptly
acopyofanyevidencereadinaspeechforinspectionbythejudgeoropponent.Printersmaybeused.
Evidencemaybeprintedintheroundorproducedelectronically,butmustbeprovidedinaformatreadable
bytheopposingteamandthejudge.
G. Contestantselectingtousecomputersareresponsibleforprovidingtheirowncomputers,batteries,
extensioncords,andallothernecessaryaccessories.Tournamenthostswillnotberesponsibleforproviding
computers,printers,software,paper,orextensioncordsforcontestants.
H. Becausepublicspeakingdecorumremainsanimportantelementofcompetition,allcontestantsare
expectedtostandatthefrontoftheroomandfacethejudgewhilespeaking.
I. Contestantschoosingtouseacomputerandrelatedequipmentaccepttheriskofequipmentfailure.Judges
and/orcontestdirectorswillgivenospecialconsiderationoraccommodation,includingnoadditional
speechtimeorpreptime,shouldequipmentfailureoccur.
J. Bychoosingtouselaptopcomputersintheround,contestantsareconsentingtogivetournamentofficials
therighttosearchtheirfiles.Contestantswhodonotwishtoconsentshouldnotusecomputersinthe
round.
CHAPTERII–RegionTournaments
ArticleI–Guidelines
Section1:RegionRepresentativeResponsibility
Itistheresponsibilityofeachregionrepresentativeto:
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Conducttheregiontournament.
A. Beinchargeofseeingthateachregionhasaplacetohosttheregiontournament,andthatallnecessary
schedulesandjudgesaresecure.
B. Makesurethateachcoachinhis/herregionhasacompletesetofestablishedguidelines,timesandlocation
forthemeetandthoroughunderstandingforjudges’qualificationwellinadvanceofthestartingtimeofthe
meet.
C. SubmitresultstotheUHSAAofficeandtheStateTournamentDirectorsbythedeadlinelistedontheUHSAA
Calendarorwithinfive(5)daysofcompletionoftheregiontournament,whicheverissooner.
D. Requestandsecureregionawardsincludingtheteamtrophyfromtheirregion’sBoardofManagers.
E. SecureCongressjudges.
Section2:Appeals
Inmattersthatinvolveappeals,theregionrepresentativeshouldbringallunsettledmatterstotheUDCA
ExecutiveCommittee.TheUDCAExecutiveCommitteewilldetermineiftheissuemeritsaUDCAJudicial
MeetingoriftheRegionBoardofManagers(principals)shouldaddresstheissue.
Section3:SelectionofStateQualifiers
Theprocedureforselectingqualifierstothestatetournamentmustbedefinedbeforethemeetbegins.Each
schoolshallsendtothestatetournamenttheallotmentasprescribedinthecurrenteditionoftheUHSAA
Handbook.
Section4:ParticipantEligibility
AllparticipantsmustmeeteligibilityrequirementsasspecifiedintheByͲLawsoftheUHSAA.
Section5:StateQualifiersRequirements
Participantsnominatedbytheirregiontoparticipateinstateforensicmeetsshallnotbesonominatedunless
theyhaveactuallyparticipatedandqualifiedthroughtheregionmeet.
Section6:RequirementtoParticipateatRegiontoQualifyforState
Studentsmustparticipateineventsatregiontoqualifyforstate.Studentsparticipatingwithapartnerqualifyas
oneentry.Onceapartnershipqualifiesforthestatemeet,neithermaybereplacedandmaintainthe
qualificationforthestatemeet.Studentsmustcompetewithapartnerwhereappropriate(i.e.,no“mavericks”).
Section7:PublicationofResults
Theresultsofaneventshouldnotbemadepublicuntiltheeventiscompleted.Itisunethicalforcoachesor
anyoneelsetodivulgetheresultsofarounduntiltheentireeventiscompletedataregionmeet.
Section8:RulestobeFollowed
Theregiontournamentistofollowexclusivelytherulesforeacheventincludingthetimingandeligibilityofall
materialstobeusedinspeechareas.Rulesregardingeventscanbefoundinthishandbook.
Section9:Awards
AwardsshouldbegiventoschoolsorparticipantsasdeterminedbytheRegionBoardofManagers.
Section10:RecordingNotAllowed
Novideooraudiorecordingofanykindshallbepermittedintheregionmeet.
Section11:CorrectionofClericalErrors
Clericalscoringerrorsmaybecorrectedupto72hoursaftertheconclusionofthemeet.Ateammustfilea
writtenprotesttotheUHSAAwithinthattimeperiod.Afterthattimeresultswillstand.
Section12:RegionRulestobeFiledwithUHSAA
Allregionsmusthaveonfile,attheUHSAAoffices,aprintedcopyoftheirregiontournamentrules.Theserules
mustfollowUHSAAandUtahDebateCoachesAssociationguidelines.
ArticleII–RegionMeets
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Section1:1AStateQualificationLimits
In1Aregions,noschoolmayqualifymorethan22participantsforthestateforensictournament.Theallocation
mustnotexceed3ineachofthefollowing:SpontaneousArgumentation,StudentCongress,OriginalOratory,
Impromptu,ExtemporaneousSpeaking,andLincolnͲDouglasDebate.InPublicForum,1Aschoolsareallowed2
entries.Theonlyexceptioniswhenaschoolusesthe“substitutionrule.”(Ch.3,Art.1.Sect.17).
Section2:2AStateQualificationLimits
In2Aregions,noschoolmayqualifymorethan24participantsforthestateforensictournament.Theallocation
mustnotexceed3ineachofthefollowing:SpontaneousArgumentation,StudentCongress,OriginalOratory,
Impromptu,ExtemporaneousSpeaking,andLincolnͲDouglasDebate.InPublicForum,2Aschoolsareallowed3
entries.Theonlyexceptioniswhenaschoolusesthe“substitutionrule.”(Ch.3,Art.1.Sect.17).
Section3:1AStateQualification
In1Aregions,allqualifiersmustobtaina2Ͳ2,3Ͳ1,or4Ͳ0recordinLincolnͲDouglasDebate,PublicForum,and
SpontaneousArgumentation.Debateparticipantswillcompeteinfourrounds.Individualevents(Original
Oratory,ExtemporaneousandImpromptuspeaking)participantswillcompeteinthreerounds.Individualevents
willbepaneledaccordingtoNationalForensicsLeagueguidelines.InordertoqualifyforStatecompetitionin
IndividualEventsacumulativescoreinrankingsofbetweenthreeandeightmustbeearned.Thetophalfofall
Congresscompetitorsqualifyafterresultshavebeenquartiled.
Section4:2AStateQualification
In2Aregions,allschoolsintheregionshallberankorderedbaseduponsweepstakespointsattheregion
tournament.Thetop50percentwillqualifyafullslate(FullSlateisdefinedasall24participantsallowedperthe
eventlimitsdescribedinSection2).Regionswithanunevennumbershouldrounduptodeterminethetop50
percent.Theseschoolsshouldlistalternatesineachevent.Alternateswillbeallowedtocompeteonlyinthe
eventstheyenteredatregionmeet.Allindividualsordebateteamsfinishinginthetopten(ortop50percent
whicheverisgreaterintheirevent)attheregiontournamentwillqualifyforthestatemeet,unlesstheschool
exceedsthelimitationssetforthabove.
Section5:3A/4A/5AStateQualificationLimits
In3A,4Aand5Aregions,noschoolmayqualifymorethan25participantsforthestateforensictournament.
Theallocationmaynotexceed3policyteams,3LincolnͲDouglasdebaters,3publicforumteams,2student
congressparticipants,2originaloratoryparticipants,2impromptuspeakingparticipants,2national
extemporaneousspeakingparticipantsand2foreignextemporaneousspeakingparticipants.Theonly
exceptioniswhenaschoolusesthe“substitutionrule.”(Ch.3,Art.1.Sect.17).
Section6:3A/4A/5AStateQualification
In3A,4Aand5Aregions,allschoolsintheregionshallberankorderedbaseduponsweepstakespointsatthe
regiontournament.Thetop50percentwillqualifyafullslate(FullSlateisdefinedasall25participantsallowed
pertheeventlimitsdescribedinSection6).Regionswithanunevennumbershouldrounduptodeterminethe
top50%.Theseschoolsshouldlistalternatesineachevent.Alternateswillbeallowedtocompeteonlyinthe
eventstheyenteredatregionmeet.Allindividualsordebateteamsfinishinginthetoptenintheireventatthe
regiontournamentwillqualifyforthestatemeet,unlesstheschoolexceedsthelimitationssetforthabove.In
debateevents,qualifiersmusthavea50Ͳ50%(winͲloss)record.Theremaynotbealternatesforthese
individuals.
Section7:RegionEntryRecommendations
Regionsmaydeterminetheirowntournamentmethods,althoughsignificantregioncompetitionisstrongly
recommended.Itisrecommendedthatall1Aand2Aregionspermiteachschooltobringamaximumofsix
contestantsinindividualeventsincludingspontaneousargumentationandstudentcongresstotheregion
meets.Itisrecommendedthatall3A,4Aand5Aregionspermiteachschooltobringamaximumoffour
participantsineachDebateEvent,andthreeIndividualEventsparticipantsineachcategorytotheregionmeets.
RegionsmaychoosetobringfourfromeachschoolinStudentCongress.
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Section8:AlternatesandSubstitution
AllalternatesandsubstitutesmustbeclearedbytheStateTournamentDirectorpriortothebeginningofthe
StateMeet.AnalternatemusthavebeenlistedonofficialregionresultssubmittedtotheUHSAAandmust
competeinonlytheeventinwhichsheorheislistedasanalternate.Inplacingthealternatethecoach/advisor
shouldcontacthis/herRegionRepresentativeassoonastheneedforplacingthealternateisknown.
CHAPTERIII–StateTournaments
ArticleI–GeneralInstructions
Section1:StateTournamentEvents
TheUHSAAStateTournamentshallconsistofthefollowingevents:
3A,4A,5A:Impromptu,OriginalOratory,ForeignExtemporaneous,NationalExtemporaneous,Congress,Lincoln
DouglasDebate,PublicForumDebate,Policy(CX)Debate
1A,2A:Impromptu,OriginalOratory,Extemporaneous,Congress,SpontaneousArgumentation(SPAR),Lincoln
DouglasDebate,PublicForumDebate
ProposalsforchangestotheUHSAAStateTournamenteventlineupmayonlybeintroducedandvotedononce
everythreeyearsbeginningwiththe2015SpringCoachesmeeting.
Section2:Qualification
AnystudentparticipatingintheStateTournamentmusthavequalifiedthroughhisorherschool'sregionalmeet.
Section3:IndividualEntryLimits
3A,4A,5A:NostudentmayparticipateinmorethanoneeventattheStateTournament.Itisrecommended
thatallregionalmeetsbeconductedonthesamebasis.
2A:StudentsmayenterLincolnDouglas,PublicForum,orStudentCongressandoneotherindividualevent
(includingSpontaneousArgumentation)onboththeregionalandstatelevels.
1A:StudentsmayenterLincolnDouglas,PublicForum,orSpontaneousArgumentationDebateandoneother
individualevent(includingStudentCongress)onboththeregionalandstatelevels.
Section4:MissedRounds
AnyparticipantattheStateForensicTournamentwhomissesaroundorsessionofaneventwillnotbeeligible
forafinalratingorteamsweepstakespoints.
Section5:JudgeRestrictionsforContestants
Anystudentwhoknowinglyallowshimselforherselftobejudgedbyanyofthefollowingindividuals,without
informingthemeetdirectors,atanyoftheStateTournamentsshallbedisqualifiedandshallloseall
sweepstakespoints:
A. Anyjudgejudgingforhisorherschool.
B. Anyalumnusfromhisorherschool.
C. Anystudentteacherassignedtohis/herschool.
D. Anyadultwhohasworkedforhis/herschoolinthepasttwoyears.
E. Anypersonwhomaybeconstruedtohaveabiasforaparticipant.
Section6:JudgeRequirements
Alljudgesmustbehighschoolgraduatedandwheneverpossible,havesomeknowledgeofdebateorforensics
events.Itisalsotheresponsibilityofjudgestomakeagoodfaithefforttocomplywithallexpectationslistedin
Section5.
Section7:Judges’Codes
Alljudgesandparticipantsshouldbeassignedacode,whichwillidentifyconflictsofinterest.Innoway,
however,shouldaparticipantbeidentifiedaccordingtohisorherschool.Allcodelettersshouldbekept
throughouttheStateTournament.
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Section8:AlternateClearance
AllalternatesparticipatinginthestatetournamentmustbeclearedbytheStateTournamentDirectorsbefore
theStateTournamentbegins.
Section9:LateDrops
Schoolswhodropcontestantsonthedayofthestatetournamentwithoutduecausewillbefined$25foreach
participantdropped.
Section10:Ballots
OnlyUDCAapprovedballotsmaybeusedatstatetournaments.
Section11:Observers
Observerswillbepermittedinallroundsofallevents,theonlyexceptionisthataLincolnͲDouglascontestant
andPublicForumteamsintheBPanelcannotobservetheApanelandtheAPanelcannotobservetheBpanel.
Contestantsandjudgeshavetherighttolimitobservers.Violatorswillforfeitthatround.Anyobserverflowing
ordisruptingaroundwillbeejectedfortheroundandtheiraffiliatedcontestantsmaybedisqualified.
Observersmaynothavelaptopsoranyotherelectronicdevicesintheround.
Section12:RecordingNotAllowed
NoaudioorvideorecordingofanyroundsispermissibleintheStateSpeechandDebateTournament.
Section13:Awards
AwardswillbegivenaslistedintheUHSAAYearbook.
Section14:BallotReview
Ballotswillbesortedinthetabroomandcoacheswillbeallowedtoreviewthemataspecifiedtime.
Section15:EventTimeLimits
TimelimitsforeventsintheStateForensicTournamentsshallbestrictlyenforced.
Section16:TimeLimittoAppearforRounds
Contestantsineacheventmustbeintheirassignedroomandtheroundmustbeginwithin15minutesofthe
postedbeginningtime.Ateamorindividualwhofailstocomplywillforfeitthatroundandlosesweepstakes
points.
Section17:SchoolstoprovideJudges
Schoolswhofailtosupplytheirallottedjudgeswillbefined$100.00perjudge.
A. Schoolsarerequiredtosupplythefollowingqualifiedjudges:
1. Onejudgeforonetotwodebateteams
2. Twojudgesforthreedebateteams
3. OnejudgeforonetofourI.E.contestants
4. TwojudgesforfivetoeightI.E.contestants
5. OnejudgeforonetothreeL.D.contestants
6. OnejudgeforonetothreePublicForumteams
7. Afullslateisrequiredtobringaminimumofsixjudges.
B. Eachjudgemustbeavailableforassignmentsoneroundbeyondtheeliminationofallstudentsfromthat
school.Alljudgesmustbeavailableforallroundsheldpriortotheawardsassembly.Eachschoolmusthave
oneL.D.judge,onePublicForumandonePolicyjudgewithentriesinL.D.,PublicForumorPolicyavailable
foreliminationrounds.Failuretoabidetheseruleswillresultinapenaltyfineof$25.
C. RegionRepsareresponsibleforsecuringCongressjudges.
Section18:EntrySubstitution
Ifaschoolqualifiesmorecompetitorsthantherulesallowinaparticularevent,thecoachmaychoosetobring
theextraqualifiertoreplacearegionentry.
A. Extrasinoneeventcanonlybeenteredifallentriesinthateventqualifiedoutrightattheregiontournament.
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B. Underthisruleastudentmayonlybeenteredinaneventinwhichtheycompetedattheregion
tournament.
C. NonͲexistingentriesmaynotbedroppedtomeetthelimitoverall(substitutionsmayonlybemadeforslots
filledattheregiontournament).
D. Entrylimitsshallnotbeexceeded:
1. Thetotalnumberofentriesperschoolshallnotexceed25for3A,4Aand5A,norshallitexceed24for
2A,nor22for1A.
2. Apolicyorpublicforumteamcountsastwoentriesforthepurposesofsubstitution.Twoindividual
entrieswouldneedtobedroppedtoenteranadditionalpolicyorpublicforumteam.Droppingapolicy
orpublicforumteamwouldallowtwoslotsineventswherestudentscompeteindividuallyprovidedthe
eventlimitisnotexceeded.
3. Nomorethanoneextraentrypereventmaybemadeinthestatetournament.(Nomorethanfour
entriesinindividualordebateeventsshallbeallowedin1Aand2A.Nomorethanthreeentriesin
individualevents,normorethanfourindebateeventsshallbeallowedin3A,4Aand5A.)
Section19:TabRoom
Thestatetournamentdirectorwillappointtwopersonspertaskinthetabroom.Thesepeoplemayinclude
StateSpeechCommitteemembers,classificationrepresentatives,regionrepresentatives,aswellasanyothers
appointedbythetournamentdirector.Anycoachwillbeallowedtoviewballotsandresultsassoonasthey
becomeavailable.Aballotreviewisrequiredbeforefinalroundsareposted.Thestatetournamentdirectorwill
beopentoanyquestionsand/orcomments.
Section20:ProtestProcedures
A. EverycoachshouldtakethetimetocopytheUHSAAstaterulesforthecompetitorsineveryeventtoensure
thattheirstudentsunderstandtherulesandthattheyunderstandtheviolationoftherulescouldresultin
theirdisqualification.
B. ProtestsshouldbereportedtotheUHSAArepresentative,regionrepresentativeortournamentdirector,
whothenreportstheviolationtothecoachwhoseschoolisinvolvedintheviolation.Alleffortsshouldbe
madetodeterminethevalidityofthecomplaint.Ifthecomplaintisfoundtobevalid,theindividual
receivingtheprotestreportstothestatetournamentcommittee(UHSAAorregionrepresentativeor
tournamentdirector)withoutdisclosingtheschoolthatwasinvolvedintheviolation.Theissueisdiscussed
andadecisionastowhatactionisbythemajorityofthecommittee.
ArticleII–SweepstakesPoints
Section1:Quartiling
Allcontestants(includingdisqualifications,drops,noshows,etc.)ineachcategoryshallberankedinorderof
finish.Thecategoryshallthenbedividedintoequalfourths.Oddnumbersshallbeplacedinthehighestfourth
possible(oneoddnumbershallbeaddedtothefirstquarter;twooddnumbersshalladdonetoeachofthetwo
highestquarters,etc.).Thefirstquartershallbe‘Superiors’,thesecondquartershallbe‘Excellents’,thethird
quartershallbe‘Goods’,andthefinalquartershallbe‘Fairs’.
Section2:SweepstakesPoints
PointsaretobescoredasfollowsfortheStateForensicTournaments:
CXandPF
Other
Rating
Debate
Events
Superior
10
5
Excellent
6
3
Good
2
1
Fair
0
0
Section3:QuartileBreaks
Whenquartilesdonotbreakcleanly,adjustmentwillbemadeinthedirectionwhichleastskewsthequartile.
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Forexample:Iftensuperiorsareneededandthechoiceisbetweenninesuperiorsorseventeensuperiors,nine
willbeusedsinceitmorecloselyapproximatesthequartile.Ifthenumberisthesame,regardlessofdirection,
thegreaternumbershouldbeused.
Section4:IndividualEventRankings
RankingsinallIndividualEventsshallbebasedoncumulativeranksinpreliminaryrounds.Tiesshallbebroken
byconsideringreciprocalrankswhichgivespreferencetothespeakerwiththegreatestnumberof1s,greatest
numberof2sandsoon.Unavoidabletiesshallincreasethehigherquartilebythenumberinvolvedand
decreasethelowerquartilebythesamenumber.
Section5:DebateEventRankings
RankingsinPolicy,PublicForum,LincolnͲDouglas,andSpontaneousArgumentationDebateshallbebasedon
winͲlossrecordsinpreliminaryrounds.Tiesshallnotbebrokenonspeakerpoints.Unavoidabletiesshall
increasethehigherquartilebythenumberofteamsinvolvedanddecreasethelowerquartilebythesame
number.
Section6:SweepstakesTieBreakingProcedure(forallclassifications)
Iftwoschoolstieforeither1stor2ndplacesweepstakes,thefollowingtieͲbreakingprocedurewillbefollowed:
Thelowesttotalrankingscoreinalleventswinsthetie.Policy,PublicForumandLincolnͲDouglasDebatewillbe
brokenwith1forwinsand3forloss.Congresswillquartilebyjudge.Onlytiesfor1stand2ndplace
sweepstakeswillbebroken,allothersweepstakestieswillbelistedandannouncedasties.
ArticleIII–3A/4A/5ACX,PF,andLDDebate
Section1:Resolutions
ThePolicyDebateResolutionusedattheStateTournamentshallbethenationaltopic/resolutionforthecurrent
schoolyear.TheLincolnͲDouglasresolutionusedattheStateTournamentsshallbetheresolutiondesignatedby
theNationalSpeech&DebateAssociationoritssuccessororganizationforthemonthofMarch.ThePublic
ForumresolutionshallbethatdesignatedbytheNationalSpeech&DebateAssociationoritssuccessor
organizationforthemonthofMarch.
Section2:MaximumAllowableEntries
Themaximumnumberofentriesfor3A,4A,and5Aschoolisthree(3)policydebateteams,three(3)contestants
inLincolnͲDouglas,and3PublicForumteams,unlessusingthesubstitutionrule(Ch.3,Art.1,Sect.17).
Section3:ContestantCodes
AllDebateteams,PublicForumteams,andLincolnͲDouglascontestantswillbeidentifiedbynumbersinsucha
wayastoconcealtheschoolstheyrepresent.
A. Teamsandcontestantsshouldinnowayrevealtheirschoolidentitiestothejudgesorothercoaches,unless
theyareatournamentofficial.
B. Teamsandcontestantsshoulduseboththeirfirstandlastnamesforballoting.
C. Anofficiallistingofteamsandcontestantsandtheirschoolwillbeprovidedafterthecompletionofthe
StateForensicTournament.
Section4:WinͲlossRecords
WinͲlossRecordsofteamsorcontestantswillnotbemadeavailabletocompetitorsduringthestateforensics
tournament;howevertheserecordswillbeprovideduponthecompletionofthestateforensicstournament.
CoachesmayreviewthewinͲlossrecordoftheirteamsduringtheBallotReviewprocess.
Section5:LateSubstitution
SubstitutionofparticipantsaftertheStateForensicsTournamenthasbegunisillegal.Violatorswillbe
disqualified.
Section6:MaintenanceofPairings
PolicyDebateteams,PublicForumTeams,andLincolnͲDouglascontestantsmustdebateagainstthe
teams/individualstheyarescheduledtomeetandtheymustdebateonthesideofwhichtheyarescheduled.All
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roundsmustbefullycompleteinordertocountforsweepstakes.
Section7:JudgeRequirements
JudgesinthePolicydebate,PublicForum,andLincolnͲDouglasroundsmustadheretothefollowing
requirementsinordertoreceivepaymentfromtheStateForensicTournament:
A. Returnballotstothetabulationroomwithin15minutesoftheendoftheround.
B. Neverasktheteamswhichschooltheyrepresent.
C. Markthespeakerpointsontheballot
D. Confinealloftheircommentstotheballotsandmakenooralcritiques.
E. Judgesnocontestanttwiceduringthefivepreliminaryrounds.
F. MakeagoodfaithefforttocomplywithallexpectationslistedinArticleI,Section4ofthisChapter.
Section8:3A/4A/5APrelim.RoundsPairing
Wheneverpossible,pairingpreliminarydebateroundsforthe3A,4A,and5AStateForensicTournamentshall
beasfollows:
A. EachteamshalldebateoneteameachfromtheotherRegions
B. NoteamshallmeettwoteamsfromthesameRegioninthefirsttworounds.
C. Noteamwilldebatethesameschooltwiceinthefirsttworounds,exceptwhenaregionwithmoreteams
mustmeetaregionwithfewerteams.
D. Noteamshalldebateateamfromitsownschool.
Section9:3A/4A/5ARoundsIII,IV&VPairing
PairingroundsIIIandIVandVfordebateandLincolnͲDouglasfor3ͲA,4ͲA,and5ͲAStatesForensicTournaments
shallbeasfollows:
A. InroundsIII,IVandV,allmeasureswillbeusedtoguaranteeeachteamorcontestantafairnumberof
affirmativeandnegativerounds.
B. RoundIIIshallbepowermatched(basedonresultsofthefirsttworounds),highͲlow,byplacingteamsor
contestantswiththehighestspeakerpointsagainsttheteamsorcontestantswiththelowestpointsandthe
samewinͲlossrecord.
C. RoundIVshallbepowermatched(basedonresultsofthefirst3rounds),highͲlow,byplacingteamsor
contestantswiththehighestspeakerpointsagainsttheteamsorcontestantswiththelowestpointsandthe
samewinͲlossrecord.
D. RoundVshallbepowermatched(basedonresultsofthefirst4rounds),highͲlow,byplacingteamsor
contestantswiththehighestspeakerpointsagainsttheteamsorcontestantswiththelowestpointsandthe
samewinͲlossrecord.
E. Thesebracketswillbebrokenif:
1. Ateamorcontestantisscheduledtomeetanotherfromitsownschool.
2. Ateamorcontestantmeetsateam,whichithasmetpreviouslyinthepreliminaryrounds.
F. Whenbracketsarebrokenthenextlogicalbracketshallbepulleduptofitthepairingfromthemiddleofthe
lowerbracket.
Section10:3A/4A/5ADebate&L.D.FinalRounds
Afterround5,quarterfinalswillbeheldunlesseither:(a)Thereisacleanbreakthatwouldallowapartialocto
roundof4orfeweradditionaldebaterstodebateintoquarterfinalsforthe7and8seeds(thisshouldbedone
onlyiftherearemorethan30originalcontestantsintheevent)or(b)quarterfinalswillbreakmorethan50%of
theparticipantsinthatevent.Ifthisisthecase,semiͲfinalswillbeheldinstead.FinalRoundsforDebateand
LincolnͲDouglasinthe3ͲA,4ͲA,and5ͲAStateForensicTournamentsshallbepairedasfollow:
A. Teamsorcontestantsfromthispointshallberanked1through8.Therankingofthetopeightteams(or
contestants)advancingwillbe:firstonthebasisofwinͲlossrecord;andsecondonthebasisofspeaker
points.Theseteamswillbebracketedaccordingtothefollowingschematic.Thebracketisnotadjustedto
avoidtwoteams(orcontestants)fromthesameschoolmeeting.
1seedvs.8seed
5seedvs.4seed
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3seedvs.6seed
2seedvs.7seed
B. Team1shallbepairedagainstteam8.Team2willbepairedagainstteam7,andsoon,settingupa
quarterfinalbracket.
C. WinnersofthequarterfinalroundswilldebateeachotherinasemiͲfinalround,followingthequarterfinal
bracketing,regardlessofpreliminaryrecords.SemiͲfinalwinnerswilldebateinafinalround.
D. Apanelofatleastthreejudgesshallbeusedintheseroundsandtheywillreceiveadditionalpayment.
E. Teamschoosingnottodebateeliminationroundsareineligibleforstatetournamentawardsunlessthe
eliminationparticipantsarefromthesameschool.
F. Afirstplacewillbeawardedtothewinnerofthefinalround.Theloserofthefinalroundwillbeawarded
secondplace.BothsemiͲfinalroundloserswillreceiveathirdplaceaward.
G. Ifparticipantsfromthesameschoolarescheduledtodebatethemselvesineliminationrounds,thecoachof
thatschoolmayeitherchoosetohavetheroundrunnormallywithapanelofjudges,ortheymaydecide
whichteamtoadvancewithoutdebating.TheirdecisiontoruntheroundmustbeannouncedtothetabͲ
roomwithin10minutesoftheroundbeingposted.Ifthecoachdecidestoadvanceateamwithout
debating,thatteammustbedeclaredtothetabͲroombeforetheendofthateliminationround(i.e.they
maynotwaittoseetheoutcomesoftheotherdebates).
H. Ifoneschoolclosesoutthebracketsuchthatnootherdebatescanoccurwithdifferentschools,those
contestantswillbeconsideredcoͲchampions.
ArticleIV–3A/4A/5AStudentCongress
Section1:NumberofHouses
Thereshallbeatleastonehouse.Iftherearemorethan25contestants,therewillbetwohousesofnotless
than13orlargerthan25membersineachforthepreliminaryrounds.Afinalsessionwillbeheldifthereare
twohouses.
Section2:EntryLimit
Noschoolmaybringmorethantworepresentativestostatestudentcongresstournament,unlessusingthe
substitutionrule(Ch.3,Art.1,Sect.17).
Section3:Legislation(3A,4A,5A)
AlllegislationwillbechosenselectedfromthecurrentUDCAdocketbythetournamentdirectorandregion
representativeswithsuggestionsfromcoachesofstudentswhoareparticipatinginthestatecongress
tournament.Thetournamentdocketwillbepublisheduptotwoweeksinadvanceofthestatetournament.
Section4:Operation
TheoperationoftheStateStudentCongressshallbeasfollows:
A. TheTournamentDirectorofeachstatetournamentshallappointanadultsupervisorforeachhouse.
B. ThescheduleoftheStateStudentCongressshallbearrangedtoprovideeachhousewithtwo,twoanda
halfͲhoursessionsofdebate.
C. StudentCongressshallfollowNFLrules.
D. Ineachhouse,thelegislatorsshallelectstudentpresidingofficerswhopresideforonehoureach.
E. Eachspeakershallbelimitedto5speechesforthepreliminarysession.Prioritywillberesetifthereisafinal
session.Servingaschaircountsasonespeech.
F. Atthecloseofthestudentcongress,thescorekeepershallrankthesenatorsinthesession(includingthe
presidingofficers)1through15.
G.Congresswillbetabulatedcumulatively.Studentsadvancingtothefinalsession,ifneeded,willhaveall
sessionscountedintheirrankingtodeterminethefinishorder.
H. Todeterminesweepstakespoints,thepointsofallscorekeepersshallbetotaled;andthenthetop¼shallbe
ratedsuperior,thenext¼excellent,thenext¼good,andtheremainder(inotherwordsthenext¼)fair.
Sweepstakespointsarebasedonpreliminarysessionscoresonly.
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ArticleV–3A/4A/5AIndividualEvents
Section1:EntryLimits
Noschoolmayentermorethantwoparticipantsinanyoneindividualevent,unlessusingtheparticipant
substitutionrule(Ch.3,Art.1,Sect.17).Nostudentmaybedoubleentered.
Section2:Events
Inthe3A,4A&5Astateforensictournamentscompetitionwilltakeplaceinthefollowingevents:
A. OriginalOratory
B. ImpromptuSpeaking
C. NationalExtemporaneousSpeaking
D.InternationalExtemporaneousSpeaking
Section3:NumberofPreliminaryRounds
Thereshallbefourpreliminaryroundsforeachindividualevent.
Section4:Pairing
Pairingshouldmeetthefollowingobjectives.
A. Thereshouldbeatleastfivestudentsinasection.Theremaybenomorethansevenstudentsinasection.
B. Thestudent’sspeakingordershouldvaryfromroundtoround.
C. Nostudentshouldbejudgedbythesamepersonmorethanonceinprelims.
Section5:SetUp
Thefollowingpreliminarystepsshouldbefollowed.
A. Allindividualeventscontestantswillbeidentifiedbynumbersinsuchawayastoconcealtheschoolsthey
represent.
B. Determinethenumberofsectionsconsistentwiththeobjectiveofnomorethansevencontestantsper
sectionandatleastfiveineachsection.
Section6:RecordingResults
Results,ranks,ratingsandtheschoolofeachspeakeraretoberecordedonachartlistingeachcontestant’s
codeandschool.Contestantsshallberanked1,2,3,4,5,6,7inallrounds.Tiedrankingsarenotpermitted.Ranks
mustbetruncatedtothesizeofthesmallestsectionintabulation.
Section7:FinalRounds
Finalroundsatthestatetournamentswillbedeterminedinthefollowingmanner:
A. Thebest6participantsorthecleanestbreakclosestto6willadvancetothefinalrounds.
B. Thesestudentsshallbeselectedfromthelowesttotalranksofalljudgesusedinthepreliminaryrounds.
C. Tiesforthefinalroundshallbebrokeninthefollowingmanner:
1. Reciprocalranks,whichgivespreferencetothespeakerwiththegreatestnumberof1s,greatest
numberof2s,andsoon
2. Drophighestandlowestrankings
D. Determinespeakerposition,rankorderthesixfinalcontestantsbasedupontotalaccumulatedranksfrom
thepreliminaryrounds.Speakerpositionshallbedeterminedbaseduponthefollowingformula:
1. 6thspeakerwiththehighestaccumulatedrank.
2. 5thspeakerwiththefifthlowestaccumulatedrank.
3. 4thspeakerwiththefourthlowestaccumulatedrank
4. 3rdspeakerwiththethirdlowestaccumulatedrank
5. 2ndspeakerwiththesecondlowestaccumulatedrank
6. 1stspeakerwiththelowestaccumulatedrank.
E.ThreeͲjudgepanelsshallbeusedinallfinalrounds.
F. Finalroundresultswillbebaseduponallpreliminaryroundscorespluseachofthethreefinalroundballots,
exceptinoriginaloratory,whereonlythefinalroundballotswillcount.
G. Tiesinthefinalroundshallbebrokenaccordingtothefinalcriteriainrankorder.
1. Lowestcumulativescorefromthefinalroundjudges.
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2. Judge’spreferenceinthefinalround.
3. Useofpreliminaryscoresasnotedinsection7c.
ArticleVI–1A/2ADebateEvents:PublicForum,LincolnDouglas,SpontaneousArgumentation
Section1:GeneralRules
1Aand2Aschoolswillcompeteinseparatetournaments.Thegeneralrulesforthe3A,4A,and5Atournaments
shallbefollowedexceptasnotedinthisarticle.
Section2:Resolutions
TheLincolnDouglasresolutionandthePublicForumresolutionusedatthe1Aand2AStateForensics
TournamentwillbetheresolutiondesignatedbytheNationalForensicLeagueforthemonthsofMarch.
Section3:PreliminaryRounds
ThepreliminaryroundsofLincolnDouglas,PublicForum,andSPARattheState1Aand2ATournamentsshall
meetthefollowingrequirements:
A. Allroundsshallbeginpromptlyfifteenminutesaftertheofficialpostings.
B. Debatersarerequiredtodebateagainsttheopponenttheyarepostedtodebateonthesidetheyare
postedtodebate.
C. Debaterswillbeidentifiedbynumberinsuchawayasnottorevealtheidentityoftheschoolthey
represent.
1. Teamsinnowayshouldrevealtheschooltheyrepresent.
2. AnofficiallistingofschoolsandteamswillbeprovidedattheconclusionoftheStateTournament.
D. WinͲLossrecordsofschools,squadsorteamswillbemadeavailableuponcompletionoftheState
Tournament.
E. Therewillbefourpreliminaryrounds.
1. 1A:Thefirstroundwillberandomlypairedoutsideofregion,unlessthetotalnumberofentriesistoo
smalltoallowoutsideofregionpairings.
2A:Thefirsttworoundswillberandomlypairedoutsideofregion,unlessthetotalnumberofentriesis
toosmalltoallowoutsideofregionpairings.
2. Eachdebatershallupholdoneaffirmativeandonenegativewheneverpossible.
3. Nodebatershallmeetanotherschoolmorethanonceunlessthesmallnumberofentriesand/orrandom
drawingofbyesmakethisunavoidable.
4. 1A:Inroundthree,eachdebater/partnershipisanindependentunit,andshallbepairedandassigned
sidesbaseduponitsownrecord.
2A:Debatersfromthesameschoolshallnotbepaired.
5. 1Aonly:Debatersthathavemetpreviouslyshouldnotmeetagainunlessmadenecessarybythetermsof
paragraphE(3)above.
6. 1Aonly:Debatersfromthesameschoolshallnotbepairedunlesstheyaretheonlyundefeateddebaters
remaining.
7. Advancedroundsshallbepairedasfollows.
a. Round3shallbepairedfromtherecordsofrounds1and2.
b. Round4shallbepairedfromtherecordofallpreliminaryrounds.
8. Followinground4,quarterfinalswillbeheldunlesseither:(a)Thereisacleanbreakthatwouldallowa
partialoctoroundof4orfeweradditionaldebaterstodebateintoquarterfinalsforthe7and8seeds
(thisshouldbedoneonlyiftherearemorethan30originalcontestantsintheevent)or(b)quarterfinals
willbreakmorethan50%oftheparticipantsinthatevent.Ifthisisthecase,semiͲfinalswillbeheld
instead.Inany1Adebateeventwith10orfewerentriestheeventmaybreakimmediatelytoafinalif
outcomespermit.FinalRoundsforPublicForum,LincolnDouglasandSPARinthe1A,and2AState
ForensicTournamentsshallbepairedasfollow:
a. Teamsorcontestantsshallbeseeded.Seedingwillbedetermined:firstonthebasisofwinͲloss
record;andsecondonthebasisofspeakerpoints.Bracketingwillbeasfollows.Bracketswillnot
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beadjustedtoavoidthesameschoolmeeting.
BreaktoQuarterͲFinal
BreaktoSemiͲFinal 1seedvs.4seed 1seedvs.8seed
2seedvs.3seed 5seedvs.4seed
3seedvs.6seed
2seedvs.7seed
b. WinnersofthequarterfinalroundswilldebateeachotherinasemiͲfinalround,followingthe
quarterfinalbracketing,regardlessofpreliminaryrecords.SemiͲfinalwinnerswilldebateinafinalround.
c. Apanelofatleastthreejudgesshallbeusedintheseroundsandtheywillreceiveadditional
payment.
d. Teamschoosingnottodebateeliminationroundsareineligibleforstatetournamentawardsunless
theeliminationparticipantsarefromthesameschool.
e. Afirstplacewillbeawardedtothewinnerofthefinalround.Theloserofthefinalroundwillbe
awardedsecondplace.BothsemiͲfinalroundloserswillreceiveathirdplaceaward.
f. Ifparticipantsfromthesameschoolarescheduledtodebatethemselvesineliminationrounds,the
coachofthatschoolmayeitherchoosetohavetheroundrunnormallywithapanelofjudges,or
theymaydecidewhichteamtoadvancewithoutdebating.Theirdecisiontoruntheroundmustbe
announcedtothetabͲroomwithin10minutesoftheroundbeingposted.Ifthecoachdecidesto
advanceateamwithoutdebating,thatteammustbedeclaredtothetabͲroombeforetheendof
thateliminationround(i.e.theymaynotwaittoseetheoutcomesoftheotherdebates).
g. Ifoneschoolclosesoutthebracketsuchthatnootherdebatescanoccurwithdifferentschools,
thosecontestantswillbeconsideredcoͲchampions.
9. Awards:Thewinnerofthefinalroundwillbechampion,theotherfinalparticipantwillbesecondand
thenonͲwinningsemiͲfinalparticipantswillbetiedforthird.
10. Whenbyesarenecessary,theywillbeplacedinthelowestpossiblebracketofthepowermatching.
ArticleVII–1A/2AStudentCongress
Section1:GeneralRules
Thegeneralrulesforthe3A,4A,and5Atournamentsshallbefollowedexceptasnotedinthisarticle.
Section2:Houses
1A:Allcongressparticipantswillbeseparatedintohousesofnomorethanforty.
2A:Thereshallbeatleastonehouse.Thereshallbemorethanonehouseiftherearemorethan22
contestants.Inthecaseofmultiplehouses,nohouseshallhavefewerthan11membersnormorethan22.If
morethanonehouseisusedthereshallbeafinalsession.
Section3:Seating
CongressparticipantsshallbepreͲseatedaccordingtoarandomlyplacedseatingchartasthecontestantsface
thechairorfrontofthechamber.Theparliamentarianwillseattheparticipantsaccordingtothechartprovided.
Thechartwillbereversedforthesecondsession.
Section4:NumberandLengthofSessions
Therewillbetwo,twoandahalfͲhoursessions.
Section5:ParliamentarianandScorekeepers
Therewillbeanadultparliamentarianandtwoadultscorekeepers.Scorekeeperswillchangeeachsession.
A. Theparliamentarianistosuperviseeachchamber,topresideintheeventastudentofficerbecomestoo
deeplyinvolvedinparliamentaryrules,tocorrecterrorsinprocedure,andtoforbidthesuspensionofthese
staterules.
B. Theparliamentarianwillsitnearthefrontoftheroomandwilltimethespeeches.
C. Theparliamentarianwillmarkthespeakingorderorverifythatsomeonewhodesirestospeakorhasnot
spokenbeforeorwhohasfewerspeecheshasprecedenceoversomeonewhohasspokenorhasspoken
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moreoften.
D. Thescorekeeperwillmarkachartinthesamemannerandwillmarktheballotswithrankingsandratings.
Section6:Legislation(1A,2A)
AlllegislationwillbechosenselectedfromthecurrentUDCAdocketbythetournamentdirectorandregion
representativeswithsuggestionsfromcoachesofstudentswhoareparticipatinginthestatecongress
tournament.Thetournamentdocketwillbepublisheduptotwoweeksinadvanceofthestatetournament.
Section7:FinalRankings
Finalrankingswillbebaseduponthecombinedscoringofratingsandrankingsfromthetworounds.Asubjective
numberingpercentageshallalsobegivenoneachballotinordertobreakpossibletiesifratingsandrankingsare
equal.Totalrankingsshalltakeprecedence,withratingsnext.Percentagetotalswillbreakfinalties.
Section8:FinalRatings
Forfinalrating,thecongresswillbequarteredwiththetopquartilereceivinga“superior,”2ndan“excellent,”
3rdquartilea“good,”andthebottomquartilea“fair.”Ifthereisanoddnumberinthequartile,theodd
competitorshallbemoveduponequartile.
ArticleVIII–1A/2AIndividualEvents
Section1:GeneralRules
Thegeneralrulesforthe3A,4A,and5Atournamentsshallbefollowedexceptasnotedinthisarticle.
Section2:PreliminaryRounds
A. Competitorsshallcompeteinthreepreliminaryroundsandafinalroundforfinalists.
B. Ifthenumberofqualifiersmakesitpossible,competitorsfromthesameschoolshallnotbepairedinthe
sameroundswitheachotherinthefirsttworounds.
C. AllpreliminaryroundsarepreͲset.Ifaneventhasmorethanonepanel,participantsshouldbeindifferent
panelsineachroundasfaraspossible.
D. Ratingsattheregiontournamentsarenottobeconsideredforseedinginanyoftheroundsatthestate
tournament.
E. Eachcompetitorwillreceiveadifferentspeakingpositioneachround,ifpossible.
Section3:FinalRounds
A. Thefinalroundissetwithtopcontestantsfromthepreliminaryrounds.
B. Thereshallbethreeormorejudgesinfinalroundcompetition.
C. Thebest6participantsorthecleanestbreakclosestto6willadvancetothefinalrounds.
D. Inthefinalround,previousspeakingtotalrankingswillindicateplacementasfollows:
1. 6thspeaker,highestaccumulatedrank.
2. 5thspeaker,fifthlowestaccumulatedrank.
3. 4thspeaker,forthlowestaccumulatedrank.
4. 3rdspeaker,thirdlowestaccumulatedrank.
5. 2ndspeaker,secondlowestaccumulatedrank.
6. 1stspeaker,lowestaccumulatedrank.
Section4:Ranking
Contestantsshallberanked1,2,3,4,5,5,5inallrounds.
Section5:FinalRankings
Finalrankingswillbebaseduponallpreliminaryroundscorespluseachofthethreefinalroundballots,except
inoriginaloratory,whereonlythefinalroundballotswillcount.Ifatiestillexists,highandlowjudge
evaluationswillbedroppedandthescoresadjustedforfinalists.
Section6:FinalRatings
Finalratingsareawardedonperformanceofthefirstthreeroundsbyquartiling.
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CHAPTERIV–EventSpecificRules
ArticleI–ExtemporaneousSpeaking
Section1:TimingRules
A.Thetimelimitis7minutesmaximumwith30minutespreparation.
B.Thebeginningofanextemporaneousroundwillbedesignatedbythestartofthedrawforthefirstspeaker.
Oncethedrawhasstarted,studentswillnotbeallowedtousetheinternetorcellphones.Anystudentfoundin
violationwillforfeittheroundorbecomedisqualifiedfromthetournament(Ch.1,Art.IV,SectionE).Theround
isoverforeachspeakeroncetheyhavespoken.Cellphoneuseandinternetareonlyprohibitedduringrounds.
Section2:GeneralRules
A. Nonotesorvisualaidsmaybeusedduringtheactualspeakingtime.Useofnotesorvisualaidswillresultin
thestudentbeingrankedlastintheround.
B. Outsidecoachinginthepreparationroomisabsolutelyforbidden.
ArticleII–ImpromptuSpeaking
Section1:TimingRules
Thetimelimitshallbe7minutesmaximum(thespeakerwilldeterminethedivisionofthistimebetween
preparationandspeaking.
Section2:GeneralRules
A. Nonotesorvisualaidsmaybeusedduringtheactualspeakingtime.Useofnotesorvisualaidswillresultin
thestudentbeingrankedlastintheround.
B. Theparticipantwillbeaskedtospeakonatopicthatwillreflecthisorhergeneralknowledgeinthe
followingareas:oneroundofoneͲwordͲabstracts,oneroundofsocialvaluequestions,andoneround
famousquotations.
ArticleIII–Oratory
Section1:TimingRules
Thetimelimitistobe7minutesminimumand10minutesmaximum.Agraceperiodwillbeallowedwherethe
oratorywillnotbepenalizedforeithergoing15secondsovertimeor15secondsundertime.
Section2:GeneralRules
A. Nonotesorvisualaidsmaybeusedduringtheactualspeakingtime.Useofnotesorvisualaidswillresult
inthestudentbeingrankedlastintheround.
B. Theoratorymustbetheoriginalworkoftheparticipantandshouldreflectsubjectswhicharetimelyand
significanttooursociety.
C. Notmorethantenpercentofthematerialshallbequotedorparaphrased.Originaloratorieswhichhave
beenlargelyparaphrasedfrompreviousoratoriesareineligible.Alsothosewhichhavebeenusedinany
competitionduringthepreviousschoolyear(priortoJune10)areineligible.
D. AllqualifierstotheStateMeetmusthavesubmittedacopyoftheiroriginaloratoryoneweekinadvanceto
thestateforensicrepresentative.Thiscopyshouldbetypewrittenanddoublespaced.Allquotedmaterials
shouldbesospecifiedwithanappropriatebibliographyattached.
ArticleIV–SpontaneousArgumentation(SPAR)
Section1:TimingRules
1min.Prep
2min.AffirmativeConstructive
2min.NegativeConstructive
3min.CrossExamination
1min.AffirmativeRebuttal
1min.NegativeRebuttal
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Section2:GeneralRules
SPARatregionandstatetournamentsfor1A,2Aand3Awillbeassignedsides,withanequalnumberof
AffirmativeandNegativeforeachcompetitor.Onetopicwillbegiventothecompetitorsbythejudges,withthe
preparationtimestartingwiththeannouncementofthetopic.Ajudgewilldecideawinnerandwillassign
speakerpoints.SPARwillberecordedasadebateevent.
ArticleV–LincolnͲDouglasDebate
Section1.Description:
LincolnDouglasdebateisaneventinwhichastudentcompetesagainstanotherstudenttodiscussaffirmative
andnegativeargumentsofvalue.Topicscenteraroundthequestionofwhatoughttobeinsteadofwhatis.For
example,manytopicsinvokeconceptslikejustice,morality,andduty.TheLincolnͲDouglasdebaterlearnsvalue
analysis,researchskills,logicalargumentation,politicaltheoryandphilosophy,techniquesforaskingand
answeringquestions,effectivenotetaking,andoralpresentationskills.
Section2.Resolution:
TopicsusedinthisareawillbethesameastopicsdesignatedbytheNationalForensicLeague.The
November/DecembertopicisannouncedinTheRostrumonOctober1,theJanuary/Februarytopicis
announcedonDecember1,andtheMarch/ApriltopicisannouncedonFebruary1.Schoolsnotbelongingtothe
NFLmaycontacttheStateForensicsRepresentativefortheofficialtopic.TheStateTournamentwillusethe
March/Apriltopic.TheUDCAstronglyencouragesRegionTournamentstousetheStateTournamenttopic.
Section3.OrderofSpeeches:
Eachdebatermustgiveoneconstructivespeech,oneperiodofquestioning,oneperiodofanswering,andone
rebuttalspeech,inthefollowingorder:
AffirmativeConstructive:6Minutes
NegativeCrossExamination:3Minutes
NegativeConstructive:7Minutes
AffirmativeCrossExamination:3Minutes
AffirmativeRebuttal:4Minutes
NegativeRebuttal:6Minutes
AffirmativeRebuttal:3Minutes
PrepTime:4Minutesperdebater
Section4.Explanation:
Onlytwospeakersareinvolved,onefulfillingtheaffirmativeresponsibilitiesandtheothernegative.Emphasisis
placedupontheissuesinvolvedratherthanuponstrategyindevelopingthecase.Becauseoftimelimits,a
wealthofevidencecannotbeused,butresearchsupportedbygoodbackgroundreadingisnecessary.Debaters
areencouragedtodevelopargumentationbaseduponavaluesperspective.Avalueisanidealheldby
individuals,societies,governments,etc.Thedebateshouldfocusonlogicalreasoningtosupportageneral
principleinsteadofparticularplansandcounterͲplans.Debatersmayoffergeneralized,practicalexamplesor
solutionstoillustratehowthegeneralprinciplecouldguidedecisions.
ArticleVI–PublicForum(PF)Debate
Section1.Description:
PublicForumDebateisaudiencefriendlydebate.Twopairs(teams)debatemonthlycontroversialtopicsripped
fromnewspaperheadlines.Roundsbeginwithacointossbetweenthecompetingteamstodeterminesideand
order(ProͲConorConͲPro).PublicForumtestsskillsinargumentation,crossͲexamination,andrefutation.PF
focusesonadvocacyofapositionderivedfromtheissuespresentedintheresolution,notaprescribedsetof
burdens.
Section2.Resolution:
TopicsusedinthisareawillbethesameastopicsdesignatedbytheNationalForensicLeague.TheFebruary
topicisannouncedonJanuary1,andtheMarchtopicisannouncedonFebruary1.Schoolsnotbelongingtothe
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NFLmaycontacttheStateForensicsRepresentativefortheofficialtopic.TheStateTournamentwillusethe
Marchtopic.TheUDCAstronglyencouragesRegionTournamentstousetheStateTournamenttopic.
Section3.OrderofSpeeches:
PriortoEVERYroundandinthepresenceofthejudge(s),acoinistossedbyoneteamandcalledbytheother
team.Theteamthatwinstheflipmaychooseoneoftwooptions:EITHERtheSIDEofthetopictheywishto
defend(proorcon)ORtheSPEAKINGPOSITIONtheywishtohave(beginthedebateorendthedebate).The
remainingoption(SIDEORSPEAKINGPOSITION)isthechoiceoftheteamthatlosestheflip.Oncespeaking
positionsandsideshavebeendetermined,thedebatebegins(theconteammaylead,dependingonthecoin
flipresults).
FirstSpeakerͲTeamA4Minutes
FirstSpeakerͲTeamB4Minutes
Crossfire(firstquestionbyspeakerAl)3Minutes
SecondSpeakerͲTeamA4Minutes
SecondSpeakerͲTeamB4Minutes
Crossfire(firstquestionbyA2)3Minutes
SummaryͲFirstSpeakerͲTeamA2Minutes
SummaryͲFirstSpeakerͲTeamB2Minutes
GrandCrossfire3Minutes
FinalFocusͲSecondSpeakerͲTeamA2Minutes
FinalFocusͲSecondSpeakerͲTeamB2Minutes
PrepTime2Minutesperteam
ArticleVII–Policy(CX)Debate
Section1:Description:
Debatersworkinpairs(teams)toaddresstheschoolyear'stopic,eitherfromtheaffirmativeside(toproposea
plantosolveaproblemwiththetopic),orthenegativeside(toprovehowtheaffirmative'splanisflawed).
Argumentationincludesaconstructivecase,crossexamination,andrefutation.Skillslearnedincluderesearch,
policyanalysis,casebuilding,refutation,questioning,organizationandcommunication.
Section2:Resolution:
Theresolutionwillbeonerequiringapolicyjudgment.TheNationalFederationofStateHighSchool
Associations(NFHS)determinesitannually.
2013Ͳ2014ProposedResolution:
Resolved:TheUnitedStatesfederalgovernmentshouldsubstantiallyincreaseitseconomicengagement
towardCuba,Mexico,orVenezuela.
Section4:Novicelimitations:SeeCh.1.Art.IIISec.4
Section3:OrderofSpeeches:
Eachdebatermustgiveoneandonlyoneconstructivespeech,oneperiodofquestioning,oneperiodof
answering,andonerebuttalspeech,inthefollowingorder:
AffirmativeConstructiveSpeech:8minutes
NegativeCrossExaminesAffirmative:3minutes
NegativeConstructiveSpeech:8minutes
AffirmativeCrossExaminesNegative:3minutes
AffirmativeConstructiveSpeech:8minutes
NegativeCrossExaminesAffirmative:3minutes
NegativeConstructiveSpeech:8minutes
AffirmativeCrossExaminesNegative:3minutes
NegativeRebuttal:5minutes
AffirmativeRebuttal:5minutes
NegativeRebuttal:5minutes
AffirmativeRebuttal:5minutes
PrepTime:5minutesperteam
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Section4:Explanation:
Debateisapersuasiveeventwhereopposingspeakerspresentargumentsforandagainstapredetermined
resolutionandstrivetoinfluencepeopletoadoptorrejecttheproposedplanofaction.Debateisessentiallyan
intellectualpursuit,resultinginthegrowthofthethoughtprocess.Theaffirmativehastheburdenofproofin
thattheymustsupportanassignedresolutionthroughacaseandplanwhichserveasanexample.Thenegative
teammustclashthroughanyofseveralapproaches,includingbutnotlimitedto:directclash,planmeetneedor
advantage,disadvantages,counterplans,critiques,oranycombinationofdebatingparadigms.Complete
examinationofdebateisimpossibletosummarizeinafewparagraphsforthismanual.Itisrecommendedthat
acoachorstudentseriouslywishingtounderstandthiseventconsultadebatetextbookorattendoneofany
numberifsummerworkshopsofferedonthissubject.
ArticleVII–RulesofEvidence
Section1:ResponsibilitiesofContestantsReadingEvidence:
A. Thecontestantisresponsibleforthevalidityofallevidencetheyreadinthedebate.
B. InallroundsofLDandPublicForumDebate,debatersshould,ataminimum,orallydelivertitleofthe
sourceandtheauthor'sname.InPolicyDebate,alldebatersshallorallydeliverthenameoftheauthoror
titleofsource(E.G.titleofbook,notchapter;titleofjournal,notarticle),andcompletedate.
C. Inallroundsofdebate,completecitationsforeachpieceofevidenceintroducedintheroundmustbe
availableintheround.Writtencitationsmustincludenameoftheauthor,qualifications,completetitleof
source(E.G.titleofbook,notchapter;titleofjournal,notarticle),andcompletedate.
Section2:ResponsibilitiesofThoseChallengingEvidence:
A. Indictmentsorprotestsofthevalidityofevidencemustbemadeonsubstantivegroundsandinatimely
manner.
B. Achallengermusthaveeithertheoriginalsourceoramechanicalcopyofthesourcebeingcited,or
C. AchallengermustdemonstratethatareasonablesearchhasnotbeenabletolocatethesourceͲͲ
mechanicalcopiesofrelevantpagesinBooksinPrint,etc.
Section3:DefinitionsofNonͲexistentEvidenceorEvidenceWhichSeriouslyDistortstheIntentionofthe
OriginalSource:
A. Seriousdistortionexistswhentheevidenceitselfcontainsaddedordeletedword(s)whichdonotclarifybut
infactchangethepositionoftheauthorwithrespecttotheissuesinquestion.
B. NonͲexistentevidencemeansthatareasonablesearchisunabletoproducetheoriginalsourceand/orthe
debaterreadingtheevidenceisunabletoprovidetheoriginalsourceoramechanicalcopyoftherelevant
pages.Theevidencecitedisnotlocatedintheoriginalsourcecited.
Section4:PenaltiesforNonͲexistentEvidenceorEvidenceWhichSeriouslyDistortstheIntentionofthe
OriginalSource:
A. Ifanevidenceviolationispresentedwhereadebaterisfoundtohavecommitteda“seriousdistortion”
ortohaveused“nonͲexistentevidence”,attheconclusionofdueprocess,theoffendingdebater(s)may
bedisqualifiedfromthetournament.Dependingontheseverity,anoffensewillresultinnotificationof
saidoffensetotheirhighschooladministration.
ChapterV–TournamentDirectorandRegionRepresentatives
ArticleI.TournamentCommitteeResponsibilities
Section1:CommitteeMembers
TournamentCommitteemembersshallincludethetournamentdirector(s)andeachoftheregion
representativesandtheUHSAArepresentative.
Section2:CommitteeMemberDecisionͲMakingNotCoveredwithintheRules
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TheTournamentDirector(s),inconsultationwiththeRegionRepresentativesandUHSAArepresentative,hasthe
authoritytorulepromptlyandinthespiritofgoodsportsmanshiponanysituationnotspecificallycoveredin
therules.
Foradditionaldebateresourcespleasevisitwww.utahdebatecoaches.org
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