By-Laws

Article I. Dues and Fees

Section A. Dues

1. Annual membership dues shall be charged by the Washington Area Speech and Debate League to all member schools.

2. Dues for any given year must be paid prior to participation in any League tournaments for that year.

3. Annual dues are established each year at the Fall Meeting of the Executive Committee. Dues may be based on a school’s number of entries at WASDL Preliminary Tournaments in the previous competition (school) year, and a separate rate may be set for schools joining the League for the first time or returning to League membership after a three-year absence. The League shall publish the dues for the year following the Fall Meeting.

4. Dues cover all entries at all preliminary tournaments in all events, apart from the late-entry and drop fees in Article III. Entries at MetroFinals are subject to the fees in Section C.

5. Any proposed dues increase exceeding ten percent (10%) shall be proposed as an amendment with the notice required by Constitution Article VIII, Section B.

Section B. Eligibility Fee for NCFL Grand National Tournament

Any student who has won a qualification for participation at the NCFL Grand National Tournament must meet the following deadlines:

1. By the date determined by the President of the League following MetroFinals, a commitment fee, as set by the President and Secretary-Treasurer of the League, must be received by the President of the League.

a. This commitment fee will be used by the WASDL to meet the NCFL Grand National Tournament registration fees and other WASDL expenses for that tournament.

b. An additional deposit may be mandated by the Executive Committee for transportation to that tournament.

2. By the date determined by the President of the League following MetroFinals, a commitment form to participate at the NCFL Grand National Tournament must be received by the President. This form must be signed (electronic signatures accepted) by the student, the coach of the student, a parent or guardian of the student, and the principal of the member school.

3. If a student qualifies for the NCFL Grand National Tournament in more than one event, the student must choose one event, and the student’s coach must notify the President of that choice within two weeks after MetroFinals.

4. A student qualified in more than one event is required to pay the commitment fee and submit the commitment form only once for any single NCFL Grand National Tournament.

5. If a student decides not to participate in the NCFL Grand National Tournament after the commitment fee has been paid, the fee will not be refunded.

6. Deadlines set by the NCFL shall supersede the WASDL deadlines.

Section C. Fees for MetroFinals

1. A registration fee will be paid for each student entered in MetroFinals. Such fees will be used by the League to hire additional judges in order to provide multiple judge panels.

a. The fee shall be $10.00 per student in every event, so that a two-person team pays $20.00.

b. A student entered in two Speech events pays the fee once.

2. The Executive Committee may adjust the MetroFinals fees.

Article II. League Tournaments

Section A. Preliminary Tournaments

The WASDL shall sponsor a number of preliminary tournaments during the school year.

Section B. Metropolitan Championship Tournament (MetroFinals)

The WASDL shall sponsor a Metropolitan Championship Tournament (“MetroFinals”) in all events. MetroFinals determine the League champions in all events and, in events offered by the NCFL, the diocesan qualifiers to the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

Section C. Calendar of League Events

The calendar of the League events for the following year shall be prepared by a committee appointed by the President and presented to the Executive Committee at the Spring Meeting.

Section D. League Officer Decisions

Individual decisions of any officer of the League (President, Vice President for Policy Debate, Vice President for Speech, Vice President for Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Vice President for Student Congress, Vice President for Public Forum Debate, Tournament Director for Policy Debate, Tournament Director for Speech, Tournament Director for Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Tournament Director for Student Congress, Tournament Director for Public Forum Debate, Tournament Director for Middle School Public Forum Debate) may be appealed immediately by any coach or coach's representative on the day of the tournament. Appeals will be heard immediately by the President, the Secretary-Treasurer, the Vice President for the event, and the Tournament Director for the event. In the event of the absence of an officer, their designee will be involved. In the absence of an officer and their designee, the three highest-ranking officers at the tournament will be involved in the decision. Both the person making the appeal and the League officer whose decision is in dispute will present their cases at the same time, and each will have at least five minutes to present their case and for cross-examination. The officer whose decision is being contested may not vote on the issue. A two-thirds (⅔) vote of the remaining League officers named above will decide the issue.

Article III. Preliminary Tournaments

Section A. General Rules

1. The League shall sponsor preliminary tournaments each year in Policy Debate, Speech, Student Congress, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Public Forum Debate.

a. Policy Debate shall consist of four sections: Varsity, Junior Varsity, Novice, and Middle School.

b. Speech shall consist of twelve events: Declamation, Dramatic Performance, Duo Interpretation, Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Informative Speaking, Oral Interpretation, Original Oratory, Middle School Declamation, Middle School Dramatic Performance, Middle School Duo Interpretation, and Middle School Oral Interpretation.

c. Student Congress shall provide experience for student legislators, novice student legislators, Middle School student legislators, and Presiding Officers.

d. Lincoln-Douglas Debate shall provide competition in values debate and consist of four sections: Varsity, Junior Varsity, Novice, and Middle School.

e. Public Forum Debate shall provide competition in a clash of ideas in a persuasive manner that can be understood by a “lay” judge. Competition shall be offered in Varsity, Junior Varsity, Novice, and Middle School sections.

2. In a given tournament, double entry will be permitted only within Speech categories. NO student may double enter in the same Speech category at a preliminary Speech tournament. NO student may double enter in both the Middle School and Open versions of the same event.

3. Preliminary Tournaments shall consist of three or four rounds as determined by the Vice President for the event in consultation with the President of the WASDL. The number of rounds shall be announced not later than the close of Tournament Registration. Any change in the previously announced number of rounds – for example, from 4 to 3 due to building constraints, registration needs, or delays in tournament operations – should be made as early as possible, before or during the tournament.

4. In the event that a judge fails to show up for a round of competition after competition has begun, the school represented by the judge shall be fined thirty dollars ($30.00) for each round missed. In the event that a school drops a judge from a school’s registration after the drop deadline published for the tournament on Tabroom.com, the school making the drop shall be fined one hundred twenty dollars ($120.00) for each judge dropped. In the event that a school provides judges that are determined by the Vice President to not be qualified to judge their assigned events, the school will not be allowed to compete in that event at the next WASDL tournament and will incur fines for each missed round.

a. In the event that a school drops an entry from a school’s registration after the drop deadline published for the tournament on Tabroom.com, the school making the drop shall be fined ten dollars ($10.00) for each entry dropped, and twenty-five dollars ($25.00) in the case of a drop from MetroFinals. In the event that a drop was not reported at check-in and is discovered, the school shall be fined an additional ten dollars ($10.00) for each entry dropped, and twenty-five dollars ($25.00) in the case of an unreported drop from MetroFinals.

b. A school will not be allowed to compete in subsequent tournaments until all fines under this section are paid. Appeals must be presented to the President of the League within forty-eight (48) hours of the completion of the tournament.

5. Housekeeping at the WASDL tournaments.

a. Students and judges shall return each competition room to its original configuration after every round. Final responsibility for the clean-up and proper order of each tournament room rests with the school of the judge in the final round of the day.

b. If this responsibility is not upheld, the school of the judge involved will be ineligible to participate in the next WASDL tournament.

c. This instruction shall be published with each tournament’s listing on Tabroom.com.

d. In Policy Debate, the Tab Room will designate one of the teams in each room during Round I of the tournament to be responsible for the housekeeping of that room. This team must ensure that the room is returned to its pre-debate condition at the end of the last round of the tournament. If a room is not returned to its pre-debate condition at the end of the tournament, the team responsible for that room will forfeit any qualifications to MetroFinals or the NCFL Grand National Tournament, and the team will be disqualified from the next WASDL tournament.

6. Competitors may use computers and other electronic devices in rounds and sessions of Student Congress, Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, and Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and in the Extemporaneous Speaking Preparation Room, where internet research is permitted (III.E.3.g). Otherwise, competitors may not use them during competition, except as needed to compete in an online tournament. Judges and tournament officials may use devices for Tabroom.com ballots and timing. In Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking preparation, and Student Congress, communication with any persons other than the competitors or judges in the round is not allowed. Competitors violating this rule will be disqualified from competition. No guarantee of power or of internet connectivity should be presumed. Students wishing to use digital devices must be responsible for providing these resources and for having an alternative plan if the digital devices fail. All evidence and cases presented in a round must be available to the opponents and judges as requested.

7. Video and/or audio recording of any round of competition, or portion thereof, is prohibited. Violators of this rule will be disqualified from the competition and/or dismissed from the tournament and asked to leave the tournament’s facilities. If this disqualification or dismissal results in a judge missing a round, allowable fines will be incurred.

8. Except as provided in the rules for Informative Speaking (III.E.8), no visual or audio-visual aids are permitted in any event.

9. When a tournament is held online, the Vice President for each event shall publish any changes to these rules needed to run it, such as the schedule, check-in, device use, judge obligations, and the Extemporaneous Speaking draw. The recording ban in III.A.7 applies to online rounds.

Section B. Eligibility

1. Schools are eligible to participate in any League tournament once they have paid their annual dues.

2. Each school must enter as a separate member. Two schools may enter as one only at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

3. To be eligible, a school must be willing to provide room for a tournament when requested.

4. Duly appointed school representatives must be present at all times when students are entered in a tournament. Every school must be accompanied by a designated representative. Representatives may be designated by the school principal at any time before a tournament.

a. All representatives of schools participating in the WASDL must be authorized in writing (including by electronic form or email) by a school official (Principal or Director of Student Activities), on file with the WASDL President, in order to be considered listed representatives.

b. This requirement may be waived by the President only in the event of illness or personal emergency of ALL of that school's listed representatives.

5. Students who are enrolled in middle schools may participate either through their school’s independent membership in WASDL and the NCFL or, if their middle school is not a member, under the sponsorship of a member school. Such students shall enjoy all the privileges and incur all of the obligations of contestants from the sponsoring member school. All other contestants of a given member school must be bona fide students of that institution.

6. Any contestant registering for a tournament and failing to compete in that tournament may be ruled ineligible for the following tournament in that event unless the entry is dropped on Tabroom.com, or reported to tournament officials, by the drop deadline published for that tournament. The Vice President may decline to impose the above sanction if, in their judgment, there was sufficient cause for the failure of notification.

7. Only contestants in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 are eligible to represent WASDL at the NCFL Grand National Tournament. Middle School students are eligible to represent WASDL at the NCFL Middle School National Tournament, consistent with the participation rules of the NCFL.

8. As deemed necessary by the President and the Vice Presidents of the events, and in consultation with the host of a tournament, the number of a school’s entries in a particular event may be limited due to available space in the host school. A host school may be allocated additional entries above any entry limit in recognition of their service to the League.

9. A school hosting a tournament will have any entry drop or late registration fees waived for the tournament that they are hosting in recognition of their service to the League.

Section C. Policy Debate Rules and Procedures

1. The resolution for all sections of WASDL Policy Debate shall be the resolution selected by the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS).

2. Policy debate sections shall conform to the following guidelines:

a. WASDL Policy debate shall consist of a Varsity section, a Junior Varsity section, Novice section, and a Middle School section.

b. Sections of WASDL Policy debate may be combined for the purpose of running the tournament, as the Vice President for Policy Debate determines, as follows: the Novice and Middle School sections when the numbers registered in either section justify it; the Varsity and Junior Varsity sections only when necessary to complete four competition rounds. The Novice section shall not be combined with the Junior Varsity section. When sections are combined, awards will be given in each section as if they were separate tournaments.

3. Round Tardiness

a. A Policy debate team will be given a forfeit if one or both members of the team are ten minutes late for a round. A forfeit is imposed only by the Tab Room. Under no circumstances may a judge impose a forfeit on their own initiative. If a team or speaker has missed the ten-minute deadline, the judge shall contact the Tab Room for instructions, by the tournament text line or by sending one of the speakers present. The Tab Room determines if a forfeit is imposed.

b. A forfeit will be imposed if both of the following apply:

(1) The ten-minute deadline has passed according to the current time standard in effect as verified by the Tab Room.

(2) There are no extenuating circumstances applicable, such as delay in the release of pairings or the like.

4. Judges must submit the decision and speaker points on Tabroom.com at the conclusion of each round. Failure to submit a ballot within ten minutes of the conclusion of the round will disqualify the judge from the remainder of the tournament (if the judging pool permits) and from all future tournaments. The school the judge represents shall be fined $20.00 for each round the ballot is missing, and an additional $20.00 for each round from which the judge was disqualified at the tournament, unless the school the judge represents provides a qualified replacement judge. Judges must complete their written comments by the deadline set by the Tab Room.

5. A qualified judge must accompany each entry of four debaters or fraction thereof. The number of entries shall be determined by the total entered in all sections of debate from each school. Debaters who are not accompanied by a judge shall not be allowed to participate.

6. Policy Debate eligibility is as follows (by grade level):

a. Varsity section shall be open to all grade levels.

b. Junior Varsity Sections are open to all grade levels if both team members are in their first or second year of Policy debate. Students on the winning team of a prior Junior Varsity MetroFinals round are no longer eligible to compete in the Junior Varsity section. Any student finishing in the top six in Junior Varsity preliminary competition twice in the competition season will no longer be able to compete in the Junior Varsity section and must advance to the Varsity section. This rule does not affect the student’s eligibility to compete at MetroFinals at the Junior Varsity level unless the student has also qualified at the Varsity level in the same season.

c. The Novice section is open to all grade levels if both team members are in their first year of Policy Debate competition in the 7th-12th grade; a student moving from another debate event may start in the Novice section. Any student finishing in the top six in the Novice section at a preliminary tournament will be permanently ineligible to compete in the Novice section. Any student who has ever qualified for MetroFinals in any section of Policy debate is ineligible to compete in the Novice section.

d. The Middle School section is open only to students in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade.

e. Qualifications in a section of debate are lost if a team qualifies in a higher section of debate. However, a team made up only of Middle School students may choose to remain in the Middle School section.

f. If a student has qualified in a section of debate, that student may not debate in a lower section. However, a Middle School student may choose to remain in the Middle School section.

7. There shall be four constructive speeches no longer than eight minutes beginning with a member of the affirmative team and alternating thereafter.

8. Immediately following each constructive speech, a member of the opposing team may cross examine the first speaker; the other team member shall give the second cross examination. The maximum time for cross examination is three minutes per speaker.

9. Each debater shall then present a rebuttal of five minutes maximum length beginning with a member of the negative team and alternating thereafter.

10. Each team shall have eight minutes of preparation time in all debate sections. Against this preparation time shall be charged any "set-up" time used to prepare for an actual debate which exceeds the forfeit deadline. In the event both teams are not ready to proceed at that point, preparation time will be charged against the last team to notify the judge that it is ready to proceed. In particular, this would apply to a team that is late.

11. A debate decision and speaker points will be handled as separate decisions. The win/loss of a round will be determined by the judge and reflected in their comments. The points for each speaker will be based on the ability of the speaker to convince the judge through analysis and speaking ability of their position.

a. The speaker points should be weighted in favor of the speaking style and delivery; whereas, the decision on win/loss should be weighted in favor of analysis and argumentation.

b. The losing team may have higher speaker points than the winning team.

c. The speaker points shall be used to determine first, second and third speaker positions at the tournaments.

d. The speaker points shall be used to break a win/loss tie for pairing and final positions at a tournament.

e. If a tie exists after determining record and speaker points, the tie will be broken on the basis of speaker ranks.

12. Schools intending to enter a tournament must register their entries and judges on Tabroom.com by the deadlines set by the Vice President for Policy Debate. The Vice President may grant an exemption from this deadline but is not required to do so. If an exemption is granted, the school must pay an additional registration fee of $5 per student per entry made after the deadline for Preliminary Tournaments, and an additional fee of $25 per student per entry for MetroFinals. Schools failing to provide the information specified by the Vice President prior to the deadline may not participate in the tournament.

13. All sections of Policy Debate competition shall be two-person with alternating sides throughout the tournament, insofar as power-pairing permits.

14. All debate teams shall debate at least three rounds during a tournament.

15. At all preliminary tournaments, Policy Debate check-in closes at the time published for the tournament (currently 8:25 a.m. for in-person tournaments). Teams not checked in as present with their judge(s) must not be included in Round I. If a team so eliminated from Round I chooses, it may participate in the remaining rounds and shall be assigned a loss, with zero speaker points and seven ranks for Round I. Check-in times for online tournaments will be published by the Vice President for Policy Debate.

16. Pairing in Policy Debate will be as follows:

a. Rounds I and II in all sections shall be paired at random; no team will meet a team from its own school.

b. In Round II:

(1) Side constraints will be observed.

(2) No team will meet another team from the same school.

(3) No team may meet a team it previously met.

c. Round III shall be power-paired based on Rounds I and II:

(1) No team will be paired against a team it previously met.

(2) No team will be paired against a team from the same school.

(3) Side constraints do not apply in this round.

(4) Power-pairing in this round is mandatory for the Varsity section with the exception of teams from the same school and teams that have previously met.

(5) The Junior Varsity, Novice, and Middle School sections shall be power-paired in a similar manner, if time permits.

d. Round IV in Varsity shall be power-bracketed based on Rounds I and II:

(1) Side constraints will be observed in this round.

(2) No team will meet another team from the same school.

(3) Debate teams should not be permitted to meet twice at any WASDL tournament where eight or more teams are registered in that section, except in the elimination rounds of MetroFinals.

e. Round IV in the Junior Varsity, Novice, and Middle School sections shall be power-paired, if time permits, with the same constraints as Round II: side constraints shall be observed if possible, no team shall meet a team from its own school, and no teams will meet for a second time.

17. Final standings in all sections shall be based on the following criteria in the order listed, as totaled for the entire tournament:

a. Win/Loss Record.

b. Total speaker points for both speakers.

c. Total ranks for both speakers.

18. Utilization of debate evidence shall be based upon the following criteria:

a. During their speech a debater must read at least a partial citation for each piece of evidence. This partial citation must include the date and either the author or title of the publication.

b. The quality of evidence may be a part of the debate. In fact, good debaters often make evidence comparisons. If a debater claims evidence is of low quality, from a disreputable source, uses a flawed methodology, etc., the judge should decide the issue in the course of the debate based on the arguments made by the debaters.

c. Judges may, at their option, choose to read the evidence after the debate round. If a debater/team cannot produce evidence they read, the judge shall disregard that evidence in reaching a decision.

d. If a debater/team alleges that their opponent’s evidence is fabricated, the judge shall confirm that the team intends to stake the round on the challenge. If so, the round stops and the judge, after reviewing the evidence, determines the win/loss based solely on the evidence challenge. If not, the judge may review the evidence and decide how it affects their decision.

e. Judges may consult with the WASDL President, the Vice President for Policy Debate, and/or the Tournament Director for Policy Debate for help resolving these issues, but the Tab Room shall not decide the round.

f. The WASDL Executive Committee may by majority vote at its Fall Meeting set limitations on the scope of evidence, positions, or case areas permitted in the Junior Varsity and/or Novice Debate Sections for the academic competition year. Unless otherwise specified by the Executive Committee at the Fall Meeting, WASDL will use the National Debate Coaches Association case limits in the Novice division only for the entire competition year. If Novice registration numbers are low, debaters may only have 3 rounds. (Combining sections is governed by III.C.2.b.)

19. In order to be eligible to judge the Novice or Middle School section, a judge must have at least one year of experience in judging Policy debate. The Vice President for Policy Debate can waive this requirement on an individual basis. Juniors and seniors who have participated in Policy Debate for at least two full competition years, and at least one full competition year in the Varsity Section, are allowed to judge the Middle School section only. All ballots will be reviewed by the Tab Room for appropriate content. Student judges who act or comment inappropriately will be removed from the tournament immediately and the school providing them will be fined for a missing/dropped judge. Such judges will be prohibited from judging at any WASDL Tournament until they are graduated from high school for at least 15 months.

Section D. Speech Procedures

1. Round Tardiness

a. It is the responsibility of the student to report to the correct room for competition in a prompt manner. Double-entered students are identified on Tabroom.com. A double-entered student should go first to the room where they can speak promptly and, where possible, let the second judge know they will arrive late.

b. Any student who fails to report to their assigned room by the time established by the Tab Room as the end of the round will forfeit the round. A forfeit is to be imposed by the Tab Room only. Under no circumstances may a judge impose a forfeit on their own initiative. If a student has not arrived fifteen (15) minutes after the last student present has spoken, the judge should contact the Tab Room (in person or by the tournament text line) for instructions. The Tab Room will impose the forfeit if both of the following apply:

(1) The time for the end of the round has passed. The end of the round will be computed as the start time of the round plus ten minutes per contestant assigned to the round according to the current time standard in effect as verified by the Tab Room.

(2) There are no extenuating circumstances applicable, such as a delay in the release of pairings, or double-entered contestants arriving late to the second competition after a delay in the first.

c. If a student reports to the wrong room for competition, their performance in that room will not be counted. The student will instead receive a forfeit for the round and will not be eligible for an award or a qualification to MetroFinals.

d. A judge may readjust the assigned speaking order of a round to accommodate double entries and guarantee the timely flow of the tournament.

2. A qualified judge must accompany each five Speech entries or fraction thereof; a Duo Interpretation pair counts as one entry. The number of entries shall be the total entered in all Speech events. For online tournaments the Vice President may set a higher judge obligation. Speakers who are not accompanied by a judge shall not be allowed to participate.

3. Speech Eligibility

a. Declamation is open to contestants in grades 7 through 10.

b. All other events are open to all contestants in grades 7 through 12.

c. Events designated as Middle School (Middle School Declamation, Middle School Dramatic Performance, Middle School Oral Interpretation, and Middle School Duo Interpretation) are open to contestants in grades 6, 7, and 8.

4. Check-in closes at the time published for the tournament (currently 8:25 a.m. for in-person tournaments). Check-in times for online tournaments will be published by the Vice President for Speech.

a. Any contestant or judge not checked in by the published time shall not be included in Round I.

b. A contestant missing Round I may participate in Rounds II, III and IV. However, they shall not be eligible for any awards or qualifications at that tournament.

5. There shall be no more than seven contestants in a room.

6. Pairings shall be random in all rounds.

7. Judges shall rank all contestants in the section. No rank lower than five in a section of an event will be recorded, except that a penalty rank under Section E shall be recorded as six.

8. Ranking of the contestants at the conclusion of the tournament shall be based on the lowest total ranks. Ties in ranks shall be broken using reciprocals, ties in reciprocal ranks will be broken by highest points.

9. All contests shall be conducted simultaneously as far as possible.

10. Judges shall be given instructions prior to Round I.

a. Judges shall submit ranks and points on Tabroom.com within ten minutes of the end of the round and complete written comments for each contestant by the deadline set by the Tab Room.

b. Judges' comments shall not be discussed in either oral or written manner with the contestants prior to the conclusion of the tournament and the presentation of awards.

11. Judges shall follow the judge instructions published by the League.

12. Schools intending to enter a tournament must register their entries and judges on Tabroom.com by the deadlines set by the Vice President for Speech. The Vice President may grant an exemption from this deadline but is not required to do so. If an exemption is granted, the school must pay an additional registration fee of $5 per student per entry made after the deadline for Preliminary Tournaments, and an additional fee of $25 per student per entry for MetroFinals. Schools failing to provide the information specified by the Vice President prior to the deadline may not participate in the tournament.

13. A contestant may not use the same selection or speech in more than one event during the same competition year.

Section E. Speech Event Rules

1. Declamation and Middle School Declamation

a. A selection used in Declamation must have been originally delivered in the form of a speech by its author, a person other than the present speaker. The speaker should have an introduction which is at most one minute and names the work, author, and describes the circumstances under which the speech was originally presented. The original speaker's words must not be altered for the presentation with the exception that cutting is permitted. Material being performed at the tournament must match the student’s original script. Selections may include professional speeches, public orations, eulogies, and sermons. Stand-up comedy routines are prohibited. The speech must have been presented as a public address and must be available in print or in a video or audio recording. Any non-speaking expressions such as singing or dancing should not be excessive or dominate the performance. Judges’ ranks may reflect if non-speaking expressions have dominated the performance.

b. The selection must be memorized. If the speaker refers to prepared notes of any kind or a script during the presentation, the speaker shall receive a rank lower than last place in the round.

c. The speaker should develop the ability to convey the message in a sincere, honest, and realistic style. The mechanics of Speech must be observed faithfully: poise, quality of voice, effectiveness and ease of gesture, emphasis, variety, and enunciation. In addition, the speaker must be able to interpret the meaning of the speech and be able to carry the interpretation over to the minds of the listeners. The speaker must be able to interest the listeners and to hold their attention.

d. No particular style should be demanded of the speaker; rather, the contestant should be free to select and to develop a personal style and be judged according to the degree of perfection attained and the effectiveness in influencing the listeners. While the specifics of the speech and any style of delivery which the speaker adopts should be judged in light of the purpose of the speech, artificiality is to be discredited. This event is an interpretation, not an impersonation.

e. This event is limited to 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade students.

f. Time limits: Maximum: 10 minutes, including at most a 60 second introduction to the selection. If the speaker goes over a 30-second grace period, that contestant must not be awarded first place. No minimum time.

g. No properties or costumes of any kind may be used. Using “properties” means manipulating articles of clothing or objects to enhance the performance. Speakers using properties and/or wearing costumes will be disqualified.

h. WASDL: A student who uses a piece that results in their disqualification will not be eligible for an award at the tournament or a qualification to MetroFinals. If the disqualification is imposed at MetroFinals, the student is not eligible for qualification, or call-up to replace a qualified attendee, to the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

i. WASDL: A contestant may not repeat a selection which they used in a previous year in any competitive tournament.

2. Dramatic Performance and Middle School Dramatic Performance

a. The speaker must offer a memorized dramatic presentation. If the speaker refers to prepared notes of any kind or a script during the presentation, the speaker shall receive a rank lower than last place in the round.

b. The presentation must be from a single published play, single published script, or single fictional or non-fictional work, not poetry. Material from more than one author is not permitted. It is the affirmative obligation of all coaches to ensure that all materials presented in interpretation events must be available and readily accessible to all members of the league. At the tournament, coaches should bring an original script with an ISBN, ISSN, or IFFN, or eBook Number and Library Name. If the script does not have an ISBN, ISSN, or IFFN, or eBook Number and Library Name, the coach or supervising adult must be able to show that the script was purchased or obtained commercially; ie. from a literary agent or publisher or bill of sale or that the manuscript is publicly accessible by a simple internet search or by a URL not requiring passwords or access codes and the retrieval date. Lines which are attributed to one character in a published play or script must not be attributed to another character in the performance. The author's words as published in the literature must not be altered for the presentation with the exception that cutting is permitted. Material being performed at the tournament must match the student’s original script.

c. The presentation may be either serious or humorous and should have some literary merit. Important consideration should be given to the quality of the selection.

d. While singing is permitted, it should not be excessive or dominate the performance. Judges’ ranks may reflect if singing has dominated the performance.

e. Single or multiple character cuttings will be allowed. When doing a multiple-characterization the performer should create effective interaction between the characters.

f. Although this is primarily a display of vocal ability, body language will play a part in the overall performance, and since it is a drama, more vocal and physical suggestion may be required in order to portray characters, conflict, and story. However, no physical action should be performed that will distract the listeners' attention from the drama being presented. The performance should display another world outside the performance setting.

g. No properties or costumes of any kind may be used. Using “properties” means manipulating articles of clothing or objects to enhance the performance. Speakers using properties and/or wearing costumes will be disqualified.

h. Time limits: Maximum: 10 minutes, including introductory and transitional material other than the author's words. Material thus used should be limited to one minute. If the speaker goes over a 30-second grace period, that contestant must not be awarded first place. No minimum time.

i. WASDL: A student who uses a piece that results in their disqualification will not be eligible for an award at the tournament or a qualification to MetroFinals. If the disqualification is imposed at MetroFinals, the student is not eligible for qualification, or call-up to replace a qualified attendee, to the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

j. WASDL: A contestant may not repeat a selection which they used in a previous year in any competitive tournament.

3. Extemporaneous Speaking

a. The speech should be an original synthesis by the contestant of the current fact and opinion on the designated topic as presented by numerous sources. Source materials should be represented with relative accuracy in the speech. The speaker is responsible for the ethical use of source information.

b. Selection of the general topic areas and preparation of topics in each area should be made by the Vice President for Speech of the League.

c. The contestant should be held accountable for strict adherence to the precise statement of the topic selected and should be penalized for any obvious shifting to a quite different topic.

d. Information presented should be well-chosen, pertinent, and sufficient to support the central thought of the topic.

e. The speaker is permitted a personal opinion or interpretation of the subject. Speakers must not be penalized for expressing views with which the judge happens to disagree.

f. Material should be organized according to some logical plan to produce a complete speech within the time allowed. The speech must be extemporaneous.

g. In the Preparation Room, contestants may use printed materials and electronic devices, including internet access, for research. Communication with any person other than Preparation Room staff, and the use of previously prepared speeches, are not allowed.

h. All material brought into the preparation room by speakers will be subject at any time to scrutiny of the Vice President for Speech, the Tournament Director for Speech, and the staff responsible for this event.

i. Speakers may share reference materials; however, any collaboration on speech preparation is forbidden.

j. When the speaker is called, they draw three questions from among those prepared for the specific round. After consideration, the speaker returns two of the questions and begins to prepare the speech. The speaker must remain in the preparation room until sent to the competition room by the Tournament Director for Speech.

k. Speakers will have thirty (30) minutes of preparation time. Upon leaving the preparation room speakers must relinquish all preparation materials except the drawn question and, at preliminary tournaments, one 3” x 5” note card. During the preparation for, and during the competition round, students must not access any research materials, oral, written, or electronic, outside of the preparation room.

l. Time limits: Maximum: 7 minutes. If the speaker goes over a 30-second grace period, that contestant must not be awarded first place. No minimum time.

m. WASDL: Any student who is found in possession of any prohibited materials in the Extemporaneous Speaking Preparation Room will be disqualified from the tournament. The disqualification will be assessed as soon as practicable as deemed by the Tournament Director for Speech. The student will not be eligible for an award at the tournament or a qualification to MetroFinals. If the disqualification is imposed at MetroFinals, the student is not eligible for qualification, or call-up to replace a qualified attendee, to the NCFL Grand National Tournament. If a school team shares prohibited materials, the entire team may be disqualified.

n. WASDL: A contestant is permitted to use one 3” x 5” note card at Preliminary Tournaments. There is no limit to the number of words on the card. The use of a 3” x 5” note card is not allowed at MetroFinals. Any contestant using prompting or notes, other than the permitted 3” x 5” note card at Preliminary Tournaments, shall receive a rank lower than last place.

o. WASDL: Any contestant failing to abide by the directions of the Extemporaneous Speaking Preparation Room Monitor shall be subject to disqualification.

4. Oral Interpretation and Middle School Oral Interpretation

a. The speaker shall prepare two programs of manuscript-based literature substantially different in content, author, and/or original source. Each program shall consist of a single piece, a cutting, or a series of short pieces united by author or theme. One program shall be published prose; the other, published poetry. If questioned, the genre of the selection must be specified in the original manuscript or must be verifiable by a simple Internet search. If using a series of pieces, all titles and authors must be cited. The performer has the burden to be clear at all times which piece is being used. In the prepared script, the pieces should be clearly delineated via highlighting or font style and spacing to enable review in case of a protest. It is the affirmative obligation of all coaches to ensure that all materials presented in interpretation events must be available and readily accessible to all members of the league. At the tournament, coaches should bring an original script with an ISBN, ISSN, or IFFN, or eBook Number and Library Name. If the script does not have an ISBN, ISSN, or IFFN, or eBook Number and Library Name, the coach or supervising adult must be able to show that the script was purchased or obtained commercially; i.e., from a literary agent or publisher or bill of sale or that the manuscript is publicly accessible by a simple internet search or by a URL not requiring passwords or access codes and the retrieval date. Each program must contain an introduction for purposes of explication, setting, or selection transitions. Lines attributed to one character in the published source must not be attributed to another character in the performance. The author's words as published in the literature must not be altered for the presentation with the exception that cutting is permitted. Material being performed at the tournament must match the student’s original script.

b. The literature chosen may include any form of prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction. Drama, including theatrical monologues, is prohibited. Speeches written to be delivered in real-life are prohibited.

c. No properties or costumes of any kind may be used, except that the manuscript or binder may be used as a prop. Using “properties” means manipulating articles of clothing or objects to enhance the performance. Speakers using properties and/or wearing costumes will be disqualified.

d. Speakers should keep eye contact between audience and manuscript in reasonable balance. Speakers who fail to maintain the illusion of reading from the manuscript must not be ranked first.

e. Speakers should keep gesture and bodily movement to a minimum. The selection should be delivered from center stage. Movement and gestures, if used, should be appropriate to the selection. Speakers should not walk during performances, and only the performer’s feet should touch the floor. They should emphasize vocal variety and facial expression to enhance the literary interpretation. While singing is permitted, it should not be excessive or dominate the performance. Judges’ ranks may reflect if singing has dominated the performance.

f. Speakers may use a persona, and they may use character voices, but they are not necessary.

g. Important consideration should be given to the quality of the selection.

h. Time limits: Maximum: 10 minutes. This includes at most 1 minute of introductory and transition material other than the author's words. If the speaker goes over a 30-second grace period, that contestant must not be awarded first place. No minimum time.

i. WASDL: The two pieces, one poetry and one prose, are alternately presented in succeeding rounds. The Vice President for Speech or the Tournament Director for Speech shall determine whether the first round will be prose or poetry.

j. WASDL: A student who uses a piece that is not published as explained above will receive a forfeit for all the rounds that piece was used. The forfeit will be imposed as a penalty rank (recorded as six under III.D.7) with zero speaker points. The student will not be eligible for an award at the tournament or a qualification to MetroFinals. If the forfeit is imposed at MetroFinals, the student is not eligible for qualification, or call-up to replace a qualified attendee, to the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

k. WASDL: A contestant may not repeat a selection which they used in a previous year in any competitive tournament.

5. Original Oratory

a. The speaker should be expected to discuss with a degree of originality, and in an interesting manner, the topic chosen.

b. The speakers should be given wide latitude in the ideas they express, but they should be held closely accountable for the manner in which they are expressed. Speakers must not be penalized for expressing views with which the judge happens to disagree. It is suggested, but not obligatory, that the topic be a subject of contemporary significance.

c. The speech must be one that has been composed by the student delivering it.

d. The speech must be memorized. If the speaker refers to prepared notes of any kind or a script during the presentation, the speaker shall receive a rank lower than last place in the round.

e. The number of words quoted from authors other than the contestant must not exceed 150. Extensive paraphrasing of other sources is prohibited and constitutes grounds for disqualification.

f. Original orations should be composed from the standpoint of the present speaker. However, the use of a persona for a maximum length of 1 minute shall be permitted.

g. Visual and audio-visual aids are not permitted. No properties or costumes of any kind may be used. Using “properties” means manipulating articles of clothing or objects to enhance the performance. Speakers using properties and/or wearing costumes will be disqualified. While singing is permitted, it should not be excessive or dominate the performance. Judges’ ranks may reflect if singing has dominated the performance.

h. Time limits: Maximum: 10 minutes. If the speaker goes over a 30-second grace period, that contestant must not be awarded first place. No minimum time.

i. WASDL: Any student using an oration not originally composed by the speaker presenting the oration will be disqualified from the tournament. The disqualification will be assessed as soon as practicable as deemed by the Tournament Director for Speech. The student will not be eligible for an award at the tournament or a qualification to MetroFinals. If the disqualification is imposed at MetroFinals, the student is not eligible for qualification, or call-up to replace a qualified attendee, to the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

j. WASDL: A contestant may not repeat a selection which they used in a previous year in any competitive tournament.

6. Duo Interpretation and Middle School Duo Interpretation

a. The selection, delivered by two students each representing the same member school, must be from a single play, fictional or non-fictional work. A series of poems is permitted. The poetry may be taken from a variety of published sources united by a single poet. It is the affirmative obligation of all coaches to ensure that all materials presented in interpretation events must be available and readily accessible to all members of the league. At the tournament, coaches should bring an original script with an ISBN, ISSN, or IFFN, or eBook Number and Library Name. If the script does not have an ISBN, ISSN, or IFFN, or eBook Number and Library Name, the coach or supervising adult must be able to show that the script was purchased or obtained commercially; ie. from a literary agent or publisher or bill of sale or that the manuscript is publicly accessible by a simple internet search or by a URL not requiring passwords or access codes and the retrieval date. Lines which are attributed to one character in the published material must not be attributed to another character in the performance. The author's words as published in the literature must not be altered for the presentation with the exception that cutting is permitted. Material being performed at the tournament must match the student’s original script.

b. The material may be humorous or dramatic, or may combine both tones, depending on the work selected. Important consideration should be given to the quality of the selection.

c. Any part of the literature that a student uses in a Duo Interpretation presentation must follow the rules of Duo Interpretation or the students shall be subject to disqualification.

d. The selection must be memorized. If either performer refers to prepared notes of any kind or a script during the presentation, the entry shall receive a rank lower than last place in the round.

e. The introduction should name the work, the author, and set the theme or the mood. Teasers are permitted.

f. Except during introduction and transition, eye contact is aimed only in the audience's direction; focal points are to be employed during dialogue; eye contact with specific audience members during narration is permitted. Pantomime, if used, should be accurate and realistic.

g. The selection should begin from the center stage area.

h. No properties or costumes of any kind may be used. Using “properties” means manipulating articles of clothing or objects to enhance the performance. Speakers using properties and/or wearing costumes will be disqualified.

i. The two interpreters should effectively utilize pitch, volume, phrasing, vocal quality, tone, articulation, enunciation and fluency to create the characterizations desired. The dialogue between characters should reflect a genuine sense of interaction, not a mechanical exchange of lines. While singing is permitted, it should not be excessive or dominate the performance. Judges’ ranks may reflect if singing has dominated the performance.

j. Performers are not allowed to make deliberate physical contact with each other during the performance, except during the introduction. Physical movement is restricted to performers moving around one another, switching position, pivoting from side to side or turning around completely. Only the performers’ feet may touch the ground. Should the performers make deliberate physical contact with each other during the performance, except during the introduction, or make deliberate physical movements other than those permitted herein, the performers will be disqualified.

k. Physically, the characters should react to each other’s verbal and non-verbal expressions but must not touch each other, except as permitted in III.E.6.j. Positions other than standing should not be excessive in length or dominate the performance.

l. Time limits: Maximum: 10 minutes, including introductory and transitional material other than the author's words. Material thus used should be limited to one minute. If the speakers go over a 30-second grace period, those contestants must not be awarded first place. No minimum time.

m. WASDL: A student who uses a piece that is not published as explained above will receive a forfeit for all the rounds that piece was used. The forfeit will be imposed as a penalty rank (recorded as six under III.D.7) with zero speaker points. The student will not be eligible for an award at the tournament or a qualification to MetroFinals. If the forfeit is imposed at MetroFinals, the student is not eligible for qualification, or call-up to replace a qualified attendee, to the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

n. WASDL: A contestant may not repeat a selection which they used in a previous year in any competitive tournament.

7. Impromptu Speaking

a. Contestants check in with the judge and wait outside the room until called. Upon entering, the contestant draws three topics, selects one, and returns the other two.

b. The total time used for preparation and the speech may not exceed seven minutes.

c. Time limits: Maximum: 7 minutes, preparation and speech combined. If the contestant goes over a 30-second grace period, that contestant must not be awarded first place. No minimum time.

d. One 3” x 5” note card may be used.

e. WASDL: Impromptu Speaking is not offered at the NCFL Grand National Tournament; results do not lead to NCFL qualification.

8. Informative Speaking

a. An informative speech is an original speech designed to explain, define, describe, or illustrate a particular subject. The general purpose of the speech is for the audience to gain understanding and/or knowledge of a topic. Any other purpose, such as to entertain or to convince, shall be secondary. The use of audio/visual aids is optional, as described below.

b. This contest comprises only memorized speeches composed by the contestants and not used by them during a previous contest season.

c. Effective speeches provide new information or perspectives on a topic, including those that are widely known. The responsibility for choosing a worthwhile topic rests with the contestant. A fabricated topic may not be used. Any non-factual reference, including a personal reference, must be so identified.

d. Audio/visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. If used, the audio/visual aids should enhance or support the message rather than distract from the overall effectiveness of the presentation. During the presentation, no electronic equipment is permitted. Electronic equipment is defined as any object requiring an electrical cord, battery, or solar power to operate it (projectors, cell phones, radios, tablets, computers, etc.). The use of live animals or any additional people as visual aids is not allowed during the speech. Items of dress put on and/or removed for illustration during the course of the presentation are considered costumes and may not be part of the contestant’s presentation. Visual aids may not violate policies as dictated by local and state law (weapons, drugs, etc.). Contestants may not distribute items to the judges or audience before, during, or after the round. This includes but is not limited to food, objects, handouts, flyers, and promotional merchandise. WASDL and the host school are not responsible for providing any facilities, equipment, including tables, chairs, or easels, or assistance in a contestant’s use of visual aids. Expedient set up and take down of aids is expected. If a visual aid displays published pictorial material, the source must be included in the works-cited page but does not need to be cited orally.

e. Time limits: Maximum: 10 minutes. If the speaker goes over a 30-second grace period, that contestant must not be awarded first place; if there are multiple judges in the round, all must agree that the student has gone beyond the grace period. There is no other prescribed penalty for going over the grace period, and the ranking is up to each judge’s discretion. Judges who choose to time are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum time.

f. Not more than 150 words of the speech may be direct quotation, and such quotations must be identified orally and in a printed copy of the speech supplied prior to registration.

g. Manuscripts must be available at all WASDL tournament contests in the event of a protest. The script must identify the quoted materials, state the number of quoted words, and include a works-cited page in APA or MLA format.

h. WASDL: A student may not use an informative speech the student used in competition in any previous contest year, or use the speech in any other event in the same year.

i. WASDL: Informative Speaking is not offered at the NCFL Grand National Tournament; results do not lead to NCFL qualification.

9. In the event that the NCFL adopts a different set of rules from those of the WASDL By-Laws, the NCFL rules will be followed. This does not apply to Impromptu Speaking or Informative Speaking, which the NCFL does not offer.

Section F. Student Congress Rules and Procedures

1. Rules of order shall apply in the following priority:

a. WASDL Student Congress Manual

b. NCFL Rules for Student Congress

c. NSDA Rules for Student Congress

d. Robert's Rules of Order

2. At least ten days prior to the Student Congress, the Vice President for Student Congress will prepare a list of nine topics, three in each of the three committee areas for Congress. Bills or resolutions on any other topics require suspension of the rules on the floor of the chamber to consider. Each school shall upload its student-written legislation as PDF files on Tabroom.com by the student entry deadline: one piece of legislation for every two students registered (or fraction thereof), balanced across the three committee areas and formatted as specified by the Vice President for Student Congress. Only a coach or adult sponsor may upload legislation. Legislation not submitted by the deadline, or written at the tournament, will not be accepted.

3. Schools intending to enter Congress must register their entries and judges on Tabroom.com by the deadlines set by the Vice President for Student Congress. The Vice President may grant an exemption from the deadline but is not required to do so. If an exemption is granted, the school must pay an additional registration fee of $5 per student per entry made after the deadline for Preliminary Tournaments, and an additional fee of $25 per student per entry for MetroFinals. Schools failing to provide the information as specified by the Vice President prior to the deadline may not participate in the tournament.

a. Registration will include the student's committee choice and the designation of those who wish to preside, those who wish to chair a committee, those who are Middle School students (grades 6, 7, or 8), and those who are novice speakers (attending their first Congress in the 7th-12th grade, and have never competed in Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, or Policy Debate). Membership on the three standing committees (Domestic Affairs, Economic Affairs, and International Affairs) must be balanced in each school's registration.

b. Student Congress is open to all contestants in grades 6 through 12.

4. Check-in closes at the time published for the tournament (currently 8:25 a.m. for in-person tournaments). Check-in times for online tournaments will be published by the Vice President for Student Congress.

a. All contestants and scorers must be checked in by the published time.

b. A student who is late for registration or a session will not be permitted to speak on any bill or resolution they may have authored or to preside, unless no other Congressperson wishes to do so, for the duration of the tournament, provided there are no extenuating circumstances as determined by the Tab Room. This penalty may not be suspended by the chamber. This penalty should not be imposed without the explicit concurrence of a Tab Room official.

5. A qualified Scorer (judge) must accompany each entry of five Congresspersons or fraction thereof. Speakers who are not accompanied by a Scorer shall not be allowed to participate.

6. Persons registering as Presiding Officers shall be allowed one to two legislative sessions to preside. Presiding Officers shall be elected by the chamber at the beginning of each session from among those registered to preside.

7. Chambers will be established with between twelve and twenty-five students each, balanced as much as possible according to diocese, school, experience level, committee choices, and preference for presiding. Students from the same school shall be assigned so that the number of students in each chamber shall be approximately equal. The number one priority for assignment of students to chambers shall be the pairing of a novice with an experienced student from the same school.

8. The Vice President for Student Congress may authorize a training session.

9. Scoring procedures will be as follows:

a. The Vice President for Student Congress shall establish the ballots (on Tabroom.com) to be used at the Congresses. There shall be a ballot used in rating the speakers, a ballot for rating Presiding Officers, and a ballot to rate each chamber member on their use or abuse of parliamentary procedure.

b. Scoring in Student Congress is similar to judging other events in the sense that judges take notes. Speakers will usually alternate from Pro to Con and questions may be asked. In scoring speeches, however, judges need not decide the “winner”, as in a debate round.

(1) While scorers may see speakers who refute the positions of the opposition point by point, it is not necessary that they do so. Each speech should be rated on its own merit, using the categories on the ballot. Scorers are strongly encouraged to make thorough and extensive comments on the ballots.

(2) Since the purpose of Student Congress is to advance debate on the policies presented through legislation, speeches from the floor should do so rather than rehash previously-delivered arguments. A quality speech may be presented even if it does not run three minutes.

(3) Scorers should NOT evaluate speakers on their use of Parliamentary Procedure in scoring their speeches. If a student is out of order, the Presiding Officer and/or the Parliamentarian will correct the problem. The Scorer should not take a role in parliamentary procedure.

(4) Scorers should not give speakers poor ranks (or low points) solely because they raise controversial issues or make points the Scorer believes to be false. Each speaker is entitled to their position and should be scored based on how well they communicate and support their position.

(5) There will be two Scorers and one Parliamentarian in each Chamber during the Preliminary Sessions. The Scorers will move among the Chambers as assigned, while the Parliamentarian will remain with a Chamber throughout all the sessions.

(6) Selection of Award Winners at Preliminary Tournaments: at the end of each preliminary session, each Scorer will rank the top 8 persons who, in the Scorer’s opinion, did a truly outstanding job during the session; the Presiding Officer shall be considered in this ranking. Each scorer must rank the eight students 1 through 8, without any ties. All ranks for each student from a Chamber will be added; each student not ranked will receive a “9” from that Scorer. At the conclusion of the sessions, the three students in each chamber with the lowest total ranks shall be Award Winners.

(7) The Parliamentarian will also separately rank the top eight students in the chamber. The Parliamentarian’s ranking in any session will be used to break any ties in total Scorer ranks.

c. Parliamentarians shall rate each Presiding Officer for each session they preside. The Tab Room will keep the Parliamentarian from rating students from their own school, if possible.

d. Parliamentarians shall score each student on their overall use of parliamentary rules.

e. The minimum eligibility requirement for awards shall be two speeches. Each session as Presiding Officer shall count as one speech. To be eligible for an award, a student must be present at all sessions of the Student Congress tournament.

f. The Outstanding Congressperson award shall be presented to one Congressperson, regardless of previous qualification, in each chamber of each preliminary Student Congress and shall be determined as follows: At the conclusion of the tournament the students shall place in nomination for the award, by voting, the Congressperson they feel is the most outstanding. Each Congressperson receiving more than one vote on the nomination vote shall be considered a nominee. The students shall then vote from among these nominees the Outstanding Congressperson. All votes shall be by secret ballot.

g. Contestants in Student Congress competition are expected to deliver original orations. Presentation of published materials without credit will result in disqualification from the tournament and loss of any qualification to MetroFinals.

Section G. Lincoln-Douglas Debate Rules and Procedures

1. The WASDL Lincoln-Douglas Topic for all sections of Lincoln-Douglas debate will be the same topic that is published by the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) for that two-month period for Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate. The topic for MetroFinals will not have been debated at a preliminary WASDL tournament for that year.

2. Round Tardiness

a. A debater will be given a forfeit if they are ten minutes late to a round. A forfeit is to be imposed by the Tab Room only. Under no circumstances may a judge impose a forfeit on their own initiative. If a debater has missed the ten-minute deadline, the judge shall contact the Tab Room for instructions, by the tournament text line or by sending the other debater. The Tab Room will determine if a forfeit is to be imposed.

b. A forfeit will be imposed if both of the following apply:

(1) The ten-minute deadline has passed according to the current time standard in effect as verified by the Tab Room.

(2) There are no extenuating circumstances applicable, such as delay in the release of pairings or the like.

3. Judges must submit the decision and speaker points on Tabroom.com at the end of the round. Failure to submit a ballot within ten minutes of the conclusion of the round will disqualify the judge from the remainder of the tournament (if the judging pool permits) and from all future tournaments. The school the judge represents shall be fined $20.00 for each round the ballot is missing, and an additional $20.00 for each round from which the judge was disqualified at the tournament, unless the school the judge represents provides a qualified replacement judge. Judges must complete their written comments by the deadline set by the Tab Room.

4. A qualified judge must accompany each entry of four debaters or fraction thereof. For online tournaments the Vice President may set a higher judge obligation. The number of entries shall be determined by the total entered in all sections of debate from each school. Debaters who are not accompanied by a judge shall not be allowed to participate.

5. Lincoln-Douglas Debate eligibility is as follows (by grade level):

a. Varsity section shall be open to all grade levels.

b. Junior Varsity section is open to all grade levels if a student is in their first or second year of Lincoln-Douglas debate competition. Any student finishing in the top six in Junior Varsity preliminary competition twice in the competition season will no longer be able to compete in the Junior Varsity section and must advance to the Varsity section. This rule does not affect the student’s eligibility to compete at MetroFinals at the Junior Varsity level unless the student has also qualified at the Varsity level in the same season.

c. Novice section is open to all grade levels if a student is in their first year of Lincoln-Douglas Debate competition in the 7th-12th grade; a student moving from another debate event may start in the Novice section. Any student finishing in the top six in the Novice section at a preliminary tournament will be permanently ineligible to compete in the Novice section in the future. Any student who has ever qualified for MetroFinals in any section of Lincoln-Douglas debate is ineligible to compete in the Novice section.

d. Middle School section is open to grade levels 6, 7, and 8.

e. Qualifications in a section of debate are lost if a debater qualifies in a higher section of debate. However, a Middle School debater may choose to remain in the Middle School section.

f. If a student has qualified in a section of debate, that student may not debate in a lower section.

6. The time limits for Lincoln-Douglas Debate are as follows:

7. Each debater will have four minutes of preparation time for the entire debate (5 minutes if in an Online Virtual Setting). Against this preparation time shall be charged any "set-up" time used to prepare for an actual debate which exceeds the forfeit deadline. In the event both debaters are not ready to proceed at that point, preparation time will be charged against the last debater to notify the judge that they are ready to proceed. In particular, this would apply to a debater who is late.

8. Pairing in Lincoln-Douglas Debate shall be as follows:

a. Rounds I and II shall be random paired; no debater will meet a debater from their own school.

b. In Round II the following pairing constraints shall apply:

(1) Side constraints will be observed.

(2) No debater will meet a debater from their own school.

(3) No debater may meet a debater they previously met.

c. Round III will be power-paired based on Rounds I and II with the following constraints:

(1) No debater will meet a debater they previously met.

(2) No debater will meet a debater from their own school.

(3) Side constraints do not apply in this round.

(4) Power-pairing in this round is mandatory for the Varsity section with the exception of debaters from the same school and debaters who have previously met.

(5) The Junior Varsity section shall be power-paired in a similar manner if time permits.

(6) The Novice section shall be power-paired in a similar manner if time permits.

(7) The Middle School section shall be power-paired in a similar manner if time permits.

d. Round IV in Varsity shall be power-bracketed based on Rounds I and II with the following constraints:

(1) Side constraints will be observed in this round.

(2) No debater will meet a debater from their own school.

(3) No debater will meet a debater they previously met when eight or more debaters are registered.

e. Round IV in the Junior Varsity, Novice, and Middle School sections shall be power-paired if time permits. Power-pairing in these sections shall be the same as for Varsity.

9. Schools intending to enter a tournament must register their entries and judges on Tabroom.com by the deadlines set by the Vice President for Lincoln-Douglas Debate. The Vice President may grant an exemption from this deadline but is not required to do so. If an exemption is granted, the school must pay an additional registration fee of $5 per student per entry made after the deadline for Preliminary Tournaments, and an additional fee of $25 per student per entry for MetroFinals. Schools failing to provide the information specified by the Vice President prior to the deadline may not participate in the tournament.

10. A Lincoln-Douglas Debate decision and speaker points will be treated as combined decisions. The win/loss of a round will be determined by the judge and reflected in their comments. The points for each speaker will be based on the ability of the speaker to convince the judge through analysis and speaking ability.

a. The speaker points should be weighted in favor of the speaking style and delivery; the decision on win/loss should be weighted in favor of analysis and argumentation.

b. The winning debater shall receive higher speaker points than the losing debater.

c. The speaker points shall be used to break a win/loss tie for pairing and final positions at a tournament.

11. In all sections of debate, competition shall alternate sides throughout the tournament, insofar as power-pairing permits.

12. All debaters shall debate at least three rounds during a tournament.

13. At all preliminary tournaments, check-in closes at the time published for the tournament (currently 8:25 a.m. for in-person tournaments). Debaters not checked in as present with their judge(s) must not be included in Round I. If a debater so eliminated from Round I chooses, they may participate in the remaining rounds and shall be assigned a loss, with zero speaker points, for Round I. Check-in times for online tournaments will be published by the Vice President for Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

14. The Novice and Middle School sections can be combined for purposes of running the tournament, if the Vice President for Lincoln-Douglas Debate determines that the numbers registered in either section justify it. In the event the sections are combined, awards will be given in each section as if they were separate tournaments.

15. In order to be eligible to judge the Novice or Middle School sections, a judge must have at least one year of experience in judging Lincoln-Douglas debate. The Vice President for Lincoln-Douglas Debate can waive this requirement on an individual basis. Juniors and seniors who have participated in Lincoln-Douglas Debate for at least two full competition years, and at least one full competition year in the Varsity Section, are allowed to judge the Middle School section only. All ballots will be reviewed by the Tab Room for appropriate content. Student judges who act or comment inappropriately will be removed from the tournament immediately and the school providing them will be fined for a missing/dropped judge. Such judges will be prohibited from judging at any WASDL Tournament until they are graduated from high school for at least 15 months.

16. Final standings in all sections shall be based on the following criteria in the order listed, as totaled for the entire tournament.

a. Win/Loss Record.

b. Total speaker points.

Section H. Public Forum Debate Rules and Procedures

1. The WASDL Public Forum Debate Topic for all sections of Public Forum debate will be the same topic that is published for that period (one month or two months) as determined by the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA). The topic for MetroFinals will not have been debated at a preliminary WASDL tournament for that year.

2. Public Forum Debate is a team event that advocates or rejects a position posed by the resolution. The focus of the debate is a clash of ideas in a persuasive manner that can be understood by a “lay” judge. Good debaters should display logic and analysis. They should use evidence when needed. They should win their case and refute that of their opponents. They should communicate effectively, using the fundamentals of good speaking. There are no burdens on either side.

3. Round Tardiness

a. A Public Forum debate team will be given a forfeit if one or both members of the team are ten minutes late for a round. A forfeit is imposed only by the Tab Room. Under no circumstances may a judge impose a forfeit on their own initiative. If a team or speaker has missed the ten-minute deadline, the judge shall contact the Tab Room for instructions, by the tournament text line or by sending one of the speakers present. The Tab Room determines if a forfeit is imposed.

b. A forfeit will be imposed if both of the following apply:

(1) The ten-minute deadline has passed according to the current time standard in effect as verified by the Tab Room.

(2) There are no extenuating circumstances applicable, such as delay in the release of pairings or the like.

4. Judges must submit the decision and speaker points on Tabroom.com at the conclusion of each round. Failure to submit a ballot within ten minutes of the conclusion of the round will disqualify the judge from the remainder of the tournament (if the judging pool permits) and from all future tournaments. The school the judge represents shall be fined $20.00 for each round the ballot is missing, and an additional $20.00 for each round from which the judge was disqualified at the tournament, unless the school the judge represents provides a qualified replacement judge. Judges must complete their written comments by the deadline set by the Tab Room.

5. A qualified judge must accompany each entry of four teams or fraction thereof. For online tournaments the Vice President may set a higher judge obligation. The number of entries shall be determined by the total entered in all sections of debate from each school. Debaters who are not accompanied by a judge shall not be allowed to participate.

6. Public Forum Debate eligibility is as follows (by grade level):

a. Varsity section shall be open to all grade levels.

b. Junior Varsity sections are open to all grade levels if both team members are in their first or second year of Public Forum debate. Students on the winning team of a prior Junior Varsity MetroFinals round are no longer eligible to compete in the Junior Varsity section. Any student finishing in the top six in Junior Varsity preliminary competition twice in the competition season will no longer be able to compete in the Junior Varsity section and must advance to the Varsity section. This rule does not affect the student’s eligibility to compete at MetroFinals at the Junior Varsity level unless the student has also qualified at the Varsity level in the same season.

c. Novice section is open to all grade levels if both team members are in their first year of Public Forum Debate competition in the 7th-12th grade; a student moving from another debate event may start in the Novice section. Any student finishing in the top six in the Novice section at a preliminary tournament will be permanently ineligible to compete in the Novice section in the future. Any student who has ever qualified for MetroFinals in any section of Public Forum debate is ineligible to compete in the Novice section.

d. Middle School section is open to grade levels 6, 7, and 8.

e. Qualifications in a section of debate are lost if a team qualifies in a higher section of debate. However, a team made up only of Middle School students may choose to remain in the Middle School section.

f. If a student has qualified in a section of debate, that student may not debate in a lower section. However, a Middle School student may choose to remain in the Middle School section.

7. Order and time limits of the debate:

8. Each team shall have three minutes of preparation time in all debate sections (4 minutes if in an Online Virtual Setting). Against this preparation time shall be charged any "set-up" time used to prepare for an actual debate which exceeds the forfeit deadline. In the event both teams are not ready to proceed at that point, preparation time will be charged against the last team to notify the judge that it is ready to proceed. In particular, this would apply to a team that is late.

9. Schools intending to enter a tournament must register their entries and judges on Tabroom.com by the deadlines set by the Vice President for Public Forum Debate. The Vice President may grant an exemption from this deadline but is not required to do so. If an exemption is granted, the school must pay an additional registration fee of $5 per student per entry made after the deadline for Preliminary Tournaments, and an additional fee of $25 per student per entry for MetroFinals. Schools failing to provide the information specified by the Vice President prior to the deadline may not participate in the tournament.

10. All sections of Public Forum competition shall be two-person with alternating sides throughout the tournament, insofar as power-pairing permits.

11. All debate teams shall debate at least three rounds during a tournament.

12. At all preliminary tournaments, Public Forum check-in closes at the time published for the tournament (currently 8:25 a.m. for in-person tournaments). Teams not checked in as present with their judge(s) must not be included in Round I. If a team so eliminated from Round I chooses, it may participate in the remaining rounds and shall be assigned a loss, with zero speaker points and seven ranks for Round I. Check-in times for online tournaments will be published by the Vice President for Public Forum Debate.

13. Pairing in Public Forum Debate will be as follows:

a. Rounds I and II in all sections shall be paired at random; no team will meet a team from its own school.

b. In Round II:

(1) Side constraints will be observed.

(2) No team will meet another team from the same school.

(3) No team may meet a team it previously met.

c. Round III shall be power-paired based on Rounds I and II:

(1) No team will be paired against a team it previously met.

(2) No team will be paired against a team from the same school.

(3) Side constraints do not apply in this round.

(4) Power-pairing in this round is mandatory for the Varsity section with the exception of teams from the same school and teams that have previously met.

(5) The Junior Varsity, Novice, and Middle School sections shall be power-paired in a similar manner, if time permits.

d. Round IV in Varsity shall be power-bracketed based on Rounds I and II:

(1) Side constraints will be observed in this round.

(2) No team will meet another team from the same school.

(3) Debate teams should not be permitted to meet twice at any WASDL tournament where eight or more teams are registered in that section, except in the elimination rounds of MetroFinals.

e. Round IV in the Junior Varsity, Novice, and Middle School sections shall be power-paired, if time permits, with the same constraints as Round II: side constraints shall be observed if possible, no team shall meet a team from its own school, and no teams will meet for a second time.

14. A Public Forum Debate decision and speaker points will be treated as combined decisions. The win/loss of a round will be determined by the judge and reflected in their comments. The points will be based on the ability of the speakers to convince the judge through analysis and speaking ability.

a. The speaker points should be weighted in favor of the speaking style and delivery; the decision on win/loss should be weighted in favor of analysis and argumentation.

b. The winning team shall receive higher combined speaker points than the losing team.

c. The speaker points shall be used to break a win/loss tie for pairing and final positions at a tournament.

d. Further ties shall be broken as provided in III.H.15.

15. Final standings in all sections shall be based on the following criteria in the order listed, as totaled for the entire tournament:

a. Win/Loss Record.

b. Total speaker points for both speakers.

c. Total ranks for both speakers.

d. Adjusted team points, dropping one high and one low, for each team.

16. The Novice and Middle School sections can be combined for purposes of running the tournament, if the Vice President for Public Forum Debate determines that the numbers registered in either section justify it. In the event the sections are combined, awards will be given in each section as if they were separate tournaments.

17. Utilization of debate evidence shall be based upon the following criteria:

a. During their speech a debater must read at least a partial citation for each piece of evidence. This partial citation must include the date, the author and title of the publication.

b. If a piece of evidence is challenged, a debater must supply a full citation immediately after the round if requested by the judge. If a full citation cannot be presented, that piece of evidence must be eliminated from the round, and the judge must disregard it in arriving at a decision.

18. In order to be eligible to judge the Novice or Middle School sections, a judge must have at least one year of experience in judging Public Forum debate. The Vice President for Public Forum Debate can waive this requirement on an individual basis. Juniors and seniors who have participated in Public Forum Debate for at least two full competition years, including at least one full competition year in the Varsity section, are allowed to judge the Middle School section only. All ballots will be reviewed by the Tab Room for appropriate content. Student judges who act or comment inappropriately will be removed from the tournament immediately and the school providing them will be fined for a missing/dropped judge. Such judges will be prohibited from judging at any WASDL Tournament until they are graduated from high school for at least 15 months.

Section I. Awards

1. In preliminary tournaments awards shall be presented to the following:

a. First through sixth place teams in Varsity Policy Debate.

b. First through sixth place teams in Junior Varsity Policy Debate.

c. First through sixth place teams in each of the Novice and Middle School sections of Policy Debate.

d. First through sixth place contestants in all Speech events.

e. First through third place contestants in each chamber of Student Congress.

f. First through sixth place debaters in Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

g. First through sixth place debaters in Junior Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

h. First through sixth place debaters in each of the Novice and Middle School sections of Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

i. First through sixth place teams in Varsity Public Forum Debate.

j. First through sixth place teams in Junior Varsity Public Forum Debate.

k. First through sixth place teams in each of the Novice and Middle School sections of Public Forum Debate.

2. In preliminary tournaments certificates will be presented to the following:

a. Top three speakers in all sections of Policy Debate.

b. Outstanding Congressperson in each chamber of Student Congress.

c. Top four Novice and Middle School Congresspersons in Student Congress.

Article IV. Sweepstakes

Section A. Sweepstakes Awards

1. Awards will be given to the top three schools in Overall Sweepstakes points; to the top three schools in Policy Debate; to the top three schools in Speech; to the top three schools in Student Congress; to the top three schools in Lincoln-Douglas Debate; and to the top three schools in Public Forum Debate.

2. If a school wins an Overall Sweepstakes award, that school will not be eligible for an event-category sweepstakes award (Policy Debate, Speech, Student Congress, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate).

3. The Overall Sweepstakes Award shall be named the Daniel S. Masterson, Jr. Sweepstakes Award.

4. The President’s Award recognizes achievement by the top three schools across all categories of League events during the current competition year. This award shall be named the Judy L. Seward Sweepstakes Award.

5. In the case of a tie between schools when awarding the event-category sweepstakes awards (Policy Debate, Speech, Student Congress, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Public Forum Debate), ties will be broken as follows: (1) if a school wins the Daniel S. Masterson, Jr. Sweepstakes Award or the Judy L. Seward Sweepstakes Award, that school will not be eligible for an event-category sweepstakes award; (2) highest total Masterson Sweepstakes points as of the event-category sweepstakes award date; (3) highest total Seward Sweepstakes points as of the event-category sweepstakes award date.

Section B. Policy and Public Forum Debate

1. All teams in a section (Varsity, Junior Varsity, Novice) shall be ranked. No points shall be awarded for competitors in the Novice section.

2. The top third shall be awarded 16 points; the middle third shall be awarded 12 points; and the bottom third shall be awarded 8 points. This shall apply to the top two teams from a school.

Section C. Speech

1. All contestants in a category shall be ranked.

2. The top third shall be awarded 8 points; the middle third shall be awarded 6 points; and the bottom third shall be awarded 4 points. This shall apply to the top four contestants from a school.

Section D. Student Congress

1. All speakers in each chamber shall be ranked.

2. The top third shall be awarded 8 points; the middle third shall be awarded 6 points; and the bottom third shall be awarded 4 points. This shall apply to the top four speakers from a school.

Section E. Lincoln-Douglas Debate

1. All debaters in the Varsity and Junior Varsity sections shall be ranked. No points shall be awarded for competitors in the Novice section.

2. The top third shall be awarded 8 points; the middle third shall be awarded 6 points; and the bottom third shall be awarded 4 points. This shall apply to the top four debaters from a school.

Article V. Metropolitan Championship Tournament (MetroFinals)

Section A. Policy Debate Eligibility

1. In the Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School sections of Policy Debate, all award winners at the preliminary tournaments are eligible to compete at MetroFinals. At MetroFinals there shall be three sections of Policy Debate: Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School.

2. In Policy Debate, the top three teams from the Varsity section, from each diocese at each preliminary tournament, shall be eligible to compete in the Varsity section at MetroFinals for diocesan representation at the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

3. If one or more teams earning qualification at a preliminary WASDL tournament have previously qualified, additional teams will be qualified so that each tournament yields three newly qualified teams per diocese in the Varsity section and six newly qualified teams in each of the Junior Varsity and Middle School sections. If both members of a team have previously qualified with different partners, that team will be considered previously qualified.

4. A team in the Varsity, Junior Varsity, or Middle School section will automatically qualify for MetroFinals if that team has at least 3 wins and 1 loss at any two (2) preliminary WASDL tournaments, or a record of 4 wins and 0 losses at any single WASDL preliminary tournament.

5. Policy Debate teams qualifying for the NCFL Grand National Tournament or NCFL Middle School National Tournament may not change partners for those tournaments.

6. The first-place finisher in the Novice section at each preliminary tournament will automatically qualify for MetroFinals in the Junior Varsity section. The second through sixth place competitors in the Novice section at each preliminary tournament shall be considered to have earned a record of 3 wins and 1 loss in the Junior Varsity section for purposes of determining MetroFinals qualifications. An entry in the Novice section finishing less than first place with a record of 4-0 in the Novice section shall be considered to have earned a record of 3 wins and 1 loss in the Junior Varsity section for purposes of determining MetroFinals qualifications.

7. Students qualify for MetroFinals individually. Two students who have each qualified in Policy Debate may compete together at MetroFinals as a new team.

Section B. Speech Eligibility

1. All award winners in all Speech events at each preliminary tournament are eligible to compete at MetroFinals.

2. At each preliminary tournament the top three contestants from each diocese in each event will be qualified to compete for diocesan representation to the NCFL Grand National Tournament. If a contestant is previously qualified, an additional person will be qualified. Impromptu and Informative Speaking are not offered at the NCFL Grand National Tournament; qualification in those events leads to MetroFinals titles and WASDL sweepstakes only.

3. Any student who enters the same event in three of the preliminary tournaments, or who has accumulated ranks totaling ten (10) or fewer at a preliminary WASDL tournament, will be eligible to compete at MetroFinals. WASDL will publish the list of eligible students; coaches must report any omission to the Vice President for Speech within forty-eight (48) hours of the conclusion of the final preliminary WASDL tournament.

4. Duo Interpretation pairs qualifying for the NCFL Grand National Tournament or NCFL Middle School National Tournament may not change partners for those tournaments. At MetroFinals, a Duo Interpretation pair may change partners only if both students have qualified in Duo Interpretation.

Section C. Student Congress Eligibility

1. All award winners (first through third place in each chamber) at the preliminary Student Congresses are eligible to compete at MetroFinals.

2. At each preliminary Congress the top two Congresspersons in each chamber from each diocese shall be qualified to compete for diocesan representation at the NCFL Grand National Tournament. If a contestant is previously qualified, an additional person shall be qualified.

3. If there are fewer than fifty (50) entries in a given diocese (Arlington or Washington) at MetroFinals, then additional call-ups shall be made for that diocese based on each student’s best (lowest) total of ranks at a single tournament during the preliminary season. Call-ups made on this basis shall not cause the entries in either diocese at MetroFinals to exceed fifty (50).

4. The President, the Vice President for Student Congress, the Tournament Director for Student Congress, and the NCFL Representatives may set the procedures for selecting Middle School Student Congress entries to the NCFL Middle School National Tournament. Such procedures must be announced not later than the conclusion of the last WASDL preliminary Student Congress tournament.

Section D. Lincoln-Douglas Debate Eligibility

1. All award winners at each preliminary tournament in the Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School sections are eligible to compete at MetroFinals. At MetroFinals there shall be three sections of Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School.

2. At each preliminary tournament in the Varsity section the top three debaters from each diocese will be qualified to compete for diocesan representation at the NCFL Grand National Tournament. If one or more debaters earning qualification have previously qualified, additional debaters will be qualified so that each tournament yields three newly qualified debaters per diocese in the Varsity section and six newly qualified debaters in each of the Junior Varsity and Middle School sections.

3. A student in the Varsity, Junior Varsity, or Middle School section will automatically qualify for MetroFinals if that student has at least 3 wins and 1 loss at any two (2) preliminary WASDL tournaments, or a record of 4 wins and 0 losses at any single WASDL preliminary tournament.

4. The first-place finisher in the Novice section at each preliminary tournament will automatically qualify for MetroFinals in the Junior Varsity section. The second through sixth place competitors in the Novice section at each preliminary tournament shall be considered to have earned a record of 3 wins and 1 loss in the Junior Varsity section for purposes of determining MetroFinals qualifications. An entry in the Novice section finishing less than first place with a record of 4-0 in the Novice section shall be considered to have earned a record of 3 wins and 1 loss in the Junior Varsity section for purposes of determining MetroFinals qualifications.

Section E. Public Forum Debate Eligibility

1. In the Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School sections of Public Forum Debate, all award winners at the preliminary tournaments are eligible to compete at MetroFinals. At MetroFinals there shall be three sections of Public Forum Debate: Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School.

2. In Public Forum Debate, the top three teams from the Varsity section, from each diocese at each preliminary tournament, shall be eligible to compete in the Varsity section at MetroFinals for diocesan representation at the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

3. If one or more teams earning qualification at a preliminary WASDL tournament have previously qualified, additional teams will be qualified so that each tournament yields three newly qualified teams per diocese in the Varsity section and six newly qualified teams in each of the Junior Varsity and Middle School sections. If both members of a team have previously qualified with different partners, that team will be considered previously qualified.

4. A team in the Varsity, Junior Varsity, or Middle School section will automatically qualify for MetroFinals if that team has at least 3 wins and 1 loss at any two (2) preliminary WASDL tournaments, or a record of 4 wins and 0 losses at any single WASDL preliminary tournament.

5. Public Forum Debate teams qualifying for the NCFL Grand National Tournament or NCFL Middle School National Tournament may not change partners for those tournaments.

6. The first-place finisher in the Novice section at each preliminary tournament will automatically qualify for MetroFinals in the Junior Varsity section. The second through sixth place competitors in the Novice section at each preliminary tournament shall be considered to have earned a record of 3 wins and 1 loss in the Junior Varsity section for purposes of determining MetroFinals qualifications. An entry in the Novice section finishing less than first place with a record of 4-0 in the Novice section shall be considered to have earned a record of 3 wins and 1 loss in the Junior Varsity section for purposes of determining MetroFinals qualifications.

7. Students qualify for MetroFinals individually. Two students who have each qualified in Public Forum Debate may compete together at MetroFinals as a new team.

Section F. MetroFinals Procedures

1. Student Participation. A student who does not compete in every preliminary round or session at MetroFinals will not be considered for NCFL qualification and earns no sweepstakes points for that entry, except as excused by the Vice President for the event in an emergency. A student may compete at MetroFinals only in the event(s) in which they qualified.

2. Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, and Public Forum Debate Procedures. In this section, “team” includes a Lincoln-Douglas debater.

a. Varsity

(1) There shall be six preliminary rounds, held within each diocese.

(2) If 5 or 6 teams compete in a diocese: round robin.

(3) If 7 or more teams compete:

(a) Rounds I and II – random – no school meeting itself; no teams meeting for a second time; side constraints.

(b) Rounds III and IV – straight power – no team meeting for a second time. If 14 or more teams compete, no school meets itself; side constraints.

(c) Rounds V and VI – straight power – no team meeting for a second time. In Round VI, if power breaks side constraints, teams will flip in the room.

(4) In any round in which a school meets itself, the following procedures will be employed: a current results sheet for the division, through the prior round, showing each team's win/loss record, total points and total ranks will be made available to coaches in the Tab Room or electronically after ballots have been recorded and the round paired. The pairing for the current round will be posted, with or without judge assignments. Coaches may choose to reveal only their teams’ records to their teams. Coaches may not reveal records of other teams either to their own or to other teams.

(a) The coaches will have ten (10) minutes from the time the results are made available to inform the Tab Room how to handle school-meeting-school debates.

(b) The coach may indicate win, loss, or split decision. Speaker points will be the average of all other speaker points earned by the team through the prior round.

(5) If, as a result of byes, any team entering Rounds III or V has completed an unequal number of affirmative and negative rounds, there shall be an enforceable side constraint upon that team unless to do so would require breaking the power-pairing. For purposes of this rule, rounds where two teams from the same school meet and choose not to debate shall be considered byes.

(6) For the purposes of determining qualifiers to the MetroFinals final rounds and to the NCFL Grand National Tournament, ties on record will be broken by dropping one high and one low ballot; then points and ranks.

b. Junior Varsity and Middle School

(1) If 5 or fewer teams compete: double round robin.

(2) If 6 to 10 teams compete: single round robin.

(3) If 11 or more teams compete:

(a) Round I and II – random – no school meeting itself; no teams meeting for a second time; side constraints in Round II.

(b) Round III – straight power on the basis of rounds one through two – no school meeting itself; no teams meeting for a second time.

(c) Round IV – power bracketed on the basis of rounds one through three – side constraints; no school meeting itself; no teams meeting for a second time.

(d) Round V – straight power on the basis of rounds one through four – no school meeting itself; no teams meeting for a second time.

(e) Round VI – power bracketed on the basis of rounds one through five – side constraints; no school meeting itself; no teams meeting for a second time.

(4) If a tie on record occurs, drop one high and one low ballot.

c. Judging

(1) All judges in Varsity and Junior Varsity must be Varsity qualified with at least one year of experience judging at the Varsity level; no high school students may be used as judges. Judges for the Middle School section can be experienced Junior Varsity judges with no Varsity judging experience, but they must have experience judging the particular debate event they are registered for. Schools will be required to submit all judge names, and back-ups, by the registration deadline set by the Vice President for the event. The Executive Council will evaluate the qualifications of all judges submitted. It may request additional evidence of qualification as necessary, and reserves the right to reject judges it deems unqualified. This rejection does not relieve schools of their judging requirement. Judges who have not been submitted by the deadline may not be accepted as judges at MetroFinals.

(2) Varsity – two-judge panels; pairing resting on ballots, points, and ranks.

(3) Junior Varsity and Middle School – one judge; pairing resting on ballots, points, and ranks.

3. Speech Procedures

a. Double entry, but no triple entry, will be allowed.

b. No more than six contestants will be in any section.

c. Preliminary rounds are held within each diocese. If six or fewer participants are in any Speech event from one diocese, there will be three rounds with one judge.

d. In all other cases, there will be four preliminary rounds with two judges per section.

e. The top three in each diocese will advance to a Championship Round, with three-judge panels in each event. The Championship Round determines WASDL placing only and does not affect NCFL qualification.

4. Student Congress Procedures

a. A seeding list, based on performance in all preliminary Congresses, will be published and sent by email to all schools involved.

(1) Presiding Officers will be selected based on this list.

(2) Committee Chairpersons will be selected based on this list.

(3) Ties in seeding will be broken first by the number of Congresses attended, then by the student’s average score during WASDL preliminary tournaments.

b. The entries in each diocese will be divided into one to four approximately equal chambers of 12 to 25 entries each. Chambers held online should not exceed 16 entries.

(1) For each level of competition, the number of sessions will be determined by the Vice President for Student Congress, in consultation with the Tournament Director for Student Congress and the President, and announced at least one week before the tournament. Each session shall be not less than 1 hour 15 minutes. The Vice President for Student Congress may schedule additional time for a chamber caucus before the first session.

(2) If there is only one chamber in a diocese, there will be between four and six sessions of competition. Three speeches will be required for qualification for the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

(3) If there are three or four chambers in a diocese, a Quarter-Final will be held with two or three sessions of competition. The number of speeches required to advance to the Semi-Final will be the same as the number of sessions held. The top half (truncated) of each Quarter-Final chamber will advance to the Semi-Final.

(4) There shall be two Scorers for any Quarter-Final session. The Scorers and the Parliamentarian in each chamber will each rank the top eight members of the chamber; each student unranked by a Scorer or Parliamentarian will receive a rank of “9”. The ranks will be totaled and the students with the lowest totals will advance to the Semi-Final. The top-ranked student on the Parliamentarian’s ranking who has not advanced by total judge ranks shall also be a Semi-Finalist.

(5) If there are two chambers in a diocese (or after a Quarter-Final), a Semi-Final will be held with two or three sessions of competition. The number of speeches required to advance to the Final will be the same as the number of sessions held. The top half (truncated) of each Semi-Final chamber will advance to the Final. If a Quarter-Final was held, all scores and speaker precedence are reset to zero for the Semi-Final. The Presiding Officers for the Semi-Final will be chosen by the seeding of the Presiding Officers in the Quarter-Final, and Committee Chairpersons by the seeding of the Semi-Final participants who are not Presiding Officers.

(6) There shall be between two and four Scorers for any Semi-Final session. The Scorers and the Parliamentarian in each chamber will each rank the top eight members of the chamber; each student unranked by a Scorer or Parliamentarian will receive a rank of “9”. The ranks will be totaled and the students with the lowest totals will advance to the Final. The top-ranked student on the Parliamentarian’s ranking who has not advanced by total judge ranks shall also be a Finalist.

(7) For the Final, all scores and speaker precedence are reset to zero. The Presiding Officers for the Final will be chosen by the seeding of the Presiding Officers in the Semi-Final, and Committee Chairpersons by the seeding of the Final participants who are not Presiding Officers. There will be between one and three sessions of Final competition. Two speeches will be required for qualification from the Final for the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

(8) There shall be between two and four Scorers for any Final session. The Scorers and the Parliamentarian in each chamber will each rank the top eight members of the chamber; each student unranked by a Scorer or Parliamentarian will receive a rank of “9”. The Scorer and Parliamentarian ranks will be totaled to determine the final placement of students.

Section G. MetroFinals Awards

1. At MetroFinals, awards will be presented as follows (trophies for a–g; certificates for h–i):

a. Finalist and semifinalist teams in Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School Policy Debate.

b. First through sixth place contestants in all Speech events.

c. First through fourth place contestants in Student Congress.

d. Finalist and semifinalist debaters in Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

e. Finalist and semifinalist teams in Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Middle School Public Forum Debate.

f. All students, excluding call-ups, qualifying for the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

g. In Student Congress, the top Presiding Officer from each diocese, determined by the Presiding Officer scores from the preliminary rounds, with ties broken by appeal to parliamentary score and then to speaker point scores.

h. All students who have participated in all preliminary tournaments and MetroFinals will receive a certificate. The award shall be called the “Eleanor Wright Spirit of Competition Award.”

i. A student who has qualified by receiving an award or being an additional qualifier at a tournament in more than one of WASDL’s five event categories (Speech, Student Congress, Varsity Policy Debate, Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Varsity Public Forum Debate) shall receive a certificate. The award shall be called the “All WASDL Team Award.” A student who has qualified to the NCFL Grand National Tournament in more than one event is designated as a member of the “First Team of the All WASDL Team.” A student who has qualified to MetroFinals in more than one event is designated as a member of the “Second Team of the All WASDL Team.”