Congressional Debate Rules

Glenbrooks Congressional Debate Rules/Guidelines

Again this year, the rules of the Glenbrook’s Congressional Tournament are consistent with the guidelines and standards suggested by the Tournament of Champions, for which students who advance to a Semifinal chamber earn qualifying bids. In addition, NSDA rules are followed when appropriate.

 CHAMBERS

1.      The tournament will consist of four preliminary sessions, one semifinal session and a final session.

 2.      Students will be assigned to geographically diverse preliminary chambers of 18-22 (and not exceeding 25) students. Where possible students from the same school will be placed evenly in chambers. However, students may be placed together to leave chambers open for judges from that school to judge in other chambers.

 LEGISLATION -- Legislation as provided on Joy of Tournaments website should be downloaded and copied.  The tournament will not supply copies to the students. The legislation for the semifinal session is listed on the Joy of Tournaments website. The topics for the final session will be determined by the tournament staff and will be provided after the third session. 

 COMMITTEE SESSIONS

1.      Each chamber will act as a committee of the whole to determine the order of legislation to be debated. The chamber may do this by unanimous consent or by voting on suggested dockets. 

2.      The selection of legislation should be based on the following criteria; Is the bill controversial, timely, and well written?  and are there substantial pro and con arguments concerning the bill?

3.      The debated legislation should alternate between Economics, Foreign Affairs and Public Welfare bills or resolutions.

4.      Debate will continue until time expires in the session or until all bills are debated.  If additional bills are needed for debate the chamber may select legislation not originally placed on the committee lists.

PROCEDURES WITHIN THE CHAMBERS

1.      Two or three scorers will be assigned to the chambers each session. The tournament will provide seating charts for each session.

2.      The scorers and or parliamentarian will then conduct elections for Presiding Officers.  Students may be nominated or may nominate themselves.  Each nominee will be given an opportunity to present a brief statement (not exceeding 30 seconds) in support of his/her candidacy.  Each school within the chamber may cast one vote. Voting will continue, dropping the lowest vote-getter(s), until one person receives a majority.   The voting for the second session Presiding Officer shall be held either at the end of the first session or the beginning of the second at the discretion of the chamber.   Voting for the third session presiding officer may happen at the end of the second session or beginning of the third session.

3.      Debate will begin once the presiding officers have been selected.  There is no time limit on debate of any bill or resolution.

4.      Debate on each bill or resolution will begin with a request for a three-minute authorship speech to be given by the author or representative from his/her school.  In the absence of an authorship speech, the Presiding Officer will call for a sponsor in favor of the bill.  Following the delivery of the first speech introducing the legislation, the chair will allow for two minutes of questioning of the speaker. Following the questioning, the chair will ask for a speech in opposition to the bill. This speech will be three minutes long followed by a two minute of questioning (consistent with new NFL rules).  All subsequent speeches shall be three minutes in length followed by a one minute questioning period.  Timing runs continuously during the question and answer period.

5.      A debater may not speak on both sides of the same legislation.

6.      Voting on all matters will be one vote per student, except otherwise specified by the tournament staff.

7.      All voting will be done only by those members in the Chambers at the time of those present in the chamber must vote in favor to pass. For decisions requiring a 2/3-majority vote, it will be 2/3 of those in the chamber. In cases to ties, the Presiding Officer votes to break the tie.

8.      Recognizing Speakers.

a. When more than one speaker seeks the floor, the presiding officer must follow the precedence/recency method, that is:   

1.      First recognize students who have not spoken during the session

2.      Next recognize students who have spoken fewer times

3.      Then recognize students who spoke earlier (least recently)

b. During any session, precedence/recency should not reset, to ensure that all students in a chamber have an equal opportunity to speak and receive evaluation from the scorers. When a new session begins precedence/recency will be reset.

9.      The Presiding Officer starts timing questioning periods when s/he has recognized the first questioner, and keeps the clock running continuously until time has lapsed.  Speakers are encouraged to ask brief questions, and my only ask one question at a time (two-part/multiple questions are not allowed).

1.      Two or three qualified scorers per session will evaluate each speech by participants (except in the unavoidable case of a same school conflict) on a scale of 1-6 points.  The scorer should rate the students as "legislators" and not merely as "speakers" considering their debating skill as well as their oratorical skills in discourse.   The guidelines are specified on the ballot.

2.      A scorer should not evaluate a student from his or her school.

3.      A Parliamentarian will be appointed to serve the three preliminary sessions.  The Parliamentarians also ensure regular order and fairness in the chamber.

4.      The Parliamentarian will evaluate the performance of the presiding officer following each session. As in the NFL rules, the Parliamentarian will award the Presiding Officer up to eight points per hour per session for a total of 20 points.  The parliamentarian will be credited with 2.5 speeches. 

5.      Judges (scorer and Parliamentarian) will conduct elections for Outstanding Legislation at the end of the third session.  All legislation that was debated within the chamber will be eligible for consideration.  Each school in the chamber will be allowed one vote.  The winning legislation must receive a simple majority of the votes cast.  If no legislation earns a simple majority, the legislation that receives the lowest vote total (or the legislation with the same lowest total) will be dropped from consideration until such time as one piece of legislation does obtain the required simple majority.

6.      Judges will conduct elections for best Presiding Officer at the end of the third session.  Each school in the chamber will be allowed one vote.  The winning candidate must receive a simple majority of the votes cast.  If no person earns a simple majority, the candidate who receives the lowest vote total will be dropped from consideration and voting will be repeated. If the two lowest vote getters are tied, a run off between the two will occur with the lowest vote getter being dropped.  Another vote will be taken between the two remaining candidates.

7.      The Glenbrook Critique Ballot will be used again this year, which allows for the review of up to six speeches from a single student.   Consistent with the new NFL rules the points for each debater will be tabulated for NFL points but are no longer consider for advancement to the semifinals or the final session.

ADVANCEMENT TO THE SEMIFINAL CONGRESS

1.            The Parliamentarian shall rank the all students in the chamber who he or she believes to have been the best "legislators" with emphasis on the debating skills of the students on a preferential ballot.  The Parliamentarian’s ballot shall be weighted by a factor of two.  The parliamentarian’s ranks, up to eighth are inputted, with subsequent ranks considered as ranks of 9.

2.            Each Scorer shall rank the top eight students in the chamber without consultation, again considering the students as "legislators" on a preferential ballot.  The Presiding Officer may be included in the rankings. The non-ranked students shall receive a rank of 9. 

3.            Four to six students will advance from each chamber to the Semifinal chambers based on a preferential ranking of the eight ballots (six scorers and two Parliamentarian ballots).  The number of students advancing is dependent on the number of chambers and the optimum number of students in the Semifinal chambers. 

4. Each individual chamber is tabulated independent of the others. Legislators with the lowest cumulative rank total advance to the nest level of competition, employing the following tie-breakers:

a.      Judges’ preference, defined as which of the tied entries has more preferred (lover) ranks that the other(s).

b.      Reciprocal fractions.

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

d.      Judges’ preference of adjusted cumulative rank total.

e.      Reciprocals of adjusted cumulative rank total.

f.       Rank by the parliamentarian.

5.            It is anticipated that 6 to 8 students from each preliminary chamber will advance to the semifinal chambers.  However, the number is again subject to the number of students debating in the preliminary sessions and the number of students desired in the semifinal chambers.  There will be four semifinal chambers. 

1.      Advancing students shall be assigned to one of three or four semifinal chambers with an effort made for geographical distribution.  Students from the same schools will be placed in different semifinal chambers whenever possible.  The students will elect a Presiding Officer after nominations in the manner described for the preliminary sessions.

2.      The legislation to be debated in the semifinal chambers has been selected by the tournament staff.  Any request to change that list must be made to this staff.

3.      There are no authorship speeches in the semifinal chambers.  Any student may give a first sponsorship speech.  That speech will be followed by two minutes of questions and all other speeches will be three minutes in length followed by one minute of questions.

4.      The chamber will meet as a committee of the whole to choose the order in which the legislation will be debated.

5.      A qualified parliamentarian shall be assigned to each semifinal chamber.  The parliamentarian should allow the chamber to run itself and correct only significant errors or procedures that effect fairness within the chamber.  Of course, the parliamentarian is the final judge of all procedural matters.

6.      Two to three scorers will be assigned to the chamber who will be responsible for evaluating the participants’ speeches.  Again the scorers should rate the students as “legislators” and not merely as “speakers”.  Guidelines are described on the ballot.

7.      All individuals participating in the semifinal chambers that do not advance to the final Congress will receive a semifinals award.

STUDENT SELECTION TO THE FINAL CONGRESS

1.      The Parliamentarian and the Scorers will select the students who break to the Final Congress using preferential ballots.

2.      Four to six students will advance from each semifinal chamber to the Final Congress based on a preferential ranking of the ballots.  The number of students advancing is dependent on the number of chambers and the optimum number of students in the Final Congress.

1.      The advancing students shall be assigned seats in the Final Congress. The Final Congress will consist of 20-24 students.

2.      The general topics to be debated in the Final Congress will be disclosed Saturday after the third session.   The specific language of each resolution to be debated in the Final Congress will be announced at the beginning of the session before the election of the Presiding Officer.

3.      The Director of Congress will act as the temporary presiding officer of the Final Congress and will accept nomination speeches for the Presiding Officer.  The members will vote immediately for one nominee after each nominee has the opportunity to address the chamber.

4.      Any member of the Final Congress can be elected as the Presiding Officer after nominations from the floor.  The PO must be elected with a majority of the vote of the members with each having a single vote.

5.      Three to five Scorers shall be assigned to the Final Congress.  An attempt will be made to make the panel geographically diverse with no members being from the same school as any of the students in the Final Congress.  At the end of the session each scorer will rank all the debaters in the final session using a preferential ballot.

6.      The Parliamentarian shall be assigned to the Final Congress.   The Parliamentarian evaluates the overall performance of legislators, scores the performance of the Presiding Officer, and ensures regular order and fairness in the chamber.

7.      The top ten legislators in the Final Congress will receive awards at the awards ceremony following the Final Congress.  Preferential ranking by the scorers will choose the ten.  The Presiding Officer may be ranked.

DECORUM AND BEHAVIOR

Ø  No eating or drinking (excluding water) by contestants.  

Ø  Inappropriate language will not be allowed.

Ø  Disrespect or misuse of the facilities or furnishings will not be tolerated.

Ø  Keeping in mind that these chambers are open for public viewing, appropriate behavior is expected at all times.

Ø  Unsportsmanlike behavior will not be tolerated.

Ø  Consequences for infractions may result in any or all of the following actions by the Congressional Debate tournament staff:

o   Disqualification from the tournament

o   Loss of participation points

o   Forfeiture of awards

o   Schools will be held financially responsible for all damages incurred

o   School administrators being notified of any misconduct

o   Any additional consequences deemed appropriate to the severity of the infraction     

Ø  Judges in each chamber will be responsible for enforcement of the rules.