Congress Rules and Directions

RULES

All chambers will follow NSDA rules.  There will be 2 minutes of cross-examination after the authorship and first negative speech.  There will be 1 minute of cross-examination after each subsequent speech.  In semifinals and finals only, chambers will use direct questioning.  Questioners will have 30 seconds to question speakers in a back-and-forth format.

JUDGING AND ADVANCING

All judges are obligated for the entirety of the tournament.  Each chamber will be judged by 2 scorers and a parliamentarian.  The parliamentarian will rank at the end of the three preliminary sessions.  Five students will advance from each preliminary chamber.  There will be two semifinal chambers with 15 students in each.  The top six will advance from each semifinal chamber to the final round.  Advancement will be determined by judge’s rank only.

SEMIFINALS/FINALS DEBATE

Semifinals debate will be on the following pieces of legislation: SS5 “A Bill to Incentivize Living Organ Donation”, SS10 “The College for All Act”, SS8 “A Bill to Reduce US Aid to Brazil to Incite Governmental Reforms”, and SS2 “A Bill to Fund the United States Environmental Protection Agency to Get Rid of Lead in Water”.  

Finals debate will be on the following pieces of legislation: SS1 “A Bill to Reduce Carbon to Cut Down on Pollution”, SS6 “A Bill to Counter Chinese Aggression in China”, and SS7 “A Bill to Terminate All Military and Economic Aid to the State of Israel.”

These pieces of legislation were selected from school submissions.  Schools/authors will not be given priority for first affirmative speeches.