Dates & Deadlines

Important Middle School Dates

• Coaches can register online starting March 1. 

• Entries are due April 24. All entries will be placed on a waitlist. Entries will be taken off the waitlist once payment has been received (space permitted, up to four per event). Additional entries (up to eight per event) will remain on the waitlist until the payment deadline of May 10. Entries will be taken off the waitlist based upon the payment date and not the registration date.

• Entry drops after April 24 will not be refunded. 

• Congressional Debate legislation is due April 24. 

• Judge entries are due April 24.

• Title, author, and ISBN information for Interpretation events, title for Declamation, and title and topic for OO must be posted on the registration website by May 1. No changes will be permitted after May 1. 

• Judge paradigms for Policy and Lincoln-Douglas judges must be submitted by May 10. 

• Media release forms, signed by each student’s parent/guardian, must be submitted by May 10. 

• All fees, including judge bond, must be received in the national office by May 10.

• Judge conflicts are due on May 10. Judges must look through the entry list and make sure they mark any conflicts.

• A late fee of $200 will be assessed for each change, missing form, or payment received after May 10. A school risks forfeiting participation if fees and media release forms are not received by May 19.

Quick Timeline

• APRIL 24: Students & judges due. Congress legislation due.
• MAY 1: Piece info due. Topics and Congress docket released.
• MAY 10: Payment due. Media release and entry agreement forms due. CX/LD paradigms due.
• MAY 15: Waitlist will be assessed.

More info found at https://www.speechanddebate.org/middle-school-unified-manual/