DECISION TIME

Once again, we are implementing a decision time in: VCX, VLD, JVLD, and VPF. Decision time simply means there will be a deadline by which the judge must make a decision in each debate. Each round’s decision time deadline is based on the Tabroom pairing start time. If the judge does not enter a decision in tabroom by the decision time, it is within the Tabroom’s power to flip a coin to determine the winner of that debate. We do intend to enforce this but hope we don't have to.

For example, in a policy prelim with 125 minutes for decision time, if the Tabroom pairing start time is 8am, the judge must enter the decision into Tabroom by 10:05am or the tabroom will flip a coin to determine the winner. Oral critiques can still take place after the decision deadline and written feedback on Tabroom can be edited until the end of the entire tournament. It is very important to note that the decision time does not change if the debate starts late. There is an incentive for the students and judge(s) to begin the debate at the Tabroom pairing start time and to exchange evidence via email chains throughout the debate and after the debate in a timely manner. Coaches, please make sure the people judging for your school are aware of the use of decision times and start their debates on time. Use of decision time has been extremely successful in the high school and college debate communities. 

VCX prelims: 125 minutes after the tabroom pairing time for each debate

VCX elims: 135 minutes after the tabroom pairing time for each debate.

VLD/JVLD prelims: 65 minutes after the tabroom pairing time for each flight.

VLD/JVLD elims: 75 minutes after the tabroom pairing time for each flight/debate.

VPF prelims: 65 minutes after the tabroom pairing time for each flight.

VPF elims: 75 minutes after the tabroom pairing time for each flight/debate.

Of course, please feel free to vote well in advance of decision time too.

POLICY DEBATE

Varsity, junior varsity, and novice policy debate divisions will be switch-side, cross-examination style, with an 8-3-5 format, 10 minutes of prep time. Varsity debaters should only include your finest competitors. Policy debaters may not enter any other tournament event. 

The policy topic for the 2019 Glenbrooks is Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce Direct Commercial Sales and/or Foreign Military Sales of arms from the United States.

There will be seven preliminary rounds in varsity policy. Varsity policy will break to double-octafinals. Octafinals and subsequent elimination rounds will take place on Monday at the Renaissance North Shore. Finals in both the JV and Novice divisions will take place on Monday at the Renaissance North Shore.

Please see the Novice and JV RR tab for more information on those divisions.

LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DIVISIONS

Lincoln-Douglas will include Varsity and junior varsity divisions, with NSDA rules and time limits. Varsity LD debaters should include only your finest competitors. LD debaters may not enter into any other tournament event. The November/December NSDA Lincoln-Douglas topic will be used. There will be seven preliminary rounds in Varsity Lincoln-Douglas. Varsity LD will break to double-octafinals. Octafinals and subsequent elimination rounds will occur on Monday at the Renaissance North Shore.

There will be six preliminary rounds in the JV division of LD. This division will break to double-octafinals, assuming the numbers continue to remain consistent with previous years. We reserve the right to break to octos. The JV LD division will conclude on Sunday night.  

Given the need for LD judges over the last several years we are instituting an entourage rule for LD. Any adult at the tournament that is capable of judging must be in the pool for at least 2 rounds and available to judge elimination debates. If there is a reason someone needs an exception, this must be approved by the tournament. 

PUBLIC FORUM

Public Forum will be an open division using NSDA time limits. Please note, we are using the new NSDA speech and prep time rules for Public Forum which means:

1. One additional minute will be added to each summary speech for a total of three minutes per speech.

2. One additional minute of preparation time will be given to each team for a total of three minutes of preparation time per team throughout the debate.

All decisions made by the judge in the debate are final - we will not listen to protests. If you think you need to challenge something done by the other team, then do it in the debate through the judge. 

Public Forum debaters may not enter any other tournament event. The November NSDA public forum topic will be used. There will be seven preliminary rounds in varsity Public Forum. The division will break to double octafinals. Semis and finals will be held at the Renaissance North Shore on Monday morning. There will be six preliminary rounds in novice Public Forum. The division will break to octafinals. Novice public forum will end on Sunday night.

CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE

There will be multiple chambers of approximately 22 students in each, with semifinal and final sessions. NSDA rules and time limits will apply; see the NSDA website www.speechanddebate.org for further details.

Each school may enter a maximum of twenty (20) Congressional debaters. The Glenbrooks tabroom staff will apportion the chambers and assign committees. Congressional debaters may not enter any other event.

Each school may submit a maximum of three (3) pieces of legislation, but no more than one

(1)  per committee (economics, public welfare, foreign policy). Legislation must be in the proper NSDA format and emailed as an ATTACHED MICROSOFT WORD document to acorrigan@glenbrook225.org by October 18th.