Sudlow Tiger Invitational

2026 — Davenport, IA/US

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Duo Interpretation

Event Description:

General Rules

1. A student may enter no more than two speech events OR one debate event.

2. 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are eligible to compete. Debaters who have competed in-person against high school teams will not be permitted.

3. Teams will be required to have 1 judge for every 5 speech entries or fraction thereof, 1 judge for every 3 public forum entries or fraction thereof, and 1 judge for every 3 Lincoln-Douglas entries. Both coaches and high school students can act as judges. For a high school student to judge, they must meet the following requirements:

-11th or 12th grade standing

-250 National Speech and Debate Association points

OR

-1 or more IHSSA All-State Nominations

OR

-3 or more ratings of 1 overall at IHSSA State Contests

OR

-1 or more qualifications to NSDA Nationals

4. Teams must be accompanied by an adult coach or sponsor.

5. Any student who is late or performs in the wrong room will be ranked last in the room.

6. If debaters are more than 10 minutes late to their room due to no fault of the tournament, they will receive the loss for that round.

7. In debate, entries must remain constant in personnel throughout the tournament.

8. Students are not to write on smart boards or touch any classroom materials or decorations. The one exception is that double-entered speech students may write on WHITE BOARDS to notify the judge that they will be late to compete.

9. All food and drink is to be kept in the cafeteria/hospitality room.

10. Electronic devices are allowed for prepared evidence and debate cases. Cell phones may be used as timekeeping devices.

Event Rules

Maximum time limits are given, but there are no minimum time limits. Timing will NOT be a factor in judging unless the student goes over the grace period.

Dramatic Interpretation (10 minutes maximum, with a 30-second grace period)

Must be taken from a published piece of literature and be memorized with no props or costumes. The performance must include an introduction.

IHSSA Equivalency: Acting category. Students may act out one or more characters.

Duo Interpretation (10 minutes maximum, with a 30-second grace period)

Two students should perform a scene taken from a published piece of literature. The performance should be memorized. No props or costumes are permitted. The performance must include an introduction. Students must have off-stage focus, and they are NOT permitted to touch each other.

IHSSA Equivalency: Ensemble Acting category, but students must have off-stage focus similar to Choral Reading or Readers Theatre.

Humorous Interpretation (10 minutes maximum, with a 30-second grace period)

Must be taken from a published piece of literature and be memorized with no props or costumes.The performance must include an introduction.

IHSSA Equivalency: Acting category. Students may act out one or more characters.

Informative Speaking (10 minutes maximum, with a 30-second grace period)

This is an original informative speech written by the student. It may include no more than 150 words of direct quotation. Visual aids are permitted, but not required.

IHSSA Equivalency: Expository Address category

Original Oratory (10 minutes maximum, with a 30-second grace period)

This speech is an original persuasive speech written by the student. It may include no more than 150 words of direct quotation. It must be memorized and visual aids are not permitted.

IHSSA Equivalency: Original Oratory category, but we are using National Speech and Debate Association rules with the speech being memorized.

Poetry Reading (8 minutes maximum, with a 30-second grace period)

Material must be presented with a manuscript. The performance can consist of a single poem or be a collection of poems. The performance must include an introduction.

IHSSA Equivalency: Poetry Reading Category

Prose Reading (8 minutes maximum, with a 30-second grace period)

Material must be presented with a manuscript and be from a published novel or short story with less than 50% dialogue. The performance must include an introduction.

IHSSA Equivalency: Prose Reading Category

Lip Sync (4 minutes maximum, with a 30 second grace period)

Teams may select a song to lip sync. Song content must be G- or PG-rated. Students may use costumes and props, with only one minute to set-up and one minute to take-down. Teams will perform only one time before Awards.

Public Forum Debate

1. Sides will be determined by coin toss. The winner may choose pro/con or speaker order.

2. Crossfires will be delivered standing and facing the judge. Grand Crossfire will be delivered seated.

3. No new arguments may be brought up in the last speech but new evidence to support existing arguments is allowed.

4. Time limits will be:

1. 4 - 1A

2. 4 - 1B

3. 3 - Crossfire

4. 4 - 2A

5. 4 - 2B

6. 3 - Crossfire

7. 3 - 1A

8. 3 - 1B

9. 3 - Grand Crossfire

10. 2 - 2A

11. 2 - 2B

12. 3 Min. prep. for each team.

5. The topic will be Resolved: The United States federal government should ban corporate acquisition of single-family residences.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

1. Sides will be determined before the round starts. We will try to have each debate have two rounds debating Affirmative and two rounds debating Negative.

2. Cross-examination will be delivered standing and facing the judge.

3. No new arguments may be brought up in the last speech but new evidence to support existing arguments is allowed.

4. Time limits will be:

1. 6 - Affirmative Constructive

2. 3 - Negative Cross-Examination

3. 7 - Negative Constructive

4. 3- Affirmative Cross-Examination

5. 4 - 1st Affirmative Rebuttal

6. 6- Negative Rebuttal

7. 3 - 2nd Affirmative Rebuttal

8. 4 Min. prep. for each team.

The topic will be Resolved: The United States military ought to abide by the principle of non-intervention.