Dates and Location

- March 3-4, 2023

- In Person at Sequoyah High School

Events Offered

- Dramatic Interpretation

- Duo Interpretation

- Extemporaneous Speaking

- Humorous Interpretation

- Impromptu Speaking

- Informative Speaking

- Lincoln Douglas Debate

- Original Oratory

- Policy Debate

- Program of Oral Interpretation

- Public Forum Debate

Entry Qualifications

The Varsity State Tournament requires that "entries must have attended at least two tournaments hosted by schools in Georgia" (4.14). To comply with this bylaw, students must have attended the two tournaments before the registration deadline. This year, the registration deadline will be February 22.

GFCA Member Schools may enter up to four debate entries and six speech entries in each event, subject to the school providing judges to cover their entries.

Judging Qualifications

- Policy — In order to count for a school's judging obligation in Policy Debate at the Varsity State Tournament, individuals must have judged at least eight (8) rounds at the high school level in Policy Debate since June of the year before the state tournament.

- LD and PF — In order to count for a school's judging obligation inPublic Forum or Lincoln-Douglas Debate at the Varsity State Tournament, individuals must have judged at least (8) rounds at the high school level in that debate event in the current and/or school year preceding the state tournament.

- Speech — While we do not have specific round requirements for speech, please do make sure your judges are familiar with the speech events offered at the tournament.

Please ask debate judges to make sure they have an updated judge philosophy on Tabroom.com — it really helps the students that they are judging!

Entourage Rule Reminder

At the Varsity tournament, any adult attending the tournament that contributes to the competitive debate effort in Policy, Public Forum, or Lincoln Douglas for a school must be entered into a judge pool for a minimum of two preliminary and/or elimination rounds; for Speech, anyone attending the tournament that contributes to the competitive effort for a school must be entered in the judge pool. This includes any volunteers contributing debate or speech work. If the judge’s rounds are included in their team's obligation owed, the judge will be obligated for elimination rounds.

Please reach out to Jonathan (jonwaters7@gmail.com) if you have any questions about how this might apply for your particular school.

Guidelines for Combining or Canceling Divisions

The GFCA will cancel a state tournament event if there are fewer than six entries and/or fewer than three schools when registration closes. Students in that event will then have an opportunity to transfer to other event(s) if desired and if their school has not reached the cap in the other event or alternately, students may participate in a scrimmage on those dates. (Bylaw 4.15)

Hired Judging

We will have a limited amount of judging available to hire from the tournament. If you know you will need a hired judge, please submit this request ASAP when registration opens so we can make sure to meet as many needs as possible.

Forms to Submit

Each school must submit a School Eligibility Form (one per school) and an Individual Electronic Release Form (one per student.) These will be available on Tabroom.com. You’ll upload the completed forms to Tabroom.

Other Notes

LD will be using the NSDA March/April topic. PF will be using the NSDA March topic.