GFCA Varsity State
2024 — Atlanta, GA/US
Dates and Location
- February 9-10
- In Person at Marist School
Events Offered
- Congress
- 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
GFCA Member Schools may enter up to four entries in each of Policy, Public Forum, and Lincoln Douglas, eight entries in Congress, and six entries in each speech event at the Varsity Speech & Debate State Championship. Entries must have attended at least two invitationals that meet State Championship minimum entry requirements hosted by schools in Georgia. (3.2.2.1)
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. (3.2.5.1.2.1)
- 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. (3.2.5.1.2.2)
- 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. (3.2.5.1.2.3)
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. (3.1.3.1.2)
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. No hired judging requests will be accepted after January 24 at noon. There is no guarantee that the tournament will be able to meet hired judging requests. Schools should expect to cover their own judges.
Forms to Submit
Each school must submit a School Eligibility Form (one per school). The completed form should be uploaded to Tabroom.
Other Notes
LD will be using the NSDA January/February topic. PF will be using the NSDA February topic.
