Welcome to the 66th CHSSA State Championship!

Congratulations on qualifying for the California High School Speech Association (CHSSA) State Championship! We’re so excited to have you join us for an incredible weekend of top-tier competition, community, and celebration.

This invitation covers all of the initial things you need to know to get registered for the tournament (more info on specific items will be coming later as we get closer to the tournament itself)—registration details, judge obligations, hotel info, and more. Please read it carefully! Our goal is to make everything as clear and easy as possible.

If you need help at any point, your League President and Area Chair are your best resources for navigating the process before and during the tournament.

Who Can Attend?

Only students who qualified through their local State Qualifying Tournament can compete at CHSSA State 2025. If you’re unsure whether your student is eligible, reach out to your League President for clarification.

Also, a quick but important reminder:
✓ Only the coach of record listed on the CHSSA membership form can register students.
X Students cannot enter themselves.
X Independent (non-school site) entries are not allowed.

If a student or anyone other than the official coach submits an entry, it will be removed.

Looking for the CHSSA Middle School State Championship?
[Click here] for the middle school registration page.

Tournament Location

Culver City High School
4401 Elenda St, Culver City, CA 90230

General Items of Note

Commemorative Plaques

Each school can request a personalized wooden plaque (with space for a team photo!) at no cost. These are great for team classrooms, trophy cases, or as a gift for a supportive administrator.

⦿ Deadline to request a plaque: April 4, 2025, at 5 PM PT

[Click here] to request one.

Food Insecurity Program

We’re proud to offer a Food Insecurity Program to help students who need assistance covering meal costs during the tournament.
[Click here] to apply.

No More Double Entry

Students can no longer double-enter at the tournament. We know this was a big change last year, but it allows us to run a better, more balanced schedule that benefits everyone.

Preorder Apparel

State Championship apparel preorders will open soon! Keep an eye out for an announcement when it’s live.

State Dinner Dance

We’re bringing back the CHSSA State Dinner Dance!

• Date: Sunday, May 4th, right after the awards ceremony

• Time: 7 PM - 10 PM

• Location: Culver City High School

• Early bird pricing (before April 4 at 5 PM PT): $25 for students, $15 for chaperones

• Regular pricing (after April 4): $30 for students, $20 for chaperones

Tickets are available through Tabroom registration.

In-Person Registration

We’ll have a limited in-person registration on Friday at the tournament. It’s not required, but it’s a great chance for coaches to:

• Pick up plaques

• Collect name badges

• Receive Food Insecurity Program funds

• Miss it? No worries—anything not picked up will be available at the Help Desk throughout the tournament. More info on this will be shared closer to the tournament. 

Travel & Accommodations

Hotel Blocks

For the first time in a few years, we’ve secured hotel blocks at different price points.
[Click here] for full details.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Booking through our hotel block is optional—you’re welcome to stay wherever works best for your team.

• Watch out for hidden costs like parking fees, which can be high in LA.

Important Tournament Info

Payments & Judge Bond

Pay Online – The easiest way to pay is through [Square.CHSSA.org] instead of mailing a check. If you need an invoice, our Treasurer can send one for digital payment.

Judge Bond Reminder:

• The judge bond is $150 per school (effective August 20, 2023).

• Bonds will automatically roll over to cover 2025-2026 CHSSA Membership Dues unless you fill out the  Refund Request Form from Tabroom and upload it back in through Tabroom.

All payments go directly to our Treasurer—not your Area Chair. If mailing a check, send it with tracking.

Judge Requirements & Obligations

Judge Obligations

• Debate:

• Friday & Saturday: 1 judge per 2 debate entries

• Sunday: 1 judge per 3 debate entries

• Speech:

• Prelims: 1 judge per 4 speech entries

• Elims: 1 judge per 5 speech entries

• Congress: 1 judge per 3 entries (or fraction thereof)

Important Notes on Judge Commitment

• Judges are committed through the end of the tournament. While we understand this may be different from what many are used to at invitationals and other tournaments, this is the standard expectation at culminating, large-format championship tournaments.

• We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in making this event a success—ensuring that every round is judged fairly and effectively is what allows students to have the best possible experience.

• We do allow single-day judges, but they must be available for all rounds on the day(s) they are signed up for.

• First-year out (class of 2024) judges are NOT allowed.

• There is no judge buyout option—teams must provide their full judge obligation. That said, if you need help finding a judge to hire, please email me (Director@CHSSA.org)  and I can try to help get you connected to someone available to judge. 

[Click here] for a full breakdown of judge requirements and the schedule.

Judge Background Information

We’re asking coaches to provide a bit of background on their judges and rate them based on experience when registering. This helps our tab staff place judges more effectively.

This doesn’t need to be super detailed—just enough to give us a sense of who’s judging and how we can best use them.

Neutral Judges

This year, we’re clarifying the role of Neutral Judges—judges who are entered by a school to fulfill its obligation but have no direct affiliation with the team.

A Neutral Judge is someone who:
✓ Has no prior connection to your team
✓ Does not know your students and could not identify them
✓ Has never coached, worked with, or interacted with your students in any meaningful way

Example: If you hired a college debater you've never met to cover your obligation, and they have never worked with your team, trained your students, or even interacted with them, they can likely be classified as neutral and judge your team’s entries.

How to indicate a Neutral Judge:
During registration, you can mark a judge as "Neutral" if they meet the above criteria. This helps us with fair judge placement and ensures the tournament runs smoothly.

If you have any questions about whether a judge qualifies as neutral, feel free to reach out!

New for 2025: Mandatory Judge Check-In

To keep the tournament running smoothly, we are instituting mandatory judge check-in twice a day for all judges scheduled to judge that day.

How it works:
✓ Check-in happens at the Judge House
✓ Twice daily:

• Morning check-in – At least 30 minutes before the first scheduled round of the day
• Afternoon check-in – At least 30 minutes before the first scheduled round after lunch

At check-in, judges will receive their meal vouchers for that day’s complimentary meals.

Judges who do not check in at least 30 minutes before their scheduled round will be subject to fines for missing obligations until they check in. This system ensures we have judges in place when and where they are needed, keeping the tournament fair and efficient for all competitors.

Thank you for your cooperation in making this tournament a success!

Tournament Policies & Health & Safety

Rules & Policies

All participants must follow CHSSA’s tournament rules.
[Click here] to review the official tournament rules.

Health & Safety Protocols

• CHSSA encourages teams to follow local and state health guidelines.

• Judges may not penalize competitors for wearing medical face masks.

• There is no vaccine mandate, but we strongly encourage vaccination based on medical guidance.

We are so excited to welcome you to the 66th CHSSA State Championship! This event is about more than just competition—it’s a chance to celebrate the hard work of students, coaches, and judges.

If you have any questions, reach out to your League President or Area Chair.

See you in Culver City!

Quick Links

• [CHSSA W-9]

• [Tournament Schedule]

• [Hotel Blocks]

• [Food Insecurity Program]

• [Commemorative Plaques Request]

• [Judge Requirements & Schedule]

• [Official Tournament Rules]