Main

TL;DR

Fri (2)--Sat (4)--Sun (elims)
Hybrid (90% of current entries plan to be online)

3 divisions

Appropriate number of elimination rounds and speaker awards

Schedule: preliminary, will consult with participating programs about scheduling options in the event Open breaks to doubles:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v6gN4Zq2IvXADu7DUWWwwSixhDGlgoUs7-AH3PIfL_U/edit?gid=1391033398#gid=1391033398

Dates

NDT/CEDA preliminary rounds will be held on Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18, 2025. Elimination debates will be held on Sunday, October 19, 2025.

Time Zone

Tournament times are listed in Central Daylight Time (CDT).

Modality

We hope folks will join us in-person. We will accept online entries. We plan on using Zoom for online rounds.

Deadlines

The entry deadline is Tuesday, October, October 7 at 5 pm CDT.

Format

Cross-examination style debate format will be used, with two-person teams. There will be four nine-minute constructive speeches, beginning with the affirmative. After each constructive, there will be a three-minute cross-examination by a member of the opposition. There will be four six-minute rebuttals, beginning with the negative. Each team will be allocated ten minutes of preparation time to be used in between speeches and cross-examination periods. Each debater must give one constructive speech and one rebuttal.

Divisions

We will accept entries in all three divisions (novice, junior varsity, varsity). The novice division will use the ADA packet.

Hybrid Entries

Hybrid entries are welcome and are eligible to clear.

Tournament Structure

Each division will have six preliminary rounds of debate competition, with an appropriate number of elimination debates. The schedule can be found here:

Topic

The topic for debates will be the 2025-2026 resolution:

Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially strengthen collective bargaining rights for workers in the United States.

Definition of a Debate Team (Mavericks)

A debate team is defined as the two-person team that begins the first round of the tournament and who debate together throughout the course of the tournament. If one of the debaters of a team cannot debate in any given round, that round will be forfeited. To debate in a round is defined as to give one constructive speech and one rebuttal. Speaker points in forfeit situations will be averaged, but the team forfeiting is ineligible to clear to elimination rounds if speaker points are the determining factor for their clearing. The debate may still occur for educational purposes. However, that team will still be eligible for speaker awards and elimination rounds.

Fees

In-Person: $75 / participant (debates, judges, observers)

Online: $0 (we would greatly appreciate it if teams could provide an additional round or two of judging)

Judging

1—Judge philosophies, as a precondition of entry, must be posted to judges’ Tabroom.com accounts no later than October 13, 2025.

2—Judges are expected to have significant prior experience with policy debate. If a judge does not have significant prior experience with policy debate, they are not eligible to judge without prior permission from the tournament director

3—Each school must provide 3 rounds of prelim judging per team.

4—Each judge should be entered for a minimum obligation of 2 preliminary rounds. We also very much appreciate additional contributions, particularly if you have judges with significant team or time constraints (particularly Friday).

5—If a judge cannot be placed above the strike line for the number of debates for which they are committed, the tab room reserves the discretion to increase the commitment(s) of other judges from that judge's school.

6—Each judge is obligated through two elimination rounds. Judges with teams still competing are obligated a round beyond their team’s elimination. If you are hiring judging, we expect that your hired judges are part of your fulfillment of this obligation.

7—Judges are expected to judge debates assigned to them by the tournament tab room.

8—Judges are expected to adhere to Check-in and Report times. Failure to do so may result in penalties, including adjusting the school’s commitment.

9—Judges are expected to adhere to posted decision deadlines for preliminary (2:15) and elimination (2:30) debates.

10—Judges must vote for one and only one team in each debate.

11—Judges have an affirmative obligation to identify conflicts prior to the start of the tournament. Failure to do so may result in removal of preferences for the teams from the schools involved, adjustment of the judge’s schools judging obligations, and/or financial penalties.

Conflicts of interest in which a judge should preclude themselves from judging a particular team or school, and for which a team should constrain a judge, include:

a) Previous significant coaching relationship with a debater,

b) Current or previous romantic relationship with a debater,

c) Current romantic relationship with a member of the coaching staff of a school,

d) Familial relationship with a debater or member of the coaching staff of a school,

e) Recent (within the last four academic years) coaching position with a school,

f) Recent (within the last four academic years) undergraduate competitor for a school.

Conduct, Access, Recording

1—All participants debate at the invitation of the University of Minnesota according to its policies and tournament rules, as well as any rules of their sponsoring institutions.

2—The tournament abides by the rules and norms of the American Forensics Association and the American Debate Association.

3—Debate rounds are open to registered tournament participants.

4—Debates may be recorded for private educational use by tournament participants (registered coaches, debaters, and UMN tournament staff). In such instances, participants should request consent. Public distribution of such recordings is expressly prohibited unless prior written consent of all individuals on the recording is obtained and unless prior written consent of the University of Minnesota is obtained.

5- Private sharing for educational use is permitted but should not include publication or posting online.

6—Debates may be recorded by the UMN tournament for tournament administration purposes. The tournament will not publish, distribute, or retain the recordings, except as needed for tournament administration or as required by applicable law.

7—Coaches and program directors are encouraged to discuss these policies with their participants prior to the tournament and are expected to take any reasonable and necessary actions to ensure compliance by participants who are affiliated with their respective schools.