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Novice Forensics Tournament 2025 at Peters Township HS

121 Rolling Hills Dr.

McMurray, PA 15317

Kristin Groninger (groningerk@pt-sd.org) & Kayla Bandik (bandikk@pt-sd.org)

Dear Coaches,

The Peters Township High School Forensics Team is excited to invite you to the Novice Tournament at Peters Township High School (121 Rolling Hills Dr.) on Saturday, October 25^th!

This is a perfect opportunity to get first-year students and students with fewer than 50 career NFL points and limited exposure to competition some early-season experience. The tournament is intended for newer competitors to feel comfortable competing in speech and debate in a low-pressure, confident-building environment.

This is NOT a freshman/sophomore tournament and is NOT intended for experienced upperclassmen trying a new event. Any first-year student is permitted to compete, even if they have accumulated 50 points by the end of October.

Location: Peters Township High School

212 Rolling Hills Dr., McMurray, PA 15317

Check-in: 7:15-7:45

Students should enter through the main (student drop off) entrance and report downstairs to the cafeteria.

Cost: $6 per competitor. Please make checks payable to Peters Township High School.

Events:

Lunch:

Will be available for $5 – purchase tickets upon arrival. The main course will be Pizza.

Judges:

1 judge per 5 speech entries; 1 judge per 2 debate entries

Upperclassmen are permitted to and encouraged to judge if they are Juniors or Seniors who have accumulated 250 NFL points. Debate judges will be in a single pool except policy.

Registration (on Tabroom): Before Thursday, October 23rd at 5:00pm, but changes can be made on Tabroom until the tournament begins without having to email us.

Anticipated Speech Schedule:

7:15-7:45 Check-in

7:45 Extempers to Prep Room, Congress to Houses

8:00 – 9:15 Round 1

9:15 – 10:30 Round 2

11:00 - 12:00 Lunch

12:00 – 1:00 Round 3

1:00 – 2:00 Round 4

2:30 - 3:00 Awards (in Cafeteria)

Debaters will compete in 4 rounds and eat lunch after R3.

Congress will conclude debate at 2:00 and run two sessions, breaking for lunch at 11am.

Please Note:

Congress: 2025 PHSSL State Senate Bills (Posted on Tabroom.com)

November/December DEBATE TOPICS will be used. No accommodations will be made to those attending with October topics.

PHSSL Rules will apply to all events.

Judges should bring an electronic device like a laptop or phone that can connect to the internet to write and submit ballots.

WiFi will be provided for all competitors and judges. No outside communication is permitted during rounds. To access our wifi network, click on “PTSD BYOD.”

Awards will be given to top 6 in each event with greater than 10 competitors and top 3 to other events. No sweepstakes awards will be given.