Tournament Invitation

Event Specific Information (Please use this section for fall information specific to events.)

All divisions of PF and LD will have 4 preliminary rounds and advance to elimination rounds. The break to elimination rounds is contingent on the number of entries. We will break to the level of guaranteed TFA points. For example, if points are only awarded to those advancing to quarterfinals, we will only break to quarterfinals. We will use the same formula for advancing novice rounds.

Cross Examination Debate and World Schools Debate will have 3 preliminary rounds. We will break to level to of guaranteed TFA points. For example, if points are only awarded to those advancing to quarterfinals, we will only break to quarterfinals. We will use the same formula for advancing novice rounds.

Students may only enter 1 debate event. The debate events are as follows:

Cross Examination Debate (CX), Lincoln-Douglas Debate (VLD), Public Forum Debate (VPF), World Schools Debate (WSD), Congress, Novice Public Forum (NPF), & Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate (NLD)

Congress will have one preliminary session. The length of time will be in accordance with TFA rules regarding in-session time. Please remember that recesses do not count as in-session time. We will not be using pre-set precedence per the new amendment passed at the 2025 business meeting. We will also not be using a pre-set docket for the chambers as well.

All debate events will take place on Friday and Saturday, except for Congress. Congress will start and complete on Friday.

Students may enter up to 3 events in Section A but may only enter one Extemp event. Students with cross-entering must do so at their own risk. The tournament schedule will not be altered to accommodate cross entries. Section A events are as follows:

Domestic Extemp (DX), Foreign Extemp (FX), Novice Extemp (NX), Informative (INFO), Dramatic Interpretation (DI), Poetry (PO), Duet Acting (DA)

Students may enter up to 3 events in Section B. Students' cross-entering must do so at their own risk. The tournament schedule will not be altered to accommodate cross entries. Section B events are as follows:

Humorous Interpretation (HI), Impromptu (IMP), Original Oratory (OO), Program Oral Interpretation (POI), Prose (PR), & Duo Interpretation (Duo)

Entry Fees:

Section A & B Events (IE’s): $20/entry

Congress/NLD/NPF: $25/entry

CX, VLD, VPF: $30/entry

WSD: $45/per team

Missing Judge $175/judge

Debate Topics:

CX: Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly increase its exploration and/or development of the Arctic.

LD/NLD: Resolved: The possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.

PF/NPF: Resolved: The People’s Republic of China should substantially reduce its international extraction of natural resources.

Congress:

Prelims (in order): TBD

Semis (in order/if necessary): TBD

Finals (in order): TBD

World Schools Topics:

Round 1: TBD

Round 2: TBD (same as round 1; opposite sides)

Round 3: Impromptu

Semis: TBD

Finals: Impromptu (if necessary) If we break directly to finals, we will use the prepared motion from semis.

Domestic Extemp Topic Areas:

Round 1: US relations (internationally)

Round 2/Semis: Politics

Finals: Economy

Foreign Extemp Topic Areas:

Round 1: Europe

Round 2/Semis: Asia

Finals: Latin America

Novice Extemp will be a hybrid for each round.

Impromptu Topic Areas:

Round 1: TBD

Round 2/Semis: TBD

Finals: TBD

Additional Tournament Information

BRACKETS WILL NOT BE BROKEN.

ALL Section A and Section B rounds will be single judges except for finals for TFA qualifying events.

All debate rounds will be single judges except for semis and finals of TFA qualifying events.

ALL competing students must be accompanied by an employee of the school or school district attending. The supervising adult must be available throughout the tournament until all students from that academic institution are eliminated and/or finished competing.

Maverick entries will not be accepted.

Students, coaches, and judges should all abide by the Code of Conduct of the Texas Forensic Association. This includes respecting the rights of everyone to have competition free from harassment, bullying, and other offensive and inappropriate behaviors. Persons found in violation of the Code of Conduct in letter or in spirit will be expelled from the tournament, notification will be made to TFA and the offending school's administration and will not be welcomed back to a tournament hosted by Clear Creek High School again.

Round 3 of all debates will be lag-powered off round 1.

Round 4 of all debates will be powered off rounds 1-3.

No independent or middle school entries will be accepted. All entries must be affiliated with and a representative of their school, defined as an organization, institution, or group who grants a diploma, or its equivalent as recognized by the Texas State Board of Education and/or Texas Education Agency.

The judging pool will consist of community/volunteer judges. Clear Creek varsity debaters may be utilized as judges in novice events.

For this tournament, a novice is defined as a competitor in their first competitive year in forensics.

Judge Requirements

Schools will owe 1 judge for every 4 events; capped at 2 judges owed.

Split judging assignments are allowed, however, if your school owes 2 judges but only sends 1 person per day, that only counts as 1 judge and fees will be assessed accordingly.

Student judges will NOT count towards your school’s judging obligation.

Sweepstakes Formula

Varsity IE's, Duo/Duet, and Congress: 1st (30), 2nd (25), 3rd (20), 4th (15), 5th (10), 6th (5), 7th (3), and 8th (1)

Varsity TFA Debate events: 1st (30), 2nd (25), Semis (20), Quarters (10), Octas (5)

Non-TFA Qualifying IE’s: 1st (15), 2nd (13), 3rd (10), 4th (8), 5th (5), 6th (3), 7th (1), 8th (1)

Novice Debate Events: 1st (15), 2nd (13), Semis (10), Quarters (5), Octas (3)