Invitation

The Ivy Spires Invitational

In Partnership with the Harvard Debate Council

August 28–30, 2026 · Hosted Online · Open Worldwide

Dear Coaches, Delegation Leads, and Debaters,

On behalf of Ivy Spires, it is our privilege to invite your school to the inaugural Ivy Spires Invitational — the Pre-Season TOC Opener for the coming competitive year. Delivered under Ivy Spires' India partnership with the Harvard Debate Council, this invitational brings together some of the most disciplined debaters and orators in the country to compete under a rigorous academic standard of adjudication.

We hope you will join us in opening the season the way it deserves to be opened: with rigor, with preparation, and with the seriousness this circuit has come to expect.

Tournament Overview

Eligibility & Divisions

The Ivy Spires Invitational is open to two divisions:

• Middle School Division — for students in the middle school grade band at their institution.

• High School Division — for students in the high school grade band at their institution.

Coaches are asked to enter students in the division that best reflects their current level of experience and preparation; we leave that judgment to your discretion as their coach.

Format & Vital Stats

WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATE

• Team format: three speakers per team.

• Preliminary rounds: five (5).

• Elimination rounds: seeded by preliminary ranking; bracket depth to be confirmed based on final entries.

ORIGINAL ORATORY

• Individual speaking event.

• Preliminary and final rounds, judged and ranked per standard oratory conventions.

All rounds in both events are adjudicated to a rigorous academic standard. Judges are expected to post a paradigm on Tabroom.com in advance of the tournament. Coaches fielding a full delegation are asked to make a judge available in accordance with standard judge obligation policy; judging assignments and hired-judging options will be communicated upon registration.

Chief Adjudicator Panels

The World Schools Debate event at the Ivy Spires Invitational is overseen by a Chief Adjudicator Panel responsible for upholding a single, consistent standard of judging across every room. The panel confirms judge paradigms, calibrates adjudicators ahead of competition, resolves adjudication questions that arise during the tournament, and oversees the assignment of judges through elimination rounds. Its purpose is straightforward: to ensure that every team, regardless of division or room, is evaluated in the fairest manner possible.

The Ivy Spires Invitational is honored to announce its Chief Adjudicators for the inaugural World Schools Debate event: Coach Davida Paul of Nigeria and Coach Itu of South Africa. Both bring extensive international adjudication experience to the circuit and will lead the panel through preliminary and elimination rounds, guiding judge calibration and safeguarding the integrity of results throughout the weekend.

Registration

All delegations must register in advance of the tournament. Delegates and coaches are also required to hold a valid Tabroom.com account, as Tabroom will be the tournament's official source for pairings, motions, round schedules, results, and announcements throughout the weekend.

Entry fees are payable in USD. Payment instructions will be provided upon confirmation of registration; teams and individuals should ensure payment is completed ahead of the registration deadline to confirm their place in the field.

Technology & Conduct Policy

As this is a fully online tournament, the following policies apply to all competitors for the duration of the event:

• Delegates must join all rounds via the designated video platform link, published on Tabroom.

• Cameras must remain on for the full duration of each round.

• A single device may be used for competition; secondary devices, browser tabs, and outside communication tools are not permitted during rounds.

• Delegates may not receive outside coaching, prompting, or assistance during rounds.

Schedule

Check-in and technical setup will take place on Friday, August 28, beginning at 4:00 PM IST. Competition rounds will run on Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30, beginning at 9:00 AM IST each day. A detailed round-by-round schedule will be published on the tournament's official Tabroom page in advance of the competition.

Tabulation for the Ivy Spires Invitational is directed by Ed Williams of the Harvard Debate Council.

We look forward to welcoming your delegation to the Ivy Spires Invitational, and to opening the season together.

Warm regards,

The Ivy Spires Invitational Tournament Committee