STUDENT SURVEY https://goo.gl/forms/M170gKQNSzMG2yZz1

ADULT SURVEY https://goo.gl/forms/UpiACsQ68PKo0k4A3

TOPIC AREAS: The topic areas for rounds 1 and 2 are Indigenous American Rights and Police Reform. (Announced 1 April 2017)

Registration for the 2017 Parliamentary Debate Tournament of Champions is now open. The deadline to accept bids as an auto-qualified debater is 11:59 PM, March 22, 2017. The deadline to submit at-large applications is 11:59 PM, March 19, 2017. 

Please click here to register as an auto-qualified team for the 2017 Parliamentary Debate TOC. 

Please click here to apply for an at-large bid for the 2017 Parliamentary Debate TOC.

The 2017 Parliamentary Debate Tournament of Champions will be hosted on April 8-9, 2017 at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. The tournament will feature 7 preliminary rounds and will break the top third of the field to elimination rounds. 

THE FOLLOWING DETAILS AND RULES APPLY TO ALL COMPETITORS. PLEASE READ.

I. Entry Fees

The entry fee for each unique team competing in the 2017 Tournament of Champions will be $125 with checks made payable to “The Point of Information Foundation" with payment due at registration. Drops made after March 25, 2017 will be responsible for full entry fees.

II. Judge Requirements

(1) Each unique team is required to provide one qualified judge who must be available to judge each preliminary round and one round past his or her school of affiliation’s dropping from the Parliamentary Debate TOC.

(2) A qualified judge is a head coach, an assistant parliamentary debate coach, a former high school parliamentary debater who previously qualified to the Parliamentary Debate Tournament of Champions or their State Tournament, or a current or former college debater. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the tournament director.

(3) Each judge must provide a detailed paradigm by April 3, 2017. 

(4) Failure to provide a paradigm will result in a $75 penalty applied to the registration fee of the unique team the judge is representing.

(5) Each unique team may purchase a tournament judge for $275.

(6) Each unique team providing a judge must post a $275 judge bond.

(a) This bond is in addition to any entry fees.

(b) If the team’s judge completes all judging assignments to which he or she is assigned, the $275 will be returned at the end of the tournament.

(c) If a team’s judge fails to report for a judging assignment, the team forfeits its $275 judge bond to the tournament. Additionally, if a team's judge fails to report for a judging assignment, the team forfeits its judge strike for the round.

III. Judge Strikes

The 2017 Parliamentary Debate Tournament of Champions will not be utilizing MPJ. However, each team will be allowed to strike one judge.

IV. Rules

(1) All rounds will use CHSSA rules as a guideline with the following exceptions:

(a) Points of Information are allowed in all constructive speeches. There is no protected time.

(b) Points of Order are only allowed in rebuttals. Points of Order can be made if the opposing side brings up a new argument in the rebuttal with the exceptions of examples illustrating previous arguments and PMR responses to new arguments made in the MOC. Points of Order are not included in speech times.

(c) During the 20 minute preparation time, a debater may not consult with anyone except his or her respective partner. However, there is no restriction on the type of prep material that may be utilized by debaters. All teams will have access to the internet during prep time.

(d) A handwritten case or argument prepared prior to the announcement of a round's resolution may not be brought into the round. The case itself may be used in round, but it must be transcribed onto a new sheet of paper during prep time. Violation of this rule may result in forfeiture of the round at the discretion of the tournament director.

(2) Rounds 1 and 2 will be random draw. Rounds 3-7 will be power-matched high-low within the bracket. Teams from the same school or organization will not be paired during preliminary rounds. However brackets will not be broken in elimination rounds. If teams from the same school or organization are paired against one another in elimination rounds the coach has the option of allowing the teams to debate or a walkover. If teams from the same school or organization are paired in the final round, they must debate. Please note that teams can be pulled up two brackets in the power-matched rounds. A 4-2 team can be paired against a 2-4 team as the 2-4 team can tie the 4-2 team by picking up both ballots in the round.

(3) Each preliminary round will be adjudicated by 2 judges. Each judge may disclose and provide an oral RFD. The total time for RFDs should not be longer than a combined 15 minutes for both judges.

(4) All rounds are open to the public and may be recorded. Participation in the tournament constitutes consent to being recorded and to publication of the recordings on the POI website. All recordings are the property of The Point of Information Foundation.

(a) Teams may not refuse entry to spectators.

(b) Judges have the discretion to ask spectators to be removed from the room if their behavior is disruptive to the round.

(5) Tiebreakers

(a) Total ballot counts will determine breaks to the elimination rounds.

(b) In the case of a tie, head-to-head (if applicable) will serve as the first tie-breaker.

(c) Total speaker points dropping 2x high and low will be utilized as the second tie-breaker.

(d) Total speaker-points will serve as the third tie-breaker.

IV. Meals

All participants in the tournament (debaters, coaches, judges) will be provided lunch. 

V. Tentative Schedule

Saturday, April 8

9 AM - Registration

10 AM - Round 1

11:30 AM - Round 2

1 PM - Lunch

2 PM - Round 3

3:30 PM - Round 4

5 PM - Round 5

Sunday, April 9

9 AM - Round 6

10:30 AM - Round 7

12 PM - Lunch/Forum

1:30 PM - Partial-Octo-finals

3 PM - Quarterfinals*

5 PM - Semifinals

7 PM - Finals 

VI. People

Any questions about the tournament should be directed to the POI Transition Committee at poi.transition@gmail.com. 

Sarah Botsch-McGuinn, head coach of Notre Dame San Jose High School, will serve as tab director. 

The At-Large Bid & Topic Committee is an independent body of non-affiliated, qualified former debaters and coaches, and will make all decisions on at-large bids and topic-writing. This year, the Committee consists of Armand Domalewski (NorCal), Jake Glendenning (NorCal), Mariah Noah (NorCal), Bobby Lebeda (SoCal), and Brian Yang (Oregon).