Information

Novice Events:

We will offer novice events in each debate event, extemp, and oral interpretation (prose/poetry).  If these events do not have enough interest, we will collapse them into varsity.

Cross Entering:

• Students may only enter ONE synchronous debate event, but may enter as many asynchronous events as they'd like.  Students who enter extemp may enter Congressional Debate, but no other synchronous event.

• Asynchronous:  DI, HI, OO, Duo, Duet, POI, INF, Prose, Poetry, Novice Oral Interp (Prose or Poetry)
• Synchronous:  CX Debate, LD Debate, PF Debate, Extemp (IX and DX), Congressional Debate

Awards: 
THERE WILL NOT BE AN OFFICIAL AWARDS CEREMONY!  AS EVENTS ARE COMPLETED, RESULTS WILL BE POSTED AND AWARDS WILL BE MAILED.

AWARDS WILL BE DETERMINED BY ENTRIES:
For all events, we will break 8 to finals,  if the entry will support TFA points through 8th; otherwise, we will break 6 to finals.  

• All Finalists will be awarded.
• Individual Awards:  Top Speaker, Top Interper, Top Debater in each division
• 1st-5th Sweepstakes trophies   
  

Deadlines:

• Monday, Oct. 26, 4:00 PM All entries are due.  At this point, drops will result in the loss of the original entry fee.
• You may substitute on your entry until 7 P.M., Thursday, Oct. 29. 

General Rules:

1.  Students attending the tournament must be accompanied by a school sponsor at all times.
2.  Contestants are prohibited from entering the tab room Zoom call.
3.  Contestants more than 15 minutes late for a round will forfeit that round.  We encourage all students to give themselves appropriate tech time.
4.  A contestant may not stay in a virtual room without a judge present.
5.  We will try to panel TFA events starting with Semifinals if judges are available to do so.

All non-TFA schools should be aware of the rules.   TFA rules can be found on the TFA website. (txfa.org)  

 
Event rules:

·        Original Oratory: The speech must be a memorized original work of the contestant, not performed for TFA competition prior to the 2019-2020 season. Quoted material cannot exceed 150 words and should be marked in an available manuscript. The time limit is 10 minutes with a 30-second grace period. All TFA rules will apply.

·        Humorous Interpretation: Students will perform a cutting of a humorous nature from a play, novel, poem, or short story. The maximum time allowed is 10 minutes (including introduction) with a 30-second grace period. The performance must be memorized and props cannot be used. The performer should not have used this material in this event for TFA competition prior to the 2019-2020 season. A selection used in this event cannot be used in any other event. All TFA rules will apply.

·        Prose Interpretation: The selection should be of literary merit, have a memorized introduction, and must be read from a folder. The maximum time limit is 7 minutes with a 30-second grace period. A selection used in this event cannot be used in any other UIL event. The category will be readers choice.

·        Extemporaneous Speaking: Contestants will draw 3 topics on current issues, and then choose 1 topic on which to speak. The speaker will have 30 minutes for preparation of their speech. Draw will occur at 12-minute intervals.  Draw will utilize Classrooms.Cloud automated extemp system.  Students must be on time to draw.  When it's their turn to draw, topics will appear and they have two minutes to decide.  They then have 30 minutes to prepare their speech.  Being late forfeits draw time.  All TFA rules will apply.

·        Dramatic Interpretation: The rules of this event are similar to Humorous interpretation, except that the selection must be serious and dramatic in nature. All TFA rules will apply.

·        Poetry Interpretation: The rules of this event are similar to Prose Interpretation, except that the selection must be poetic in nature. The category will be readers choice.

·        Duo Interpretation: Cutting from a single source from a published printed novel, short story, play, poem or screenplay.  Time limit is 10 minutes with 30 seconds grace maximum.  There is no minimum time limit. Each selection shall include and introduction which shall set the scene and the mood and shall include the title and the author(s) of the selection.  This selection cannot be used in any other TFA event during the tournament and should not have been used by either contestant in any event in a previous TFA season. Focus must be off stage (indirect) except in the introduction when performers may look at each other.

·        Cross-Examination Debate: The resolution is the 2020-2021 NFHS topic.  The time format is 8-3-5, with 8 minutes of preparation time per team. All TFA rules will apply.

·        TFA Lincoln-Douglas Debate: The resolution is the September/October 2020 topic. The time format is 6-3-7-3-4-6-3 with 4 minutes of preparation. All TFA rules will apply.

·        PF Debate: The resolution is the September/October topic.  The time format is 4-4-3-4-4-3-3-3-3-2-2 with 3 minutes of preparation time per team.  All TFA rules will apply.

Congressional Debate: The Fall 2020 docket will be debated.  Students are encouraged to run for presiding officer.  Prelims will debate odd-numbered bills.  Finals will debate even-numbered bills. 

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