Novice Events

We believe that all years, but especially this year, participation in novice debate is essential to building and growing the activity. As such, all novice competitors will be guaranteed five rounds of debate with an appropriate number of elimination debates. It is our hope that due to decreased travel barriers, all novice debate divisions will provide great competition to your first-year debaters. Just as with varsity divisions, all quarterfinalists will receive awards for their accomplishments. 

For this tournament, a novice is defined as a competitor who is in their first school year of competitive high school debate of any sort; all middle school competitors are allowed to enter the novice division. 

--A student who began debating in March of last year is NOT a novice
--A student who has competed in LD but now wants to do PF is NOT a novice. This applies to all novice divisions. 
--A 8th grade student who competed in 6th and 7th grade IS a novice. 

We believe that debates are the most educational when all competitors have the ability to understand and prepare for their opponents arguments. While we would prefer if varsity competitors disclosed their arguments, we believe that this is essential for novice competition and as such will be asking all novice competitors to disclose arguments on the appropriate wikis:

Policy Wiki

LD Wiki

PF Wiki

Additionally in NCX, we will be using the NDCA Novice Packet. Students who wish to read arguments/evidence that is not included in the novice packet should be entered in the VCX division. 

JUDGING

It is our preference that high schools provide qualified judging for their novice entries. Quality feedback is important to debater growth and development and all judges will be asked to type thorough decisions and comments. We will allow schools to enter varsity students as judges for the novice division, however, those students should have 3-4 years experience, be responsible, and provide students with the same level of attention and feedback that they would want as competitors. Student judges who give miss rounds, leave rude, unhelpful, or no comments at all may be removed from the pool by the tournament director and a judge fee will be levied.