Virginia District Qualifier

for the 2021 National Tournament

Virginia Debate and Congress Invitation

Virginia NSDA District Speech & Debate Tournament

On April 16th & 17th, the Virginia District will be holding the second portion of the NSDA District Tournament. We will be hosting the Speech & Debate Qualifier online via NSDA Campus & Tabroom.com. This tournament determines who competes in all Speech and Debate from our district at the NSDA National Tournament held June 14th through 18th, 2021.

Due to the nature of school entry limits, we ask that you update your students’ NSDA points through the NSDA’s Point Application at least 10 days prior to the tournament. Students must have a minimum of 25 NSDA points on record, as well as be registered individually through the NSDA website to be eligible to compete at the District Tournament.

Additionally, all fees must be paid with the NSDA prior to competing at the tournament. Any school with outstanding NSDA fees will not be allowed to compete until those fees are paid in full.

Registration will be held Thursday evening via “Onsite Confirmation” and Zoom. This is in order to confirm that we have the most accurate representation of your competitors and judges. All of your paperwork will need to be organized and signed. Please help us begin on time by having this done ahead of time. (Paperwork is discussed in detail later in the document)

Each school must complete a District Tournament Registration Form. This form is automatically completed for you after you enter and complete your registration on Tabroom. This form must be fully completed, printed, signed, and turned into Harry Strong (hstrong@potomacschool.org) along with your signed letters of single entry intent. 

Please send to my email address and then mail the originals to my house:  1307 Potomac School Road, McLean, VA 22101.  This must be done before the tournament begins.

In accordance with new rule changes, we will permit changes to registrations after the seven-day deadline, but the updated registration must be received by April 14th date to ensure entries into the tournament. The purpose of the extension is not for your main entry.  That is due on April 9th at 5 pm.  The purpose of the extra days is to accommodate your name changes, etc.  All students and judges must be concurrently registered for the tournament on the Tabroom website as well. We must have both the electronic and NSDA forms in printed of your registration.

Please be sure to read the information on this website to ensure that you properly register.

It is important that you understand we are running all divisions of the tournament under the new pilot rules for debate and congress.  We are required to do so by NSDA.  Part of these rules is to better reflect how a normal tournament operates.  

In debate events, please know we will hold 4 prelims and advance all winning (3-1 or 4-0) entries.  2-2 records will not advance to elimination rounds.  Once prelims are completed, the advancing teams will enter a double-elimination tournament.  All debate entries will compete in four prelims.  

In congress debate events, pilot rules will also be followed.  There will be one prelim round and one final round in both House and Senate debate.  This is to accommodate multiple chambers should our entries exceed 15 in either event.  

It is our intention to maximize debate time on Friday.  This means both prelim and final rounds on Congressional debate will be held on Friday,  Once congress debate has ended, we will immediately begin debate events.  There will be three rounds of debate on Friday with the last prelim round held on Saturday morning.  We will extend debate as long as needed on Saturday to determine the district qualifiers.  

Note:  it could become a very long day of debate on Saturday.  Students will have to create their own breaks as they can.  We strongly recommend students hydrate and eat as needed between rounds.  

Our schedule and other information are attached.  Please take the time to read the information carefully.

Cordially,

Craig Edgerton (District Chair) - Fluvanna County

Harry Strong, Potomac School

Sheryl Gusman, Dominion

Diane King, Fresta Valley Christian

Kelly Stallard, John Handley