How to Lodge a Protest

Lodging a Protest

If a debater feels there has been a violation of the NPDL Online Round Rules which is eligible for protest, they should do the following immediately after the round is completed:

1. Contact their Coach or Chaperone (“Coach”) and discuss the issue.

2. If their Coach agrees, the Coach should use the Protest Form link ( https://forms.gle/5JtabvhVdbcHTB2J8 ) to provide details of the alleged offense for the Protest Committee to review.  It is a requirement of the NPDL Legislative Code that only a Coach may file a protest—Article XIII, Section 13C.

3. The Coach should also contact a member of the Protest Committee directly through the tournament Discord server to let them know that a protest is being filed.  (Note that the Coach must enter the protest using the Protest Form to properly document the protest.) If your school cannot use Discord, you may skip this step, as the committee will also receive an emial notification when a form is submitted.

4. The Protest Committee will meet expeditiously to review the protest and resolve the issue as per the NPDL Legislative Code.

Note that we can hold a Coach out of judging a round to discuss the protest; unless it is the end of the day, debaters will be competing and resolution of the protest will be delayed.

Protests are regulated by the NPDL Legislative Code (https://www.parliamentarydebate.org/legislative-code).  Debaters, Coaches and Judges should familiarize themselves with the applicable sections of the NPDL Legislative Code:

• Article XI, Section 6, C. on the formation and operation of the Protest Committee

• Article XII, Sections 7, B regarding communication, and C regarding use of material

• Article XII, Section 12, A regarding evidence

• Article XIII:  NPDL Online Round Rules

They should do so prior to the tournament and before filing a protest, as only 10 items in the code are grounds for a protest.