Event Rules

EVENT RULES

EXTEMP—Contestants will draw three current events topics, select one, and prepare for 30 minutes.  One note card will be allowed (if necessary).  Maximum time limit for speeches will be 7 minutes with 30 second grace.

ORATORY—Orations must be the original work of the students.  Speeches must be memorized, with no more than 10 percent directly quoted words.  A copy of the manuscript must be available upon the request of the tournament director.  Maximum time limit is 7 minutes.

Solo Acting—Selections from published plays, novels, short stories, or poems are acceptable.  Selections must be memorized and must include an introduction stating the title and author.  Selection may be humorous or dramatic in nature.  No props or costumes may be used.  Maximum time limit is 10 minutes with 30 second grace.

DUET ACTING—Selection must be from a published novel, play, short story, or poem.  No props or costumes may be used other than two chairs.  Scenes must be memorized and cannot be used by either contestant in another event.  Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.  There is no minimum time limit. 

PROSE—Selection must be from a published work which is in prosaic form, and should be rea/performed from a binder.  A memorized introduction which includes the title and author is mandatory.  Excessive dramatics are discouraged.  Maximum time limit is 7 minutes including introduction.

POETRY—Same as prose, except the selection must be poetic in nature.

STORYTELLING—Selection must be from a children’s story or folk tale.  All selections must be memorized. Maximum time limit is 7 minutes, including introduction.  The selection should be appropriate for young children. 

IMPROVISATION—Both solo and duet improvisation will include topics of phrases, words and/or objects.  The student(s) will draw three choices, choose one, and have two minutes to prepare.  The time limit for performance is five minutes.  No props (other than two chairs) or notes will be allowed.

Impromptu Poetry-This is the same as regular poetry, except that students will be given a short poem to perform with two minutes to prepare.

Group LIP SYNC—Teams of 1-6 persons will prepare in advance.  Costumes and/or props will be allowed.  However, we will not hold up the tournament to allow for student costume changes.  Students who are cross-entered should be aware of time constraints.  Students must provide their own music and players.  No speaking is allowed.   Maximum time limit is 5 minutes.

READER’S THEATRE—Teams of 3 or more(up to 6) will perform selections from a published source.  Selections must be read from manuscripts and should include an introduction stating title and author.  Costumes and/or props may be used.  Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

TV Commercial-- Students will be given a choice of products, objects, etc., and will have two minutes to prepare a sales commercial for one of them. Good taste will be left to the discretion of the judge. Performance time is 2 minutes.

Duet Pantomime-- Pantomime is a 2-person event in which the performer uses highly exaggerated movements to recreate a thought or event.  The performer CANNOT make any noise at all.  The performance should be original, created by the student.  No props are used, but music and taped sound effects are allowed, as long as student provides his own player.  Students, however, cannot mouth words to tape.  Time limit is 5 minutes.

Impromptu-- 7 minutes max- This is an individual event. Students will be given three quotations, topics, or words for a speech topic. Students will have seven minutes to divide between preparation and speaking. Contestants will be judged on organization, quality of speech, fluency, use of the speaking area etc.

Vocal Solo—This is a singing event.  Students may sing with or without accompanying music. Costumes and props are allowed. Stage movement and/or dance is allowed. Students must provide their own music equipment.

Time limit:  5min max.

Congressional Debate-- Congressional Debate is a legislative style of debate which focuses on a central set of legislation.  Speakers will alternate sides in discussing the bills. We will use items from the TFA Fall Docket. We will use items #3, 11, 16, 20, 21 and 26. * There will be only one abbreviated session of Congress to provide new students with an opportunity to learn the event. No direct questioning.

SPAR (Spontaneous Argumentation) is a limited preparation debate event where students debate a different resolution or topic each round. Each spar panel consists of approximately six competitors. Two students will spar at a time. The judge will assign first or second speaker for each debate. Then there will be a coin flip and the winner of the flip chooses the topic from the choice of two. The loser of the flip chooses the side – for or against, which of the two options in the ‘vs’ topics, etc. Each pair will consider a single issue/resolution which is presented to the debaters by the judge right before each pair debates. The debater to speak first will have one minute of prep before speaking must commence. The first speaker will give a two-minute speech in favor of their position on the topic; immediately after that speech, the second speaker will refute the first speaker’s position and support their own position in a two-minute constructive. Strict adherence to the exact wording of the topic is not required, but the debaters should at least regard the topic as a common frame-of-reference.

Following the opening statements, there will be a three minute open cross-examination period – anyone in the room can ask questions of the debaters. The pair should question each other, and should be prepared to take at least a few questions from the audience of other competitors. Since speakers do not have to offer questions or accept them while they are speaking, this aspect of the process may vary from round to round. Judges should look for debaters who aggressively offer questions and confidently accept at least one or two questions from competitors in the audience during their CX. Questions and comments should be a forum through which the speakers can develop their arguments for rebuttals. Debaters who do not take full advantage of the questioning process will not do as well as those who do. Each speaker will have one rebuttal to complete the round. Judges should make sure that no speech exceeds the allotted time so that the round may end on time. No preparation time during the debate is allowed.

Times: First speaker-2; Second-2; CX-3; First-2; Second-2.