Definition of a Novice

We are proud to offer novice divisions of LD, CX and PFD to help educate new students in the formats. In order to facilitate an educational experience for those involved, students are defined as a novice if they are in their first year of debate at any grade level. We ask that coaches please respect the intent of the division and not place students who have experience beyond our definition of novice.

Examples of novice and non-novice participants.

1)     A student who is in their second year of high school and has never competed in debate before. YES, NOVICE

2)     A student is in their first year of high school and participated in tournaments as a middle school student. NOT A NOVICE

3)     A student has no experience in a particular debate format, but has experience in other formats. NOT A NOVICE

4)     A student is attending a tournament for the first time in either high school or middle school. YES, NOVICE