Tournament Forfeit Rule

Many tournaments struggle to run on time. For our tournament to run on time, we will need assistance from everybody: judges, competitors, coaches, etc. TLDR – as soon as you get a tab blast, immediately head to your room and compete as expeditiously as possible.

For competitors in Debate events, there is a 15 minute forfeit rule in effect for both online and in-person events. This includes for technical difficulties online. If you are not in your round ready to debate by 15 minutes after the posted round start time, you will be forfeited by tournament staff.

To enforce this rule – online judges, please email brycepiotrowski@katyisd.org in the event of a student no-show 10 minutes after the round start time. In-person judges – Seven Lakes students will be posted throughout the school – step out of your room and ask one of them to contact Tab about a forfeit.

For competitors in Speech events, competitors must have checked in and begun to perform in all rounds they are registered in 75 minutes after the posted round start time in prelims and 120 minutes after the posted round start time in elims. For example, students competing in 7L Round 1, which begins at 8 am, have until 9:15 am to arrive at their room and begin performing. All performances should end and ballots should be submitted 10 minutes after this forfeit time – at 9:25 am in this instance. Elimination rounds have a longer grace period to account for the fact that they are happening simultaneously, and some students may be mega-cross-entered. Judges will be instructed to rank last any competitor that does not arrive and begin performing within this timeframe.

Judges – you must arrive at the room 5 minutes prior to the posted round start time and begin the round as soon as possible. Submit your ballot immediately once the round ends. Do not wait for all speech competitors to begin the round: start with who you have. We will be fining and replacing judges who are late to a round and reserve the right to terminate the contracts of hired judges who do not report to round and facilitate competition in a timely manner.

Coaches – relay these rules to your students. Once a forfeit is entered, it is a final decision. Forfeits will not be reversed, even if your student shows up immediately after a forfeit is declared. This is harsh, but necessary, especially with an ambitious in-person schedule.