Tie-Breakers, Elims, and Awards

Tie-Breaking Procedures

Seeding for elimination rounds in all divisions will be based on the MBA system: wins, adjusted (high-low) points plus opponent wins, total points, adjusted (double high-low) points, opponent wins, and a coin flip. We have adopted this tie-breaking procedure because speaker points at our tournament are particularly volatile given the constitution of our judging pool (a mix of student-judges, college judges, and adult judges).

Elimination round brackets will not be broken; entries from the same school may meet in elimination rounds. If this occurs, coaches should inform the tabroom of the entry they wish to advance. 

Speaker awards in all divisions will be determined based on the standard Tabroom formula: adjusted (high-low) points, adjusted (double high-low) points, total points, opponent wins, judge variance, and a coin flip.

We do not utilize an MPJ system for judge placement in any division. Constraints/conflicts should be communicated to the tournament administrators prior to the tournament. 

First Year LD Elimination Rounds

The First Year LD division will clear to (partial) octafinals. As many as 16 competitors with a winning (4-2) record will clear. If fewer than 16 competitors have a winning record, the highest-seeded competitors will receive a bye in the octafinals. No competitors with a 3-3 record will clear.

Second Year LD Elimination Rounds

The Second Year LD division will clear to (partial) quarterfinals. As many as eight competitors with a winning (4-2) record will clear. It is possible that more than eight competitors will earn a winning record. If so, a few competitors with winning records will not advance to elimination rounds. If fewer than eight competitors have a winning record, the highest-seeded competitors will receive a bye in the quarterfinals. No competitors with a 3-3 record will clear.

First Year Policy Elimination Rounds

The First Year Policy division will clear to octafinals. As many as 16 competitors with a winning (4-2) record will clear. We expect that a few teams with winning records will not advance to elimination rounds. In the unlikely event that fewer than 16 teams have a winning record, the highest-seeded teams will receive a bye in the octafinals. No teams with a 3-3 record will clear.

Second Year Policy Elimination Rounds

The Second Year Policy division will clear to (partial) octafinals. As many as 16 teams with a winning (4-2) record will clear. It is possible that more than 16 teams will earn a winning record. If so, a few teams with winning records will not advance to elimination rounds. If fewer than 16 teams have a winning record, the highest-seeded teams will receive a bye in the octafinals. No teams with a 3-3 record will clear.

Trophies/Awards

Our trophies once again include custom wooden/metal plaques (featuring artwork of Woodward Academy’s historic front gate) and framed certificates. It is our hope that these awards will provide tangible recognition of students’ accomplishments that can be proudly displayed in your classrooms or trophy cases. 

The top ten speakers in both LD divisions and the top 20 speakers in both policy divisions will receive an award. All entries that reach the elimination rounds and all entries that earn a winning (4-2) record but do not clear to elimination rounds will receive an award. 

In First Year LD and Second Year Policy, entries that are eliminated in the octafinals will receive a framed certificate. A plaque will be mailed to these competitors after the tournament. This is a change from previous years. Due to the partialness of the first elimination round in these divisions, we are hoping to avoid waste by ordering only the number of plaques actually needed. In past years, we have ordered a full set of plaques in advance of the tournament only to find ourselves with many “leftovers” that cannot be reused.