Rules

LOGISTICS

This tournament will be all digital. Rounds will be announced via e-mail and SMS, ballots will be tabulated digitally. Thus, it is imperative that students and judges have some way to access digital information. Students and judges should also register their e-mail and phone number (if applicable) with their tabroom account so that information gets pushed out in a timely fashion.

Judges should bring a tablet or laptop in order to make tabulating ballots easier and quicker, in addition to their phones. Phones will work for filling out ballots, but they are not ideal.

SPECTATING

For logistical reasons, spectators will not be allowed in rounds held on the first floor of the campus.

For any rounds held upstairs, spectators will be allowed at the discretion of the judge and competitors. If anyone in the room objects to having spectators, then the spectators must leave the room for the duration of the flight. No spectators may enter rooms once flights have begun, as it can pose a distraction to the debaters or to the judge.

TECH POLICY

Debaters may have laptops or tablets at the tournament. Speech students must bring written or printed materials.

Students who are debating are allowed to bring laptops or tablets into their own rounds. Observers must turn off digital devices during a round.

No electronic communication is allowed within round with anyone outside the round.

Recording of any kind in a debate round is forbidden. You cannot record yourself, you cannot record your opponents, and you cannot observe a round and record it, with video or audio. Video recording of any kind, of any kind, even if it is by a parent, is not allowed, as it would also contain audio recordings of the debate arguments. There are also many thorny legal issues surrounding recording in private spaces, so please, just don't. We reserve the right to ask students to unlock phones and expose videos and audio recordings upon request or risk being disqualified from the tournament.

REPORTING

 Reporting violations is up to the coaches; if you receive notice from a competitor that there was illegal use of wifi, or someone recording in rounds, please note the room number, round number, event, and names of your competitors, and bring it to the tabroom and we will do what we can.

LATE-START AND FORFEITS

If your opponents do not show up within 15 minutes of the round's start time, please text 1-669-244-2195 with your room number and team information. It is incumbent upon the team, or the coach, to report no-shows in order to get a forfeit.

If a judge does not show up, either report it to the same phone number with the room number and round or find the nearest info desk and they will report the missing judge to us so we can quickly find a replacement.