Invitation

The Speech and Debate Teams at Canyon and Tascosa High Schools cordially invite you to attend the Canyon/Tascosa TFA/NIETOC Swing November 13-14, 2026. All rounds will take place at Tascosa High School. We will offer all TFA events, and will also offer Poetry, Prose, Impromptu, Duo Improv, and Original Spoken Word Poetry. Please note that NIETOC has revised its policy for qualifying opportunities with swing tournaments. Only one half of a swing may be a NIETOC qualifier. This year, the Tascosa Classic portion of the swing will be the NIETOC qualifier.

Students may enter three events in Pattern A, three events in Pattern B, and three events in Pattern C. Students may not enter both extemps in Pattern C. Debate and Congress may only cross enter in Pattern C. We will not break brackets in debate. Patterns A and B may not enter Debate or Congress. A limited number of Canyon and/or Tascosa students may be competing and may advance to elimination rounds. Entries are due by 7:00 pm, November 11. Please make sure drops are entered by 12:00 pm on November 12. We will be using the TFA Fall 2025 Congress docket which can be found at:

TFA Fall 2026 Congress Docket

Canyon Congress Prelims will use items 24, 25, 21, 22, 23

Canyon Congress Finals will use items 30, 29, 28, 26, 27

Tascosa Congress Prelims will use items 2, 3, 5, 1, 4

Tascosa Congress Finals will use items 8, 6, 7, 9, 10

LD, CX, and PFD will use the NSDA resolutions current for November 2026.

Awards in both halves of the swing will be offered to:

Individual awards for all finalists in all events (top 8 in Congress)

Team sweepstakes trophies for the top five schools (listed in alphabetical order)

Outstanding Speaker (Extemp, OO, Impromptu, Informative)

Outstanding Interper (HI, DI, Poetry, Prose, Duo, Duet, POI, Original Spoken Word Poetry, Duo Improv)

We will also recognize Outstanding CX, LD, and Public Forum Debate Speakers (Based on prelim speaker points).

Duo Improv

In duo impromptu, two students work together to create an impromptu scene from three prompts.

 A judge in each room will have three envelopes of topics for the round. One will be the setting, one the conflict, and

the final one the characters. The speakers will draw three topics from each container, choose one from each, and

return the other two to the container

The judge will start the stopwatch when the speaker draws from the FINAL container and give auditory

countdown signals every thirty seconds until speakers begin performing.

 The speakers may write notes on a blank sheet of paper during preparation time, but he or she may not use or refer to

the notes during the scene.

 The speakers may use the topics in any way they choose but the topics must be the central theme of the speech.

 Scene creation may be humorous, dramatic, or a combination of the two.

 The scene should provide a balanced performance between the two students.

Students will have 7 minutes total to both plan and perform.

Original Spoken Word Poetry

We will follow NSDA Rules

1. Material: Students will write and perform original poetry. Original Spoken Word Poetry is poetry written for

performance to express ideas, experience, or emotion through the creative arrangement of words according to their

sound, their rhythm, their meaning.

2. Quotation: No more than 150 word of the original poetry may be direct quotation from any other speech or writing,

and such quotations must be identified in a printed copy of the speech. An introduction is permitted, but not

required.

3. Delivery: The delivery must be memorized, and no book or script may be used.

4. Time: The maximum time limit is 5 minutes with a 30-second grace period. Should a

student go beyond the grace period, the student may not be ranked 1st. There is no other prescribed penalty for

going over the grace period. The ranking is up to each individual judge’s discretion. No minimum time is mandated.

Tascosa will continue its tradition of recognizing the Outstanding Speaker and Outstanding Interper with the Ann Shofner Award, and the Marti Kirk Award. These awards celebrate the lasting legacy left by two of Tascosa's most storied and celebrated coaches.

Tascosa will also offer the Spirit of the Panhandle Award. This award will be given to one student that competes in at least 5 different events at both the Canyon portion of the swing and the Tascosa portion of the swing and accumulates the most sweepstakes points in those events.

We are pleased to announce that we will also be recognizing one outstanding student with the G.L.O.W. (Go Light Our World) Award. This award will go to one student that may not be the most competitively successful, but who consistently strives through their actions and attitude to be a positive influence on their team, in their school, and in the world. Coaches may email a brief statement on why they feel a certain student should win the award. Please make sure to email nominations to Ryan Lovell at ryan.lovell@amaisd.org by noon on November 12.

Sweepstakes

Team sweepstakes awards will be calculated as follows

IEs, Duo, Duet, Congress

12 points- 1st place

10 points- 2nd place

8 points- 3rd place

6 points- 4th place

4 points- 5th place- 8th place

Debate (Debate sweepstakes points will count for the Tascosa portion of the swing)

12 points- 1st place

10 points- 2nd place

8 points- Non-advancing semi finalists

4 points- Non-advancing quarter finalists

Entry Fees are:

$20 - LD, PFD, CX, WSD

$15 - HI, DI, POI, Duo, Duet, Poetry, Prose, DX, FX, Oratory, Informative

$12 - Impromptu, Duo Improv, Original Spoken Word Poetry

The schedule will be as follows:

Pattern A: Prose, Duet, Original Spoken Word Poetry, Oratory

Pattern B: DI, Poetry, Duo, Informative

Pattern C: DX, FX, Impromptu, Duo Improv, POI, HI

Friday November 13

4:30 pm Canyon Rd 1 Pattern A, Canyon Congress Prelims, Rd 1 LD, PFD, CX

5:30 pm Canyon Rd 1 Pattern B

6:30 pm Rd 2 LD, PFD, CX

6:45 pm Tascosa Rd 1 Pattern A

7:30 PM Tascosa Congress Prelims

7:45 pm Tascosa Rd 1 Pattern B

8:30 PM Rd 3 Debate

9:00 PM Canyon Semis Pattern A&B

Saturday November 15

7:30 am Tascosa Semis Pattern A, Canyon Congress Finals

8:00 am Quarters LD, PFD, CX

8:30 am Tascosa Semis Pattern B

9:30 am Canyon Rd 1 Pattern C

11:00 am Tascosa Rd 1 Pattern C

12:30 pm Canyon Finals Pattern A, Semis LD, PFD, CX, Tascosa Congress Finals

1:30 pm Canyon Finals Pattern B

2:30 pm Canyon Pattern C Semis

4:00 pm Tascosa Pattern C Semis

5:15 pm Tascosa Finals Pattern A&B, Finals LD, PFD, CX

6:30 pm Canyon Pattern C Finals

7:45 pm Tascosa Pattern C Finals

Concerning NIETOC Bids:

During with the 2026-2027 competitive season, bids are gained at the following levels:

0-19 contestants = FIRST PLACE BID

20-34 contestants = FIRST, SECOND & THIRD PLACE BIDS

35-50 contestants = FINAL ROUND BIDS

51-70 contestants = SEMIFINAL ROUND BIDS

71-99 contestants = QUARTERFINAL ROUND BIDS

100 + contestants = OCTAFINAL ROUND BIDS

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Ryan Lovell at ryan.lovell@amaisd.org, or call at 806-640-8988.