NFL District Tournament
Encyclopedia
NFL District Tournaments are held each year by the National Forensic League
to determine the qualifiers to the National Speech and Debate Tournament in speech, debate, and Student Congress
. Each district tournament is hosted by an NFL District, which is made up of a set of schools in a given geographic region.
Like many tournaments of the National Forensic League, District Tournaments are annual tournaments.
If the Competitor has met these District Requirements, then he or she is Eligible to participate in the District Tournament.
, PFD
, and LD
), qualifiers are determined by a double-elimination tournament which runs until the number of debaters left in the tournament is the same as the number of qualifying slots.
Speaking events may be run in different ways:
In Student Congress
, the district tournament is often held separately from the speech and debate competitions. The competition and scoring can be carried out in many different formats depending on each district committee's preferences.
Policy Debate
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
to determine the qualifiers to the National Speech and Debate Tournament in speech, debate, and Student Congress
Student Congress
Congressional Debate is a form of high school debate in the United States and Pakistan. The National Forensic League , National Catholic Forensic League , many national debate tournaments, State Forensic Associations, and the IEEE Pakistan Student Congress all offer Congressional Debate as an event...
. Each district tournament is hosted by an NFL District, which is made up of a set of schools in a given geographic region.
Like many tournaments of the National Forensic League, District Tournaments are annual tournaments.
Eligibility
According to the NFL District Manual, District Tournaments do require some form of eligibility towards the National Tournament. In order to participate at any District Tournament, a competitor must:- Be an NFL Official Member: The Competitor must have at least 25 Points, and have supplied the $15 membership Fee
- Have no more than 9 Semesters of Secondary Education: The Competitor must have graduated from Middle School, or Junior High, on a timely fashion of 6-7 Semesters.
- Met the State Age and Eligibility Requirements of Competition: Each district in a given State has age Requirements. However many of them accept ages 13-19.
If the Competitor has met these District Requirements, then he or she is Eligible to participate in the District Tournament.
Entry Limits
According to the NFL District Manual, the following are the entry limits on all events:- Speaking/Acting Events: Speaking or acting events such as: Original OratoryOriginal OratoryOriginal Oratory is a competitive event in the National Forensic League, National Catholic Forensic League, and other high school forensic competitions in which competitors deliver an original speech on a subject of their choosing, though the speech must be factual....
, Foreign Extemporaneous SpeakingForeign Extemporaneous SpeakingInternational Extemporaneous Speaking is a style of competitive speaking sponsored by the National Forensic League. It is identical in structure to U.S...
, Domestic Extemporaneous SpeakingDomestic Extemporaneous SpeakingDomestic Extemporaneous Speaking Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking (also called United States Extemporaneous Speaking or National Extemporaneous Speaking, and variously contracted to Domestic Extemp, National Extemp, U.S...
, Humorous InterpretationHumorous InterpretationHumorous Interpretation is an event in competitive high school forensics leagues such as the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association and the National Forensic League...
, Dramatic InterpretationDramatic InterpretationDramatic Interpretation is an event in National Forensic League high school forensics competitions...
, and Duo InterpretationDuo InterpretationDuo Interpretation, or often simply called Duo Interp, or just Duo, is an official speech event of the National Forensic League, the National Catholic Forensics League, National Christian Forensics and Communications Association, American Forensics Association, and the National Forensics Association...
require no more than 4 competitors or teams from each participating district school. - Debate: All of the debate events such as: Public Forum DebatePublic forum debatePublic forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
, Lincoln-DouglasLincoln-Douglas debateLincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
, and Cross ExaminationPolicy debatePolicy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
require no more than 4 debaters or teams competing in either event from any participating district school.
National Qualifying
In debate events (PolicyPolicy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
, PFD
Public forum debate
Public forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
, and LD
Lincoln-Douglas debate
Lincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
), qualifiers are determined by a double-elimination tournament which runs until the number of debaters left in the tournament is the same as the number of qualifying slots.
Speaking events may be run in different ways:
- In one form, several power-protected preliminary rounds are followed by semifinal and final rounds. The total scores over the course of the tournament (including the semifinal and final rounds, which have more judges than the earlier rounds) determine the national qualifiers from the final round. "Power-protected" means that the competitors in each round (after the first, which is paired randomly) are selected such that a gradient of low-scoring and high-scoring students are included in each round (in other words, the top competitors at any point in the tournament are "protected" from competing against one another).
- Another form roughly represents the double-elimination style of the debate tournaments. Instead of wins and losses, competitors are awarded "ups" (for being in the top half of the room) and "downs" (for being in the bottom half of the room). Competitors are eliminated after two downs. Once the number of competitors is sufficiently small to fit into one room (usually 6), a final round is held and the appropriate number qualify to nationals.
In Student Congress
Student Congress
Congressional Debate is a form of high school debate in the United States and Pakistan. The National Forensic League , National Catholic Forensic League , many national debate tournaments, State Forensic Associations, and the IEEE Pakistan Student Congress all offer Congressional Debate as an event...
, the district tournament is often held separately from the speech and debate competitions. The competition and scoring can be carried out in many different formats depending on each district committee's preferences.
National Entries
To determine how many entries a district may send to nationals, the number of competitors at the district level is evaluated. Additionally, any district that does not have 16 charter chapters or enter at least 700 entries at the District Tournament over a three year period for two consecutive years, and has not increased its members and degrees by at least 15% over the previous year is limited to no more than one entry in each event.Speech and LD Debate
- 4-11 entrants: 1 qualifier
- 12-37 entrants: 2 qualifiers
- 38-57 entrants: 3 qualifiers
- 58 or more entrants: 4 qualifiers
Policy DebatePolicy debatePolicy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
, Public Forum DebatePublic forum debatePublic forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
and Duo InterpretationDuo InterpretationDuo Interpretation, or often simply called Duo Interp, or just Duo, is an official speech event of the National Forensic League, the National Catholic Forensics League, National Christian Forensics and Communications Association, American Forensics Association, and the National Forensics Association...
- 4-9 teams entering: 1 qualifying team
- 10-29 teams: 2 qualifying teams
- 30-49 teams: 3 qualifying teams
- 50+ teams: 4 qualifying teams