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September Resources New tools are available to help jumpstart your season! Check out the latest Congress docket, PF topic analysis, Extemp practice questions, Policy files, LD topic resources, sample World Schools Debate motions, and Big Questions topic primer! Share this hub with your students!
Never Miss a Resource » We’ve added a new option to your account where you can check the box for the event(s) you’d like to be notified about when new resources are released.
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Updated Unified Manual The High School Unified Manual is updated for the 2021-2022 season. Highlights are featured below. Review the full manual for additional scenarios and details.
- Online or In-Person Events » Districts have the autonomy to determine whether each competition event in their district tournament series will be held online or in person. At least ¾ of coaches of schools that want to attend that portion of the tournament must agree. A district may choose to hold only portions of their tournament online or in person. For example, a district may choose to hold their fall weekend online and their spring weekend in person, all of their debate events online and their speech events in person, etc.
- Big Questions » Each district that holds a Big Questions national qualifying event with a minimum of 10 students and two schools will earn TWO Big Questions qualifiers to the National Tournament!
- New Qualification Rules » The Board of Directors voted to make the previously pilot qualification rules the permanent set of rules governing district tournaments. Districts no longer have the option to use the traditional up/down or California Plan systems.
- Debate: A district may choose to use one of three methods to run their district debate tournament: round robin, single elimination bracketed, or double elimination bracketed. Debate events may use different methods—e.g., Policy could be a single elimination bracketed tournament and Public Forum could be a round robin.
- Speech: Districts will hold a minimum of three preliminary rounds. If there are more than seven entries, elimination rounds will be held. Qualifiers are determined based on cumulative ranks from preliminary rounds through elimination rounds with elimination ranks counting double.
- Congress: If entry numbers warrant more than one chamber in the House and/or the Senate, that event will hold at least one preliminary round and a final round. Qualifiers will be determined by final round ranks. If there is one chamber, the district may hold two preliminary rounds. These rules were in place for 2020-2021.
- Points for Scrimmages » Students may earn up to 75 merit points for intrasquad and intersquad competitions that do not have the required four schools participating. Tabulation software and the NSDA site will not regulate this; it will be the affirmative duty of coaches to ensure what is posted is in line with this rule.
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Apply for $5,000 for Your Team This MonthIn order to ensure more students have access to speech and debate, the Keith West Memorial School Grant will provide a $5,000 grant to one school each year that shows strong potential but significant lack of financial resources. This fall, one school will receive $5,000 and two schools will receive $2,500. Apply by September 20.General NSDA program grants are also available for new programs and Title I schools.
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Launch into the New Season with Free Online Tournaments Our Springboard Series is back and better than ever! Your team is invited to join us for a variety of free, online competitions including after-school scrimmages and weekend tournaments. Events are open to all—there is no membership requirement to participate this fall.
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Updated Script Database
Resource Package subscribers can use our Script Database to explore scripts used at the National Tournament in HI, DI, or Duo dating back to 1985. Filter by title, author, frequency of performances, or scripts used by finalists. A basic list of middle school and high school scripts used at the 2021 Nationals is available to all.
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Plan for Student Recruitment
Put your team front and center and simplify your fall recruitment with our guide.
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Kick Off National Hispanic Heritage Month
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Competition Rules Agenda
The elected Board of Directors will meet on September 21 to discuss competition rules. Please feel free to email any comments or questions on the agenda. Feedback will be compiled and presented to the Board for consideration.
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Save Time on Lesson Planning
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Free Poster Download
Encourage your students on their journey to Premier Distinction, our highest Honor Society degree, with this free poster!
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Big Questions: Apply, Host an Event, Earn Funds!In Big Questions, students debate topics at the intersection of science, religion, and philosophy.
The 2021-2022 topic is, Resolved: On balance, societies benefit from religious belief and practice. You can earn up to $2,500 for your team when you apply and are approved to host an event at a tournament or against members of your own team. Online events are eligible. Almost $1.5 million has been awarded to programs since 2016. Funding is limited, so get started today!
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