2025 Olive Tree International Championships

Invitation

(Invite last updated 11/4/24)

Dear Forensics Community,

National Online Forensics is excited to announce the 2025 National Online Forensics International Tournament for College, High School, Middle School, and Elementary School competitors.   This will be a synchronous video conference international championship tournament. 

USA Tournament Dates:  July 14-21, 2023 | Asia Tournament Dates: July 15-22, 2023

National Online Forensics sees a tremendous value in an online international championship that can afford more competitors and programs the opportunity to compete and showcase their skills on an international level.

Key Points:

• Registration is due by July 9, 2023 at 8pm Pacific time on ForensicsTournament.net

• Reasonable entry fees payable only by credit card on the website. Payment will be available the week of the tournament.

• Each school is required to provide one judge for every 5 IE entries per pattern/2 debate teams. At the discretion of the Tournament Director, uncovered entries may be allowed (penalty fees apply).

• The tournament will use synchronous video conferencing. Please see the Best Practices section of this invite for tips on how to effectively use the platform.

• There will be a single championship division for all events.

2025 Tentative Schedule*

(these times are equivalent)

* Schedule may be adjusted due to number of entries

Pattern A: Assigned Platform, Informative, Persuasive, Speech To Entertain, Communication Analysis, Impromptu, Extemp, Programmed Oral Interp, Poetry, Prose, Dramatic Duo, Drama, Humorous Interp, Original Interp, Declamation, Storytelling, NOF Mock Trial (triple entry)

Pattern B: SPAR

Pattern C: Congress, IPDA, LD, Public Forum, NOF Parli, World Schools (single entry)

Individual Events

• Three prelims will be held; one festival final round will be held as necessary.

• Competitors may enter a maximum of three events.

• All double- or triple-entered students are responsible for making it to their other rounds on time. Students missing their round will receive last place in the round. Any student not checked-in to all rounds may miss their chance to speak.

• 1 Judge is required for every 5 entries per pattern

• Prelim Ranking: Ranks/Decimal/Drop High Rank  

• Elim Ranking: Total Rank/Number of Firsts in Event/Rank in Elim/Decimal in Elim/Judge Pref in Elim

• Speaker Points will not be used.

• Competitors will be recognized with Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards. If international shipping of awards is not feasible, alternative awards may  include certificates and gift cards. Please see NOF bylaws for the number of awards. All competitors in elimination rounds will receive recognition. 

• The top speaker in each event will be recognized as the International Champion.

Limited Prep Events:

• Impromptu topics will be provided to each competitor in the Live Video Room (their competition room) chat box.  Judges will need to copy/paste the topics  (provided on the eBallots) in the chat window for the competitors.  

• Each competitor will receive a different set of impromptu topics. 

• Extemp questions will be provided through ExtempRoom.com.  More information to be provided. Competitors in extemp should go to the help room with any questions.

Platform Events:

• While competitors are allowed to still use electronic Visual Aids, they are encouraged to have them printed on 8.5x11 pages to show to the audience while presenting. 

• Screen sharing to show a PowerPoint or image is permitted.  Competitors should be familiar with the video sharing feature and do so at their own risk. Any technological issues may influence judge ranks. 

Debate

• Standard pairing will be used with 2 random rounds followed by 2 High-Low rounds. 

• In Elims, brackets will be broken to facilitate debating. 

• One festival final round will be held. 

• 1 Judge is required for every 2 debate entries

• Speaker Point Scale will be 100-70

• Prelim Ranking: Wins/Total Points/HL Points/Z Score/Opp Wins

• Speakers Ranking: Total Points/HL Points/Ranks/Z Score

• A 5 minute forfeit rule will be put in place for all debate rounds.

• Competitors will be recognized with Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards. If international shipping of awards is not feasible, alternative awards may  include certificates and gift cards. Please see NOF bylaws for the number of awards. All competitors in elimination rounds will receive recognition. 

• See tournament homepage for topics.

Congress

• Preliminary Round Sectioning: Competitors will ideally be assigned to panels/chambers of 10-20 competitors apiece. Each panel/chamber shall not exceed 24 competitors.

• Competitors will remain in the same chambers for all prelim rounds.

• If only one panel/chamber has been created during preliminary rounds, there will be no final round held.

• If more than one panel/chamber has been created during preliminary rounds, then at least twenty percent (20%) of the event shall advance to elimination rounds (plus ties). A minimum of 15 competitors shall advance regardless of event size, so long as this number does not surpass fifty percent (50%) of the field. 

• Competitors will be recognized with Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards. If international shipping of awards is not feasible, alternative awards may  include certificates and gift cards. Please see NOF bylaws for the number of awards. All competitors in elimination rounds will receive recognition. 

• Prelim Ranking: Ranks/Decimal/DropHighRank/Parliamentarian Ballot

• Elim Ranking: Total Rank/Number of Firsts/Elim Rank/Elim Decimal/Judge Pref/Parliamentarian

• 1 Judge is required for every 5 Congress entries.

Sweepstakes

• Top schools will be recognized in the following categories given sufficient entries:

• Elementary, Middle, High School, and College

• Top 5 individual event speakers will be recognized. 

• Top Debate speakers will be recognized in each debate event given sufficient event entries.

• If international shipping of awards is not feasible, alternative awards may  include certificates and gift cards. 

• See the NOF Bylaws for event point values. 

Fees

• School Fee: $50

• Individual Event Entries: $30/entry

• Duo Entries: $40/entry

• Congress Entries: $30/entry

• 1-Person Debate Event Entries: $60/entry

• 2-Person Debate Event Entries: $70/entry

• 3+ Person Debate Event Entries: $80/entry

• Judges: First Missed Ballot - $25 / Subsequent Missed Ballots - $50

• Uncovered IE/Congress Slot (with Tournament Director Approval): $30/slot

• Uncovered Debate Entry (with Tournament Director Approval): $150/team

• Changes after the entry deadline: $25 per change (subject to tournament director approval) 

• Judge drops within 24 hours of the tournament will be charged a $150 judge no-show fee.  

• Judges who submit incomplete eBallots (with little to no substantive feedback) may be charged a judge no-show fee for failing to complete their judge assignment which includes both ranking the speakers along with giving sufficient comments.

• Delay of tournament fees may be assessed from $20-$100 based on the severity of the delay.

• Competitor no-shows (coaches did not notify the tournament prior to the missed round) - $35

Any schools seeking to buy out of their judging requirements must have approval by the Tournament Director. Please contact us early so we can let you know if we will be able to approve uncovered entries.  

Any judges seeking to be hired by the tournament may fill out their interest by using the following form.

The tournament reserves the right to assign ballots to judges which are scheduled:

Due to the complex nature of the schedule, judges may be asked to accept ballots in events they did not initially register.  For example, if a judge is signed up to accept debate ballots, but the tournament needs more Impromptu judges, then that judge would be expected to take the Impromptu ballot.  We will do our best to accommodate event requests, but may not be able to do so.

Official Rules

For more information about National Online Forensics Tournaments, please consult our by-laws: 

National Online Forensics (NOF) By-Laws