2023-2024 SCJFL Middle School Debate Only Tournaments

Greetings!  For the 2023-2024 season, the SCJFL is happy to announce three in-person tournaments and three online tournaments.  This document shall serve as the invitation for all six of those tournaments.  All times are Pacific.

In-person dates:

October 7, 2023 at East Los Angeles College

December 2, 2023 at East Los Angeles College

March 2, 2024 at East Los Angeles College

Online dates:

November 4, 2023

February 3, 2024

April 6, 2024

East Los Angeles College address:

1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754

Tournament events (all debate events will use NSDA topics relative to the month of the tournament.  For example, a tournament in February will use the NSDA February topic.):

— Lincoln-Douglas Debate

— Public Forum Debate

— Big Questions Debate

— Policy Debate

— World Schools Debate (Prepared resolutions will be released at noon two weeks prior)

— Congress (Docket will be released at noon two weeks prior)

Schedule for Public Forum/LD/Big Questions:

9:00 – Round 1

10:30 – Round 2

11:45 – Round 3

1:15 –  Round 4

2:30 - Round 5 (elimination prelim)

7:00 – ASAP

Schedule for Policy/Congress/Worlds:

9:00 – Round 1

10:30 – Round 2

12:30 – Round 3

3:30  - Final Round (if a semifinal round is needed, then finals will be at 5:00)

7:00 – ASAP

*Schedule is subject to change*

Entries:

You may register competitors at: ForensicsTournament.net

We will close entries at 6:00 PM on the Tuesday before the tournament.  All fees will be frozen at that time.

Students may enter up one event.  For a complete list of rules, please visit the SCJFL.org website and click on RULES & BY-LAWS.

Entry Fees: 

$30 per Congress, and LD entry

$40 per Public Forum entry

$50 per Worlds entry

Judge Fees: 

$30 per Congress event-entry

$125 per uncovered debate event-entry

One judge covers 2 debate event-entries or fraction thereof

One judge covers 10 Congress event-entries or fraction thereof

Judges who do not accept their assigned ballot will be charged a $25 no-show fee for the first offense.  The second offense will be $50.  Each subsequent no-show from the judge will warrant a $50 charge.  Judges can avoid this fee by coming to the judge table/standby room for their ballot assignment and notifying tournament staff; sometimes e-mails delay delivery for any number of reasons that are outside the control of the tournament staff.  By notifying the tournament staff, judges can be messaged their ballot directly so that they aren’t marked as having missed the round.

Deadlines:
Registration closes at 6:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the tournament.  All changes or drops after that time will be charged a $25 nuisance fee for each change.  Students who drop from the tournament will be charged a $25 no show fee for each student if the coach notifies the tournament before the first dropped round.  Students who drop without notifying the tournament will be charged a $35 no show fee. 

Judge changes after the close of registration will be charged a $50 judge nuisance fee.  Judge drops after 12:01 a.m. on the Friday before the tournament will be charged a $150 judge no-show fee in addition to any fees generated from having uncovered event-entries.

All fees should be paid through the ForensicsTournament.net website.  Click the TOURNAMENT FEES tab on the left side of the tournament home page.

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.  Unsatisfactory ballots will be determined by the tabulation staff.

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

The tournament reserves the right to deny schools who do not supply at least half of their required judges.  We will do our best to ensure that no schools are denied because of this reason.

Judging Requirements: 

All judges must submit their ballots electronically.  Thus, each judge should bring a laptop or tablet to complete the ballot.

Please remember that judge training is the responsibility of the school entering that judge.  Teams whose judges who turn in blank or insufficient ballots are subject to fines.  Ballot insufficiency shall be determined by the tournament director and/ombudsman.

Rules: All rules can be found in the SCJFL by-laws at SCJFL.org

Tournament director: Robert Cannon - Wilshire Academy