2023 Olive Tree International Championships

Invitation

                        (Invite last updated 3/1/23)

Dear Forensics Community,

National Online Forensics is excited to announce the 2023 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.

2023 Tentative Schedule*

(these times are equivalent)

Pattern A: Friendship Debate

Pattern B: Informative, Persuasive, Speech To Entertain, Impromptu, Programmed Oral Interp, Poetry, Prose 

Pattern C: Persuasion, Dramatic Duo, Drama, Humorous Interp, Original Interp, Declamation, Storytelling, Extemp (single entry)

Pattern D: SPAR

Pattern F: Congress (may not enter debate), LD, PF, NOF Parli, World Schools, IPDA

Friendship Debate

• Given the international nature of this tournament, we are excited to promote a free event where students  from different countries will be randomly assigned to partner with each other. This can be a great opportunity for intercultural exchange and friendship.

• The event will follow the NOF Parli rules where all topics are impromptu in nature.

• Please note that if we have uneven numbers of students from different countries, we will employ a waitlist system pairing up students who registered earliest. 

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

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

• Given sufficient entries, two final rounds will be held.  Teams not advancing from the first elimination round will receive Bronze; teams advancing but not winning the final will receive Silver; teams winning the final will receive Gold. 

• Competitors may only enter one format of debate per pattern.

• 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.

Individual Events

• Three prelims will be held; two final rounds will be held as necessary (Bronze/Gold format).

• Competitors may enter a maximum of three events per pattern except for congress/debate patterns (single entry & extemp - single entry).

• 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. The top 5% of competitors in each event will be recognized with a Gold award, the top 10% Silver, and top 20% with Bronze. For example, if an event has 50 entries there will be roughly 3 Gold awards, 2 Silver, and 5 Bronze depending on tiebreakers and breaks. 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 8x8 video sharing feature and do so at their own risk. Any technological issues may influence judge ranks. 

Interpretation Events:

• Books are encouraged but not required. Given the nature of the video conferencing system, holding books while performing can block many cameras. Competitors are encouraged to use them to hold true to traditional forensics tournaments but this adaptation is left to the competitors. Judges are instructed not to penalize competitors for not using books. 

• Competitors may, if they desire, stand up while performing to showcase blocking, but the technology works better sitting in front of the camera. 

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. 

• Given sufficient entries, two final rounds will be held.  Teams not advancing from the first elimination round will receive Bronze; teams advancing but not winning the final will receive Silver; teams winning the final will receive Gold. 

• Competitors may only enter one format of debate per pattern.

• 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.

• 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 one elimination round is held, the Elim Ranking system below will be used with roughly five percent (5%) of event entries receiving Gold, ten percent (10%) of event entries receiving Silver, and the remaining competitors in the elimination round receiving Bronze. For example, if there are 30 competitors in Congress and 15 advance to a single elimination round, there would be 2 Golds, 1 Silver, and 12 Bronze awards.

• If two elimination rounds are held, all competitors not advancing from Elim 1  will receive a Bronze award. Elim 2 round competitors will then be ranked with roughly five percent (5%) of event entries receiving Gold and the remaining competitors in the Elim 2 round receiving Silver. For example, if there are 60 competitors in Congress and 30 advance to Elim 1 in two panels/chambers, competitors not advancing beyond Elim 1 would receive Bronze. If 15 competitors subsequently advance to Elim 2, there would be 3 Golds and 12 Silvers. 

• 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:

• 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.

• See the NOF Bylaws for event point values. 

Fees

• School Fee: $50

• Individual Event Entries: $25/entry

• Duo Entries: $40/entry

• Congress Entries: $25/entry

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

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

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

• Friendship Debate Event Entries: $0/entry (yes, free!) 

• 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): $125/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.

To ensure timely pickup of ballots, all judges should wait in the Standby Judge Room (https://8x8.vc/NOFStandby) until dismissed or they have picked up a ballot via e-mail. This will ensure judges are not missing ballots pushed to them during the tournament.

Official Rules

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

National Online Forensics (NOF) By-Laws

Competitor Logistics / Best Practices

• All competitors must have a verified text number or email saved on ForensicsTournament.net  Email is preferred. 

• Coaches can save and verify competitor contact details from the Student Roster page. 

• Competitors will receive a text/email with their ePostings information. Postings will be sent approximately 15 minutes prior to each round.  

• The ePostings will have a link to a Live Video Room where they will perform.  Click that link to go to your round.  No logins or passwords are required.  Judges will be in the same Live Video Room to listen and rank the round. The tournament will be using 8x8 video conference room software.

• If double- or triple-entered, students should go to each room before competing and type in the chat window that they are multiple-entered so judges are aware. Request to compete early and leave promptly to join the next event.

• Please do not immediately start to talk when entering a Live Video Room. Another student may be performing.  Please wait to be recognized by the judge(s).

• Students should remain in the Live Video Room as audience members and have video on, as much as possible. 

• Students can, if it fits their particular setup, sit while performing.  Judges are instructed not to penalize students for sitting while speaking since the particular tech setup may work better while sitting. 

• Students are also encouraged to use a mic/headphones since audio quality is much better than with an external mic.  Judges are instructed not to penalize students for having mics/headphones on.

• We recognize technological limitations create some challenges for certain events.  But we trust in the ingenuity of the forensics community to adapt to the online environment.  Some students may have better quality video, lighting, sound, etc…  We will all try our best.

• If a student’s internet connection drops or audio quality is poor, they will be required to call into the video conference room and give their speech with audio only. While not ideal, it will ensure all student’s speeches are listened to by a judge.  You can get the dial-in information from the info icon in the bottom right of the screen. 

• Request help by going to the help room https://8x8.vc/NOFHelp and communicate promptly if any issues arise. 

Judge Logistics / Best Practices

• All judges must have a verified phone or email saved on ForensicsTournament.net. Email is preferred.

• Coaches can save and verify contact details from the Judge Roster Page

• Judges will receive a text/email with their eBallot link.  Judges should click on that link within 5 minutes of receiving it to indicate that they have “picked up” their ballot.  

• On your eBallot you will have all of the competitors listed in that round along with a link to a live video room. Click that link to go to your video conference room. Competitors who are double entered, will have that listed adjacent to their name. Please be flexible in accommodating double entered competitors.

• Your eBallot has fields where you can add your feedback to the student. Feedback can be added while they are performing and added throughout the competition until the awards ceremony.  The eBallot also has a timer to make it easy to time each speaker.  

• If a judge’s keyboard is loud they are encouraged to mute  audio during performances but please leave the video feed on so competitors can receive your visual feedback.

• Judges are instructed not to penalize students for sitting while speaking since the student’s particular tech setup may work better while sitting. 

• Judges are also instructed not to penalize students for having mics/headphones on since audio quality is usually much better using a mic/headset.

• Judges are also instructed not to penalize students for lighting, video/audio quality, video background to the extent possible.

• If a judge’s internet connection drops or audio quality is poor, they will be required to call into the video conference room and listen to speeches with audio only. While not ideal, it will ensure all student’s speeches are listened to by a judge.  You can get the dial-in information from the info icon in the bottom right of the screen.

• For Impromptu/Extemp/IPDA/NOF Parli, the eBallot will have the quotations/questions listed on it under prompts - or in the case of extemp, the prompts will be provided by the tournament prior to the start of the round and competitors will arrive after their designated prep period.

FAQ

(will be updated as more questions are sent our way)

• How can I register? Coaches will need to register their teams on ForensicsTournament.net 

• Can I have 2 uncovered IE entries/just 1 uncovered debate team?  If you need hired judges, please contact the Tournament Director ASAP for approval.

• Where is the Extemp Prep/NOF Parli Topic announce Room?  Video room links will be sent out to competitors on the day of the tournament for these events with instructions.

• How will I get my impromptu prompt/quotation? The judge will have the impromptu prompts/quotations on their eBallot. When it’s your turn to speak your judge will copy/paste the prompts into the chat window in the Live Video Room.

• How will we strike IPDA topics? The judge will have all five IPDA topics on their eBallot. At the start of the round go to your Live Video Room. The judge will copy/paste the resolutions into the chat window.  Each team will strike as normal.  Turn off your audio/visual feeds in the room during prep. 30 minutes later the round will commence.

• Where will we prep for NOF Parli? Each school has access to practice rooms through ForensicsTournament.net.  Please use those rooms. 

• What about poor internet connections? In order for the video conference to work,  Internet connections should be at least 6 Mbps.  Check internet speed here.  In the event of a poor Internet connection, each Live Video Room has an option to “call in” via phone. While there will be no visual, competitors  can still present the audio portion of their speech.