OFFICIAL NOTICE: ALL SCHOOLS MUST REGISTER FOR THE 2008 NATIONAL TOURNAMENT VIA THE ONLINE REGISTRATION PROCESS. YOU MUST READ ALL INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE CLICKING ON THE “BEGIN REGISTERING” LINK AT THE BOTTOM. ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN AND ACTIVATED. ALL QUESTIONS OR TECHNICAL ISSUES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE NFL NATIONAL OFFICE AT (920)748-6206 or BY EMAIL AT nfl@nflonline.org.

2008 Instructions for Registering
LINCOLN FINANCIAL GROUP/ NATIONAL FORENSIC LEAGUE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

1. Registration: National Tournament registration will occur online this year beginning March 28th, 2008. Coaches will register by clicking the link below entitled, “BEGIN REGISTERING”. Although the entire online registration process does not have to be completed at one single sitting, coaches must complete the entire online registration process and must send ALL appropriate entry fees and ALL designated paperwork to the NFL National Office before the entry will be considered official.
2. Supervision: In order to compete in the National Tournament each student must be supervised by an adult approved by the principal. The adult supervisor must be the student’s coach, a school district faculty member or administrator, or the child’s own parent(s). The supervising adult must stay at the same lodging with student(s) under their supervision. Students without an accredited supervisor staying in the same lodging will not be permitted to participate in the tournament. Coaches from other school districts may not be the adult supervisor without prior written permission of both SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS submitted to NFL before the entry will be accepted.
3. Fees: Fees must accompany your registration: Policy Debate Entry, $100; Public Forum Entry, $100; Duo Entry, $100; Speech Entry, $50; L/D Entry, $50; Congress Entry, $50; Supplemental Events, $20 each event entered (max of 2 entries per competitor); Impromptu or Storytelling, $10 each entry (max one entry per competitor); Refund in full upon cancellation in writing before May 1st, and 50% upon cancellation before May 10th. No refunds thereafter. To process payment prior to the start of online entry on March 28th, please print the SAMPLE FEE SCHEDULE as a temporary invoice. If a standard invoice is needed, please contact Carol Zanto at nflfinancial@nflonline.org (920)748-6206.
4. Deadline: The ENTIRE ENTRY PROCESS INCLUDING MAILED MATERIALS MUST be completed by May 1st. Materials being sent by mail must be received in the National Office by certified mail by Thursday, May 1st, 2008 or put in the hands of an overnight courier service by that date. Only registrations complete with respect to every essential item will be accepted. Late or incomplete entries and each entry lacking signatures or payment in full will be subject to a $200 late fee, or denial of entry. Alternates will be notified of available vacant slots by May 11th, 2008. Deadline for registration of alternates is Monday, June 2, 2008.
5. Original Oratory: Entrants must file a copy of their oration with the registration form, signed by the contestant and the coach, certifying the oration is the student’s original work. Note: “No more than 150 words may be quoted from other sources. Extensive paraphrasing from other sources is prohibited.” The oratory must include a complete work cited page in M.L.A. or A.P.A. format.
6. Interpretation: “A cutting must be from a single work of literature: one short story, one novel, one play or one or more poems.” [In poetry, a contestant may use multiple poems.] “The original published, printed source of any selection used in Dramatic, Humorous, or Duo must be immediately available at the tournament as well as a complete script of the cutting including:
a) A photo copy of every page from which any line of the cutting is taken; pages are to be in the order in which they are performed.
b) All words used from the script should be highlighted. (Any words/lines not used should be left unmarked.)
c) Any word changes and/or additions must be indicated clearly in ink.”
d)Microfilm or Microfiche of the complete source is acceptable, if the original is unavailable, xeroxed or internet copies are not. A photocopy of the original source of each interp selection being performed, which includes all lines of the cutting being used, must be sent in with the entry. All bibliographic information: Title, Author, Publisher's Name and Complete Address and #ISBN (if available) of the selection must be sent in with entry.
e)Incomplete entries will be subject to the $200 penalty or rejected. It shall be the affirmative duty of each coach and each student entered in NFL Interpretation contests to determine absolutely that the cutting being performed meets NFL rules. The original source must be immediately available during the tournament. All semifinalists will be required to turn in the original source to the Ombudsmen prior to competing in the first semifinal round. Photocopies are not acceptable.
7. No Double Entry: A contestant may enter only one main event category or one main event debate category.
8. Supplemental Entry: Students may double enter in Supplemental Events. [Students who qualify for rounds 7/8 of main event debate or speech that do not advance to round 9 will be allowed to enter up to 2 supplemental events if preregistered.]
9. Lodging: Information concerning hotels and tournament activities appear in the March Rostrum and at www.nflonline.org/NationalTournament.
10. Mailing: Faxed or e-mailed registrations will be rejected. Send the required registration materials and fees certified mail or courier to
NFL
125 Watson St. P. O. Box 38
Ripon, Wisconsin 5497l-0038.
11. Judging Information: The Executive Council has unanimously determined each school’s judging quota:
A. Each Policy Debate Team* 8 rounds
Each Ted Turner Public Forum Debate Team ** 5 rounds
Each L/D Debater 5 rounds
Each Duo Team 4 rounds
Each Speech Entry 4 rounds
Each Congress Entry 4 rounds or one session of Congress
Each Supplementary Entry 1 round
Each Consolation Entry 0 rounds
B. A student entered in two supplementary events counts as two contestants
C. *Each school that qualifies a policy debate team to the national tournament must provide a qualified policy judge for that team. (If two (or 3) teams qualify, then two (or 3) qualified judges must be provided, each to be available to judge a minimum of 8 policy rounds.)
D. **Each school that qualifies a public forum team to the national tournament must provide a qualified public forum judge for that team who can judge a minimum of 5 rounds of public forum. Schools with two Public Forum Debate teams may provide one judge for 8 rounds. Judges that are covering a Public Forum obligation may also fill out a LD judging card to be considered for these rounds.
E . Each school must provide a judge for at least 6 rounds (Policy Debate team 8 rounds) and be available on Monday, Tuesday , Wednesday, and Thursday. A penalty of $200 plus judging round fees will be assessed a school which furnishes no judge. A policy debate team or public forum team with no judge will be denied entry!
F. Schools may choose to bring additional judges for additional owed rounds OR pay $10 per round based upon the above quota. NOTE: Cannot buy out policy rounds or Public Forum rounds.
G. Each school must post a judge bond of $200. This bond is in addition to entry fees and judge fees. If all judges from a school complete all judging assignments to which they were assigned, the $200 will be returned at the end of the tournament. All Judge Bonds must be claimed by October 1st, 2008.For each missed judging assignment or judge pool assignment $200 will be assessed.
H. Each judge may pledge to judge as many as 8 rounds, but no more than 8.
I. NFL cannot accept registration unless the ENTIRE online registration process is complete, ALL mailed materials are received, and a check covering all fees has been received. Each incomplete registration will be assessed a $200 late fee after May 1st, 2008.

REMINDERS TO COMPLETE ENTRY
1. Have you completed the ENTIRE online registration process?
2. Have you printed the signature sheet and have you obtained 4 signatures?
3. Have oration copies been signed by coach and student and mailed? Is a work cited page included?
4. Have you mailed all entry fees including judge fees and judge bond?
5. Did you mail copies of the original source/script of all interp cuttings? (Main Events ONLY)
6. Did you mail signed Participant Release Form(s) for ALL students competing?

Download our step-by-step guide to registering online Click on the following link to download the PDF version of our registration guide: Online Registration Guide

Download blank Participant Release forms Use the following form to obtain signatures from students/parents in advance of completing your registration. Participant Release forms are generated at the end of the registration process but you will only be required to submit one per student. Blank Participant Release Form

By clicking the "Begin Registering" link below, you are acknowledging that you understand the above information and have completely read the Online Registration Guide.
BEGIN REGISTERING (Click Here)