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OFFICIAL NOTICE: ALL SCHOOLS MUST REGISTER FOR THE 2010 NATIONAL TOURNAMENT VIA THE ONLINE REGISTRATION PROCESS. YOU MUST READ ALL INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE CLICKING ON THE “BEGIN REGISTERING” LINK AT THE BOTTOM. DIRECT ALL QUESTIONS TO THE NFL NATIONAL OFFICE AT (920)748-6206 or BY EMAIL.

LINCOLN FINANCIAL GROUP/ NATIONAL FORENSIC LEAGUE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

1. Registration: National Tournament registration will occur online this year beginning March 24th, 2010. 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, Public Forum, and Duo Entry, $120
• Speech, LD, and Congress Entry, $60
• Supplemental Events, $20 each event entered (may pre-register for all five, but may only re-register for two or may re-register for the new supplemental debate event only);
• Impromptu or Storytelling, $10 each event entered (may pre-register for both, but can only re-register for one).
  

Refund in full upon cancellation in writing before May 1st, and 50% upon cancellation before May 8th. No refunds thereafter. To process payment prior to the start of online entry on March 15th, please print the SAMPLE FEE SCHEDULE as a temporary invoice. If a standard invoice is needed, please contact Carol Zanto at (920)748-6206.

4. Deadline: The ENTIRE entry process, including mailed materials MUST be completed by May 4th. Materials being sent by mail must be postmarked by certified mail by Tuesday, May 4th, 2010. 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 14th, 2010. Deadline for registration of alternates is Monday, May 31st, 2010.

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 (2pm - Wednesday, June 17th). Photocopies are not acceptable. Any contestant failing to produce the original source to the ombudsman by 2pm on the 17th will be disqualified from competition.

7. No Double Entry: A contestant may enter only one main event category or one main event debate category.

8 Supplemental Speech Entry: Students may pre-register for up to four supplemental speech events (Prose, Poetry, Expository, Commentary). Students who have been eliminated from main event competition prior to round 9 or prior to the semifinals of Congressional Debate may re-register and officially enter up to two supplemental speech events (if pre-registered). Students pre-registering in supplemental speech events may not pre-register for the supplemental debate event.

9. New Supplemental Debate Event: This year, contestants eliminated from main events prior to round 9 or prior to the semifinals of Congressional Debate will be eligible to re-register for a new supplemental debate event (if pre-registered). Please feel free to print a description of the [NEW SUPPLEMENTARY DEBATE EVENT] or go to www.nflonline.org for more details. Student pre-registering for the new supplemental debate event may pre-register for supplemental speech events but may ONLY re-register for either supplemental debate or two supplemental speech events.

10. Lodging: Information concerning hotels and tournament activities appear in Rostrum and online, available here.

11. 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 54971-0038.

12. Judging Information: All judges must be available to judge Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, AND Thursday. All judges are eligible to judge supplemental and consolation events regardless of main event assignment.
A. Events

• 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 Speech Entry 1 round
  
• Each Supplementary Debate Entry 2 rounds
  
• Each Consolation Entry 0 rounds
  

B. A student entered in two supplementary speech 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 must 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 $15 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, 2010. Failure to report for a judging assignment or pooling assignment will forfeit your judge bond of $200 for the first round missed, and a $100 per round penalty will be assessed thereafter. A school will not be permitted to compete the following year unless all outstanding fees have been paid.
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.
J. Policy and Lincoln Douglas Debate judges must include completed judge philosophy cards with registration.

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

• NOTE: The guide was designed for 2008 but will apply to future years.

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

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