HARVARD PF

Dear Coaches,
We are delighted to invite you to attend the Forty-Ninth annual Harvard National Forensics Tournament, which will be held in person on Presidents' Day Weekend, Saturday, Sunday, & Monday, February 18-20, 2023.
All judges will be required to use electronic ballots in all divisions.

Event Specific Rules, Procedures, and Eligibility

The Public Forum Debate Tournament
Two divisions will be online: Beginner International PF & Open International PF.

Online Divisions
We will offer two online international divisions for students who are unable to travel to Cambridge, including those from the United States.

Topic
NSDA PF February

Divisions
The Open International Division is open to all participants.
The Beginner International Division is open to students in their first or second year of competition; it is intended for middle school and novice high school competitors.

Vital Stats:

Varsity and Junior Varsity: 6 Preliminary Rounds, Clear to Triple Octafinals.
Novice, Middle School: 5 preliminary rounds, clear to Doubles or Triple Octa-finals based on entries. JV International Schools – Breakout to Quarterfinals.
Beginner and Open International Online: 5 preliminary rounds, clear to Doubles or Triple Octa-finals based on entries.

General Tournament Rules

Judge Requirements

All judges must be qualified, which at a minimum means a high school diploma.
All judges must be available for all preliminary rounds, the first elimination round, and for one round beyond elimination of the last contestant from the school that the judge represents in the tournament.
All judges should be flexible as to which division the judges are assigned. So even if your child is competing in the beginner division, you might be asked to judge the open division and vice versa.
All judges are bound by the codes of conduct governing activities at Harvard College and those promulgated by the NSDA. Judges will be required to attest that they have read and understand these codes of conduct before being able to judge. Instructions will be provided closer to the start of the tournament.
Judges may not simultaneously judge at any other tournaments. If we discover that you are doing so, we will remove you from the judge pool and notify the other tournament.
Any complaints about judge qualifications must be addressed to the tournament director prior to or immediately after the competition involved. All tournament directors have been authorized to impose penalties against judges who do not appear for the rounds to which they have been assigned.

Elimination Round Participation
We expect participants in the various tournaments to compete in the elimination rounds. Debaters who choose not to debate rounds for any reason (other than that they are scheduled against another competitor from the same school) will be treated as having forfeited the round. The tournaments will no longer certify “co-champions” in final rounds.

Conduct Policy
The tournament strives to foster an environment promoting inclusivity and respect. The tournament will abide by Harvard College’s policies and procedures for sexual, gender-based, and racial harassment and discrimination. The Interim Policy on Sexual Harassment and the Interim Policy on Other Sexual Misconduct are available here: https://titleix.harvard.edu/policies-procedures. Per its regulations, Harvard College has a designated representative of its Title IX office to receive any complaints directly or indirectly by means of the tournament director. The tournament will also abide by policies governing codes of conduct within the Harvard community, including those prohibiting racial discrimination and harassment. They are available here: https://handbook.fas.harvard.edu/book/conduct-within-community.

Tournament Ombuds Committee
The tournament will designate an ombuds committee of three individuals to receive complaints and concerns regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. Please note that this is not the appropriate place to report sexual or racial discrimination and harassment as detailed in the prior section; those reports should be made to the Tournament Director directly who will report to the appropriate Harvard offices. Additionally, concerns about tournament procedure and tabulation should be reported to your event’s tab room.

Online Technology Policies: Recording, Observers, Platforms
Recording: For the privacy and protection of students and other participants, any recording of speeches is prohibited, with the exception that students are permitted to record their own speeches.
Observers: Observers are permitted but must remain on mute, with videos off at all times, and rename themselves as “Observer -- Name.” All observers must be affiliated with an institution with active entries at the tournament and must be registered as an observer to the roster of that institution. Any individuals who wish to observe will need: (A) to have a tabroom.com account, (B) be added as competitors or judges to the team roster, (C) have their account linked, and (D) entered into the “Observer Division” as a competitor or as a judge. Unregistered observers will not be able to access the classrooms.cloud zoom rooms. The tournament reserves the right to remove any observers from any room at any time.
Alternative Platforms: For the safety of all participants, no one (judge, coach, student) may switch their rounds to an alternative video platform outside of the tournament hosted zoom rooms in classrooms.cloud. If anyone suggests moving to an alternative platform, please alert tournament personnel immediately. Judges who move to a separate platform will be fined as if they did not judge their rounds and removed from the tournament.
Judge Video: The tournament believes that competitors deserve to be able to see their judges as much as possible. Accordingly, to the maximum extent possible, the cameras of competitors and judges should be on (and on them) while a student is speaking and during RFDs. Brief pauses are understandable. To the extent needed, cameras can be off to enhance streaming quality.

I will keep a copy of this form for reference. *

YES

We are signing up with the understanding that my child will work to be ready by the tournament date. If we choose to drop out because my child is not ready that will be considered when making assessments for future classes. *

YES

I understand that if I fail to drop the tournament before the deadline that I will still be responsible for the fees of both my son or daughter, along with that of his or her partner and the fines. *

YES

I understand that if payment is not received we won't be registered and our spot will be given up to someone else. *

YES

I confirm that I have completed all necessary paperwork for this tournament. *

YES

I understand that The Golden State Academy has no control over tournament entries other than the initial sign up. I understand that my child's priority will be based on either the last time I signed up OR the date paid, whichever is latest. *

YES

I understand that my child must check in and check out periodically at the tournament with the coach and that if I do not my child will be barred from participating in following tournaments. This is to ensure coaches can see where students are at competitively and to give any initial feedback for improvement. *

YES

I understand that I can check my entry status through tabroom.com. *

YES

I am a consenting adult. I understand that by submitting this form I agree to all that has been covered. *

YES

49TH HARVARD NATIONAL FORENSICS TOURNAMENT

18-20 February 2023

Information

Entry Price

Tentative Schedule - PF and LD

Drop Fee

Contact Info

Registration Form

We would love to have you visit soon at one of our open houses.
Check our home page for the schedule!

School year Hours

Telephone

Email (preferred)

Locations