OLYMPIAD CHAMPS

Dear Forensics Coaches and Competitors,

On behalf of the United States of America Forensics Olympiad(USAFO), we are delighted to extend an invitation for the pinnacle event of the 2023-2024 season—the USAFO Championship.

The US Championship will be a 3-day event held virtually, on April 12th-14th, 2024, and will officially mark the finale of our inaugural 2023-24 season. It will feature two invitational divisions, and one open-entry division, serving as the determinant of the US International Olympiad in Forensics teams.

As we evolve in today’s fast-paced world, the skills forensics imparts have become increasingly valuable. As emphasized in our Open series invitation, forensics isn’t just a competition; it's a transformative experience shaping individuals and communities alike. It’s the reason we have the leaders we do today. Yet, despite growing participation, there has remained a gap that has hindered significant opportunities for progress.

For the past years, there has been no comprehensive system which has connected the US to the international debate community. For numerous speech and debate events, nor has there been a systematic national system being accessible without substantial travel fees, while offering exposure to high-quality rounds. As former forensics competitors ourselves, we feel it is our obligation to fill this gap. Here’s how we’re changing this:

Accessible, consistent year-round programs and tournaments
Partnerships with schools and learning providers across the US
A rewarding qualification/bid-based, cash-prize system
Invitational high-quality events to foster top talent

With this program, our aim is not only to address the deficiencies and gaps of quality debate exposure nationwide, but also elevate the caliber of discourse in our country to standards that compete on the global stage.

Before proceeding any further, we would like to acknowledge the people who have made this growing program come this far: the coaches and competitors of our tournaments, the dedicated judges, and all staff and team members at USAFO. You are the reason our ambitions are possible. Thank you.

We can't wait to witness the incredible competitors in round!

Events, Formats & Topics

QUALIFICATION:
The USAFO Championship Open division welcomes all students 18 & under. No citizenship or location requirements apply. See the Divisions section below for information regarding the Gold and Silver divisions.

Debate Events
ALL debate events will be held online synchronously.

Public Forum
April 2024 NSDA Topic
Divisions: High School Open, Middle School Open
Vital Stats:

6 Preliminary Rounds
>= 4 Elimination Rounds(based on entries)

Prep Time: 3 min / team

Lincoln-Douglas
March/April 2024 NSDA Topic
Vital Stats:

5 Preliminary Rounds
>= 3 Elimination Rounds(based on entries)

Prep Time: 5 min / debater

Speech Events
ALL speech events will be held online synchronously.
Vital Stats [ALL SPEECH EVENTS]:

All Divisions: 4 Preliminary Rounds
>= 2 Elimination Rounds(based on entries)

Extemp(National Extemp)

Event Guidelines: The speaker who completed preparations 30 minutes beforehand will present a speech lasting a maximum of 7 minutes, on a current topic following NSDA rules.

Dramatic Interpretation

Event Guidelines: An interpretation of a singular dramatic piece lasting a maximum of 10 minutes, adhering to NSDA rules.

Original Oratory

Event Guidelines: A persuasive speech with a duration not exceeding 10 minutes, adhering to NSDA rules.

Informative Speaking

Event Guidelines: A persuasive speech with a duration not exceeding 10 minutes, adhering to NSDA rules.

Duo Interpretation

Event Guidelines: Two people performing an interpretation that lasts a maximum of 10 minutes, following NSDA rules.

Humorous Interpretation

Event Guidelines: An interpretation of a singular humorous piece lasting a maximum of 10 minutes, adhering to NSDA rules.

Impromptu Speaking

Event Guidelines: The speaker will be given 2 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to speak on an assigned topic following CHSAA rules.

Program of Oral Interpretation

Event Guidelines: An interpretation of a singular piece consisting of multiple literary excerpts(2 or more) lasting a maximum of 10 minutes, adhering to NSDA rules.

Divisions & Qualifications
Each event that is listed under Events Offered will feature 1-3 divisions based on participation and the number of competitors with a qualifying amount of bids accumulated throughout the USAFO Open (September 2023 - March 2024) season.

Competitors with qualifying amounts of bids should register for their event’s Open division. They will then be entered into the Gold/Silver divisions after registration.
Gold

Bid Requirements: >= 1.0
Competitors registering for the US Championship who hold 1.0 or more bids will automatically be placed in the Gold division of their event(s).
The Gold division holds the highest weight in respect to other divisions during IOF Team selection.
If there are not enough Gold competitors, the Gold and Silver divisions will merge.

Silver

Bid Requirements: >= 0.5
Competitors registering for the US Championship who hold 0.5 or more bids will automatically be placed in the Silver division of their event(s).
The Silver division holds higher weight than the Open division during IOF Team selection.
If there are not enough Silver competitors, the Silver and Open divisions will merge.

Open

No qualifications and location/citizenship requirements.
Only competitors who have resided in the US for the past 6 months or hold a US citizenship will be considered for IOF Team selection.

IOF Team Selection
Top competitors in each speech/debate team will be selected to represent the US at the International Olympiad in Forensics(IOF) in July.
Who’s eligible?
Competitors who have resided in the US for the past 6 months OR hold a US citizenship are eligible. The Gold division will hold the highest priority during selection, the Silver division will hold second-highest, and exceptional competitors from the Open division will be selected as well(depending on if there are enough competitors from higher divisions).
How will I know if I’ve been selected?
1-2 weeks after the ending of the tournament, we will send out emails to the schools/institutions with a list of competitors who have been selected from their school/institution. The email will ask for student contact information, and we will move forward from there.
How many teams qualify?
The number of qualifying teams varies by year and event and depends on a variety of factors, including overall competitor qualities. It also varies based on the number of teams allowed in the current year by the IOF for each event.
How is it determined?
Selection will be based on a variety of factors, with the top selection criteria listed below (top priority first)

Performance in the USAFO Championship
Evaluation via in-round observation during live/ongoing Championship rounds
Performance at other tournaments/events

Awards & Prizes
For all competitors qualifying for awards & prizes, expect your institution to receive an email within 1 week regarding cash prizes, certificates, and awards.

For competitors selected for the US IOF team, expect an email within 1-2 weeks regarding your qualification.

Cash Prizes
All Events, Gold/Silver Divisions

Champions in each division - $200 USD
Finalists in each division - $100 USD

All Events, Open Divisions

Champions in each division - $100 USD
Finalists in each division - $50 USD

USAFO will send digital payment to the parent or legal guardian of each designated winning debater.
US eligible only.

Trophies/Plaques
US International Olympiad in Forensics Team qualifiers will be mailed a personalized plaque with their name, the year, and their event.
US eligible only.

Bids
No bids will be given at the Championship. Please see the next season’s Open series [LINK TO BE ADDED SHORTLY] on collecting bids for the following season’s Championship.

Cross-Entry Policy
There will be no cross entry allowed between any of the events at the Championship.

Judging

As a hired or institution-provided judge, you automatically abide by the Judge Policies & Procedures.
All judges must be available for all preliminary rounds, the first elimination round, and one round beyond the elimination of the last contestant from their representing school. In Congress, judges must be available for the entire tournament, including the final round. A minimum qualification for judges is a high school diploma. Schools entering students in lower divisions should anticipate some of their judges being assigned to cover higher-division rounds.

General Tournament Rules
Updated general tournament rules can be found on this document.

USA FORENSICS OLYMPIAD CHAMPIONSHIP

12-14 April 2024

Information

Entry Price

Schedule

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