2024-2025 Tournament Sanctioning
All sanctioned tournaments must invite all MSDL member schools and must follow the MSDL Rules and Policies in conducting their tournaments. Sanctioning will take place when the calendar is set at the 2024 MSDL Annual Meeting (Saturday, May 4, 2024).
In order for us to finalize that schedule, we ask all prospective tournament hosts to complete our Tournament Sanctioning form (https://forms.gle/4Ks2DMtQMYV9btCL9) linked here by Sunday, April 28, 2024. Schools seeking sanctioning after the calendar is set for the season may apply to the Board for approval, however the board is not obligated to grant the sanctioning request.
A tournament can be sanctioned by the MSDL as either a “speech” tournament and/or as a “debate” tournament. A MSDL speech tournament and the MSDL Speech Championship tournament must offer the required events listed in Sections 3.2.2 and 3.3 of the MSDL Rules & Policies document. An MSDL debate tournament and the MSDL Debate Championship must offer events listed in Section 3.4.1 of the MSDL Rules & Policies document. Events may be eliminated if the tournament director deems enrollment levels to be too low to facilitate meaningful competition. Tournaments are welcomed and encouraged to offer both speech and debate events at their tournaments.
Sanctioning Exceptions: Individual tournament directors may apply to the Board for an exception to the sanctioning rules. Exceptions may be granted to either not offer one or more events, or to substitute a non-MSDL event in place of a required event. A tournament failing to offer the required events without an exemption from the Board will not be sanctioned by the MSDL. Substitute events will not qualify students for States.
Additional Events: Any tournament director may offer events in addition to the required events. Tournament directors are to provide clear rules and regulations for such events in the invitation to their tournament, and also are to provide clear instructions and judging criteria for the judges, either in a handout at the beginning of a tournament or on the ballot.
If you’d like to learn more about hosting a tournament, we have put together a quick guide that gives some information about what is required. Click here to take a look.
In order for us to finalize that schedule, we ask all prospective tournament hosts to complete our Tournament Sanctioning form (https://forms.gle/4Ks2DMtQMYV9btCL9) linked here by Sunday, April 28, 2024. Schools seeking sanctioning after the calendar is set for the season may apply to the Board for approval, however the board is not obligated to grant the sanctioning request.
A tournament can be sanctioned by the MSDL as either a “speech” tournament and/or as a “debate” tournament. A MSDL speech tournament and the MSDL Speech Championship tournament must offer the required events listed in Sections 3.2.2 and 3.3 of the MSDL Rules & Policies document. An MSDL debate tournament and the MSDL Debate Championship must offer events listed in Section 3.4.1 of the MSDL Rules & Policies document. Events may be eliminated if the tournament director deems enrollment levels to be too low to facilitate meaningful competition. Tournaments are welcomed and encouraged to offer both speech and debate events at their tournaments.
Sanctioning Exceptions: Individual tournament directors may apply to the Board for an exception to the sanctioning rules. Exceptions may be granted to either not offer one or more events, or to substitute a non-MSDL event in place of a required event. A tournament failing to offer the required events without an exemption from the Board will not be sanctioned by the MSDL. Substitute events will not qualify students for States.
Additional Events: Any tournament director may offer events in addition to the required events. Tournament directors are to provide clear rules and regulations for such events in the invitation to their tournament, and also are to provide clear instructions and judging criteria for the judges, either in a handout at the beginning of a tournament or on the ballot.
If you’d like to learn more about hosting a tournament, we have put together a quick guide that gives some information about what is required. Click here to take a look.
