State Debate

• Sunday, January 19, 2025 (5:00 pm EST)

  •  Registration for entries closes. Please make sure entry names are correct.

  • Any blank entries will be deleted.

• Monday, January 20 (5:00 pm EST)

  • Judge Video is released. It is the coach’s responsibility to ensure each of their judges views it. Failure to watch the video does NOT constitute an excuse for not following state guidelines.

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 (8:00 pm EST)

  •  Enter judge names, email addresses, and judging experience.

  • When entering judges, coaches should enter restrictions (availability; event blocks; etc.) in the notes section.

• Thursday, January 23, 2025 

  • Complete this FORM by 8:00 pm (EST) to confirm entry and judges.

• Friday, January 24, 2025

  • ​2:30 pm EST

    • ​Event Chairs arrive.

  • 3:00 pm EST

    • Final registration (collection of entry fees) begins.

  • 4:30 pm EST

    • Round 1 ballots are published and blasted to judges.

  • 5:15 pm EST

    • Round 1 CX, PF, WSD, Congress begins

    • Round 1 LD at 6:15 pm

• Saturday, January 25 

  • 7:30 am EST

    • Round 3 published and blasted to judges and students.

  • 8:00 am EST

    • Round 3 begins

The state series will use Speechwire for tournament management and e-balloting. All judges will need to bring a device in order to complete their ballots. Coaches are responsible for ensuring that their judges are supplied with an adequate device for judging. 

All students and judges will need to create an account with Speechwire.com.  For help on creating student accounts visit - https://youtu.be/dcGivaEKSuk

Congress - 

• State Debate Docket 2025

• Size of chambers will be determined by the number of registered entries.

• Presiding Officers will be elected within chambers. 

• Semi-Final Chambers will vote for their best P.O. who will receive the “Speaker of the House” Award.

• The Final Chamber will vote for their best P.O. who will receive the “President of the Senate” Award.

• NOTE: The use of “Direct Clash” to select questioners IS NOT an ISSDA rule.

WSD - Note: WSD changes were made to allow for an Octo-final round if needed. 

Schedule as follows:

• Rd. 1: This House Regrets legacy media outlets forgoing their role as watchdogs in return for access.

• Rd. 2: This House Regrets legacy media outlets forgoing their role as watchdogs in return for access.

• Rd. 3: Impromptu Motion (Teams will prep at 8:00 am, Saturday)

• Octafinal (if needed): This House Believes that NATO has outlived its usefulness and should be disbanded.

• Quarterfinal: This House Would eliminate the executive power of the pardon. 

• Semifinal: Impromptu Motion

• Final: This house believes that local control is better for democracy than a stronger centralized government.

PF - Resolved: The African Union should grant diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state.

LD - Resolved: The United States ought to become party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

• NOTE: The ISSDA Board of Directors, after a request from debate coaches, voted to limit the LD topic to discourage non-LD style debating. Any aff or neg arguments pertaining to the International Criminal Court will be considered illegal.

Policy - Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly strengthen its protection of domestic intellectual property rights in copyrights, patents, and/or trademarks.

Each member school may enter - 

• a maximum of 4 Policy teams

• a maximum of 4 Public Forum teams

• a maximum of 4 Lincoln Douglas contestants

• a maximum of 4 Congressional debates

• a maximum of 2 World Schools Debate teams

Registration must be completed in Speechwire by Sunday, January 19 at 5:00pm EST. 

• Policy & PF - $20/team

•  LD - $10/entry

•  Congress - $10/student

•  World Schools - $10/student 

• Entry drop on the day of - $25

• Policy, PF and World Schools Debate - 1 judge per entry (1 team = 1 judge) 

• Lincoln Douglas - 1 judge for 1-2 entries, 2 judges for 3-4 entries

• Congress - 1 judge for 1-4 entries 

ONLINE REGISTRATION OF JUDGES:

• Judge Information Video

• Judges are required to watch the Judging video that will be sent to all coaches

• Coaches will register judges online with SpeechWire and ensure that all judges are able to access their Speechwire accounts

• Judge Qualification Information will be completed in Speechwire

• Judges will need to bring an effective laptop or tablet to use for e-balloting. 

• All judges should be in their rooms, ready to start round 1 by 5:00 pm 

• On Saturday all judges should be in their rooms ready to start round 3 by 8:00 am.

**The Board voted in Summer 2021 to eliminate the judge strike/scratch list**

Each year the ISSDA presents three scholarship awards to recognize outstanding student participants in our organization. These awards, presented at the state debate and speech tournaments, honor three legendary Indiana coaches of speech and debate: Jim Hawker, Bob Brittain, and Bill Hicks. Recipients demonstrate speech and debate acumen, but they also exhibit positive mental attitude and fine character. According to the ISSDA Tournament Manual, each school entered into the state speech and debate tournaments may nominate a senior member who participates in the state tournament to be considered for the award. 

Award Nominations are due by Monday, January 20 at 5:00pm EST.

• Robert Brittain Mental Attitude in Debate Award

• William S. Hicks Award for Congress

The 2025 State Debate Tournament will be held at Avon HS. 

• Please remember that supporting our host school is the only compensation they have for hosting our state tournament.

• PLEASE have your students purchase food from them and not have them use delivery services. 

• School Maps will be available at registration on Friday evening.