Your First Tournament

Before the Tournament

What to Prepare

• Briefs/Evidence (Policy, PF, LD): Organized by argument. Print copies or have them accessible on your laptop. Label everything clearly — you don't want to be searching for a card mid-speech.
• Flow paper: Legal pads or dedicated flow paper (some debaters use large unlined paper). Bring plenty.
• Timer: Most formats require you to time yourself. Phone timer works. Some tournaments prohibit phones — bring a standalone timer.
• Pens: At least 4 different colors for flowing (one per team/side). Black and blue for arguments, red for responses, green for your own notes.
• Water: You'll be talking for hours.

What to Expect

A typical tournament has 4-6 preliminary rounds over 1-2 days, followed by elimination rounds (quarters, semis, finals) for teams that qualify. Rounds are assigned by power-matching: after round 1, you debate teams with similar records. A 2-1 record after 3 rounds means you'll face other 2-1 teams in round 4.

You'll receive your pairing (opponent, room, side) 15-30 minutes before each round. In BP and some PF tournaments, you also receive your motion/topic at this point.

Tournament Etiquette

• Be on time. Late arrival can mean a forfeit.
• Shake hands before and after the round. Win or lose.
• Don't argue with the judge after a decision. You can ask for feedback ('What could I improve?'), but challenging the decision is a violation of norms.
• Don't disclose your record to opponents before a round. It's considered poor form.
• Thank the judge and your opponents at the end of every round.