Recent Speech & Debate Site News & Updates
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Welcome to the 2022-2023 season of Speech and Debate
Welcome to a new exciting season of Texas UIL speech and debate competition! As educators, some of the most rewarding experiences you will have this year will be with your speech team at forensic tournaments. Whether you are new to coaching speech or are a decades-long veteran of the speech community, we are here to provide resources to support your competitive endeavors and unforgettable championship tournaments.
Remember: It’s the journey, not the destination that will enrich the lives of you and your students.
UIL provides an individual webpage for each of the speaking contests that includes rules, procedures, and a wealth of resources. There is also a newly-updated complimentary digital handbook for each event designed to provide expanded discussion, rule clarification, coaching strategies, links to UIL training videos and curriculum.
Top 5 CX Debate Resolutions on the Ballot
The National Debate Topic Selection Meeting was held in Kansas City this month and after 13 topic reports were presented and thoroughly discussed by 64 delegates, 5 resolutions were selected to be placed on a national ballot to become next year’s policy debate topic. Here is the announcement of those topics.
https://www.nfhs.org/articles/five-suggested-debate-topics-for-2023-24/
Take the opportunity to examine the topic reports and discuss each of these potential resolutions with your students. The UIL State Office will be sending out a ballot for you to rank the 5 soon.
Fall 2022 LD Debate Topic
The 2022 Fall Lincoln Douglas topic is now posted.
State Speech Honor Crew
Coaches: If you would like to recognize someone on your speech squad that has exhibited dedication, discipline and character in your forensic program this season, nominating them for the State Speech Honor Crew is a perfect way to honor them.
The State Speech Honor Crew is designed for exemplary speech students who are not already involved in the Speech State Meet but who demonstrate outstanding qualities. The Honor Crew assists tournament officials during the State Meet through chairing competition rounds, timekeeping and serving as monitors for the rounds. Not only is it an honor to serve, but these students participate in a great learning experience, seeing the best of the best competitors as they compete for a state championship.
It is required that students be nominated by their UIL speech coach. Nominations should be based on academic and competitive excellence in your speech and debate program and must meet eligibility standards. Since maturity is vital to the role these students play in the State Meet, it is recommended that students be upperclassmen.
Spring 2022 Debate Updates
CX Debate State Registration Required In Tabroom.com
CX teams advancing to the state meet have been verified by results in the UIL Spring Meet Online System and schools submitted judge and certification forms via the UIL website last month. Because the tournament will be managed on Tabroom.com, each school must enter debaters and judges on the Tabroom website in order for your team and judges to receive schematics and ballots during the tournament. If you hired a judge, they must be linked to your school.
Detailed instructions on how to register are posted on the CX Debate State Tournament webpage. Deadline for entering is Wednesday, March 9.
https://www.uiltexas.org/speech/info/cx-state-tournament-page
Lincoln Douglas Debate Entry Clarification
In 2020-21, a permanent rule went into effect concerning the number of LD debaters schools may enter. The Constitution states a school may enter 3 individuals in its district meet. However, if there are fewer than a total of 8 LD debaters competing, each school with a full entry may enter a 4th debater at district. This recent rule change now parallels LD Debate with a similar provision that has existed for CX Debate. The Spring Meet Online System was adapted last year to allow for the potential fourth entry, should a district fall under this rule. For clarity, if your district has 8 or more debaters competing, you are allowed to enter 3 contestants.
Additionally, last year a temporary rule waiver was put into place to address the reduction in state qualifiers for CX Debate due to the pandemic, allowing CX district participants who did not advance to the CX State Meet to also enter LD Debate. CX advancement was not limited this year and this waiver is no longer in place. If a student competed in CX Debate at District 2022, they cannot enter LD Debate this year.
Congress State Meet Update
State Meet Assignments, Training Videos and Instruction Sheets are now posted on the Congress State Meet Tournament page
Spring 2022 LD Debate Topic
January – May 2022 UIL Lincoln Douglas Debate Spring Topic now posted.