National Speech and Debate Tournament

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The National Speech and Debate Tournament is a week-long high school championship forensics competition hosted by the National Forensic League. It is held annually in early June, and is hosted in a different part of the United States every year, although it tends to be hosted in cities that are amenable to the large influx of students and coaches, and have reasonably-priced accommodations.

Also called "Nationals" by many forensic competitors, it is a very difficult tournament to both qualify and compete in. Unlike State Tournaments, which is only competition of a particular State, the National Tournament competes all NFL Competitors across the United States. Hundreds of teams attend each year. The NFL 2006 National Tournament takes place in Grapevine, Texas about 20 minutes outside of Dallas/Fort Worth.

[edit] Qualifying: district level

Competitors qualify to the National tournament by placing in the top spots at District Tournaments. The number of competitors in each event in each district determines the number of competitors that will qualify to the national tournament from that event. Those who qualify at the district level then move on to participate in the National Tournament. Read more about the District Tournament in the article: NFL District Tournament

[edit] Tournament events

The National Tournament consist firstly of its Qualifying Events, such as: Original Oratory, Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking, Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking, Humorous Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Cross Examination-Debate, Student Congress, and Public Forum Debate.