The NCFL Grand National Tournament

Welcome Back

Tournament announcements will be posted here. Please check the tabs on the right for additional information.

• Get the Official NCFL APP
At this POINT all announcements and information will be placed on the APP. This page will be updated, but may not have the latest information, such as the complete tournament schedule.

All schedule
League Directors Meeting NOTES - Important

Access to tournament informations, tabroom, service opportunities are all in the NCFL APP, which is available in both the APP STORE and PLAY STORE. Search for NCFL.

Click here for more information

• Vaccine Verification FAQ
The Vaccine Verification process is being implemented by the NCFL to keep contestants, coaches, judges, and observers as safe as possible during the Grand National Tournament in Washington, DC. The NCFL understands that the Vaccine Verification process is new and can seem confusing at first. The health and safety of all of our guests for this return to in-person competition is a priority.

We have created the following Vaccine Verification FAQ to answer any questions that you might have.

• Tournament Schedule Overview
For those trying to schedule travel and DC activities, here is a very rough overview of the tournament schedule. A more detailed one will be posted as we get closer to May.

• Student Congress Web Page
All Student Congress Information is now in one place.
• Congress Information/Legislation

• NCFL Rules Updates
The NCFL ByLaws, Constitution, and Congress Manual have been updated from the rules changes agreed to at the fall meeting.
• Constitution
• ByLaws
• Congress Manual

• Vaccine Verification Information
Click HERE for a full set of instructions.What follows here is only a summary!!!

All persons in attendance who plan to access the competition spaces must be fully vaccinated. This includes students, judges, coaches, tournament staff, chaperones, and observers.

The Competition Spaces include all competition rooms, meeting rooms, tabrooms, and hallways in the Event Spaces of the DC Convention Center, Marriott Marquis, Marriott Renaissance, and the Grand Hyatt.

The NCFL has partnered with VaccineCheck for our Vaccine Verification service. VaccineCheck is a service for events and employers provided by WellCheck. Everyone must be registered in Tabroom.com, and also with VaccineCheck. This includes chaperones and observers. It is critical that the email you register with in VaccineCheck is the same as the email you use in Tabroom.com. League Directors will complete the Tabroom.com registration as usual, but each person attending must complete their own VaccineCheck Verification.

Each person will use the VaccineCheck website to upload your identity information and CDC Vaccine Card or your Exemption Request and Test Results. VaccineCheck is HIPAA Compliant and stores your data in an encrypted format.

Complete your Vaccine Verification here: NCFL Vaccine Verification Pathway.

Exemption requests must be uploaded into VaccineCheck by May 12, 2022 for review.

Again, click HERE for a full set of instructions.This is only a summary!!!

• PF Topic Released 4/10
  Resolved: The United Nations should adopt a standing army.

• Important Message About Hired Judge Availability
  Hello Diocesan Directors, we are looking forward to seeing you at the 2022 NCFL National Tournament in May.
  
  We are reaching out to you regarding judge hire requests. We have had a decline in the number of volunteers willing to judge for us this year, especially in the debate categories. For those of you who have already submitted your judge hire requests, you can expect to hear back from us soon reguarding the status of your request. We are working hard to fill as many requests as we can, but unfortunately due to the shortage of volunteers, we may not be able to fulfill every request. As such, at this time we will no longer be accepting any new requests.
  
  If you know of anyone who may be interested in being hired to judge at our 2022 NCFL National Tournament, please encourage them to complete our Judge form to Be Hired as a Judge as soon as possible.
  
  Please help us share this message with your league's coaches, and encourage them to continue to look for judges to fill their school's judging requirement. We know it can be difficult to find judges, and we are sorry we are unable to help more. We are confident the return to in person NCFL National Tournaments this year will be an amazing experience for our students and know that it takes all of us together to make that happen.
  
  
  Thank you for all you do. We'll see you in May!

• LD Topic Released 4/1
  Resolved: States should lose claims to international sovereignty if they abuse their citizens' human rights.

• 2022 NCFL Nationals Overview - Please read
  • Summary and Important Info

• Registration Materials Released - Please read and review
  • Registration Letter
  • Registration Instructions
  • Signature Form
  • Technology Update
  • Fee Schedule
  • Legislation Format
• Hired Judge: Forms are available. See Hired Judge tab on the right.
• Hotel Blocks: Now open. See the links below. Please book through the Conference Direct Links.
  • To book 6 or more rooms, use the Sub-Block Website
  • To book 5 or less rooms, use the Main Housing Website
• Hotel Summary: Click here for a summary of all hotels for DC Nationals: Hotel Information (PDF) (1/28).

Copy of 2021 NCFL Fall Meeting Power Point for DC Nationals.

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NCFL Statement of COVID-19 Protocols

NCFL 2022 DC

January 17, 2022

The NCFL is committed to hosting the safest tournament possible while still providing an in-person forum for competition which so many of our students have not had for the past two years. NCFL Nationals 2022 DC will adhere to the current DC Mask and Vaccine mandates in place as of January 17, 2022. These mandates include:

• (1) Universal masking for all persons when in common areas in the hotels and competition venues and in competition rooms except when actively eating or drinking, or, in our case, actively performing or presenting a speech. Students are welcome to wear masks during performances or speeches if they prefer and will not be penalized. The use of KN/N 95 masks is strongly encouraged.
• (2) Proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID PCR or Antigen test result that is fewer than 24 hours old. While not currently required, booster shots are strongly encouraged. If providing a test result, the attendee must also provide documentation of a medical exemption or attestation of a sincerely held religious belief. Persons younger than age 12 will not be permitted in NCFL competition spaces.

Accordingly, the NCFL will require proof of vaccination or documentation of a medical exemption or an attestation of a sincerely held religious belief by May 1, 2022 for all participants (students, coaches, and judges) as well as observers, who this year will be required to register with the tournament. The NCFL will provide instructions in the coming weeks on how to submit this information, as well as how to submit proof of a negative COVID PCR or Antigen test, if you have submitted a medical exemption or attestation of a sincerely held religious belief.

Washington, DC's Vaccine mandate applies to all indoor food and drink establishments, indoor cultural and entertainment establishments, indoor exercise and recreational facilities, indoor event and meeting establishments, including hotel meeting rooms and the convention center, and any other indoor establishment designated by the DC Department of Health. Individual businesses not included in this mandate may also have their own mask and vaccine mandates.

To enable decision making by our member schools, teams, and their families, and ensure the safest possible event, even if Washington, DC should loosen its mandates, the NCFL will not. The NCFL commits to enforcing at least these mask and vaccine mandates throughout the tournament and will enforce any additional mandates required by the city of Washington, DC at the time of the tournament in May, 2022.

We are committed to the health and safety of all of our participants and guests; thus, we will be limiting large gatherings by holding registration, meetings, judge training, judge calls, postings, and mass online. Awards will be live with some modifications to allow for distancing protocols. More details about specific procedures will be made available as the tournament planning progresses.

We look forward to finally seeing everyone together and in-person again in May!

Susan Peebles
and the Entire NCFL Executive Committee

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NCFL Tournament
Detailed league and tournament information can be found at NCFL.org.

The NCFL sponsors the annual Grand National Tournament on Memorial Day weekend, offering six forensics events and four debate events.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the NASSP National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities for 2022.

What are the deadlines?
Schools joining through a Local Diocesan League, must submit their Membership Forms and Dues to their Local League according to their Local Diocesan League deadlines. Local Diocesan Leagues must submit all membership forms and dues ($50 per school) by December 10. New and Existing Local Diocesan Leagues may submit late membership forms and dues ($55 per school) by January 31. New Leagues must submit membership information not later than January 31. Schools requesting Individual Membership must apply not later than January 31. Tournament Registration must be completed, and fees paid, by April 15

What is the tournament format?
Registration by league directors is on Friday afternoon. Directors arrange to distribute registration materials to coaches and judges from their local leagues on Friday night. Preliminary rounds are held on Saturday. Elimination round participants are announced on Saturday evening after Mass. Elimination rounds are held on Sunday and are followed by an awards ceremony, which will recognize the top contestants in each event. School and League awards are also distributed at the awards ceremony.

How can a student qualify to compete?
The student's school must be a member of an NCFL Local League. These leagues are geographically distributed across the United States. Each league develops its own qualification system for the national tournament. Some leagues use a point system while others hold a qualifying tournament. League quotas represent the maximum number of entries in each category that can advance to the Grand National Tournament from each local league.

NOTE: A school that is not a member of an NCFL league may enter as an independent school for one year only. As such, that school could send one entry to the Grand National Tournament. After that, the school would have to join an NCFL league in order to continue participating. Only schools that are not geographically near an existing local league can apply for individual membership. Application for this membership should be made to the President via email, not later than December 10 each year.

What are a participating coach's responsibilities?
The coach must become familiar with all rules and procedures of the NCFL. Certain categories may be unique to the NCFL, or be slightly different from those of one's state or region. NCFL coaches must also arrange to pay all fees and provide all required judges. A significant fine will be assessed to any school who fails to provide a judge after registering for the tournament.