November 5, 2026

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of PSCFA, I am pleased to invite you to the PSCFA Fall Championship Tournament to be held at Mt. San Antonio College, December 4–6, 2026.

Important Registration Deadline

Monday, November 30, 2026

All entries are due by 6:00 PM.

Tournament entry opens Monday, November 9, 2026.

Tournament Registration

Friday, December 4

NPDA Debate

Rookie, Novice, Junior, and Senior divisions

Saturday, December 5

12 Individual Events

Novice, Junior, and Senior divisions

ONE-YEAR TRIAL

Sunday, December 6

IPDA Debate

Novice, Junior, and Senior divisions

1. Judges are expected to accept ballots as soon as they are notified through FTN.
2. Judges are encouraged to submit ballots ASAP after the round. Additional comments can be added to the ballots any time before the end of the tournament.
3. Drops after the Wednesday deadline do not alter a school’s judging commitment.

1. Code of Conduct

Judges are expected to respect our students’ identities, including their identified pronouns, and to require students in their rounds to do the same. Intentional or repeated violations of this may result in removal of judge from the judging pool and/or forfeiture of the round where the violation occurs.

2. Speed in Debate

Rate of speed in debate rounds should not have a deleterious impact on other students’ ability to engage in the activity. Violations of this principle may result in the loss of the round in which the violation occurs.

3. Coach of the Day Sign-In

Each attending school must designate a “Coach of the Day.” A sign-in sheet will be located at the judges table where coaches will list their name and contact information.

4. Division Eligibility (Debate)

Definitions of division eligibility in debate have been adjusted as follows:

a. Rookie

A student with no previous competitive experience in debate or individual events at any level.

b. Novice

A team comprised of debaters, neither of whom has participated in more than two semesters of debate and/or participated in elimination rounds at three or more debate tournaments or won any medal at CCCFA or Phi Rho Pi or won an elimination round award at the NPDA, CEDA or NDT National Championship Tournaments or any national championship tournament.

c. Junior

A team comprised of debaters neither of whom has participated in more than four semesters of NDT/CEDA or Parliamentary debate and/or who has not participated in elimination rounds of a junior or open division of three CEDA and/or NDT and/or Parliamentary tournaments. A gold or silver medal at CCCFA or Phi Rho Pi or winning an elimination round award at the NPDA, CEDA or NDT National Championship Tournaments or any national championship tournament shall count as a final round.

5. Tournament Fees

A $50 nuisance fee will be added to a school’s tournament invoice if the school does not meet with the treasurer in person prior to awards on the school’s last competition day to:

1. Obtain an invoice.
2. Confirm the anticipated method and timing of payment for fees and/or notify the treasurer that fees have been paid electronically.

Ballots will not be made available to a school until the above conditions are met.

Wellness Fee

The wellness fee is $6.00 per student per day.

Flex Time in Parliamentary Debate

Flex time is returning to parliamentary debate!

Impromptu Speaking

All competitors receive a 15-second reading period upon opening their topics. The reading period is for reading the topics only; competitors should not write notes during this time. The 7-minute speech period begins after the 15-second reading period elapses (unless the competitor begins writing, in which case any remaining reading time is forfeited).

Judging Commitment

All judges are committed through Final Rounds.

Mandatory Judges Meeting

Judges: there will be a brief mandatory meeting before the first round each day. The purpose of the meeting is to clarify expectations for writing ballots. Please ensure your judges are present for this meeting. (This does not replace the optional training session offered for new judges.)

Split Judging Commitments

Reminder: you can split a judging commitment among multiple judges. In your FTN registration, please clearly describe how judges splitting a commitment should be scheduled, e.g., “Judge X is for Rounds 1-2 only;” “Judge Y is for Rounds 3-4 only.”

For a split commitment to be fully covered, a judge must be scheduled for each round of the day unless an alternative arrangement is approved in advance by the tournament director.

NFA-LD Evidence Evaluation

NFA-LD judges should refrain from determining the validity/invalidity of evidence based on their preference or local norms regarding evidence formatting.

Evidence Challenges in ALL Forms of Debate

Challenges in ALL forms of debate will use the following:

• Challenges should be supported by appropriate documentation (e.g., a copy of the original source).
• Challenges should be resolved through a process that allows both the persons making the challenge, as well as the persons whose evidence is challenged, to provide reasonable explanations.
• Challenges should not be made carelessly or on unsubstantial grounds. The penalty for a false and reckless accusation should be comparable in severity to the penalty for committing the alleged abuse.

Attached, please find more detailed tournament information, a description of tournament rules and procedures, and entry forms.

Please refer to the PSCFA Handbook for the newest information on rules, available at

www.pscfa.org
.

Parking Information

Please park in Lot H, north of campus.
It is free in the student lot.
Anywhere else will require a permit.

Tournament Headquarters

Tournament headquarters is Building 26.

View Campus & Parking Map

If you have any questions, please contact:

Brittany Hubble

Tournament Director
bhubble.tab@gmail.com