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Overview - All Events
Each of the annual IISPSL competitions begins with a detailed briefing for coaches, competitors and judges. Students attending the event should be familiar with the rules governing their chosen events and are welcome to download the judging ballots from the event descriptions below. In each event there shall be at least two rounds of preliminary competition and a final round. Students are discouraged from using material from previous competitions, particularly for prepared events. There are time penalties for going under the minimum time or over the maximum in all events other than the two types of debating. A 15 or 30 second warning by the timer shall be given to indicate the lower or upper limit of all events. The tournament organiser, after consultation with the executive, may disqualify any competitors who, for any reason, do not follow the rules.
Each competitor shall compete in one event in each of three of the four categories listed below.
a.
Category I: Impromptu Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking
b. Category II: Parliamentary Debate,
Newscast
c. Category III: After-Dinner Speaking,
Persuasive Speaking
d. Category IV: Interpretive Reading,
Drama, Cross-Examination Debating
Category I: Impromptu Speaking or Extemporaneous Speaking
Impromptu Speaking
2.1 ) Each speaker will draw three topics, which may be words, quotations, phrases, statements or some combination of the four. The speaker then has two minutes to prepare, during which time they must decide which of the three they will speak on and to prepare comments.
2.2) Competitors may sit or stand while preparing, but must remain in the room. Competitors may make notes, although these may not be used when speaking.
2.3) Competitors may speak in favour of the topic, against it or about it. They may interpret it within reason. They must, however, deal with the topic that they have been given and not use a previously prepared speech on a barely related theme. Wit, humour, philosophy, sentiment or absurdity, are all equally welcome. Judges will be looking for agility of thought, for "meat on the bones", for organisational ability and, above all, for the ability of each speaker to communicate with style and originality. Competitors must speak as themselves and not adopt a persona nor must they be seen to be making use of previously prepared material.
2.4) At the end of the speech, competitors must hand the topics back to the chairman and the chair' must then read out the topic that was chosen.
2.5) Each competitor must speak for 3 to 5 minutes. There will be time penalty of 2 points for speeches up to 15 seconds under 3 minutes or up to 15 seconds over 5 minutes. There will be a time penalty of 10 points for speeches over 5 minutes and 15 seconds or from 16 to 30 seconds under 3 minutes and a time penalty of 25 points for speeches under 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
2.6) Salutation is optional.
Extemporaneous Speaking
3.1) Each participant will draw three topics and choose one, 30 minutes before speaking. Topics will be based on major and international stories covered in news magazines during the six months prior to the tournament. Topics will be framed in question form.
3.2) The host school will provide an isolated facility for the competitors to use as a ' preparation room. Competitors may not bring in any research material nor will the host school provide any research material. Their speeches must be based on their own knowledge of the subject.
3.3) During the speech, a competitor may refer only to notes prepared during the preparation period. These notes must be on a 3 x 5 index card. The host school will provide the card.
3.4) The speaker will have 3 to 5 minutes to speak. There will be a time penalty of 2 points for speeches which are up to 30 seconds under 3 minutes or up to 30 seconds over 5 minutes. There will be a time penalty of 10 points for speeches under 2 minutes and 30 seconds or over 5 minutes and 30 seconds.
Extemporaneous
Speaking Ballot
Category II: Parliamentary Debating or Radio Newscast
Parliamentary Debating
4.1 ) The debates will be impromptu, co-ordinate debates in parliamentary style. Each team will consist of two debaters who have been paired randomly but who are not from the same school.
4.2) A list of topics will be presented to the teams 30 minutes before the start of the debate. One team (designated on the schedule) will choose the topic, after which the other team will select the side that it will take. Different lists of topics will be used for each round. During the preliminary rounds, each debater will choose the topic once and the side once.
4.3) Government teams will prepare in the rooms allocated for each debate. The opposition teams will prepare outside of the room 10 minutes prior to the start of the debate, the opposition will get the definition from the government. If the opposition feels that the government definition is undebatable, it must appeal to the tournament director, whose decision is final. The definition may not be changed or challenged during the debate.
4.4) The length and order of speeches are as follows:
Prime
Minister 5 minutes
First Opposition Speaker 8 minutes
Minister of the Crown 8 minutes
Leader of the Opposition 8 minutes
Prime Minister's Rebuttal 3 minutes
30 seconds grace will be allowed for each debater, after which the Speaker shall terminate his speech. There is no minimum time for speeches, nor are there any time penalties.
4.5) The debates will be governed by the attached Rules of Parliamentary Debate. However, since different parts of the country have different debating traditions, picayune quibbling over rules is not encouraged. Debaters are advised to debate the resolutions and not the rules.
4.6) The results of the debate will be based entirely upon speaker's points. Win/loss records are irrelevant.
4.7) Heckling and parliamentary points are allowed but should not be so frequent that they prevent the opposing debater from having a fair opportunity to speak. Debaters from the West Coast may find that there is far less heckling, etc. than they are used to.
4.8) Debaters will have a different partner for each of the 2 preliminary rounds.
Rules of Parliamentary Debating
1. The debate will be presided over by Mr. or Madam Speaker.
2. The Government team (the side in favour) shall sit on the right hand side of the Speaker. The Opposition (the side against) shall sit on the left side.
3. The speaking order will be as follows: the Prime Minister, followed by the first Opposition member then the Minister of the Crown (second Government speaker) and followed by the Leader of the Opposition (second Opposition speaker). Finally the Prime Minister will deliver the Government rebuttal.
4. Maximum speaking times are 5 minutes for the Prime Minister's first speech, 8 minutes for the other speeches and 3 minutes for the Prime Minister's rebuttal. There are no minimum times.
5. During the rebuttal, members (debaters) may not bring up any new arguments or new evidence ~3r except in direct refutation of material, which has already been presented.
6. All remarks must be addressed to the Speaker of the House and not to anyone else, e.g. say "Mr. Speaker" not "Mr. Speaker, honourable judges". The member must address Mr. Speaker in his/her sentence.
7. Other members (debaters and members of the audience) should be referred to by their constituency (e.g. the Member for their last name or their city), office (e.g. the Prime Minister) or as "The Honourable Member" or "The Honourable Gentlemen" or "The Honourable Lady". They may be referred to as "he" or "she" but never as "you".
8. Members will speak only when called upon by the Speaker, except for points of order, privilege and heckles.
9. Points of order are raised when the person speaking has broken the rules of the house. Typical reasons for points of order are going significantly overtime, failure to address Mr. Speaker, addressing someone other than Mr. Speaker (e.g. referring to your opponents as you), using inappropriate language or introducing new arguments in the rebuttal. Points of Order do NOT include the debater putting his hands in his pockets, not wearing a tie or jacket or speaking from somewhere other than his/her side of the House.
10. Points of privilege are raised if a member has been misquoted, significantly misrepresented or personally insulted.
11. Points of order or points of privilege are raised while another member has the floor (i.e. is speaking). If a member wishes to raise a point of order or privilege, he/she should stand and say "Point of order, Mr. Speaker" or "Point of Privilege, Mr. Speaker". The person who was delivering his/her speech must stop talking and Mr Speaker will ask the member what the point is. The member raising the point should state it as briefly as possible. The Speaker will then rule it well taken or not well taken. The member who was delivering his/her speech will then continue it, taking appropriate action if the point was ruled well taken (e.g. if he/she had not addressed Mr. Speaker, he/she should do or if he/she was introducing new arguments in his/her rebuttal, he should stop doing so). The time taken to raise a point is not included as part of the member's speaking time. Points should neither be too frequent nor trivial.
13. Heckles are brief comments from other members, usually but not necessarily witty. They should not be so frequent that the member does not have a fair chance to speak.
14. The government must define the resolution. Their definition must be accepted unless it is undebatable or unreasonable. If the Opposition wishes to challenge the definition they must do so prior to the start of the debate by appealing to the tournament organiser. The opposition must show that the government's definition is unacceptable and then substitute their own. Definitions may not be challenged during the debate.
15. The government may introduce a plan for implementing the resolution if they wish to, but they are not required to do so. If they do propose a plan, they must fully explain it during the Prime Minister's speech.
16. If, and only if, the government introduces a plan, the opposition may introduce a counterplan, but it is not required to do so. A counterplan is an alternative method of implementing the resolution which is significantly different from the government plan and is demonstrably better than the government plan. If the opposition wants to introduce a counterplan, they must fully explain it during the address of their first speaker.
17. Props (e.g. drawings, models) may not be used.
18)
Courtesy must be shown to all other members at all times.
Newscast
p 5.1) Each participant will be given an issue of
a newspaper. After 30 minutes preparation, he must deliver, from original
manuscript, a 4 minute 'top of the hour' radio news broadcast. Judging
will be on the basis of the selection of news, clarity of presentation,
originality, use of voice, credibility and adherence to time.
5.2) The host school will provide an isolated facility for the competitors to use as a preparation room. The host school will also endeavour to provide a variety of newspapers for the different rounds, including an international and a local paper, providing always that all competitors in a given round are furnished with identical material. The judges in each room will be given a copy of the newspaper that the students have been given.
5.3) No part of the manuscript may be prepared in advance, and the competitor may not cut and paste sections of the newspaper into his manuscript.
5.4) Weather reports, sports news, interviews and editorials are acceptable, at the student's discretion and provided that they are based on the material found in the paper. No advertisements are permitted.
5.5) No eye contact is expected between the competitor and the judges, since this is a radio newscast. The judges may choose to sit with their backs to the competitor.
5.6) Each competitor must speak for 4 minutes. There will be time penalty of 10 points for speeches under 3 minutes and 45 seconds or over 4 minutes and 15 seconds. There will be a time penalty of 25 points for speeches under 3 minutes and 30 seconds or over 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
5.7) Salutation is optional.
Category III: After Dinner Speaking or Persuasive Speaking
After-Dinner Speaking
6.1) Each speaker must deliver an address that is designed to entertain as well as to inform. It should be the sort of speech that would be given after the annual dinner of some group of the speaker's choice. It should not be just a stand-up comedy routine.
6.2) Notes must be limited to one 3 x 5 inch card, and should be used as little as possible.
6.3) The speaker must address an imaginary audience of his choosing (e.g. the left-handed society or the dental association). He may have the chairman identify his audience immediately prior to his speech or he may do so himself at the start of his speech. No props may be used.
6.4) Each competitor must speak for 5 minutes with a grace period of 1 minute on either side. There will be a time penalty of 2 points for speeches which are up to 30 seconds under 4 minutes or up to 30 seconds over 6 minutes. There will be a time penalty of 10 points for speeches under 3 minutes and 30 seconds or over 6 minutes and 30 seconds.
6.5) Salutation is optional
Persuasive Speaking
7.1 ) This speech is designed to persuade and must be on a serious topic, although this does not mean that humour and wit might not be useful at points in the speech. Topics should not be primarily of a personal nature.
7.2) A problem/solution approach must be taken, i.e. speakers must identify a problem (it need not be an earth-shattering one) and propose, or at least examine, one or more solutions to it.
7.3) Speeches should be prepared beforehand and should be from 7 to 13 minutes in length, with a three minute grace period on either side.
7.4) Props may not be used. If notes are used, only a single 3 x 5 inch index card of notes is allowed, although competitors should bear in mind the fact that judges tend to be more impressed by speakers who do not use notes.
7.5) There must be a persuasive element to the speech, although this may take a number of forms. For example, the persuasive aspect might be in convincing the audience that a problem does in fact exist, or in convincing them of the causes of the problem, or that the speaker's proposed solution will solve the problem.
7.6) There will be a time penalty of 2 points for speeches which are up to 30 seconds under 7 minutes or up to 30 seconds over 13 minutes. There will be a time penalty of 10 points for speeches under 6 minutes and 30 seconds or over 13 minutes and 30 seconds.
7.7) Salutation is optional
Category IV: Interpretive Reading, Dramatic Interpretation or Cross Examination Debating
Interpretive Reading
8.1 ) Each participant should read (not recite) a passage of prose or poetry (or a collection of poems), serious or humorous, with an appropriate brief introduction. The piece(s) must have bee published. Past efforts have included everything from Dr. Seuss to George Orwell.
8.2) Judges will be concerned with how much the reader's voice and presentation add to the material rather than with the talent of the author.
8.3) Please note that this is a reading, not a dramatic presentation. While the use of facial expressions and gestures is encouraged where appropriate, they should not distract from the primary emphasis in this category. Competitors may stand or sit but should not move around excessively.
8.4) The reading should be 10 minutes, including a brief introduction of 30 to 60 seconds. There will be a grace period of 3 minutes on either side. The introduction should give the background of the author and the work, and some indication of the particular interest or appeal of the selection.
8.5) There will be a time penalty of 2 points for speeches which are up to 30 seconds under 7 minutes or up to 30 seconds over 13 minutes. There will be a time penalty of 10 points for speeches under 6 minutes and 30 seconds or over 13 minutes and 30 seconds.
8.6) Salutation is optional.
Dramatic Interpretation
9.1 ) This is a memorised selection chosen from plays which are of literary merit and which have been published. In rare cases the selection may be from short stories, novels or essays of literary merit.
9.2) A simple costume and one prop are permitted but are not mandatory. Items of furniture (i.e. chairs or desks) already in the room may be used and are not counted as a prop.
9.3) The host school will provide a stage area where possible, but the prop and costume, if used are the responsibility of the competitor.
9.4) The time limits are from 5 to 12 minutes, including a brief introduction of 30 to 60 seconds The introduction should give the background of the author and the work, and some indication of the particular interest or appeal of the selection.
9.5) There will be a time penalty of 2 points for presentations which are up to 30 seconds under 5 minutes or up to 30 seconds over 12 minutes. There will be a time penalty of 10 points for presentations under 4 minutes and 30 seconds or over 12 minutes and 30 seconds.
9.6)
Salutation is optional.
Cross-Examination Debating
10.1 ) This event involves a cross-examination debate on a prepared topic. All teams will debate both sides of the topic.
10.2) The topic will be announced at least one month prior to the tournament, unless circumstances make it impossible to do so.
10.3) Schools entering this event must enter a full team, i.e. two students. The team will debate together throughout the competition.
10.4)
The debates will be conducted according to the attached Rules of Cross-Examination
Debate.
Rules of Cross-Examination Debating
1. There are two two-person teams, designated respectively "Affirmative" and "Negative".
2. If there is a chairman, he or she will open the debate and call upon each speaker in turn. The chairman may be addressed in each speaker's opening salutation as "Mr." or "Madame Chairman:, but need not be addressed otherwise. No salutation is required, but it is customary for each speaker to begin each speech with some polite form of address such as "Mr. Chairman, honourable judges, worthy opponents, ladies and gentlemen", depending upon who is present in the room.
3. Speeches are addressed to an audience consisting of the judges and all other persons in the room. Other debaters are customarily referred to in the third person during speeches, either by name ("Sally Jones said in her constructive speech…") or by title ("The first negative speaker argued that…"). In cross-examination, debaters address each other directly ("Did you say…").
4. Each speaker delivers a constructive speech and cross-examines one member of the opposing team.
5. Following his/her constructive speech, each speaker must submit to cross-examination by the member of the opposing team who is not speaking next.
6.
All speakers are allotted equal amounts of time for their constructive
speeches and their cross-examination respectively.
Mechanics of Cross Examination Debating
Constructive Speeches
Each team must present its main lines of argument (its "case") and the principal evidence supporting each in the course of its two constructive speeches. The members of each team may divide between them the labour of presenting the case in any way they see fit. Any constructive speech (except the first affirmative) may also include explicit attacks upon the case of the opposing team and explicit replies to attacks made by their opponents.
Cross-Examination
The purpose of cross-examination is to allow each team the opportunity to elicit damaging admissions from its opponents regarding their case. These admissions may then be used against them in subsequent speeches.
Each speaker seeks to elicit these admissions by asking questions of the opposing speaker whom he/she is assigned to cross-examine. The person being examined is required to respond to these questions in some way. Both questioner and respondent should avoid speeches. Questions may be based on statements made earlier in the debate which the questioner expects his/her partner to present, or on any topic, which the questioner thinks, may bring his/her side advantage, regardless of its apparent relevance to the debate. Questions may not, however, be personal ("Do you use drugs?"). The questioner may not demand simple "yes" or "no" answers. The subject has the right to explain any answer briefly, but is forbidden to stall or filibuster. If the respondent is answering at inordinate length, the questioner may interrupt (as courteously as possible) in order to continue the line of questioning.
Rebuttal
The purpose of rebuttal speeches is to give both teams the opportunity to summarise their cases, defend them from attacks by opponents, and press attacks upon their opponents. New lines of argument may not be introduced in rebuttals. Exception: In the first affirmative rebuttal, which follows two successive negative speeches, the speaker may deal with new issues raised in either of these negative speeches, even if this requires a new line of argument.
In
general, the introduction of substantial items of new evidence should
be avoided in rebuttals. Exception: If the second negative constructive
or the first negative rebuttal speaker has demanded additional evidence
on any point in the affirmative case, the first affirmative rebuttal speaker
may respond accordingly.
Evidence
Both
teams are expected to support their major lines of argument with sufficient
evidence ii to make them logically persuasive. Evidence may consist of
facts, statistics, and/or authoritative opinions drawn from published
or publicly accessible sources (not private conversations, personal letters,
or similar sources). Debaters may assert that some facts are "general
knowledge", but judges must decide for themselves what value, if any,
to attribute to such assertions. Debaters should always be prepared to
document the source of any evidence. It is customary, but not mandatory,
to cite the source of most evidence when it is introduced in a speech.
Evidence may never be fabricated or deliberately misrepresented. A debater
who is shown to have done so may be disqualified from further competition.
Definitions
It is the duty and privilege of the affirmative team to make clear at the beginning of the debate as precisely as possible how it construes the resolution. This may be done by defining each key term individually, by paraphrasing the resolution as a whole, and/or by presenting the plan by which the affirmative proposes to implement the resolution. In prepared cross-examination debates, definitions should embody the standard meanings of the terms of the resolution in contemporary public discourse. Creative, novel, or whimsical definitions are not appropriate. The affirmative must construe the resolution in such a way as to make it debatable. They may not construe it as a tautology or a truism.
The
negative may challenge the definitions offered by the affirmative only
at the beginning of the first negative speech and only on the grounds
that the definition does not meet the requirements set out in the previous
rule. The judges must decide at the end of the debate whether such a challenge
is warranted. Meanwhile, the negative may either attempt under protest
to make its case under the definitions offered by the previous rule and
make its case under them. If the negative does not challenge the definitions
offered by the affirmative at the beginning of the first negative speech,
it will be assumed to have accepted them.
Other Duties and Privileges of the Affirmative and Negative Affirmative:
Affirmative: The affirmative has the burden of proof and the compensating privilege of presenting the opening and closing speeches. The affirmative is not required to offer a plan, but since it is required to show that the resolution is feasible and does not entail significant disadvantages, the affirmative usually chooses to offer a plan. That is; a reasonably detailed description of the way in which the resolution should be implemented as the most efficient and persuasive way to accomplish these tasks.
Negative:
The negative enjoys the benefit of presumption. Therefore, debates in
which the speaker scores produce a tie are awarded to the negative. Strictly
speaking, the negative is not required to "make a case" in order to win,
but may confine itself merely to attacks upon the affirmative case. In
theory, the negative wins if it mounts a completely successful attack
on one major element of the affirmative case. In practice, completely
successful attacks are extremely rare. The negative may introduce a counterplan,
an alternative proposal. A counterplan must solve the same problems, attain
the same goals, or bring about the same advantages as the affirmative
claims will be done by the resolution, but by means entirely different
from those stated or implied in the resolution. If a counterplan is introduced,
it must be in the first negative speech.
Speaking Times
Constructive Speeches: Each constructive speaker is granted a thirty second grace period to finish his/her speech after the allotted time has expired. Judges will disregard anything said after the grace period has ended.
Cross-Examination: The cross-examiner must stop speaking as soon as the time allotted for cross-examination has expired. If a question has been asked but the time allotted expires before the respondent is able to answer it, the respondent may choose whether to answer it. If he or she chooses to answer, the answer may continue briefly beyond the time.
Rebuttals: Rebuttal speeches must end as soon as the allotted time for them has expired. There is no grace period. Judges will disregard anything said after time has expired.