Topics, motions & dockets

Public Forum (HS Novice & Varsity)

NSDA September/October 2026 topic. Resolved: The United States federal government should enact a moratorium on hyperscale data center construction.

Lincoln-Douglas (HS Novice & Varsity; Middle School LD)

NSDA September/October 2026 topic. Resolved: Outer space colonization is a moral imperative.

Policy (HS Novice & Varsity)

NSDA 2026–2027 resolution. Resolved: The United States federal government should establish national health insurance in the United States. Novice Policy follows ISSDA novice rules: no counterplans, no kritiks, no topicality arguments.

World Schools (HS Novice & Varsity)

Two prepared motions from the ISSDA October/November 2026 list, no impromptu round. Sides will be balanced so that, as far as pairings allow, each team argues Proposition once and Opposition once on each motion.

• Rounds 1 and 2 (switch sides): This House would ban standardized testing for university admissions.
• Rounds 3 and 4 (switch sides): This House would replace lifetime appointments for supreme court or constitutional judges with single, non-renewable 15-year terms.

World Schools (Middle School)

Rounds 1 and 2 (switch sides) on the prepared motion, This House would replace lifetime appointments for supreme court or constitutional judges with single, non-renewable 15-year terms. The 12:45 p.m. round block is preparation time for an impromptu motion, which will be released with pairings and sides at the start of that block; the impromptu debate is Round 3, in the 2:15 p.m. block.

Congress (HS Novice & Middle School)

Six items from the ISSDA September/October 2026 docket, debated in this order, two per session. Session 1: (8) A Bill to Make Full-Day Kindergarten Mandatory; (12) A Bill to Impose a Temporary Moratorium on New Artificial Intelligence Data Centers. Session 2: (10) American Manufacturing Security Act; (6) A Resolution to Amend the Constitution to Adjust the Presidential Line of Succession. Session 3: (9) A Bill to Abandon the Artemis Program; (7) A Bill to Return Federal Lands to Indigenous Peoples. Full text: Congress docket.

Congress (HS Varsity)

Eight items from the same docket, debated in this order. Session 1: (8) Full-Day Kindergarten; (12) AI Data Center Moratorium; (10) American Manufacturing Security Act; (2) A Bill to End the Ukraine War. Session 2: (6) Presidential Line of Succession; (9) Abandon the Artemis Program; (7) Return Federal Lands to Indigenous Peoples; (1) A Bill to Bar the Sale of Arms to the United Arab Emirates. Full text: Congress docket.

Middle School speech events

At the request of middle school coaches, we offer three debate events (Middle School LD, World Schools, and Congress) and seven ISSDA middle school speech events, combined into four pools for competition: Oratory (Original Oratory or Declamation), Drama (Dramatic Interpretation or Scripted Duo), Poetry, and Prose or Program Oral Interpretation. Each pool is ranked together, and places are awarded by pool, with the number of places depending on entries. Speech events run four rounds under ISSDA middle school rules (one in each round block on the Schedule). Events not offered: Broadcasting, Extemp, Impromptu, and Discussion; students who normally enter these events are encouraged to consider Congress, which overlaps in skills and preparation (rules and free training resources). Schools entering speech events should plan to bring judges. Events or divisions with fewer than six entries may be combined with a neighboring event or division or cancelled.

Doubling (middle school only): a middle school student may enter Middle School LD and one speech event, but not two speech events, and not any other combination with a debate event. This is a departure from the ISSDA middle school guide, which does not permit LD debaters to double-enter; we allow it here because round periods are 90 minutes and MS LD debates run 26 minutes. Doubling is at the student’s own risk: check the schedule for your LD flight (A or B), go to that event first or second accordingly, and tell the speech judge on arrival that you are double-entered. Speech judges will let double-entered students perform first or last and enter or leave between performances.

Public Forum Debate · HS Novice & Varsity · teams of 2 · flighted

Accessible, current-events team debate built for a citizen judge: two-person teams argue a resolution drawn from public policy, with short speeches and lively “crossfire” question periods. Four rounds, sides alternating or determined per ISSDA procedure. A round runs about 45 minutes, so PF is flighted: two debates share each round block and judge (see How flighting works).

Lincoln-Douglas Debate · HS Novice & Varsity · one-on-one · flighted

One-on-one values debate in the tradition of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas contests: a resolution of principle, argued through a framework of values and criteria, with cross-examination. A round runs about 45 minutes, so LD is flighted alongside PF.

Middle School LD Debate · one per side · flighted

Values debate in the tradition of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas contests, blended with elements of Public Forum and adapted for middle schoolers: a resolution of principle, argued through a framework of values and criteria, with crossfire exchanges. Entries are one student per side.

A round runs about 30 minutes, so Middle School LD is flighted alongside PF and HS LD.

Middle School LD debaters may double-enter in one speech event at their own risk — see Middle School speech events.

Policy Debate (High School) · HS Novice & Varsity · teams of 2

The deepest research event: two-person teams debate a single season-long policy resolution, with the affirmative proposing a specific plan and the negative testing it. Evidence-intensive and fast-developing — and the event with the longest rounds of the day. Each team — Affirmative and Negative — has 8 minutes of preparation time to use across the round, and both teams may prepare whenever either team calls prep, so in practice a round can include up to 16 minutes of preparation. Policy fills its full round block, and rounds may occasionally run over; the schedule catches up at the next break. Laptops are permitted for evidence per ISSDA norms; internet use in rounds is governed by the current ISSDA handbook.

World Schools Debate · MS, HS Novice & Varsity · teams of 3 speaking (squads up to 5)

The international format: three speakers a side debate motions of principle and policy in a conversational, audience-friendly style, with points of information — brief interjections the speaker may accept or decline — replacing separate cross-examination. A round runs about an hour, one per round block. High school divisions debate two prepared motions (Rounds 1–2 and Rounds 3–4, switching sides); the middle school division debates one prepared motion in Rounds 1–2, prepares during the 12:45 p.m. block, and debates an impromptu motion as its Round 3 in the 2:15 p.m. block. Motions are listed under Topics, motions & dockets.

College events · cancelled for 2026

The College Novice Policy division and Constitutional Convention Debate were cancelled for 2026 because of insufficient entries.

The novice-built events

Congressional Debate — Middle School Novice & High School Novice

A simplified, welcoming version of Congress with three sessions, small chambers, and full free training resources: see the Congressional Debate site. (High School Varsity Congress follows standard ISSDA rules and procedures and runs in two extended sessions — see the Schedule.) The official docket is posted.

Constitutional Convention Debate — College Novice

Cancelled for 2026 because of insufficient entries. The Constitutional Convention site remains available as a free resource.

Judging notes for all events

• No debate background is needed to judge the novice divisions; experienced judges are placed where they help most. The judges’ meeting at 8:30 a.m. covers everything.
• Judge the arguing, not the position. In every event, students are assigned sides. Reward clear reasoning, accurate evidence, responsiveness, and courtesy.
• Postings and ballots are electronic at live.speechwire.com, with a paper ballot option from the tournament office. Submit your ballot as soon as possible after each round — late ballots delay the entire tournament. If you need more time for comments, submit the decision first, then return to edit comments.
• Flighted events: a PF or LD judge covers both flights of each round block — submit the Flight A ballot, then start Flight B promptly.
• Disclosure and feedback practices follow ISSDA norms for high school events; the tab room can answer questions on the day.

---

Next: the Schedule shows how all of this fits into one day — and the Congressional Debate site has everything a first-timer needs.