Online Spring Pro-Am
February
3rd and 4th
Tournament Structure
Speech Events
Saturday February 3rd
The PSDA speech tournament offers a wide range of events for competitors of all skill levels and experience. Each tournament includes four preliminary rounds of competition, followed by a final round for the top six competitors in each speech event. The lowest score of each competitor's worst ranked round will not be held against them, final rounds will be determined on an average of each competitor's best 3 preliminary round scores. Competitors may enter up to three speech events per tournament. All speech events compete and conclude by the end of the day on Saturday February 3rd.
Debate Events
Sunday February 4th
On Sunday, February 4th we will be offering Lincoln Douglas debate, Public Forum, and IPDA debate to competitors of all skill levels. In each division, we will offer both an open and novice category to accommodate different levels of experience.
Our debate tournaments feature three preliminary rounds of competition, followed by two elimination rounds. All winning records (3-0 and 2-1) will advance to the first elimination round. Elimination rounds will award a bronze medal to all non-advancing teams from elimination round 1, then silver and gold medals to the losers and winners of elimination round 2, respectively.
Tournament Schedule
Our schedule is designed to provide a full day of competition for both speech and debate events. All times listed below are in Pacific Time.
On Saturday, February 3rd there will be four preliminary rounds of speech competition, starting at 8:00am and ending at 12:30pm. All competitors have one drop-rank per event. Only their best three preliminary rounds will count towards the decision for elimination round participants. There will be a lunch break at 1pm, and all final rounds will begin at 2pm. Awards will be given out as soon as possible following the final rounds.
On Sunday, February 4th the day will consist of a mix of congress and debate events, starting with Congress/Debate Round 1 at 8:00am and ending with Debate Elimination Round 2 at 4:30pm. There will be a lunch break from 1:00pm to 2:30pm, after which there will be two debate elimination rounds and one congress final round. These elimination rounds will be held as necessary depending on the size of the entry. The awards ceremony will take place in the evening.
Saturday February 3rd, 2024
9:00 AM - Round 1
10:00 AM - Round 2
11:00 AM - Round 3
12:00 PM - Round 4
1:00 PM - Lunch Break
2:00 PM - Elimination Round 1
3:00 PM - Elimination Round 2 (If Necessary)
4:30PM or earlier - Awards Ceremony (Livestream)
Sunday February 4th, 2024
8:00 - Congress/Debate Round 1
10:00 - Debate Round 2
11:30 - Congress Round 2
12:00 - Debate Round 3
Lunch Break
2:30 - Debate Elim 1
3:00 - Congress Final Round
4:30 - Debate Elim 2 (If Necessary)
6:00pm or earlier - Awards Ceremony (Livestream)
The Professional Speech and Debate Association (PSDA) has established several notable tournament rules and procedures to ensure a fair and enjoyable competition experience for all participants.
In order to provide the best competition experience for all attendees, we reserve the right to collapse divisions if necessary based on the number of entries.
2. To accommodate any unforeseen circumstances, we apply drop-ranks to all speech events. This means that for the purpose of advancing to speech elimination rounds, competitors will be scored based on their top 3 out of 4 preliminary rounds.
3. Competitors may enter up to three speech events and one debate event or Congress per tournament.
4. The PSDA holds judges to a high standard of professionalism and ethics. Any judge who exhibits inappropriate or unethical behavior will be removed from the current and all future tournaments at the discretion of the tournament director.
5. In order to maintain impartiality and fairness, individuals who are currently coaching a PSDA competitor are not permitted to work as tournament staff. Additionally, judges who are alumni of any team competing in the PSDA are not allowed to judge the entire division in which their former team is entered. All judges provided by attending teams will be assigned to judge all divisions their own team is not entered in.
6. In the debate events, all entries with a winning record after the preliminary rounds (3-0 and 2-1) will advance to the elimination rounds. The elimination rounds will award bronze medals to all non-advancing teams from the first round, silver medals to the losers of the second round, and gold medals to the winners of the second round.
Team and Individual Sweepstakes
The Professional Speech and Debate Association (PSDA) is committed to celebrating the achievements of our competitors. That's why we offer a range of awards for our tournaments, including custom certificates for all participants, trophies for finalists in the Online Spring Classic, and cash prizes for winners in the professional division.
In addition to these awards, we also offer team and individual sweepstakes for each division. The top three individuals and teams in each division will receive a share of the prize pool based on the total participation in that division. The breakdown of the prize pool is as follows:
1st Place - 50% of total prize pool
2nd Place - 30% of total prize pool
3rd Place - 20% of total prize pool
Don't miss out on the chance to earn recognition and cash prizes for your hard work in the PSDA. Join us at our next tournament and see if you have what it takes to come out on top.
February Lincoln Douglas Topic
Resolved: The United States federal government should forgive all federal student loan debt.
February Public Forum Topic
Resolved: The United States federal government should ban single-use plastics.
Register Today!
Speech/SPAR/Congress Event Entry
$40/event
Ready to showcase your public speaking skills? Choose from our selection of speech events offered on Saturday February 3rd, which includes 4 preliminary rounds plus a final round for the top competitors in your division.
By registering through our website and paying the $40 entry fee per event, you are not required to provide a judge and the judging obligation is included in the price. This means you can focus on perfecting your performance without the added stress of finding a judge.
Thank you for choosing the PSDA for your public speaking needs. We can't wait to see you shine on the virtual stage!
Debate Entry
$100/entry
Join us on Sunday February 4th for exciting and challenging debate events. Our tournament includes 3 preliminary rounds of competition, followed by up to two elimination rounds. All winning records (3-0 and 2-1) will advance to the first elimination round.
We offer a variety of debate events including Lincoln Douglas, Public Forum, IPDA, and Congress. We have both an open and novice category in each division to accommodate all skill levels. The professional division is open to anyone over the age of 18 and offers cash prizes for the winners in the Open category.
By registering through our website and paying the $100 entry fee per event, you are not required to provide a judge and the judging obligation is included in the price. This means you can focus on preparing and strategizing for your debate rounds without the added stress of finding a judge.