A. Each member school may enter one student debater prepared to switch from the affirmative to the negative side of a current proposition of value predetermined and announced by the National Forensics League. Lincoln-Douglas debate format will follow NFL standards, with one debater competing alone against a single opponent.
B. A Lincoln-Douglas debater is defined as any student from a member school who has been entered in the Lincoln-Douglas debate event. A Novice L-D debater is any student in the 9th or 10th grade who is in the first year of debate computed from June 30 of the previous school year. A Junior Varsity L-D debater is a student who has completed one year of L-D Debate. All other L-D debaters are entered in the Varsity tournament.
C. Coaches will draw numbers upon registering, and contestants will be placed in a randomly paired schedule for Rounds 1 and 2. An independent swing debater may be used to even out the field in Rounds 1 and 2. All students will be guaranteed four rounds. Byes then are drawn, and the debaters are paired to fill out brackets leading to four remaining debates for a semi-final round. Byes will be assigned as follows:
Round 3: Contestants bracketed according to best record based on win-loss record, number of ballots won, and speaker points.
Round 4: Contestants with the best records in three rounds of Debate, using Round 3 determinants. No debater shall draw a bye twice. The bracketing procedure used in Round 4 will be used for all additional rounds up to Semi-Finals.
Semi-Finals: The four surviving contestants are bracketed according to the overall records and above criteria such that the best debater meets the fourth best, and the second best meets the third best. They will switch sides on the issues if they have met previously.
Semi-Finals: The two surviving debaters will meet.
D. Judges must remain one round beyond their L-D debater's elimination.
E. Each Lincoln-Douglas Debate will follow this format:
•Affirmative constructive 6 minutes
•Cross-Examination 3 minutes
•Negative constructive 7 minutes
•Cross-Examination 3 minutes
•First Affirmative rebuttal 4 minutes
•Negative rebuttal 6 minutes
•Second Affirmative rebuttal 3 minutes
F. There will be one judge in each preliminary round and three in the semi-final and final rounds. Judges are required to submit flow sheets with their ballots. Judges are encouraged to write explanatory comments on their ballots.
G. A 4-minute running prep time will be allotted to both debaters.
H. At the NJFL State Tournament, if there are less than ten (10) entries, we will hold three (3) rounds of Debate and a final round; if there are more than ten (10) entries but less than twenty (20), we will hold three (3) rounds, semi-finals, and a final round; if there are more than twenty (20) entries, we will hold four (4) rounds, and never less than one-fourth of the field will break to elimination rounds. This rule applies to both the Policy Debate and the Lincoln-Douglas Debate divisons.