Local Rules

Teams should note the following Local Rules for Region 7 and refer to these as the "Local Rules" in the event that they need to address them with the Court.

1. Region 7 will host three preliminary rounds. 

2. Team pairings for the first two preliminary rounds will be randomly paired and announced prior to the Coaches' Meeting.

3. The Competition Director will assign party representation to the teams in the preliminary rounds. Each team must represent, at least once, the plaintiff and defendant during the preliminary rounds.

4. Region 7 will use a power-matching process (i.e., the team ranked first against the team ranked second and so on) to determine team pairings for the third preliminary round; however, adjustments will be made, if necessary, to avoid having a trial in the third preliminary round with teams from the same participating schools or with teams who’ve already faced each other on the same side in a prior round.

5. Region 7 will use the online competition scoring system provided by the NTC Committee. 

6. Preliminary Round ballots will be made available to the coaches on Friday evening. Coaches must notify the competition director of any tabulation issues by 9:30 p.m. on Friday evening. 

7. Eight teams will advance to the semi-final round. Four teams will advance to the final round. Per Article V (5) of the Rules, the winners of the final round will advance to the national competition. 

8. Region 7 will form a protest committee comprised of 5 coaches from multiple schools for the competition. 

9. Teams may use learned treatises during rounds. 

10. Teams may select the demonstratives they intend to use for the competition. Region 7 will not supply the demonstratives to teams. Each team (team is defined as prosecution and defense) in Region 7 may select the two exhibits they want to enlarge for use. This is a total of two exhibits, not four, for the team. 

11. Teams may submit an appearance sheet to the judge and evaluating attorneys that details the assigned Team Letter and counsel designations. 

12. Each team must supply two witnesses who are available for every round (including the semi-final and final rounds) of the competition. If a school brings two teams, then the school must supply four witnesses. 

13. Any team that seeks to play the video or use demonstratives created using “resources reasonably” available to all schools may display these items on a laptop only (i.e., no large display screens will be permitted, and teams may not use any courtroom technology in the assigned courtrooms.