Qualifying for Provincial teams

Some National events limit the number of teams that any one province can send. In those cases, the M.S.D.A. holds the qualifying tournament that selects the students who will represent Manitoba. In the case of the Senior National Debating Championships, the Junior National Debating Championships, and the Oxford Cup, teams are selected, while for the National Public Speaking Championships, the World Schools Qualifier, and the National Seminar, individual students are chosen. In all cases, however, the policy is that no more than one team (or student if individuals are being selected) from any one school can qualify until every school with a team (or individual if individuals are being selected) that has placed in the top half of the tournament is sending one team (or individual if individuals are being selected). If there are any spots still available after that, then those remaining spots are awarded based on the rank in the tournament regardless of the number from any one school. Students who qualify also need to pay a fee set by the MSDA in order to attend. Teams in the novice category or in the bottom half of the tournament are not eligible to be selected unless there are still spaces after everyone in the top half of the tournament has been offered a spot. In that case, students in the Open category take precedence over students in the Novice category.

In addition, the association provides information to member schools about other Regional, National and International competitions. The MSDA does not usually arrange for provincial teams to attend these events but rather leaves it to individual schools or groups of schools to send teams.