WHERE:
Petersburg High School
3101 Johnson Rd, Petersburg, VA 23805
SPEECH CATEGORIES: The following open speech categories will be offered (4 rounds each): Declamation (JV), Extemp*, Impromptu, Oral Interpretation, Original Oratory, Prose, Poetry, DI*, HI*, Duo, Storytelling, Informative, and Program Oral Interpretation. Students MAY double-enter in all speech categories EXCEPT Extemp. Students may enter in no more than two events.
Extemp Topics:
Africa
Global Human Rights
The First Amendment
US Foreign Policy
*DI/HI may be combined based on numbers entered.
STUDENT CONGRESS: Open division. Each student should submit legislation, using the appropriate RFSDL Template, and teams should coordinate to divide bills up among the following 3 categories (Domestic, International, Economic). 3 sessions of congress, 1 hour 45 minutes each.
Super Session legislation will be provided by Tabroom, so students should focus writing legislation for prelim round topics only. Finally, the preliminary round legislation packet will be set by Tabroom from the submitted legislation, but not all submitted legislation will be included! The emphasis for what legislation ultimately makes the prelim docket will rest on the quality of the legislation.
Domestic
FOIA/Government Transparency
Nuclear Testing
International
Argentina
Presidential War Powers
Economic
Health Care
Sports Betting
Super Session
Russia
Tariffs
SCHEDULE:
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Judges Meeting: 8:45 am
Extemp Draw 1: 8:45 am
Round 1: 9:15 am
Extemp Draw 2: 10:00 am
Round 2: 10:30 am
Lunch (between Rounds 2 & 3)
Extemp Draw 3: 12:30 pm
Round 3: 1:00 pm
Extemp Draw 4: 1:45 pm
Round 4: 2:15 pm
Congress Schedule:
Session 1: 8:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Session 2: 10:45 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch Break
Super Session: 1:15 PM – 3:00 PM
Awards will be held at Petersburg High School at the completion of all speech and debate rounds
CONCESSIONS and LUNCH:
Lunches for competitors, coaches, and judges are included.
WHEN: December 13, 2025
WHERE: Vernon Johns Middle School
3101 Homestead Dr.
Petersburg, VA 23805
EVENTS: For invitationals, NSDA or NCFL rules will be followed. We hope to provide a great local tournament option for Central Virginia schools especially! Middle school students are required to compete in the Novice category.
1. Lincoln-Douglas: Novice* and Open, 4 rounds.
Resolved: The United States ought to rewild substantial tracts of land.
2. Public Forum: Novice* and Open. 4 rounds.
Resolved: The United States federal government should require technology companies to provide lawful access to encrypted communications.
3. Policy Debate: Open 4 rounds.
Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly increase its exploration and/or development of the Arctic.
*Novice debaters must be in their first year of competitive debate, regardless of current grade level. If there are not enough numbers to operate a separate novice bracket, they will be combined into the open division but top novice awards will still be given. Please indicate on Tabroom if a competitor is in his/her first year of competition.
SCHEDULE:
Registration: 8:00 am to 8:30 am
Judges Meeting: 8:45 - 9:15 am
Round 1: 9:15 am to 10:00 am
Round 2: 10:15 am to 11:00 am
Round 3: 11:15 am to 12:00 pm
(Lunch between Rounds 3 and 4)
Round 4: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Awards will be held at Petersburg High School at the completion of all rounds
CONCESSIONS and LUNCH:
Lunches for competitors, coaches, and judges are included.
AWARDS:
Awards will be given to the top 3 finishers in each category. Sweepstakes and runner up sweepstakes trophies will be given to the schools with the most points in each division (speech and debate). The top six in each event will receive a bid to the RFSDL National Qualifier on January 17th at Cosby High School.