Participation Agreement

2025-2026 Combined Participation Agreement and Invoice

The Massachusetts Speech & Debate League (MSDL) Treasurer must receive your signed participation agreement before your school registers for its first MSDL tournament of each academic year, even if you do not intend to become a MSDL member or participate in either of our State Tournaments. This

includes middle schools or out-of-state schools which may, from time to time, be invited to attend MSDL tournaments. Programs or teams that are comprised of students from more than one school are not eligible to register at MSDL-sanctioned tournaments. From a liability perspective, the MSDL needs evidence prior to registration that your school’s participation is approved by your administration and that an adult coach or advisor is registering and managing your team.

The signatures on the document signify that your school’s administration and adult head coach acknowledge that:

• All MSDL participants (students, judges, coaches, chaperones, or guests) must adhere to all MSDL rules and regulations, as well as our Community Standards.

• All students representing your school are currently enrolled students meeting the school’s requirements for participation in extracurricular activities.

• At MSDL tournaments, your students are chaperoned by an adult approved by your school administration. Adult chaperones are responsible for being on-site with students at all times and for making sure your students follow all rules set by the tournament and the host school.

• Your adult chaperones are further responsible for dealing with any medical or disciplinary emergencies which might arise involving students from your school.

• All judges from your school are adults, which means they are at least 18 years of age AND have not attended high school or competed in the MSDL during the current academic year. The only exception to this is at a tournament that explicitly calls for student judges in their invitation.

• All adults from your school attending MSDL tournaments meet the requirements set by your school’s administration for adults who work with students in extracurricular activities.

• Students are not authorized to register themselves or other students for tournaments. Only adult head coaches or their adult delegates are permitted to conduct official business with the MSDL on behalf of your team.

• For online competitions, students may be shown on screen as part of a live stream during selected rounds and/or award ceremonies. Students will have the option to turn off their cameras during those times and may choose not to attend award presentations if they prefer.

League Information. Information regarding MSDL tournaments and calendar, rules and regulations, policies, updates, and general information can be found elsewhere on this website. While we use www.tabroom.com as the online platform to administer our tournaments, it does not contain information specific to our local league.

League Dues. Teams wishing to renew membership and qualify students for our MSDL State Tournaments are responsible for payment of $50 annual dues to the MSDL Treasurer by the first Saturday in December. A late fee of $50 will be assessed after the first Saturday in December. New programs, defined as programs which have not participated during the previous four consecutive academic years, do not have to pay dues in their first year. Only students from member schools in good standing may register for our MSDL State Tournaments. 

This signed agreement may be mailed as hardcopy or scanned and emailed as a PDF, as long as all signatures are handwritten. Electronic signatures will not be accepted. Once the form has been received, your high school will be posted on the MSDL website as eligible to register, and tournament directors may accept your school's registration.