Novice Rule Change

A novice is defined as an individual with no more than 24
rounds of team policy debate at the high school or college level, or CEDA
non-policy debate, or 50 rounds of debate (including Lincoln Douglas, public
forum, parliamentary, and policy debate). If a debater competes in no more than
24 rounds of team policy debate during his/her first year as a novice at the
college level, they retain novice eligibility during their second academic year
in debate. However, if debaters have more than 24 rounds of team policy debate
during their first year at the college level but have not advanced to
elimination rounds at two tournaments during that first year of novice
eligibility they are entitled to a second year of eligibility until advancing
to elimination rounds in two tournaments or upon completion of the second
academic year.

Rationale: The novice division should be reserved for true
novices. Other forms of debate give advantages to students in terms of flowing,
refutation skills and confidence. Additionally, with the recent changes in the
JV rule the JV division can become a true transition division for students with
high school experience.

Existing Rule

A. A novice is defined as an individual with no more than 24
rounds of team policy debate at the high school or college level, or CEDA
non-policy debate, or 50 rounds of Lincoln- Douglas Debate at the high school
or college level, or a combination of 50 rounds of team policy debate and
Lincoln-Douglas debate at the high school or college level. If a debater
competes in no more than 24 rounds of team policy debate during his/her first
year as a novice at the college level, they retain novice eligibility during
their second academic year in debate. However, if debaters have more than 24
rounds of team policy debate during their first year at the college level but
have not advanced to elimination rounds at two tournaments during that first
year of novice eligibility they are entitled to a second year of eligibility
until advancing to elimination rounds in two tournaments or upon completion of
the second academic year. Any debater with under 100 rounds of policy debate is
eligible for junior varisty. However, any debater who has won an elimination
rounds at three tournament in junior varsity, varsity or open at the college
level will be required to move to open. The elimination round provision will
only apply to those tournaments that clear to at least octos in the division
and does not count for partial elimination rounds. An exception will be made
for Junior Varsity National Tournaments. A waiver process for this section may
be established by the Executive Council for extraordinary situations.