Extemporaneous Rules
During competition in this event, participants must adhere to the material contained in this rule section to ensure a fair and enjoyable experience for all.
Extemporaneous Definition
Extemporaneous is a limited preparation speech that analyzes news and other sources to prepare an evidence-based speech on a current-events topic.
A. Mission Alignment
These rules represent alignment with the mission. While the goal of NCFCA is to keep a speech in competition, a violation of any of these rules may result in a penalty if the speech cannot be brought into compliance with the rules.
- Speeches must be in alignment with the NCFCA mission statement.
- Any speech content which advocates a position counter to the Foundational Beliefs of the league will not be allowed in competition. (Please see the League Policies for information on the Foundational Beliefs.)
- Any speech which contains potentially intense or sensitive themes or examples must be preceded by this disclaimer: “This speech contains potentially intense or sensitive material.”
- Vulgarity is never acceptable. Vulgarity includes explicit or implied language or gestures which are inappropriate, obscene, or profane.
B. Academic Integrity in Extemporaneous
These rules represent integrity in competition. A confirmed violation of these rules will result in a penalty.
- All material presented in the speech must be either the competitor’s original work or include the source(s) for any information, details, research, theories, stories, lyrics, tunes, or ideas obtained from another person or source–whether directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
- Plagiarism is strictly prohibited.
- Sources must be verbally mentioned.
- Sources must be included on the prepared notecard.
- Common knowledge that is known to most people does not need to be cited in any way (e.g., George Washington was the first U.S. President, Jesus rose on the third day, etc.).
- Speeches must be prepared and delivered during the current competitive season only.
- All material presented in the speech must be either the competitor’s original work or include the source(s) for any information, details, research, theories, stories, lyrics, tunes, or ideas obtained from another person or source–whether directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
C. Event Rules for Extemporaneous
In any competitive event, boundaries must exist in order to create a level playing field. These are rules that are in place to avoid a competitive advantage of any competitor over another. A confirmed violation of these rules will result in a penalty.
- A pre-show is not permitted. A pre-show refers to rehearsed blocking, synchronized movement, or additional performance prior to the beginning of the timed speech.
- Only feet are permitted to intentionally touch the floor at any time.
- Gymnastics are not permitted. Gymnastics include acrobatic-type blocking such as flips, cartwheels, leaping over people or objects, etc.
- Costumes are not permitted. Costumes include any item(s) worn in addition to the competitor’s tournament attire.
- Visual aids are not permitted. Visual aids are items used to enhance the speech. In an online tournament, this also includes green screens, virtual backgrounds, or on-screen text.
- Competitors must present their speeches center stage (or within the camera frame for online tournaments) and must not infringe on the judges’ table or personal space.
- Requesting verbal or physical participation (e.g., raising hand, clapping, verbal responses, closing eyes) from audience members, including judges, is not permitted.
- In online tournaments:
- Other individuals may be present during the speech but must not be intentionally visible on screen.
- A single, stationary camera must be used (i.e., no zooming or
panning is permitted). - Only audio presented live from the competitor is permitted (i.e., audio that is computer-generated, recorded, generated by a third-party, etc. is not permitted).
- Competitors must prepare for and speak on one of the two topic options assigned to them. The topic must be stated during the speech.
- Shared club file boxes must have a label affixed to the outside that includes all names of both the club(s) and individual competitors who have permission to use the box for that tournament.
- A single 3” x 5” notecard, provided by the competitor, must be prepared during preparation time for use during the speech and must document verifiable support for analysis.
- During preparation time, a competitor may access published material (e.g., articles, books, magazines, newspapers), which has been previously printed, downloaded, or stored offline via cloud-based files.
- During preparation time, a competitor must not access:
- the internet.
- help, advice, or information about the topic from another person.
- previously prepared notes or analysis, including debate briefs or speech outlines.
- At in-person tournaments, a device must only be used by the competitor who brings it into the Extemp Prep Room.
- Any additional notes taken during preparation time on other paper or on an electronic device must not be accessed during the delivery of the speech.
- During the delivery of the speech, the prepared notecard must be held.
- At in-person tournaments, the topic card may also be held, but no other written or printed materials may be held.
- In online tournaments, no other written or printed materials may be held.
- The competitor must retain the required notecard held in the speech until the end of the tournament.
D. Timing Rules in Extemporaneous
A violation of any of the timing-related rules below will result in a 2-rank penalty. (In some cases, other penalties may apply.)
- Preparation time is limited to twenty (20) minutes and begins upon drawing the topic at the assigned draw time. Prep time ends at the assigned speaking time.
- Speech time is limited to seven (7) minutes. Competitors must show their timepiece (set to count up) to the judges before starting their speech and after turning off their timer at the end of their speech. The timepiece must be started before beginning the speech and be kept running until the conclusion of the speech.
- Competitors must present their speech during their prescribed 15-minute slot and are not permitted to infringe on the next competitor’s scheduled time.
Guidelines
In preparation for tournaments, participants should familiarize themselves with the following guidelines.
NCFCA Mission Statement
to challenge and equip ambassadors for Christ to communicate truth with integrity and grace
League Policies
Participants must abide by all NCFCA Policies.
Speech Competition Material Policy
Competitors have the opportunity to develop communication skills through speech competition. Practicing these skills can develop great leadership, great thinking, and great personal opportunities but more importantly should be seized as an opportunity for challenging and equipping ambassadors for Christ to communicate truth with integrity and grace. Make the most of the competition season by embracing our mission when preparing the competition material for speeches!
What and How
Competitors must choose materials for speeches that align with the NCFCA mission, using the Foundational Beliefs and the Core Values as markers for upholding a strong witness for Christ. Great care and sensitivity should be given as content and sources for use in competition are considered and presented. Consider not only what is presented but also how it is presented.
Consider the Content
While we live in a world that is often messy and broken, as Christian communicators, we value messages of redeeming truth. We have both the privilege and responsibility to discover, meditate upon, and communicate whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy in all areas of life (Philippians 4:8). This does not mean that every source or presentation needs to have an overtly Christian theme, but all dark themes must provide a redemptive element.
Consider the Audience
All speeches with potentially intense or sensitive themes or examples must be preceded by the NCFCA disclaimer as scripted in the event rules. Regardless of who is in the room, competitors should give the disclaimer after introducing themselves to the judges and pause before starting the timer for the speech to begin. The disclaimer provides a mechanism for families to participate in tournaments and still be able to determine when and how they introduce their own children to intense topics by instructing them to leave the room whenever a disclaimer is given. Even if there is no audience in the room, give the disclaimer and pause to give the judge(s) a moment to mentally prepare themselves.
Two practical items to note are that the disclaimer is not required in a speech script, but marking the intention of giving a disclaimer is part of the required script submission process for tournaments.
Present the Sources
Competitors are committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical conduct. Great care and sensitivity should be given as sources for use are presented. Competitors should strive to clearly communicate what is their own original work and what is not. This looks a little different depending on the event, as seen in the event rules, but the principle is the same.
Competitors should clearly communicate the sources of any material presented, recognizing that in a primarily verbal activity the burden of the speaker is for the audience to be able to hear and understand. Placing the verbal mention of a source near the quoted or summarized material may seem cumbersome, especially for longer more complex platform speeches. If so, meet this challenge with enthusiasm and a prayer for creativity! It’s a chance to be more thoroughly equipped to communicate truth with integrity and the flair of artistic grace!
Our rules require a verbal citation of any supporting material (i.e., material that is not original to the speaker) along with a Works Cited page. Note that any material written by artificial intelligence and similar technologies (e.g. ChatGPT, etc.) is not original and should be cited. We recommend that you also parenthetically cite any corresponding ideas. If a speech is called into question regarding academic integrity during a tournament, clear citations may allow our compliance teams to resolve any concerns without a need to call a competitor for a meeting. Find examples of citations in the Interpretation Script Guidelines, Platform Script Examples, and Interpretation Script Examples.
Interpretation speeches also have a high level of nonverbal material presented. Any blocking, characterization, etc. must be original to the speaker in order to maintain our standards of academic integrity. We recommend not watching productions of the particular literature selections you plan to use in order to avoid the potential for plagiarism. Although competitors use the author’s words for their selection, the vocal and physical delivery must be primarily developed by the competitor.
Sample Ballot and Rubric for Limited Prep Speeches
See a sample of the ballot and rubric judges will view in the competition platform.
Speaking Schedule
At each tournament, competitors will deliver the speech for each registered event three times. Each of those times is called a “round.” If a speech advances (or “breaks”) to an elimination round, the competitor earns another opportunity to deliver the speech, and will be recognized with a final placing at the awards ceremony.
Competitors will be assigned a 15-minute speaking slot for the event within the round. The beginning times of these slots, along with the room number, are posted on the tournament platform as well as around the tournament facility throughout in-person tournaments. Competitors should be present and ready to begin at the start of their assigned speaking time or will risk losing the ability to present their speech in its entirety, as they may not infringe upon the next speaker’s slot.
Room and Judge Protocols
For each speech round, a wall posting will be outside the room so that names and speaking order can be easily verified. The door should be open with at least three judges seated at a table, and the competitor may walk to the “center stage” area to indicate that he or she is ready. Once ready, competitors should introduce themselves before they begin the timer for their speech, but they must not initiate conversation or deliver any rehearsed message, as this “pre-show” would constitute a violation of the rules (see event rules). We understand that some judges are chatty and enthusiastic. Competitors should always be polite and friendly in their responses to a judge; they may also politely remind the judge that competitors are instructed to not carry on conversations with judges in a round. Competitors can choose to hold their timepiece or set it on the judges’ table, but they may not infringe on the judges’ table or personal space during the speech.
After the speech, competitors should briefly thank the judges for their time and promptly leave the room, so that the room can be ready for the next speaker.
Timekeeping Protocols
Competitors must provide their own timepieces and are responsible for timekeeping. It’s important to practice the timekeeping and round protocols before a tournament, as it is another layer of detail to master beyond the speech itself. We recommend practicing each speech with the timepiece that will be used for that tournament. We also recommend having a back up timer and/or more batteries on hand in case of malfunctions.
Timing a Speech
- Step 1 – Set the timer to 00:00 going up.
- Step 2 – Show the timepiece to the Head Judge for confirmation.
- Step 3 – Start the timer.
- Step 4 – Deliver the speech.
- Step 5 – Stop the timepiece.
- Step 6 – Show the timepiece to the Head Judge, who will then announce and record the time shown.
Please Note:
- The speech time begins when the speaker starts the timepiece and ends when the speaker stops the timepiece, so competitors should not stop and restart the timepiece unless it is within the first sentence of the speech.
- Timer issues: If a student experiences an error with the timepiece that results in being unable to show the head judge the time (or a correct time), the “timer issue” box will be selected on the ballots and a 2-rank penalty will apply.
- Overtime: An automatic 2-rank penalty will apply when the speech time entered on the ballot exceeds 15 seconds over the speech time limit.
Prep Time Protocols – Extemporaneous
For in-person tournaments:
- Step 1 – Report for preparation. You will be allowed into the Prep room beginning two minutes before the assigned time and will remain in the room until the assigned speech time. (If late, competitors may enter the room until the assigned speech time.) Competitors should disable Wi-Fi or other cellular capability prior to the beginning of preparation time and be sure to mute their device.
- Step 2 – Set the timer to the prep time limit counting down (20 minutes or or whatever prep time remains in the event of a late arrival).
- Step 3 – Show the timepiece to the Extemp Prep staff member for confirmation.
- Step 4 – The Extemp Prep Director will instruct competitors when to draw the card. Start the timer immediately upon drawing the topic.
- Step 5 – Prepare for the speech within the time allotted.
- Step 6 – The Extemp Prep staff will announce the conclusion of the preparation. Stop the timepiece when finished preparing and/or time has run out.
A Communications Team staff will escort competitors to their rooms.
For online tournaments:
- Step 1 – Enter the assigned competition room a minute or two before the assigned draw time. Do not turn on the camera or microphone as other competitors will be preparing and/or speaking.
- Step 2 – Set the timer to the prep time limit counting down (20 minutes). You have an option to mute incoming room sound while you prepare.
- Step 3 – View the assigned topics at the assigned draw time, starting the timer at the same time.
- Step 4 – Prepare for the speech within the time allotted.
- Step 5 – At the conclusion of preparation time, unmute the audio coming from the room, confirm that the previous speaker has concluded, and then turn on your own camera and microphone.
- Step 6 – Show the timepiece to the Head Judge for confirmation.
Online Tournaments
For online tournaments, competitors should plan ahead for success. See the Tournament Prep Guide for technology-specific considerations. Competitors should decide if they will stand or sit during the round and place any desks or chairs accordingly before the round. Competitors are able to enter the online room before it is their turn to speak but must keep their cameras turned off until their own time slot. Camera should be on during speeches and during prep time for Apologetics and Impromptu. They should think of turning the camera and mic on as synonymous to entering the room at an in-person tournament. Once on, they can introduce themselves by name to the judges and begin promptly. Competitors must mimic the “center stage” of in-person tournaments when possible, generally showing a minimum of the head and shoulders and keeping the camera on at all times. After the speech has concluded and the competitor has thanked the judges, the competitor should turn the camera and mic off.
Competitor technical difficulties, while unfortunate, are accounted for by allowing 15-minute time slots. Speakers experiencing technical difficulties are not eligible for additional time or accommodations, or re-addition at the end of the round. Competitors should keep their cameras on as specified by their event except when experiencing significant technical difficulties. Competitors may contact Tournament Administration for troubleshooting help in the room.
Speech Competition Entry Policy
Competitors have the opportunity to compete in many tournaments throughout the season. Understanding the life cycle of a season, the limitations of the events for each tournament, and how those interact with the other tournaments will help you make the most of the competition season. Please see the Tournament Prep Page for more details about tournament types.
- Limitations for Regional Qualifiers and National Mixers
- Competitors may participate in a maximum of five speech events at any given tournament.
- Competitors may only register once in each event for any given tournament.
- Competitors may not enter the same speech in more than one event for the same tournament; however, the speech may be entered in a different category for a different tournament during the same season.
- Duo Interpretation competitors may not change partners during a tournament but may change partners between tournaments.
- Limitations for Championship Tournaments
- In a Regional Championship, competitors may compete in any event for which they have qualified.
- If a speech qualifies to the next level tournament (either the Regional Championship or the National Championship) in more than one event the competitor must choose only one event in which the piece will be performed at the higher level of competition.
- If a Duo Interpretation competitor qualifies with different partners during the competitive season the competitor must choose only one of those qualified partners with whom to participate at the next level tournament (either the Regional Championship or the National Championship).
- During the Regional Championship or the National Championship, competitors must perform the same piece that they performed when they earned the invitation to compete at the championship tournament. In other words, it is the combination of both the piece and the person that is awarded an invitation to the higher level of competition.
- Limitations for Regional Qualifiers and National Mixers