League Policies
Being published may seem like a bright line to whether or not one must give credit, but this is not the case. Supporting material includes any information, details, research, theories, stories, lyrics, tunes, or ideas obtained from another person or source–whether directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. This is regardless of publication.  Therefore, even if you don’t have to pay to watch a YouTube video, copying that content requires citation. Even if you see a speech given at a dinner event, copying any portion of that content requires citation. Further, if your copied material starts looking like that whole speech, then it is not your speech anymore. Calling it so would be plagiarism. It’s important to remember that speeches must be prepared by the student and delivered during the current competitive season only. (Aside from Apologetics, for which students may use their preparations in subsequent years.) Any supporting material should be just that: supporting the speech that the competitor has crafted.