League Policies
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.