Compliance Policies
These policies cover how we enforce our stated policies and rules to maintain a fair and constructive atmosphere for competition in keeping with our mission, core values, and foundational beliefs.
Compliance Policies
Compliance and Adjudication Philosophy
Our fundamental assumption in all compliance situations is the belief that our affiliates value and intend to follow our rules. We also recognize that violations of our rules will occur and must be adjudicated with as much accuracy and speed as possible to ensure a level playing field and allow our tournaments to operate on schedule; therefore, we are committed to consistent protocols for investigating queries about rule and policy infractions and responding in a consistent, fair, and timely manner.
We do not make negative assumptions or attempt to evaluate the intent of participants who are involved in compliance queries or who are found to be out of compliance with our rules or policies.
We will apply appropriate penalties when violations of our published rules or policies are identified and confirmed by the appropriate members of our League Authority Structure. When concerns not covered in our rules or policies arise, we may elect to discuss the situation with individuals involved and ask for an adjustment in behavior.
Tournament Adjudication Process Overview
The Compliance Team at a tournament receives and documents queries that arise regarding rules or policies. If additional information is required, they will conduct an investigation of the situation in accordance with predetermined protocols. Once they have completed any investigation, the information is presented to the National Adjudication Team for review. This team determines if a rule has been violated and whether or not any penalties will be assessed.
National Adjudication Team
The National Adjudication Team is composed of various league leaders with recognized expertise in the areas of speech, debate, and/or compliance processes. The Chair of the National Adjudication Team determines which members should be involved in determinations for specified tournaments and/or specific situations and ensures maintenance of appropriate documentation for the entire team. Decisions rendered during a tournament by the National Adjudication Team are final.
Submitting Tournament Compliance Queries
Any adult participant at a tournament can submit a question to the Compliance Team. At an in-person tournament, a parent or coach must be present with a competitor who wishes to submit a question to the compliance team. In online tournaments, competitors are required to have a parent or coach submit a compliance query on their behalf.
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
If a query involves a competitor who is a family member or has a close relationship with someone in a leadership role at the tournament, someone on the Compliance Team, or someone on the National Adjudication Team, the family member or close relation is not permitted to participate in evaluating the query in any way. Their role is limited to acting as a parent, designated adult, or coach to the competitor.
Appeals after a Tournament
Judge decisions and adjudication decisions rendered during a tournament are final and are not eligible for appeal. However, we do allow for appeals regarding suspected tabulation errors or issues of academic integrity, mission alignment, or significant violations of League Policies that come to light after a tournament.
- Filing Process. Any appeal that meets the above criteria must be made in writing and include the complete name and contact information of the appealing party along with a brief description of the concern and any relevant documentation. This appeal must be emailed to the Director of Competition.
- Time Frame. All tabulation appeals must be filed within 72 hours of the close of the Awards Ceremony. Concerns of an ethical nature must be brought to the attention of NCFCA as soon as possible but are not subject to a time limitation.
- Resolution. Any properly filed appeal will be carefully considered by the Director of Competition, the National Adjudication Team, and the Executive Director. After investigation and assessment of all available and relevant information, the NCFCA leadership will render a decision and inform the affected parties. This decision will be final, and no other consideration will be made for this issue.