League Policies

1. A. General Rules for All Speeches (see above or ncfca.org/rules/speech-general-rules)

   B. Academic Integrity

   1. CITATIONS. All material presented in the narrative sections must be either the competitors’ original work or include the source(s) for any supporting material. Plagiarism is not permitted.
      1. 1. Verbal mention. Sources must be verbally mentioned.
         2. Works Cited Page. Sources must be included on a Works Cited page in the Format 1 script.
         3. Works Cited Slide. The sources for non-original visual content must be listed on a Works Cited slide(s). Include the presentation program used if images were created within the program. (example: “All images created in Canva,” “Slides 8, 10, 14: images made in PowerPoint”).
   2. CURRENT SEASON. Speeches used for competition in a prior season may not be used in any other competition season.
   3. RECITED SCRIPT. The submitted script must be recited during all competition rounds. (See Speech Competition Entry Limits here.)
   4. 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. (Only minor changes are permitted.)

   C. Content, Preparation, and Presentation

   1. WORD COUNT. Direct quotations may comprise up to 350 words of the total words in the speech.
   2. SOUND/MOTION. Videos and/or audio are not permitted.
   3. MECHANICS.
      1. Device. A single device must be used to present the digital slide presentation. For online competition, the device must have a minimum of 8GB of RAM.
      2. Table. For in-person tournaments, Tournament Administration will provide a single table for device staging. The table must not be relocated.
      3. Staging. If competitors choose to display their presentation on their own device, their device must be placed on the provided equipment table or held by the competitor.
      4. Assistance. Assistance with a competitor’s setup or equipment is not permitted once the competitor has entered the competition room.
   4. SCRIPT USE. Competitors must announce script use before the speech begins.
      1. Non-championship tournaments. Script use will result in a four-rank penalty.
      2. Championship tournaments. Script use at a Regional or National Championship will result in disqualification from the event.
   5. Script Submission. Every digital presentation speech requires two types of scripts: the Format 1 and the Format 2.

   D. Timing in Digital Presentation

   1. SPEECH TIME. Speech time is limited to ten (10) minutes. Competitors must follow these steps:
      1. Show/Start. Show the timepiece (set to count up) to the judges. Start the timer.
      2. Kept running. The timepiece must be started before beginning the speech and kept running until the conclusion of the speech.
      3. Works cited slide(s). The Works Cited slide(s) must be included in the timed delivery of the speech.
      4. Stop/Show. Stop the timer. Then show the judges the final speech time.
   2. Time Slot. Competitors must present their speech during their prescribed 15-minute slot and are not permitted to infringe on the next competitor’s scheduled time.

   See the head judge guidelines for timer issues here.

   E. Online General Rules (see below or ncfca.org/rules/online-general-rules)

    

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