Frequently Asked Questions

 

QUALIFYING ROUND

 

How is the Qualifying Round judged?

Members of the NYU debate team will read each paper and rank it accordingly based on this form: Judge's Ballot. Papers that receive the highest overall scores will advance to the Elimination Rounds of competition.

 

What makes a good Qualifying Round essay?

There is no specific way to write a great qualifying round essay, but here are some successful essays from last year: Team A     Team B

 

How do I confirm that my entry has been received for the Qualifying Round?

After submitting the paper to sem@bickelbrewer.com, you will receive a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours.

 

 

GENERAL

 

Is this tournament more like public forum or policy debate?

The NPPF is unlike any other form of debate.  While the NPPF bases its topic on the current NFL Policy/Team Debate topic, it welcomes debaters from across the spectrum of debate and forensic events.  Thus, the competition is judged on factors including, but not limited to, well-founded arguments, effective communication and grammar.

 

Is a school required to have a debate program or team in order to compete?

No, the NPPF is open to all high schools, whether an actual debate team exists or not. Participants and teachers might want to consider making the NPPF a class project. In the past, we have had people from many different events (student congress, Lincoln-Douglas debate, etc.) make it to the Finals in New York.

 

Is there a maximum team size?

No, however, each team member listed must have contributed to the essay. Once teams reach the final rounds in New York, only three students and two coaches per school will receive an all-expense-paid trip from the NPPF. Traveling team members must be on the team roster and must have participated in the previous rounds of written work. For further details, please review the Contest Guidelines.

 

My school has a large debate team. Can multiple teams from a school enter the contest?

No, only one entry is allowed per school.

 

What happens when a submitted essay exceeds the word limit?

The Affirmative/Negative Constructive papers should be no more than 2,800 words, not counting the title page or the works-cited pages.

 

Affirmative Rebuttal papers should be no more than 1,700 words, not counting the title page or the works-cited pages. Negative Rebuttal papers should be no more than 1,400 words, not counting the title page or the works-cited pages. (We will use the Microsoft Word counting

tool.) Any text over the word limit will be deleted before arguments are sent to the judges.

 

How and when do teams find out if they have made it to the Elimination and Final Rounds?

All teams who advance to the Elimination and Final Rounds will be notified via e-mail. The schools that make it to the initial Elimination Round will be notified Wednesday, November 5, 2008; the Elite Eight participants will be notified on Wednesday, January 7, 2009; and the Final Four participants will be notified on Wednesday, March 4, 2009.

 

Debate arguments are continually evolving. What happens if a major event requires updates and/or changes to the argument once the essays are submitted?

Debate teams are allowed to update any evidence utilized throughout the Elimination and Final Rounds, as long as the argument remains the same. For specific questions about any needed changes, e-mail the contest director at krs@bickelbrewer.com.

 

Does the NPPF have any affiliations with the NFL?

Yes, Scott Wunn (Executive Director, NFL) and Scott Deatherage (Executive Director, NAUDL) are both members of our Advisory Board.  In addition, the NPPF is a sponsor of both the NFL and the NAUDL.

 

If you still have questions, just e-mail krs@bickelbrewer.com!