National Speech and Debate Tournament

National Speech and Debate Tournament has been held by National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) since 1931 and is considered the pinnacle of High School speech and debate. Students compete in preliminary rounds in their respective events before being selected for the finals. After qualifying tournaments, 2-7 finalists move forward with the national debate competition.

Interested in the competition?

Competition Overview

High school students

Eligibility

$149/year

Membership Fee

March 15, 2026 - June 2, 2026 at 12:59 AM

Registration Deadline

June 14-19, 2026 at Richmond, VA

Competition Date

📌 Note: Aralia is not the organizer of this competition. For official rules, deadlines, and updates, please refer directly to the competition organizer. Aralia provides listings and information about competitions for student reference. Aralia is an online education platform offering competition preparation classes to students worldwide.

Competition Details

1. Tournament Lists

There are two tournaments each year: the National Speech & Debate Tournament and the Middle School National Speech & Debate Tournament.

2. National Qualifiers

Students can be qualified for the USDA Nationals in one of two ways:

District Tournament: Students have to compete in their NSDA District tournaments
Last Chance Qualifiers is an online national tournament for students who didn’t qualify at their district.

Students who qualify in a main event are automatically guaranteed a spot in at least one supplemental event, either related to their main event or different.

3. Speech and Debate Events

The National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) established standardized speech and debate events widely used across the United States, and many states have adopted these standards for competition.

Speech Events

Speech competitions feature presentations by one or two students, judged against similar presentations in each round. They are divided into two main categories:

Public Address Events: These involve speeches crafted by the students, either prepared in advance or with limited preparation, focusing on various objectives such as persuasion, education, or personal beliefs.
Interpretation Events: These events require students to select and perform published material, appealing particularly to those interested in acting and theater.

Debate Events

Debate is a competitive activity where individuals or teams work to persuade judges that their position on a resolution or topic is more valid. Participants research both sides of an issue extensively, fostering critical thinking about all potential arguments.

4. Middle School National Tournament

All eligible students are invited to enter, as there is no qualification process.

Eligibility: Students in grades 5-8 during the 2024–2025 school year; NSDA membership required.

Events Offered:

Debate: Big Questions, World Schools, Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, Congressional Debate
Speech: Pattern A: Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Mixed Extemporaneous Speaking, Storytelling, Poetry, and Original Oratory. Pattern B: Dramatic Interpretation, Program Oral Interpretation, Informative, Prose, Original Spoken Word Poetry, Impromptu, and Declamation.