How the day goes
Every meet sets its own times. The meet’s page on this site has that day’s schedule.
First
Find your team
Your team sets up a home base, usually a classroom or a corner of the cafeteria. Your coach checks the team in.
Before each round
Check the postings
The rooms for each round go up on the wall and on the meet’s page. Find your code and your room.
Prelims
Perform once a round
Most meets run three preliminary rounds. You perform once in each, in a small room with a few other competitors and a judge.
After prelims
The break
The tab room adds up ranks, and the best in each event advance to semifinals or finals. The break posting is the first news anyone gets.
End of the day
Awards
Finalists are announced by place, along with the team awards.
What to bring and wear
Clothes. Dress the way your team does. Most students wear business or dressy clothes. Ask your coach.
Your script. In an Interpretation event, bring your script. The judge may ask to see it during the round.
No costumes in Interpretation. Street clothes that suit the mood are fine. Costumes made for the stage are not.
What your event needs. Limited preparation events need their own materials. Ask your coach what to pack.
For the day. Water, snacks, a phone charger, and something quiet to do between rounds.
How do I find my room?
Know your code
Your code is a letter and a number, like F3. The letter is your school. The number is your entry in that event. Ask your coach if you don’t know it.
Find the posting for this round
Look for your event, then your code. The room is next to it. Your team page also shows your code and your room once a round is posted.
Your team page →Get there early
If someone is already performing, wait outside until they finish.
In two events?
You may go to one room first, then the other. That’s normal. If you are worried about time, tell your coach.
In the room and between rounds
Listen to every speaker the way you want them to listen to you. Phone off and away.
Never record a round, not even your own performance. Video taping at a tournament is never allowed.
Thank your judge. Don’t ask about your rank; your coach gets the ballot.
Between rounds, go back to your team’s home base so your coach can find you.
The full list of what to do in the room is on the etiquette page.
Meet-day etiquette →
Scores, results and feedback
What does “3rd at 92%” mean?
Each judge ranks the room and gives every speaker a percentage. 1st is always 100%. 2nd and 3rd get 80–99%. Everyone else is ranked 4th, also 80–99%. No two speakers in a room get the same percentage.
What is 75–79%?
It is used only when a judge marks a misconduct problem. It is rare.
How do ranks add up?
Your ranks are added across rounds, and lower is better. Ranks of 1, 3 and 2 total 6. Ties are broken by set rules, and percentages are one of them.
When do I see my scores?
Not during the day. The tournament director releases the results, often the same evening, and they appear on the meet’s results page.
Results →When do I get the judges’ comments?
Judges write a critique for every speaker. Once results are released, your coach reads them and releases them to you. They appear on your team page.