Middle School National Tournament
June 16-19, 2026
The 2026 Middle School National Tournament will be held in person in Richmond, Virginia on June 16-19, 2026. This is an open invitational tournament, and all middle school NSDA members are welcome to compete for a chance to be named a middle school national champion!
Registration opens on March 15 at msnats.tabroom.com.
2026 Middle School National Tournament Sponsors
If you or your company are interested in supporting speech and debate, please consider a financial contribution or contact us for more information.
Eligibility
Competitors
- Students must have been in the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade during the 2025-2026 academic school year.
- There is no qualification process; this is an open tournament.
- Students and schools must have NSDA memberships.
- Coaches must certify that each contestant entered under their school name is a student at this middle school and will be under the supervision of a supervising adult who is the student’s parent, coach, or school administrator, approved by the school principal by agreeing to the disclaimer prior to registering. No forms need to be uploaded, but evidence that a school has violated this agreement could result in disqualification of the school’s entries.
Non-School Clubs
- Students involved with non-school clubs must instead be registered with the school at which they are enrolled. Contestants found to be violating this rule will be disqualified.
- The Board of Directors affirms the creation, support, and development of speech and debate programs at the middle and secondary levels through accredited public and private schools.
- All members of the Association must be school-based. For any club or organization that does not currently have a school-based membership, the NSDA is eager to work with you to create school-based speech and debate teams.
- Homeschools and virtual schools that are recognized by the state in which those schools compete may join the National Speech & Debate Association. Please contact info@speechanddebate.org for more information.
Tournament Details
General Info
Deadline: May 15
- All registration materials are due. This includes payment, judges, script information, judge paradigms, certification judges have completed the required training, and entry details.
- Adult Contact Info: On the General tab of your school’s registration in Tabroom.com, you will need to enter the adult contact information (name, email, phone number) of the main contact for your school and save before you can move forward with your school’s registration. Before you arrive at the tournament, make sure you enter a secondary contact as well. These are the people we will contact in the lead up to the tournament regarding your school’s registration and at the tournament in case of emergency.
- Coach Recognition: On the General tab of your school’s Tabroom.com registration, you will enter the names of coaches you would like to be recognized as school coaches if your school is recognized at the awards ceremony.
- Hotel information: Schools staying within the NSDA hotel block receive a 15% discount on all entry fees. Schools must select the hotel they are staying at and at least one confirmation code from their hotel booking in their Tabroom.com registration, and this discount will be automatically applied.
Events Offered
- All events will be held live and in-person in the Richmond area.
- An event may be canceled if fewer than 25 entries are registered.
- 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.
- No supplemental events will be offered.
- May 1: National Tournament topics for LD, PF, topic areas in Impromptu and Mixed Extemp, and prepared motions in WS can be found at www.speechanddebate.org/national-tournament-topics.
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May 15: The docket for Congressional Debate will be available at www.speechanddebate.org/topics.
Entry Limits
- Each school may enter up to 8 entries per event.
- Once we reach capacity, we will close registration in applicable competition events. This may happen before the entry deadline.
- No double entry is permitted in debate events. Students may not enter debate and speech events.
- In speech, students can enter up to 4 total events (no more than 2 per pattern). Students cannot double enter in Pattern A if they are in Extemporaneous Speaking.
- Pattern A: HI, DUO, EXT, STO, POE, OO
- Pattern B: DI, POI, INF, PRO, SW, IMP, DEC
Entry Requirements
- Entry Release Forms: Coaches must acquire a signed Entry Release Form for each competitor before the first day of National Tournament competition. Copies of the signed forms do NOT need to be uploaded to Tabroom.com. These signed forms must be retained by the coach through December 31, 2026, and tournament officials may request this signed form at any point during and immediately following the competition. Failure to produce these forms may result in disqualification from competition.
- Script Information: On the Entries tab of your school’s Tabroom.com registration, select the blue and white edit button to complete the required information for each of your registered students. If you have entries in speech events, this page will ask you to input information about each entry’s piece (title, author, publication info, if applicable). Copies of the script do not need to be uploaded, but students must have access to their original source and a copy of their cutting available during the tournament in case of a protest.
- School Agreement: Coaches must certify that each contestant entered under their school name is a student at this middle school and will be under the supervision of a supervising adult who is the student’s parent, coach, or school administrator, approved by the school principal by agreeing to the disclaimer prior to registering. No forms need to be uploaded, but evidence that a school has violated this agreement could result in disqualification of the school’s entries.
Judging Obligations
- Minimum Requirement: Schools are required to bring at least one judge per judge category in which they have entries competing (Policy, Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, World Schools, Big Questions, Congress, Speech).
- Judge Buy-Outs: If a school owes more than one judge in a category, they may choose to buy-out their obligation for $160 per judge.
- Policy: 1 judge is owed per 2 entries or fraction thereof.
- World Schools: 1 judge is owed per 2 entries or fraction thereof.
- Public Forum: 1 judge is owed per 3 entries or fraction thereof.
- Lincoln-Douglas: 1 judge is owed per 3 entries or fraction thereof.
- Big Questions: 1 judge is owed per 3 entries or fraction thereof.
- Congress: 1 judge is owed per school.
- Speech: 1 judge is owed for every 5 entries or fraction thereof.
Judge Requirements
- High school judges: High school National Tournament participants who are no longer competing on Wednesday are welcome to judge at the Middle School National Tournament! To be eligible, they must have completed their junior or senior year of high school and have 250+ Honor Society points. They should sign up in advance using the “Judge Signup” tab at msnats.tabroom.com and arrive at the middle school competition venue by 8:15 a.m. CT on Wednesday to check in with tournament staff. They will be required to attend a judge training session before they are permitted to judge.
- May 15: Deadline to complete required judge accreditation modules and claim your badges in Tabroom.com.
- To complete a module means that the you have watched the video and scored 100% on the corresponding quiz. Confirmation will automatically appear on your Tabroom.com profile within 24 hours of completion. Thank you for helping us ensure that all students at the National Tournament have high quality judging!
- Check for Confirmation: Navigate to Tabroom.com and select the “Judge Certifications” button under the Judging header on the right sidebar. You will see “Confirmed” next to completed courses. The confirmation will only appear automatically if your Tabroom.com account and your NSDA account use the same email address. If you used different emails or your confirmation does not appear for any reason, please email info@speechanddebate.org for assistance.
- All judge accreditation modules can be found at www.speechanddebate.org/judge-accreditation. You must create or log in to a free NSDA account before beginning.
- Congress judges: Must complete the following modules – Level 1: Intro to Impartial Judging, Level 1: Intro to Judging Congress, Level 2: Judging Congressional Debate, and Level 3: Judging Congressional Debate (coming March 15).
- Policy judges: Must complete the following modules – Level 1: Intro to Impartial Judging, Level 1: Intro to Judging Debate, Level 2: Judging Policy Debate, and Level 3: Judging Policy Debate (coming March 15).
- Public Forum judges: Must complete the following modules – Level 1: Intro to Impartial Judging, Level 1: Intro to Judging Debate, Level 2: Judging Public Forum Debate, and Level 3: Judging Public Forum Debate (coming March 15).
- Lincoln-Douglas judges: Must complete the following modules – Level 1: Intro to Impartial Judging, Level 1: Intro to Judging Debate, Level 2: Judging Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Level 3: Judging Lincoln-Douglas Debate (coming March 15).
- Big Questions judges: Must complete the following modules – Level 1: Intro to Impartial Judging, Level 1: Intro to Judging Debate, and Level 2: Judging Big Questions Debate.
- World Schools judges: Must complete the following modules – Level 1: Intro to Impartial Judging, Level 1: Intro to Judging Debate, Level 2: Judging World Schools Debate, and Level 3: Judging World Schools Debate (coming March 15).
- Speech judges: Must complete the following modules
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Level 3: Judging HI and DI (coming March 15)
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Level 3: Judging DUO (coming March 15)
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Level 3: Judging POI (coming March 15)
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Level 3: Judging Extemp (coming March 15)
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Level 3: Judging OO (coming March 15)
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Level 3: Judging INF (coming March 15)
- Policy and Lincoln-Douglas Paradigms: Judges in Policy and LD must complete the Paradigm Form Questionnaire.
- Judge Forms: Judges can complete all required forms and training by logging into Tabroom.com, selecting “NSDA Middle School Nationals” under the Judging header, and selecting “Judge Forms”.
- Conflicts: Judges must have conflicts listed in Tabroom.com by May 15. Failure to report conflicts by this deadline may result in forfeiture of the school’s judge bond.
- Tabroom.com Accounts: All judges must have a linked Tabroom.com account. Online ballots will be used in every main and supplemental event.
- Judges: If your Tabroom.com account shows “Welcome to Tabroom!”, you will need to link your account to your school before you are eligible to judge at the National Tournament.
- Select “Link your account” under the “Are you a judge?” header.
- Search for your first and last name as they appear on your school’s Tabroom.com judging roster.
- Select “Link” next to your name and school.
- If it says there are no judges with your name, ask the coach of the school you are judging for how your name is displayed on the roster so you can type it in exactly.
- The coach of the school you’re judging for will receive an email notification to log in to Tabroom.com, select the Judges tab to access your school’s roster, and approve your request to be linked!
- To double check you are all set up and ready to judge, make sure NSDA Middle School National Tournament is listed under the Judging header on the right side of your Tabroom.com account.
- Judges: If your Tabroom.com account shows “Welcome to Tabroom!”, you will need to link your account to your school before you are eligible to judge at the National Tournament.
Judge Availability and Scheduling
- All judges are committed through the end of the tournament and are expected to judge any round assigned within their event group.
- Judges will not receive assignments until up to 30 minutes prior to the round’s start time.
- All ballots and judging assignments will be released digitally on Tabroom.com. No paper ballots or schematics will be distributed. Be sure to pack your chargers and devices!
- Each school must post a judge bond of $200. Judge bonds will be forfeited if judges miss or are late to round assignments. The first round missed will result in forfeiture of the judge bond, and each subsequent round missed will incur a $100 fine.
- Judges who are meeting high school judging obligations may NOT also be listed to judge Middle School Nationals since competition will be occurring at the same time. Coaches of middle school teams who are listed as high school judges may find that they are assigned to judge during middle school competition and should plan accordingly for middle school supervision and judging.
Attendees
- Any individual entering a tournament venue with a school must be registered on the Judges & Attendees tab of that school’s Tabroom.com registration.
- If someone coming with your school will not be judging, they must be entered under “Attendees”. This includes all judges, coaches, chaperones, parents, siblings, etc. ages 13 or older.
- All these individuals must have or create Tabroom.com accounts. Without this information, attendees will not receive tournament ribbons and will not be able to enter tournament venues.
- Ribbons may be requested for children under the age of 13 during in-person registration; their registration in advance is not required.
Fees
- The entry fee is $75 for each solo event entry, $150 for each partner event entry, and $225 for each World Schools Debate entry. Schools that stay within the NSDA hotel block will receive a 15% discount on all entry fees.
- Each school must post a judge bond of $200. This bond is in addition to entry fees and judge fees. If all judges from a school complete all judging assignments, the $200 will be returned after the tournament using the method selected during registration (on the general tab of your tournament registration): refund check by mail or credit to your NSDA membership account. To use the credit for your school membership, you must generate an invoice as usual in the fall and apply the credit to activate your membership.
Payment Instructions
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Payment is due May 15. Follow these instructions to create your National Tournament invoice. There are three ways to pay:
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Checks payable to National Speech & Debate Association. Mail payment to: NSDA, 6600 Westown Pkwy Ste 270 West Des Moines, IA 50266. Checks must be postmarked by May 15.
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Purchase order uploaded in PDF format to the Money tab of your school’s Tabroom.com registration by May 15.
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Online via credit card or ACH payment via the school’s NSDA account. There is no processing fee for credit card and ACH payments.
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Refunds
- Full refunds will be issued for changes made before May 15. 50% refunds will be issued for changes made between May 15 – May 22. No refunds will be made after May 22.
- If you make changes to your registration before May 15 but have already created an invoice that is higher than that amount, contact the national office for the invoice to be revised.
- Judge bond refunds will be processed by July 31.
- Overpayments will be processed by July 31 and refunded via the same method selected for judge bond refund.
Online Hotel Booking Site
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NSDA Hotel Block: All coaches must use the online booking site to reserve hotel rooms within the NSDA hotel block. This allows us to procure the attendee rates we offer. Please do NOT call the hotels directly to book your hotel rooms. Hotel reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served, space-available basis. Submit your request as soon as possible for the best opportunity of receiving your hotel choice.
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Discount on Entry Fees: Schools staying within the NSDA hotel block will receive 15% off main event and supplemental event entry fees. Make sure you select which hotel you’re staying at and add at least one confirmation number for your hotel reservation on the General tab of your school’s Tabroom.com registration in order for the discount to apply.
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Dates and Deadlines:
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February 2: Online booking site for the NSDA hotel block opens.
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March 31: Deadline to cancel rooms without a cancellation fee.
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April 29: If you booked multiple rooms, individual names must be assigned to each hotel reservation by 4:00 p.m. Central Time.
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May 22: Deadline for reservations to guarantee availability and rates. After this date, reservations will be made based on availability and hotels may charge higher rates. All changes must go through the hotels directly after this date.
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- How to Book:
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Online Booking Site: Make new reservations, modify existing reservations, or cancel reservations through this link.
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Telephone: You can also book via phone. Agents are available 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. Toll-free (US): 1-877-505-4611, International: +1-801-505-4611.
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Need Help? Email NSDA@orchid.events.
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- Cancellation Fees:
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March 31 is the deadline to cancel reservations without a fee. Reservations cancelled between April 1 and April 30 will be charged $50 per room cancelled.
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Reservations that are cancelled between May 1 and your hotel’s specified cancellation date will be charged $150 per room cancelled. Cancellations made within the hotel’s specified policy will be charged 1 night’s room and tax per room cancelled.
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To make changes: Before May 22, changes and cancellations can be made online or by contacting Orchid Events via e-mail at NSDA@orchid.events. After May 22, 2026 contact your hotel to make changes and/or cancellations.
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- Credit Card Deposit: All reservation requests must be accompanied by a credit card guarantee. Your credit card WILL NOT BE CHARGED during this initial stage and will be held as a GUARANTEE only. The card is only charged in the event you cancel a room after March 31 or do not check in on your arrival date.
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Confirmation Emails: Orchid Events will send reservation acknowledgements within 24 hours via email. If you do not receive your acknowledgement in this time frame, contact Orchid Events. You will not receive a written confirmation from the hotel.
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Questions or Special Requests? For questions or special requests, please contact Orchid Events at 877-505-4611 or e-mail to NSDA@orchid.events. Special requests are not guaranteed.
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Transportation
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Transportation is primarily up to each individual program. Throughout the week, most teams opt for rental cars or buses. A discount code for Hertz is available using code CDP 2188961. Parking is available for purchase near the Convention Center at a variety of garages, including 500 E Marshall Street and 601 E Marshall Street.
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Venue & Hotel Maps
Discounts
Delta Meeting Event Code: NY4HL
Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounts for the National Speech & Debate Association. Please click here to book your flights. You may also call Conferences and Events® at 1.800.328.1111* Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (EST) and refer to Meeting Event Code NY4HL.
*Please note there is not a service fee for reservations booked and ticketed via the reservation 800 number.
| Book now or call (800) 426–1122. | Book now to receive 20% off with CDP 2188961. |
Meals
Various food options will be available, including lunch and concessions! Stay tuned for further details and menus.
Overview: Safety and Security at the National Tournament
Your safety and well-being are our highest priorities. Over the past year, we’ve carefully reviewed and strengthened our safety protocols to ensure every participant feels secure and supported throughout the competition.
This year’s Richmond Tournament will be held at local venues with new security protocols. We will have enhanced screening at all event entrances and are working closely with professional security teams, Richmond emergency management (police, fire, EMS, and weather), school district security, and convention center and theater staff to ensure strong emergency response plans are in place.
As in previous years, security personnel and nurses/EMTs will be on staff at every tournament venue, and the Belonging and Inclusion Station (BIS) will be available as an additional support resource throughout the tournament. NSDA Tournament Officials will also be available at every venue to address any concerns you may have during the tournament.
Throughout the tournament, all participants are expected to follow the NSDA Code of Conduct, their school district policies and applicable state and federal laws.
We are committed to keeping you informed about safety measures and updates as the tournament approaches. If you have any questions or concerns about safety or wellness, please reach out to us at info@speechanddebate.org.
National Tournament Venue Policies
The following policies will be in place at all 2026 NSDA National Tournament sites to ensure the safety and comfort of our community. NSDA Tournament Officials with venue-specific security training will be onsite at every venue and available to address any questions or concerns.
- *NEW* Wristbands Required for Entry: All participants must wear a wristband for entry into tournament venues. Wristbands are non-transferrable and cannot be removed for the duration of the tournament. They will be distributed at registration. If a replacement wristband is required, the participant must present valid identification before being permitted entry into a tournament venue. If you have concerns about a participant from your school wearing a wristband, please complete the ADA Accommodations Request Form.
- Identification Badges/Ribbons: Within tournament venues, attendees must wear identifying ribbons at all times. This includes approved observers like parents and chaperones. Ribbons are distributed during registration and pinned to clothes.
- *NEW* Controlled Entry Points: Access to venues will be limited to designated entrances with security checkpoints for safety and monitoring. Details on entry point locations will be shared prior to the event.
- *NEW* Entry Inspection at All Venues: All attendees will be required to enter through OPENGATE weapons detection system at all tournament venues and may be subject to search. Items like laptops, glasses cases, and binders must be removed from bags and handed to security before walking through the OPENGATE system.
- Prohibited Items: No weapons, illegal substances or alcohol are permitted onsite.
Security screening is mandatory for all attendees, and we encourage everyone to arrive early to allow enough time. Anyone who does not complete the required screening or does not have proper tournament identification will not be permitted to enter the venue.
We will continue to provide updates on security protocols and provide venue-specific information closer to the event.
Stay in Touch
The Nats26 app is the hub for all urgent tournament communications, including any emergency announcements. It will be available for download in June ahead of the tournament.
Please make sure you have push notifications on in the app to stay up to date on all tournament announcements!
Day-by-Day Breakdowns
Tuesday
Registration will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. An adult from each team should stop by to pick up your materials and ask any questions! Teams arriving early should consider checking out some high school rounds as a learning experience. We recommend teams drive to the competition venues before competition begins to become familiar with the daily route and expected travel times.
Wednesday
Competition begins! Students and judges report to their designated competition venue (wearing their ribbons and wristbands!) for a full day of speech and debate.
Thursday
Competition continues. The first posting of breaks are announced in the afternoon for competitors advancing to middle school elimination rounds, and elimination rounds begin. High school final rounds begin at the Altria Theater, and middle school teams are welcome to attend!
Inclusion Resources
Belonging and Inclusion Station
Each competition venue will have a dedicated Belonging and Inclusion Station. The Belonging and Inclusion Station (BIS) is a resource that supports participants who need interpersonal support during the tournament. It also helps safeguard against potential violations of the NSDA Harassment and Discrimination Policy. All participants are encouraged to visit the BIS.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Competition
- Your school and your student must be members of the National Speech & Debate Association, and your student’s school administration must approve the student representing their school at the Middle School National Tournament.
- The student’s school administration must approve the chaperone that will be supervising the student at the tournament in Des Moines.
- The school administration must approve the adult that completes registration for the tournament under the school’s name.
Please share this approval with the national office by emailing info@speechanddebate.org, and we can add you as an administrator on the school’s Tabroom.com registration page. This will allow you to complete registration by May 15.
Students involved with a non-school club must be registered with the school at which they are enrolled; they cannot compete as part of a club or academy. Your school and your student must be members of the National Speech & Debate Association. The student’s school administration must approve the student representing their school at the Middle School National Tournament. The student’s school administration must also approve the chaperone that will be supervising the student at the tournament in Des Moines and the adult that completes registration for the tournament under the school’s name.
Non-school-based clubs are not recognized at the Middle School National Tournament, so competitors that participate in the same club or academy should be prepared to compete against one another at the tournament.
Judges may only cover the obligation of one school; however, if a judge is unable to impartially adjudicate rounds involving competitors from another school due to club or academy affiliations, those conflicts must be registered in Tabroom.com prior to the start of the tournament.
Yes, all rounds are open to spectators. Spectators may include family members, coaches, competitors in other events, competitors in the same event that are not competing at that time, and judges in any event. No recording (audio or visual) of rounds is allowed at the Middle School National Tournament without the written consent of the Association. All spectators are expected to be respectful during rounds.
Judges are responsible for knowing:
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- The rules and logistics of judging all events within the category they are registered to judge
- How to find out whether they are judging a particular round via Tabroom.com
- How to complete an online ballot on Tabroom.com
- How to give constructive, culturally competent written feedback to students
While there will be a brief judge training on Wednesday morning before competition begins, judges are expected to have an understanding of the above items before they arrive at the tournament. Please review the required judge accreditation modules to learn more!
All events will use online balloting. To access ballots, judges will log in to Tabroom.com and check Current Ballots & Panels for an assignment before each round! If judges don’t have an assignment but are obligated to judge that day, they will report to the judge pooling room at their competition site. Judges are required to leave written comments on their ballots so students can understand their results and improve. Ballots and the full tournament results packet will be available for students to review after the tournament on Monday, June 22, 2026.
If your school’s judges have met their obligations (reported to all assignments), the $200 judge bond will be refunded. During registration for the Middle School National Tournament, schools indicated on Tabroom.com if they would like their judge bond credited to their 2026-2027 NSDA account or returned in the form of a check. Please log in to Tabroom.com to review your selection. All bonds will be processed and returned after Nationals by July 31, 2026.
Round pairings/schematics (who’s competing against who and where) will be available on Tabroom.com at msnats.tabroom.com.
Yes, judges who are in the speech category should be prepared to judge each speech event at the Middle School National Tournament. Check out the required judge accreditation modules to learn more about each event before the tournament!
Rules protests may only be submitted by adults on site at the tournament. The only adults who can submit a rules protest are a) the school’s NSDA advisor on file, or b) an adult representative who is permitted to file protests on behalf of the school. The adult representative must be approved by the school administration and explicitly appointed prior to the tournament.
If one of the eligible adults wishes to file a rules protest, they must file that protest within one hour of the end of the round in which the infraction occurred.
To file a rules protest, the eligible adult should report to the tournament office to receive the protest form. After the form is filed, the tournament office will contact the eligible adult about next steps.
All rules for the Middle School National Tournament can be found in the Unified Manual which is downloadable at https://speechanddebate.org/middle-school-unified-manual. Please keep in mind that your local/state rules may be different than those used for this tournament. If you still have questions or concerns after consulting the Unified Manual, please email the office pre-tournament or stop by the Tournament Office at your venue and speak to someone on duty there during Nationals.
High school National Tournament participants who are no longer competing on Wednesday are welcome to judge at the Middle School National Tournament! High school students may judge as long as they were juniors or seniors with at least 250 Honor Society points in the last academic year. A rising junior does not meet these criteria. They should arrive at the Middle School National Tournament venue by 8:15 a.m. CT on Wednesday and check in with tournament staff to be registered. They will be required to attend a judge training session before they are permitted to judge.
All students advancing to elimination rounds will receive an award. Review the Middle School Unified Manual for information on how competitors advance to elimination rounds. Additionally, the top 10 speakers in LD, CX, PF, BQ, and WSD will be recognized, and the final session presiding officer will be recognized. Schools receiving School of Excellence awards will also be recognized. All middle school champions report backstage of awards for photos and are recognized on stage at the start of the high school National Awards Assembly Friday evening following Middle School Awards.
Time at Nats
Transportation is up to each individual program. Most opt for rental cars or buses. A discount code for Hertz is available on our website.
There are a variety of options for students who are not competing on Thursday and Friday. Most teams choose to watch final rounds of middle school or high school. You’re also welcome to do some sightseeing in the Richmond area. Please keep in mind that even if your students are no longer competing, your school’s judges still must fulfill their judging assignments.
Judges should bring a device with internet connectivity so they can access online ballots. Past attendees recommend bringing a reusable water bottle, power strips, and plenty of your favorite snacks. Students dress in competition attire, whatever that means they’re comfortable in! For students and adults we recommend comfortable shoes, and layers.
Competition venues for middle school competition on Wednesday and Thursday will be announced soon. Friday competition will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Most students are dropped off at competition venues and picked up at the end of the day, though competitors are required to have an adult contact on site at each location. Students will refer to pairings to check their rooms and tournament officials will be available to help with navigation.
General
- Have the attendees create accounts on Tabroom.com.
- Add them to your judge roster.
- Under the “Judges” tab at Nationals, select their names from the dropdown menu and add them to the attendee/observer category. They will appear as a separate list (different from the judge list). Don’t worry—they won’t judge if they are under the observer list!
To compete in the Middle School National Tournament, each student must be supervised by an adult approved by the principal. The adult supervisor must be the student’s coach, a school district faculty member or administrator, or the child’s own parent(s). The supervising adult must stay at the same lodging with student(s) under their supervision. Students without an accredited supervisor staying in the same lodging will not be permitted to participate in the tournament. Coaches from other school districts may not be the adult supervisor without prior written permission of both school district superintendents submitted to the NSDA before the entry will be accepted.
In the lead-up to the tournament, contact the national office as you regularly would at info@speechanddebate.org or by calling (920) 748-6206. For accommodation requests, please contact Dr. Paul Porter at paul.porter@speechanddebate.org. During the tournament, your key sources of information are the Nationals website (www.speechanddebate.org/nationals) and the Nats26 Guidebook app. If you can’t find the answer there, you can follow signs to stop by the Tournament Office in person at any competition venue or email the NSDA Helpline at info@speechanddebate.org for remote assistance if you are unable to visit the Tournament Office. You can also stop anyone wearing a Tournament Official ribbon or Tournament Staff T-shirt to ask for help!
Accessibility & Accomodations
Competitors can share the correct pronunciation of their name using Tabroom. To add name pronunciation:
- Log in to Tabroom.com.
- Go to your profile.
- Click “Edit Names” under the “Judge & Entry Names” section.
- Enter the phonetic spelling of the name.
Additionally, coaches have the opportunity to add students’ pronunciations on the Entries tab of their school’s registration in Tabroom.com.
Yes. Students and judges may choose to add their pronouns to their Tabroom.com profile. If provided, these pronouns will be shared via email with other judges, competitors, and followers of a section or debate as part of round pairings. Pronouns will also appear on judges’ online or printed ballots.
Pronouns will not be displayed publicly on Tabroom.com, including to tournament staff or on public schematics.
Pronouns may be updated at any time. Attendees may also choose to pick up pronoun ribbons or buttons to wear during the tournament. All participants are expected to take note of and respect others’ pronouns throughout the event.
Participants are encouraged to review their school guidelines and applicable state and local laws before adding pronouns.
To update your pronouns:
- Log in to your Tabroom.com account
- Navigate to your profile settings
- Add or update your pronouns as desired
If you would like to request an ADA-related accommodation for one of your school’s participants, please complete the Accommodations Request Form.
Note: Accommodation requests may only be made by coaches.
For questions regarding accessibility at the tournament, please contact Dr. Paul Porter at paul.porter@speechanddebate.org.
Each competition venue will have a dedicated Belonging and Inclusion Station (BIS). The BIS provides interpersonal support during the tournament and helps safeguard against potential violations of the NSDA Harassment and Discrimination Policy.