Music City Match Tournament Adjudication
First of all, we want to emphasize that Stoa has taught us that the Judge of each event is always the first Adjudicator!
The Music City Match Tournament will be conducted based on Stoa tournament and competition rules. Any violation of those rules should be brought to the attention of Tournament Leadership within 20 minutes of the end of the round in which said violation occurred.
The allegation must be submitted in writing and articulate the specific Stoa rule that is being challenged. A coach or parent representative must be present with the written complaint. The adjudication committee will then meet with all parties involved and come to a decision.
If it is decided that there was a Rules violation the penalties will be determined by the Adjudication Team. We strive to be judicious and fair, only administering penalties in the event of a rules violation, i.e. penalties which are in keeping with the nature of said rules violation.
For debate, a potential penalty is that the team violating the rules may be given a forfeit for that round. If the violation happens in a speech round, the violator might potentially be given last place on all ballots in their room for that round. The violator may lose a green check, depending on the violation and the ruling of the Adjudication Team.
There are Rules violations that may warrant a disqualification of the student or team from the event in which the violation occurred. Again, if it is clear that there was a clear and intentional Rules violation the Adjudication Team may determine the penalty should be disqualification from the event at the tournament.
If it is decided that there was no Rules violation, there will be no penalty for the speaker or team accused.
Please note, bringing a fellow speaker/debater before the Adjudication Team for a Rules violation is a serious matter and should not be done lightly. Anyone bringing frivolous charges or repeatedly bringing unfounded charges may be subject to penalties themselves.
The aim of any adjudication is to reach a resolution as simply and quickly as possible, focusing on educating with grace.
All information discussed must be kept private and confidential.
Finally, as Christians, as Ambassadors for Christ, our goal is that the Adjudication process be handled with wisdom, grace, mercy, restitution, and forgiveness resulting in a redemptive learning process for all involved.