AFA-NST District 6

Spring Qualifying Tournament

 

November 7, 2025

Dear AFA-NST District 6 Schools:

 

The AFA-NST District 6 Spring Qualifying Tournament will be held asynchronously online. This tournament will take place from December 2nd to December 5th, 2025.

 

District 6 comprises the following states: AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN and Louisiana State University. If you know of other programs in your state that would be interested in joining the AFA-NST, please encourage them to attend our district tournament or to contact me for more information. We want our district to be well represented at the 2026 AFA-NST. Be sure to check out the AFA-NST website at www.afa-niet.org for additional information and the invitation.

 

We will use SpeechWire for entries, scheduling, and tabulation. To enter the tournament, please go to: www.speechwire.com. Please, be sure all of your students have activated SpeechWire accounts and are listed in your Team Roster. If you have any questions about this year's district tournament or the national tournament, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Tennisha Sonsalla District VI Chair

Assistant Director of Forensics at Tennessee State University 

715-661-2319

sonsallala@gmail.com

 

 

District Six Qualifier Spring 2025 Tournament

 

Entries : All entries must be entered on Speechwire.com. There will be two preliminary rounds with finals. A school may not enter more than five students in each event. Material must not have been used by the student before September 1, 2025. Competitors may enter up to three events in a grouping. A STUDENT MAY NOT ENTER AN EVENT THAT HAS BEEN QUALIFIED FOR THE 2026 AFA-NST THROUGH THE AT-LARGE QUALIFICATION METHOD--please see at-large qualification method below.

 

At Large Qualifications Process for the 2025-2026 competitive season: Two tournament placements used for qualification may not exceed a cumulative total of five (5), based on the following formula:

 

Up to six legs may be awarded in a final round, but no more than 50% of the competitors may earn legs in an event. The total number of entries will be rounded down.

 

# of entries in the event # of legs earned Places that earn legs

1                            0                 0

2-3                         1                 1st

4-5                         2                 1st, 2nd

6-7                         3                 1st, 2nd, 3rd

8-9                         4                 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th

10-11                      5                 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th

12+                         6                 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th

 

District Qualification: The top three placements (or more based on entry size) automatically qualify for the AFA-NST. If an event receives its second leg to qualify at large, the district automatic qualification will move down to the next highest placing entry. This season will also continue the use of the bump-down sheet. As the season continues a student may choose to continue to travel automatically qualified events until they at-large qualify. If events at-large coaches should update the bump down sheet. The bump-down sheet will be shared to coaches shortly after the Fall Qualifier has ended. 

 

Tournament Fees: $10 per individual event slot entered. Additional fees: $10.00 per slot not covered by a judge provided by your school; $20.00 per slot drop; $60.00 per judge drop.

 

Payment: Thanks to Ben Pyle and the University of Alabama for handling payment. Payments can be made in the form of a check mailed to Ben Pyle, University of Alabama, Communication Studies Dept., Reese Phifer Hall Room 203, Box # 870172, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487.

 

Judges: All judges must be active coaching faculty, or graduate students, or persons with forensic experience. All judges will be responsible for judging one round past the elimination round of their students -- this means all judges are obligated to judge events in both flights which go straight to finals. Each school will be expected to provide one judge for every six slots entered. To ensure that we can utilize judges from all schools, we reserve the right to schedule students from the same school in the same section if necessary. The cost for hired judges will be $10.00 per uncovered slot.

 

Deadlines: All entries must be received by 5:00 pm, CST, Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025.

 

INVOICE NUMBER 2025-2026

American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament 

Subscription Fee for the American Forensic Association's National Speech Tournament. Payment due by December 1, 2025.

Amount due: $30.00 ($50.00 if postmarked after December 1). Remit Payment to: DISTRICT CHAIR AFA-NST

Subscribing School: 

Coach:

Office Phone:

Home Phone:

Address:

Make checks payable to American Forensic Association This can also be paid directly on the AFA Website

 

 

 

 

2025 District 6 Spring Qualifying Tournament Schedule:

All times in Central Standard Time

 

Sunday, November 30th

3:00 p.m. LP Prompts Released 

Tuesday, December 2nd

5:00 p.m. Tournament Registration and Video Links Due

6:00 p.m. Preliminary Round Ballots Blasted Out

Thursday, December 4th

8:00 p.m. Preliminary Ballots Due

9:00 p.m.      Final Round Ballots Released 

Friday, December 5th 

9:00 p.m.      Final Ballots Due 

10:00 p.m.    Results Posted to SpeechWire 

 

 

 

AFA-NST 2025-2026 Description of Events

 

Impromptu Speaking: An impromptu speech, serious in nature, with topic selections varied by round and by section. Topics will be derived from quotations. Speakers will have a total of 7 minutes for both preparation and speaking. Timing commences with the acceptance of the topics sheet. Limited notes are permitted.

 

Informative Speaking: An original, factual speech by the student on a realist subject to fulfill the general aim to inform the audience. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. Multiple sources should be used and cited in the development of the speech. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time is 10 minutes.

 

Prose Interpretation: A selection or selections of prose material of literary merit, which may be drawn from more than one source. A primary focus of this event should be on the development of the narrative/story. Play cuttings and poetry are prohibited. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time is 10 minutes including introduction.

 

Duo Interpretation: A cutting from one or more texts of literary merit, humorous or serious, involving the portrayal of two or more characters presented by two individuals. The material may be drawn from any genre of literature. This is not an acting event; thus, no costumes, props, lighting, etc, are to be used. Presentation is from the manuscript and the focus should be off- stage and not to each other. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

 

Extemporaneous Speaking: Contestants will be given three topics in the general area of current events, choose one, and have 30 minutes to prepare a speech that is the original work of the student. Maximum time limit for the speech is 7 minutes. Limited notes are permitted. Student will speak in listed order. Postings of topics will be staggered.

 

Persuasive Speaking: An original speech by the student designed to inspire, reinforce, or change the beliefs, attitudes, values or actions of the audience. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. Multiple sources should be used and cited in the development of the speech. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

 

Program Oral Interpretation: A program of thematically-linked selections of literary merit, chosen from two or three recognized genres of competitive interpretation (prose/poetry/drama). A primary focus of this event should be on the development of the theme through the use of narrative/story, language, and/or characterization. A substantial portion of the total time must be devoted to each of the genres used in the program. Different genre means the material must appear in separate pieces of literature ( e.g., A poem included in a short story that appears only in that short story does not constitute a poetry genre.) Only one selection may be original. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

 

After Dinner Speaking: An original, humorous speech by the student, designed to exhibit sound speech composition, thematic, coherence, direct communicative public speaking skills, and good taste. The speech should not resemble a night club act, an impersonation, or comic dialogue. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforced the message. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

 

Communication Analysis: An original speech by the student designed to offer an explanation and/or evaluation of a communication event such as a speech, speaker, movement, poem, poster, film, campaign, etc., through the use of rhetorical principles. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. Manuscripts are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

 

Drama Interpretation: A cutting that represents one or more characters from a play or plays of literary merit. A primary focus of this event is on the development of characterization. This material may be drawn from stage, screen, or radio. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

 

Poetry Interpretation: A selection or selections of poetry of literary merit, which may be drawn from more than one source. A primary focus of this event should be on the development of language. Play cuttings and prose works are prohibited. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

 

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