Impromptu — Rule Clarification

Impromptu is an excellent event for competitor to build up their off-the-cuff public speaking skills. Given only a short amount of time to prepare, competitors learn how to organize their thoughts and present a speech all in just seven minutes.  This event can directly translate into situations competitors will likely find themselves in such as class discussions, job interviews, or speeches at family events.

Many Impromptu speeches take the form of ‘argument from example.’  A competitor interprets the topic, provides a thesis, and then provides multiple examples to support their thesis.

One of the NOF Impromptu rules can sometimes cause confusion, namely:

Impromptu speakers may not use the same example in the same way in more than two rounds per tournament. 

As we start the 2022-2023 season, we thought it might be helpful to clarify how this rule is interpreted at NOF tournaments.

The problem of canning

Sometimes, competitors seeking an advantage in Impromptu may resort to memorizing a few specific examples and then reusing those same examples in later rounds.  This is sometimes referred to as ‘canning.’ It goes against the spirit of the event since the competitor is not giving a truly impromptu speech. Since the competitor is reusing the same example over and over, they usually have the delivery down perfectly and sometimes can gain an advantage. 

However, it can be a gray area when a competitor uses the same general topic or theme in multiple rounds. A judge or audience member may feel that the speaker is canning, but the speaker may feel they are just using the same example in a different way, and thus still following the rules for the event.

To avoid the appearance of canning, some competitors use an example only once each tournament. While that requires a larger repertoire of examples, it ensures you never get accused of violating the rule. It also means you potentially get a lot more out of doing Impromptu. 

Example

An example here may help to clarify what is and is not a rule violation.  Let’s say that a competitor wanted to discuss the Civil Rights hero Martin Luther King Jr.

If a competitor were, in rounds 1, 2, and 3, to use the example of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream Speech” that would be a violation of the rule.  They are using the same example in the same way in more than two rounds.

However, if the competitor were to discuss Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream Speech” in round 1; his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in round 2; and his role in passing the 1964 Civil Rights Act in round 3; this would not be in violation of the rule.  While the competitor is still discussing Martin Luther King Jr. in each of the three preliminary rounds, they are not discussing it in the same way.

Judge Responsibility 

If a judge during a round suspects that a competitor has violated a rule, we ask that they adjudicate the round as if no rule violation has occurred. Rank the competitor assuming they have not violated the rules.  

As stated in the NOF Bylaws Section III.L.2:

Disqualifications: Under no circumstances should a judge disqualify a competitor.  If a rule violation is believed to have occurred, the Tournament Director and/or the Ombuds shall determine the outcome.  Judges should evaluate the round as if there were no rules violations, and inform tournament officials of any rule violations.

The judge is asked to inform tournament officials who can start an investigation. eBallots have made this process much easier since the tournament director and/or ombuds can quickly pull up other round ballots and see if the examples were reused.  Tournament officials may also interview prior judges to get more information. 

Essentially, tournament officials are better suited to investigate potential rules violations, and we ask judges not to assume the competitor has violated the rules. To be clear, judges should never disqualify the competitor.

Competitor Responsibility

If you believe a competitor has violated the rule at a tournament, we ask you to please first talk to your coach. Your coach is able to protest the round, and an investigation can be done.  Competitors should not alert the judge or fellow competitors during the round of suspected rule violations. We want to make sure rounds are adjudicated fairly and competitors are not unfairly accused of violating rules.

Bottom line

Coaches and competitors should be aware that many speech & debate tournaments, including NOF, have rules regarding the reuse of examples in Impromptu speaking.  Competitors should avoid canning their speeches and reusing examples in the same way more than twice in a tournament. In doing so, competitors can gain valuable educational benefits from the event and ensure fair competition for all.