Extemporaneous FAQ (PDF, revised 10/09)

The Extemporaneous FAQ contains rules clarifications provided by NCFCA for use by both participants and Tournament Directors.

How are Extemporaneous topics formatted?

Topics are posed as questions based on recent current events. Topics are categorized as either foreign or domestic and rounds should alternate between these two categories. Tournaments may add a separate, discretionary category to include economic questions. Each speaker receives a list of 3 questions. No two speakers in the same room will receive the same questions. The same speaker (e.g., speaker #3) in each Extemp room is to receive the same set of topics. A panel of 8 speakers will require 24 topics, 3 for each speaker.

How will the speakers manage prep time?

The Extemp prep room should have a clock or other timepiece visible to all speakers during prep time.

Can I tell others about the topic of my speech or other speeches in the round?

Speakers will not disclose the topics to other students until after the round has finished.

Why is the student not allowed to disclose topics after leaving the room?

Disclosing topics would allow other competitors to have an advantage of additional time to think about their speech.

My child has special needs and/or circumstances. Can he be considered an exception to a competition rule?

From a practical standpoint, an exception here would open the door for a host of exceptions. An unlimited number of participants could see themselves in need of exceptions and an infinite number of potential exceptions requested. It becomes highly complicated to communicate the variety of potential exceptions to the judges as well as competitors. The ultimate purpose for participating in competitive forensics is for to improve communication skills. Special students have shown much improvement in this environment