The American Speech and Debate Association agrees with the Declaration of Independence in claiming that “all men are created equal.”  We expect our competitors, judges, staff, and visitors to treat all people with respect and honor. 

Competitors commit to:

• Treat other competitors with courtesy and kindness, in and out of competition rounds
• Be honest
• Not steal or harm the property of others
• Honor the work of others by giving credit where credit is due and never committing plagiarism 
• Not use vulgarity or crude or rude humor, in words or in actions, either in rounds or at any other time when representing ASDA
• Follow all speech and debate rules and admit mistakes when rules are broken inadvertently
• Honor the decisions and requests of staff members, judges, and other adults

When at tournaments, competitors will:

• Immediately report any unsafe situation to tournament staff
• Never use, retrieve, share, save, or display any hate-based, discriminatory, or sexually explicit material
• Not use or possess alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, illegal drugs, pornography, or any other generally unacceptable items 
• Refrain from public displays of affection
• Not possess dangerous items like knives, lighters, or other weapons