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| 1. | All secondary schools registered with the Education Bureau of Hong Kong and the Ministry of Education of China are eligible to apply. |
| 2. | The competition features a Chinese Section (96 teams) and an English Section (56 teams), with a total capacity of 152 teams. If the number of applications exceeds the capacity, places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The organizers reserve the right of final decision regarding admissions and quota allocation. |
| 3. | Each school may enter a maximum of two teams (one for the Chinese Section and one for the English Section). Participating debaters must be full-time students currently enrolled in the school. Each match features 3 main speakers: Captain, First Speaker, and Second Speaker. |
| 4. | Each participating school must:
• Nominate at least 1 qualified teacher/coach (with experience in debate, Liberal Studies/Citizenship, or language teaching) to serve as an adjudicator during the preliminary rounds.
• Provide a competition venue for at least 1 match day.
• Submit 4 proposed debate motions for the Committee's reference. |
| 5. | If a school is unable to provide a competition venue, it must nominate one qualified teacher/coach to adjudicate at least twice. The participating school must submit the nominee's background, including relevant debate experience, for the Organising Committee's reference to ensure the quality of adjudication. Failure to comply may affect the school's application for the next edition. |
| 6. | Top 16 teams in the Chinese Section and Top 8 teams in the English Section from the 41st Debate will be designated as seeded teams and automatically qualify for this year's competition, subject to completing the registration process within the specified period. Seeded teams will be evenly distributed across the four competition brackets via random draw. |
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| 1. Preliminary Rounds (Rounds 1 & 2): |
| • | Captain’s Speech: 2 minutes per team. |
| • | Free Debate (Session 1): 1 minute 30 seconds per team. |
| • | Intermission: 1 minute preparation time for both teams. |
| • | Free Debate (Session 2): 1 minute 30 seconds per team. |
| • | Preparation for Summary: 1 minute preparation time for both teams. |
| • | Summary: 1 minute per team (delivered by a designated team member). |
| • | Note: In Round 2, four teams each from the Chinese and English Divisions will be drawn to compete in public mall, which will also feature a Celebrity Exhibition Match. |
| 2. Round 3 to Grand Final: |
| • | Round 3 to Semi-Finals: Alternating Speeches, Free Debate (4 minutes per team), and Summary. |
| • | Grand Final: Alternating Speeches, Floor Times (12 minutes in total), Free Debate (4 minutes per team), and Summary. |
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English Section
| Tournament Stage | Proposed Date |
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| Round 1 | 28 November 2026 (Sat) |
| Round 2 | 12 December 2026 (Sat)
9 January 2027 (Sat) |
| Round 3 | 27 February 2027 (Sat) |
| Quarter-Finals | 20 March 2027 (Sat) |
| Semi-Finals | 10 April 2027 (Sat) |
| Grand Final & Award Ceremony | 18 May 2027 (Tue) |
Chinese Section
| Tournament Stage | Proposed Date |
|---|
| Round 1 | 28 November 2026 (Sat) |
| Round 2 | 12 December 2026 (Sat)
9 January 2027 (Sat) |
| Round 3 | 30 January 2027 (Sat) |
| Round 4 | 27 February 2027 (Sat) |
| Quarter-Finals | 20 March 2027 (Sat) |
| Semi-Finals | 10 April 2027 (Sat) |
| Grand Final & Award Ceremony | 18 May 2027 (Tue) |
* Participating teams must strictly comply with the arranged date and time and cannot request schedule changes. |
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| IV. Match Details & Regulations |
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| 1. | Motions and match details for each round will be published on the official website 7 days prior to the match. Participating teams are required to check the website on their own initiative. |
| 2. | Participating schools must submit the order of speakers form online and submit 2 new motions for competition use 4 days before each scheduled match. |
| 3. | Participating teams must compete strictly in accordance with the schedule arranged by the Organising Committee. Requests for arbitrary changes to match times or dates will not be accepted. |
| 4. | Participating teams may not withdraw from the competition without a valid reason. Unauthorized withdrawals will adversely affect the school's eligibility for future editions. |
| 5. | Participating teams must arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before the match commences. The Organising Committee reserves the right to disqualify any late-arriving teams. |
| 6. | During the match, any form of communication between speakers on stage and the audience is strictly prohibited. Offenders may face disqualification. |
| 7. | Debaters on stage must sit according to the official seating arrangement designated by the Organising Committee. Swapping seats during the match is strictly prohibited. |
| 8. | Debaters must declare on the spot any foreign terms (such as proper names, specific terminology, or book titles) intended for use during the debate for the adjudicators' reference. If a speaker uses undeclared foreign words or terms during the match, adjudicators reserve the right to deduct points. |
| 9. | No personal attacks or defamatory remarks are permitted in any speeches, whether delivered on or off stage. |
| 10. | Except for index cards not exceeding 101.6 mm x 152.4 mm (4" x 6"), participating teams are not allowed to bring any other materials onto the stage. Blank paper will be provided by the Organising Committee for note-taking. |
| 11. | Results will be announced on the match day. Any disputes or appeals must be raised prior to the announcement of results; late submissions will not be entertained. As any dispute may affect match outcomes, the Organising Committee reserves the right to postpone the announcement of results at its sole discretion, and its decision shall not be subject to objection. |
| 12. | Match results are subject to the final decision of the adjudicators and the Organising Committee. Requests for result re-evaluations or appeals will not be accepted. |
| 13. | If any participating team or team member engages in conduct that interferes with the progress of the tournament, their school's eligibility for the current edition may be revoked. Any form of violation or suspected compromise of fair play discovered during the match may result in point deductions or immediate disqualification. The Organising Committee will strictly enforce these regulations and expects full compliance from all teams. |
| 14. | The Organising Committee has the right to make the final decision in case of any emergency incidents. |
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| 1. | Audience members must maintain quiet at all times upon entering the venue. All mobile phones and electronic devices must be switched off or set to silent mode. |
| 2. | During the match (including speeches and preparation time), audience members are strictly prohibited from moving around arbitrarily, taking photos (flash photography is strictly forbidden), or making noise that disrupts the proceedings. |
| 3. | Members of the audience shall not provide any prompts, cues, or assistance in any form to the debaters on stage. |
| 4. | Behavior that disrupts the conduct of the competition or the award ceremony will not be tolerated. The Organising Committee reserves the right to remove offenders from the venue and to take further action as necessary. |
| 5. | The Organising Committee strictly prohibits bringing suspicious or disruptive items into the venue, including but not limited to loudspeakers, megaphones, and banners. The Committee reserves the right to deny entry to any audience member in possession of such items. |
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| 1. | Participants acknowledge and agree that photography and videography will take place during the event. The photos and video footage captured may be used by Sing Tao News Corporation for future marketing and promotional purposes. Anyone who wishes to opt out of this arrangement must inform the event staff on-site in advance and sign an "Opt-Out Form for Promotional Use of Event Photos and Videos." |
| 2. | Participating schools wishing to spectate matches must submit a written request via email to the Organising Committee at least 5 working days prior to the match day. Applications are subject to approval based on venue availability and restrictions set by host schools. Any approval decisions will prioritize ensuring that the competition environment for participating teams remains unaffected. |
| 3. | The Organising Committee reserves the right to disqualify any participating team and to amend the competition rules, regulations, and judging criteria at any time without prior notice. |
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