What we ask of every debater on the team.
Below is the Official Break Debate Code of Conduct. Violation of any of these principles is grounds for dismissal from the program.
2026–2027 season · Students
Section 01. Ensuring accountability and safety with the “Rule of Three”
To protect Break Debate staff and program participants, at no time during a Break Debate program may a staff person or volunteer be alone with a single child where the staff person or volunteer cannot be observed by others either electronically or physically, or through recorded practice sessions.
In online interactions, staff and students are only permitted to communicate with one another via the Break Debate Slack or the Break Debate “My Online Classes” app. One-on-one drilling sessions will be recorded by the “My Online Classes” app. All other interactions require staff to implement the “Rule of Three”, or that at least two Break Debate staff members be present in interactions via direct messages or lecture sessions.
In physical interactions, staff and students are not permitted to share a private area outside the view of other staff or the public. Interacting in private areas such as bedrooms, bathrooms, or anywhere otherwise obscured from the view of other staff or the public is strictly prohibited.
In emergency situations, a lone staff member is permitted to enter a private area with a student but must immediately summon an adult third party to the scene. This may be an additional staff member, the student’s parents or guardians if available, and/or emergency services. If neither a staff member nor the student’s parents are immediately available, the staff member is required to call emergency services.
Section 02. Creating a positive team culture and learning environment
- Students will respond to others within Break Debate with respect and consideration and treat all members equally regardless of gender, gender orientation, race, religion, sexual identity, ability, or culture.
- Inappropriate jokes at the expense of others and harassment is prohibited.
- Students are prohibited from taking or using other people’s property without permission and/or intentionally causing damage to the property of other individuals or of any host venues.
- Students are required to encourage integrity in others and report any illicit or harmful behavior they observe among staff and/or students.
- Using, possessing, or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs during program hours for both staff and students is prohibited.
Section 03. Maintaining healthy coach-student boundaries
The following behaviors will result in immediate removal from the program.
- Staff and students will use appropriate touch including pats on the back or shoulder, side hugs, handshakes and high fives. Staff and students will refrain from full frontal hugging, touching personal areas, or patting of the buttocks.
- Students will not share screenshots of private Break Debate interactions or disseminate other program members’ personal information to others.
- Students will refrain from intimate displays of affection toward others.
Section 04. Upholding fair and equitable research and debating practice, both inside and outside of round
Academic integrity
Because of the collaborative nature of the Break Debate preparation process, it is important to ensure that the evidence that each staff and student produces for the program is usable by all other members of Break Debate.
Staff and students are required to cite evidence using Break Debate’s official citation guidelines. These guidelines are created to provide Break Debate’s research with both a uniform presentation and to meet the National Speech and Debate Association’s most recent edition of the “Debate Evidence Rules”, the standard for evidence throughout high school debate competition. No student is to violate the NSDA’s “Debate Evidence Rules”, including but not limited to falsifying, plagiarizing, paraphrasing, or omitting key portions of a document and presenting it as complete.
The use of artificial intelligence to generate evidence is strictly prohibited.
Dropbox policy
Members of Break Debate will have access to Break Debate’s Dropbox and preparation materials at the discretion of Break Debate’s administrators. Membership in Break Debate does not immediately and permanently ensure a student or coach’s access to such materials.
All preparation work and ideas shared within this folder are strictly for use within the Break Debate program. Sharing these materials or related ideas with individuals outside the program is prohibited and will be treated as a serious breach of this agreement.
Students and staff may make materials locally available to them through the Dropbox application or access them directly. Downloading materials locally onto personal devices is prohibited.
Any unauthorized distribution of preparation, excluding “OpenCaselist” disclosure and distribution within the program, will result in a $1000 fine and expulsion from the program with no possibility of a refund.
Debate round conduct
To ensure the safety of our staff, our students, their opponents, and their judges, the above rules regarding student and staff conduct apply equally to individuals outside of Break Debate who interact with members of Break Debate. Additionally:
- Students must not confront adjudicators in an aggressive manner after a debate. Determining what qualifies as “aggressive” behavior will be at the discretion of Break Debate staff.
Disclosure
Students will be required to follow the disclosure policy listed below prior to each of their debate rounds.
In defining what is an “old” and “new” affirmative, affirmative cases that other members registered with Break Debate have already read are not considered “new” and must be disclosed accordingly.
- For Old Affirmatives: When asked, disclose the affirmative case 30 minutes before your flight begins. Provide details of the plan text and advantages and direct opponents to the appropriate wiki entry.
- For New Affirmatives: When asked, announce you are breaking a new affirmative 30 minutes before your flight. Disclosure of the plan text and advantages are at your discretion.
Section 05. Missed cancellation policy
You are required to provide at least one hour’s notice in advance of missing a scheduled drill session. You are required to provide at least a week’s notice in advance of a tournament to cancel previously scheduled on-site coaching. After the first unnotified absence, a fee of half the normal drill session or on-site coaching cost will apply to subsequent missed cancellations.
Section 06. Consequences
Violations of the rules outlined above may lead to suspension, expulsion, or dismissal from Break Debate. The decisions made by Break Debate administrators on a student’s continued involvement with the program are final. Refunds for students will be at the discretion of the administrative staff at Break Debate.
By adhering to these guidelines, you help maintain a positive learning environment, the integrity and exclusivity of our resources, and the safety and well-being of all our staff and students, which is vital to the continued success of our program.
Questions about anything on this page? Email support@breakdebate.com.