Extemporaneous Rules
Stoa Extemporaneous Rules © 2025 Rev. 7/14/2025
Description: In Extemporaneous speaking, the competitor answers a given question based on recent events in the news. The competitor researches national and international current events and may create reference files of newsworthy information. Extemporaneous speech should be regarded as a demonstration of personal knowledge on the topic, as well as an original synthesis of numerous sources.
Goal: To develop a well-informed student who can critically evaluate current issues by expressing his/her position on a given question. The speech should be the competitor’s original work and delivered with credible, pertinent, and sufficient evidence to support his/her position on the topic.
Extemporaneous Preparation Rules:
1. In Extemporaneous (Extemp) speaking the competitor, alone or as part of a club, prepares by researching national and international current events and may create reference files of newsworthy information including published articles, reference works, facts, and data, which may be stored and organized electronically or on hard copies.
2. The speech must be an original work, prepared during the Extemp preparation time. Competitors may not bring pre-written speeches, outlines, or cards into the Extemp Preparation (Prep) Room. This includes, but is not limited to, research papers, debate cases, previous Extemp cards, podcast transcripts, etc.
3. Competitors may only be in the Extemp Prep Room during their prep time.
4. Competitors should arrive at the Extemp Prep Room before the beginning of their posted preparation time.
5. Extemp prep time will not be extended if a competitor is late for their draw time. If a competitor is late to the Extemp Prep Room, they will have less time to prepare their speech and must still speak on schedule.
6. In the Extemp Prep Room, the competitor will receive a set of three (3) topic questions which he/she may keep.
7. During preparation time, the competitor may only use his/her offline reference files to prepare a single note card (3” x 5”) for presentation.
8. Competitors have thirty (30) minutes of preparation time which includes walking to and arriving at their competition room.
Competitors are responsible for arriving at the competition room by the required speaking time.
9. Each competitor must do their own work and must not communicate with others during their Extemp prep time.
10. Access to the internet or outside information is prohibited from draw time through speech completion. WiFi must be turned off.
11. Competitors may not use any electronic devices to communicate with anyone prior to the conclusion of their speech.
12. Tournaments are not required nor expected to provide power sources for electronic devices.
13. Competitors are responsible for the security of their electronic equipment, file boxes, and/or published media.
14. All file boxes and/or electronic devices must be labeled with the name of the competitor and club.
15. A competitor must not use another competitor’s or club’s files or electronic device(s) without the written permission of the coach or parent of the loaning competitor. This permission must be submitted in writing to the Extemp Room Proctor before the competitor uses the files and/or device(s). If computers are shared, open files must be closed before use by others. If hard copies are shared, they must be re-filed before being given to another competitor.
16. Competitors are responsible to know and abide by the Competitor Responsibilities. See the Stoa Extemporaneous Preparation Room Protocol.
Extemporaneous Administration Rules:
1. A list of possible topics will be given to each of the judges in the competition room.
2. Competitors are timed to speak every 10 minutes. Tournaments will post competitor preparation times and speaking times. Competitors must speak at their scheduled times.
Extemporaneous Presentation Rules:
1. The competitor must state the selected question early in the speech and answer the selected question. They will take a position on that question and support that position with analysis and outside evidence.
2. Nothing may be used during the competitor’s speech other than one 3” x 5” card and the topic paper.
3. Competitors may not receive or access any verbal, non-verbal, electronic, and/or written communication, nor any form of visual assistance during preparation and/or delivery of the speech, other than specifically allowed preparation materials.
4. When quoting information or data from an outside source, the source must be verbally cited during the speech. Use of another person’s words or ideas without crediting them is plagiarism and is strictly forbidden. See the Stoa Plagiarism Policy.
5. No audio or visual aids or props may be used during the speech presentation.
6. Vulgar, obscene, lewd, and/or graphic language and gestures are strictly prohibited.
7. Competitors must not listen to other Extemporaneous competitors speaking before them in the round.
8. The timepiece must be facing toward the competitor and counting up.
9. Maximum speaking time is seven (7) minutes. Competitors may not provide any additional context, explanation, or commentary about their speech before or after delivery unless directed by tournament staff.
10. Competitors will receive a one (1) rank penalty for going overtime by fifteen (15) seconds or more.
Preparation and Walk Time – Thirty (30) Minutes. Speaking Time – Seven (7) Minutes.