Texas Forensic Association


The Texas Forensic Association is an organization that provides and regulates competition in speech and debate for Texas high school students. The association authorizes forensics competitions nearly every weekend in Texas for the duration of the forensics season, which lasts from early August until the end of February, with the State competition typically in the first or second week of March.

Goals

The Texas Forensic Association states that its goals are:
TFA divides Texas into five regions for administrative purposes; there are no regional championship tournaments or limit on number of schools or students to qualify to the state tournament from each region. The regions are divided by area code, and there is a region representative from each region to coordinate the region's activities with the state association.

State qualifying events

These events are held during the TFA State Consolation Rounds.
In addition to the events that can qualify a student to the State Tournament, some tournaments also offer:
The competitive season culminates in the TFA State Tournament, a three-day event held at a different Texas school each year. Competition in all qualifying events is offered, and non-qualifying events are offered as consolation events for students who did not advance in the event they qualified in.
To qualify for State in a certain event, a student must accumulate twelve state points in the event. Points are awarded based on the number of entries in the tournament.
;Cross Examination Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Public Forum Debate
;Individual Events
;Congressional Debate

State winners

;2017 Tournament
;2016 Tournament
;2015 Tournament
;2014 Tournament
Individual Sweepstakes Awards
Regional Sweepstakes
Overall Sweepstakes
;2013 Tournament
;2012 Tournament
;2011 Tournament

Scholarship

The TFA awards a scholarship of $500 or $1,000 to two male and two female students each year at the state tournament. Any state-qualified senior may apply with a recommendation from his or her coach. The awards are given based on an equally weighted consideration of achievements, financial need, and academics.