Thank you for being interested in debating at Helsinki Schools Open! We are extremely delighted to have you at HSO 2025, where great minds meet to battle with their words. This is an excellent opportunity for all kinds of debaters -- whether you are preparing for WSDC Panama or a more casual debater!
Tournament Details:
Dates: June 7-8, 2025
Venue: Online (Zoom & Discord)
Timezone: GMT+3 (Eastern European Summer Time)
Format: WSDC
Registration Fees: 20€/Speaker (early bird), 25€/Speaker (regular).
*Finnish debaters who come from schools that have not participated in the previous Nationals 2025: 15€/debater
Judge Requirement: N=N rule, missing judge fee = 50€ (fee waivers available).
Break Categories: Open (and Novice Finals if enough novice teams)
Important Deadlines:
April 18, 2025: Early Bird Registration
* Team & Judge Information + Payment due April 25, 2025
May 25, 2025: Regular Registration
* Team & Judge Information + Payment due June 1, 2025
Additional information:
*Teams will receive their slots on a first-come-first-serve basis. This means that we will treat all institutions equally and each institution can register the number of teams they want to as long as there are enough team slots remaining.
*You will receive a confirmation email from our email (helsinkischools.wsdc@gmail.com) regarding payment details and future logistics.
Age/Eligibility Criteria:
Novice: Any participants who have debated for less than one year, so have started no earlier than June 2024.
Open: All participants will automatically qualify for the Open category.
Preliminary Tournament Schedule (all times in GMT+3):
Saturday, June 7th, 2025
08:30 Check In
09:00 Opening ceremony, draw for R1
09:30 Prep time for R1 and Judge Briefing
10:00 Round 1 (Impromptu)
12:00 R2 draw
12:10 Round 2 (prepared)
14:10 Lunch Break
15:00 R3 draw
15:10 Prep time for R3
15:40 R3 (Impromptu)
17:40 Coffee Break
18:00 R4 draw
18:10 Round 4 (prepared)
Sunday, June 8th, 202508:30 - 09:00 Check-in
09:00 - 09:20 Roll call + draw for R5
09:20 - 09:50 Prep time for R5
09:50 - 11:20 R5 (closed)
11:20 - 11:50 Coffee break
11:50 - 12:10 Break announcement
12:10 - 12:40 Prep time for Quarterfinals
12:40 - 14:10 Quarterfinals (and Novice final)
14:10 - 15:20 Break Announcement
15:20 - 17:00 Semifinals
17:00 - 17:20 Coffee Break
17:20 - 17:30 Break announcement
17:30 - 18:00 Prep time for Finals
18:00 - 19:30 Finals
19:30 - 19:45 Coffee Break
19:45 - 20:15 Awards + Closing ceremony
*Break size may change based on the number of teams registered for the tournament.
Questions? Email us at helsinkischools.wsdc@gmail.com!
