See Chapter 5 of the Program Guide; a link to it is available on the Resources page. Religious and political themes are permitted, but teams should be aware that much of the scoring is subjective. If the judges consider the presentation to be objectionable or offensive, their scoring will reflect that.
As the tournament is conducted within a Fairfax County public school, teams must also follow any county rules regarding items that may be brought into schools.
It is important for teams to always keep in mind that the judges evaluate their performance based on what they actually see and hear. Whether it is dialogue, props, lyrics, or other actions, there is no room in the Odyssey program for anything that is inappropriate or offensive. Teams should also keep in mind that many times judges do not know the most current songs or lyrics, and so teams should focus on making sure that their performance is effective. Aside from inappropriate, the argument here is ineffectiveness.
Posted in: FAQs for Long-Term Problems, FAQs for Odyssey Team Members