Judge Information

We are using Tabroom.com and NSDA Campus to host this scrimmage.

GENERAL ACCESS: To access information about rounds and online competition rooms, you must be registered in Tabroom.com. Tabroom.com and NSDA Campus should be accessed using a Google Chrome browser, not another browser.

ASSIGNMENTS: Assuming your Tabroom email address is correct and your email works, you should receive emails with judging assignments, but you may also log into Tabroom.com to view them. Keep in mind that after the second round, assignments will not be posted until about 45 minutes before each round, so do not assume you are not judging a round if you have committed to do so.

RULES: Please review the SPAR DEBATE RULES Info Page.

NO BURDEN OF PROOF: The winner is the person who did the better debating. The Affirmative does not carry the burden of proof because the Affirmative does not both open and close the debate. As a result, there generally should be no low-point wins.

JUDGING CRITERIA: Decide the round as it is debated, not based on personal beliefs. The following are criteria judges should consider when judging SPAR debate: Understanding of topic, organization, arguments, evidence (facts, examples, statistics, etc.), rebuttal/counter-arguments/clash, and delivery.

REBUTTALS/SUMMARIES: Debaters should not raise new arguments in rebuttals or summaries. Debaters, however, may respond to their opponent's previously made arguments and expand on their own previously made arguments (e.g., by offering evidence to support or rebut a previously made argument or highlighting the importance of an argument).

BALLOTS: We are using Tabroom online ballots. Log in to Tabroom.com and click on the Ballots link to access them. The ballots will contain event instructions and times, as well as provide you with places to record your decision and speaker points and provide competitors with feedback. We expect judges to provide competitors with feedback about why they won or lost, what they did well, and what they could improve.

COMPETITION ROOM: You may access the competition room the same way you access postings. Log into Tabroom, look for the round information, and click on the video icon. This will take you to an online room where you should be joined by the competitors. ARRIVE 15 MINUTES EARLY so that tournament staff and you can address any problems before the round starts. Please note that competitors will arrive either minutes before or when the round is scheduled to start.

ROUND START: At some point before the round is scheduled to begin, you will enter the room, look at the topic and round start time in the chat box, and wait to start the round until prep time is complete. Ensure that you can see and hear the competitors and that they can see and hear you. Then click on your ballot and begin the round.

DECISION: Enter your decision, including speaker points, on the Tabroom ballot within 5 minutes of the end of a round. You may provide students with additional comments/feedback after you submit your decision, but you will not be able to change your decision or points after submitting them.

NO DISCLOSURE: Please do not disclose your decision or reason for decision to the debaters.

PROBLEMS: You may email wvsdahelp@gmail.com.