Debate Evidence FAQ

Q: Am I required to produce evidence from my case or rebuttals for my opponent or judge?

A: Yes. Evidence must be readily available and easily accessible to share with anyone in the round who calls for it. This includes both the cut evidence that you read in-round and also the full text of the evidence.

Q: But I thought we couldn't use the internet? How do I pull up my evidence?

A: NSDA no longer prohibits internet connectivity in debate (in fact it was never prohibited for evidence exchange). Competitors may access the internet in-round (you HAVE to be online to compete) to pull evidence from a file or website.

Q: Are you sure? My coach said we couldn't use the internet.

A: I am very sure. The only thing you CAN'T do with the internet in-round is communicate with persons not in the debate.

Q: How do we exchange evidence with NSDA Campus?

A: The easiest and most recommended method is to use an email chain during the debate. If you have never done this before, it is very simple. During the 10 min that you are required to be present in your NSDA Campus room prior to the start time of the round, one competitor should send an email to all other competitors and judges in the round. Participants can easily share and copy email addresses over the NSDA Campus in-room Chat feature. Once this email is sent, any participant can reply-all to the email to attach or link to evidence or case Docs (this may be necessary if internet connectivity is a concern). This series of emails that all participants can access is called a chain.

Alternately, you can message file links in the NSDA Campus Chat, or use the File Transfer tool - but the email chain will keep evidence more organized for all.

Email chains should be created BEFORE the debate begins if your round is going to use one.

Q: How does prep time work with evidence exchanges?

A: Prep time runs for a team when they are reviewing evidence from their opponent. Prep time does not run while evidence is being exchanged. In instances where a debater is unable to produce evidence in a reasonable timeframe (aka - very quickly) it is the judge's discretion as to whether prep time will start or not.

Q: I am a judge and the students in my round are making lots of accusations towards each other about evidence - I am scared and confused - what do I do?

A: Nothing. It is up to you as a judge whether you find arguments over evidence (it's validity, use, relevance, etc.) to be credible or compelling. If you are having a hard time understanding something the students are saying about evidence, that is on them. You will cast your vote and write your ballot just as you would in any other round.

Q: I am a student and I think my opponent is being very sketchy or even lying about evidence. What do I do?

A: You may make any arguments in-round that you believe to be important or persuasive, including arguments regarding your opponent's evidence. It is up to you whether or not you think these arguments will be advantageous to you.

If you sincerely believe that an evidence violation has been committed read on...

Accusations of evidence violations (ie: you accuse your opponent of deliberately lying about, misconstruing, or making up evidence) are very serious in debate and if once is formally made, the round is over. If you are considering making a formal accusation, you need to be certain your opponent is deliberately trying to cheat - not that they are merely misunderstanding something about a source. If you truly believe this and are willing to risk your W/L for the round on it, you may inform the judge that you want to file a formal evidence accusation and end the debate because you believe that your opponent is cheating.

Q: I am a judge and a student just did what you told them to do in the above paragraph about evidence accusations. Now what?

A: Contact the tab helpline immediately. Do not do anything else until a tab staff member comes to speak to your room.