Directions for Registration, Video Upload, and Judging

How to Register Online

 View the following instructions to register online with Tabroom.com- Online Registration Instructions

Clarification for uploading the speech recordings:

1. Students should film their videos on their device of choice (NSDA RULES APPLY - NO PROFESSIONAL LIGHTS. NO PROFESSIONAL RECORDING OR SOUND EQUIPMENT. ONE TAKE/NO EDITING) and upload them to Youtube. 
2. Students should change the setting on their video upload to “only available with link” (or "unlisted")to assure privacy.
3. Students share those links with their coaches.

4. Coaches go to Tabroom and click on their entries tab within the tournament registration. Next to each entry is a little blue edit button (next to the delete entry button). Click the edit button for each speech entry.
5. Paste the youtube link into the field provided there.

Online Judging Instructions

Read the following on how to judge online- How to Judge...Online

Judging Process

Judges and competitors MUST have tabroom.com accounts in order to participate

1. Individual Event Judging Procedure (with the exception of Extemporaneous Speaking)

1. Individual Event judges (with the exception of Extemporaneous Speaking) will receive their judging assignments by 4 pm on Thursday. An email will be sent out to coaches and judges.

2. Judges will have until Saturday morning at 10 am to turn in their virtual ballots. Any judge that does not turn in their ballots by then will incur a fee for their team. 

3. Individual Event Judges signed up for Saturday rounds will need to report to the online judge pooling room by 10:00 am. Roll call will be held to determine if judges are not present. We will be calling replacement judges for any individual events from prelims at that time. Judges will be “released” by the judge assignment person ONLY after it is confirmed all judges have begun rounds.

4. Judges will need to be in the “pooling room” 30 minutes before each out round (see the schedule for semifinals and finals on individual events except Extemporaneous Speaking). Judges will be called from the pool and will only be released from the pool once all rounds have begun. Judges that adjudicate out rounds will be required to complete the out rounds immediately and in real-time. They will have an hour and a half from the assignment to complete their rounds.

5. Any judges that are signed up but do not report to pooling or judge their assigned rounds will incur a fine for their team.

2. Debate/Congress/Extemporaneous Speaking judges

1. Debate, congress, and extemporaneous speaking judges will be judging live. 

2. Judges that are pre-assigned rounds should show to their assigned virtual room 15 minutes before. Judges should wait until tab has cleared them before beginning their round.

3. Once the round is completed, judges should virtually turn in their ballots.

4. Judges will be expected to show at the judge pooling room 30 minutes before every round if they are not pre-assigned a round. 

5. Judges are only released from the pooling room once tab has cleared that all rounds have begun.

6. Roll call will be taken, and judges who do not show up will incur a fine for their team.

7. If a judge is called from the pool, they are required to go to their rounds immediately. 

8. Judges will turn in ballots immediately like they were at a regular tournament.

 QUICK REMINDER ABOUT IMPARTIALITY AND FAIRNESS:

Please remind your judges that they will be evaluating students from across the country, from many different backgrounds. We understand that judging is a subjective activity, but we ask that judges make every effort to ensure competitors receive a fair and unbiased opportunity.

This means focusing on the effectiveness of the student's communication and/or arguments within the bounds of the event rules, as opposed to one's own subjective preferences. It means being mindful of one's biases and working to remove them from the decision making process. It means understanding that students may come from socioeconomic situations that do not permit --for example-- fancy clothes, and treating all performers the same so long as their dress and demeanor show basic respect for the event. It also means laying any region-specific or circuit-specific ("This is how we do it in ...") preferences behind, to the extent they differ from the stated rules of the event.

Coaches, please take a moment to convey these expectations to your judges, particularly any new judges, as we want our students to have a positive experience, which can only come when they are adjudicated fairly and receive relevant, helpful feedback.