Virginia District Qualifier

for the 2021 National Tournament

Judge Information (Important)

Rules Concerning Judge

1. Judges must have graduated from high school. 

2. No first-year out judges.

3. Judges must be aware of all NSDA rules regarding event procedures, scoring, and requirements of the event you have placed them in. If a judge is unfamiliar with the rules and regulations, or unfit to judge (as determined by the District Committee) your judge will be removed from the tournament and the school charged for a missing judge.

4. Judges need to be available throughout the tournament. They should not leave the tournament until all rounds are completed. This is necessary because the elimination rounds require multiple judges and we cannot use “dirty” judges.

5. Judges in congress debate are welcome in debate events. 

6. Debate judges may be used in any event.  Please make notes about a judge’s experience and capabilities during registration on Tabroom.

Judge Notes and Ratios

Judging Note:  The tournament doesn’t provide judging for you.  Your school must provide judges.  Remember, the tournament is only well judged when schools provide quality judges.  

Judges are obligated to be fair and meet all requirements listed below.  Further, judges are a representation of your program.  Do not provide judges with records unacceptable to judging high school debate.  

Every school must supply judges in the following ratios

Because all events essentially run concurrently under pilot rules, we must have more judges than ever before.

 In each debate event, schools must provide 1 judge per every two entries or fraction thereof.   

For example, if you enter 2 PF teams you owe a judge to the tournament.  If you enter 1 Policy and 1 LD, you owe two judges.  3 students entered in BQ requires 2 judges.

In Congress, 1 judge must be provided for every 5 students entered or a fraction thereof.  If you enter 7 students, you owe two judges.  Judges are not bound to either house or senate.  They will be used in both.

Judges may NOT disclose results of any round at any point in the tournament.

Judges are not to provide any feedback to students following the conclusion of the round.  We want students off-screen and judge’s ballots submitted quickly.  

Judges should submit their decision within ten minutes of a debate round.  

Judges must submit when their decision is reached.  Comments for debaters may be entered after submitting the ballot!

Judges with Policy judging experience need to be clearly noted on their Tabroom entry.