Resources for SUNDAY debate judges

Key points for SUNDAY elimination rounds

(1) As always, click START as soon as you get your ballot.  That way, we know you have received it and that we don't need to find a replacement judge.

(2) Sunday's debates will be adjudicated by three-judge panels.  Please do not confer with other judges.  Each judge decides PRO or CON individually.

(3) You will NOT award speaker points.  Just a win and a loss.

(4) After the last judge enters his or her decision, Tabroom will display the panel decision (3-0 or 2-1 for one of the teams).  Watch for that information in case you are the last judge to enter a decision.  When Tabroom displays that information, we ask that you announce it to everyone in the room - including the winning SCHOOL and the SIDE (PRO or CON) - for example, "Montpelier on the PRO won this round on a 2-1 decision". 

(5) All judges should then individually say how they voted and make sure that the panel decision just announced matches what the judges announce individually.  That way, we make sure that nobody confused the sides and that the decision was read correctly.

(6) After announcing your individual decision, each judge may (but is not required to) offer a brief oral explanation for his or her decision - 90 seconds at most, so that the entire panel takes no more than FIVE MINUTES. (edited) 

(7) As usual, we ask all judges to provide written comments - even if you provided oral comments.  You may continue to edit your ballot comments until the end of the tournament (around 5:00 PM on Sunday).