National Speech and Debate Tournament
2023 — Phoenix/Mesa, AZ/US
Brent Snow Paradigm
Lincoln Douglas
Lincoln Douglas Debate Judge Philosophy
Your experience with LD Debate (check all that apply)
Experienced LD judgeHow many years have you judged LD debate?
8How many LD rounds have you judged this year?
11-20What is your preferred rate of delivery?
3/91 = Slow conversational style9 = Rapid conversation speed
Does the rate of delivery weigh heavily in your decision?
YWill you vote against a student solely for exceeding your preferred speed?
YHow important is the criterion in making your decision?
It may be a factor depending on its use in the roundDo you feel that a value and criterion are required elements of a case?
NRebuttals and Crystallization
Voting issues should be given:
Either is acceptableThe use of jargon or technical language ("extend", "cross-apply", "turn", etc.) during rebuttals:
Should be kept to a minimumFinal rebuttals should include:
Line by line analysisVoting issues are:
Not necessaryHow do you decide the winner of the round?
I decide who is the person who persuaded me more of their positionHow necessary do you feel the use of evidence (both analytical and empirical) is in the round?
4/91 = Not necessary9 = Always necessary
Please describe your personal note-taking during the round
I write down the key arguments throughout the roundEthical debating is paramount to my judging decisions. Behaviors such as interrupting, bullying, dismissiveness and others that indicate disrespect will cause me to rate a debater poorly, regardless of the strength of their arguments. I expect respectful civil discourse. I am also not a fan of the strategy of speaking rapidly in order to get in as many arguments as possible that must be rebutted. In my view, the best debaters do not need to resort to this ploy.
Note: if you wish for your pronouns to appear the debaters you judge on text/email blasts, log into Tabroom, click Profile at top, and add them in the Pronouns field.