Most important thing first: He who wins the framework, wins the round. He who wins the framework wins the round. He who wins the framework, wins the round. Ok? Yes, you can argue against the contrary if you want.

No spreading. I will put my pen down and stop listening. I feel no ethical or professional obligation to strain myself to understand someone trying so little to be understood.

Philosophy and framework debate matter before all. I have a masters in philosophy. Impact doesn't really matter, if philosophically you can't prove that the impact would be a good thing.

I pay attention during cross examination. Concessions made there are binding.

I've done this for some time, but I am traditional and have no patience for progressive LD tricks designed to avoid a debate. This doesn't mean no critique, but it does mean that your critique had better demonstrate deep understanding of the deeper philosophic issues at play or I'll just dismiss it as sophistry. Theory? Again, fine if you really demonstrate a deep understanding of the philosophy. I feel likewise about cleverly redefining words in the resolution. I'm fine with a fine-tuned definition of words and their meanings but you had better have a really good reason for redefining a word away from its commonsense, everyday use. Again, you could have that reason.

While I'm not a lay judge, if a lay judge couldn't understand you, we have problems. It's up to you to be clear, not up to me to demonstrate I can listen. The real Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated before farmers with less than an eight grade education in Freeport and Peoria IL. Let them be your guides.

I began judging during my senior year of high school, after competing in Lincoln-Douglas debate throughout high school. I studied Economics at Emory University and graduated in 2018. I'll begin studying at University of Florida Law in Fall 2019.

I mostly judge LD, although I have judged PF and BQ before. I evaluate debaters on the basis of structure and framework of arguments, professionalism, clarity, consistency in argumentation, and general persuasiveness. The presentation of the debate is significant to me, even as contentions and argumentation are crucial. You need to have a value and criterion (for LD). You need to define your terms. I will choose logical reasoning over an emotional appeal. I will choose pragmatic ideas over simply theoretical ideas. Impacts are crucial. I consider myself to lean more traditional than progressive.

***NOTE***

DO NOT spread. It takes away from the essence of LD debate. Reading quickly is fine, but not a speed that constitutes spreading. Be clear and succinct, otherwise I will not effectively evaluate your arguments. I will say "clear" no more than twice before docking speaker points.

DO NOT just projectile vomit cards at me. I need to know what you're arguing and why (the big picture, the "substance"), not simply your massive card collection. That said, it's key that you have sufficient cards to maintain credibility- find a balance.

DO NOT debate arbitrary aspects of the round. Too often I find debaters wasting their rebuttal speeches with "tit-for-tat" arguments about insignificant factors (i.e. if there are no real stakes for the definitions debate or the value debate, don't waste time on it).

DO NOT try to convince me of BS. This includes (but is not limited to): lying, new arguments in rebuttal speeches, whole contentions/arguments without warrants, false reasoning for why an argument should be extended, non-topical arguments, etc. Give me a clean debate.

I typically determine the winners of each round based on which framework is favorable over another, which framework appears most pragmatic. At the end of the round, if my mind is not already made up, I'll pull back to look at the big picture. Who has the higher valued stakes? Who has better impact analysis? Who was more logically convincing? Who wasted their time and who did not?

Counterplans: These are fine; be consistent in arguing why the Aff world or the status quo is impractical/infeasible. A good CP will pose solvency (without reaching too far) for most if not all impacts of the Aff world/status quo. A good CP will accommodate for each unique Aff case- in contrast, a one size fits all approach or one that preempts only part of the Aff impacts will likely not convince me.

Kritiks: It's better not to run these in general, but I won't disqualify K's automatically. I'm not quite familiar with K literature. Most highly complex K's fail to convince me, often because the relevant debater has failed to even explain it sufficiently, let alone convince me of it.

Theory: These are okay, but only with solid grounds; often I find the application of theory to be more strategic rather than to genuinely highlight unfairness on the opponent's part. I also often find the structure of theory debate is not followed sufficiently.

Speaker points: These largely depend on my 5 C's: clarity, consistency, construction, credibility, and civility. In highly rare instances, speaker points help me to weigh my decision (when the debate appears to be even).

I will keep the official time, but debaters are welcome to keep their own times for reference.

At the end of the round, I am welcome to offer criticisms and advice to improve argumentation, ideas/approach, speaking style, etc. I typically disclose the winner and I try to be thorough in explaining how I've come to my decision. I will not change my mind once my decision is made. You can ask questions and for further clarifications, but do not try to convince me- you'll otherwise risk lost speaker points (for a lack of civility).

I was very involved with debate during high school and did some judging during college, but this was many years ago. I got back into debate 3 years ago and I am now the new coach for a high school team. I am open to all forms of arguments, but have limited ability to follow full spreading and the more complex national circuit type argumentation. In final speeches, tell me why you have won the round.

This is my tenth year judging speech and debate. I also competed for all four years in high school. I have judge tournaments for both national and local circuits across the country and enjoy seeing great rounds. I understand and respect the hard work given to prepare and

DEBATE

I am a flow judge so make sure to make extensions for every speech. Debate rounds should have clash. Be sure to address arguments made by your opponent. Speed is fine as long as it is clear. I also do not mind theory arguments. I consider myself a blank slate and believe it is important to not let personal opinions sway the round. However, I am normally persuaded by arguments being unfair. Do not waste time explaining if something is abusive during the round. Below is the ranking of what I will use to determine who picks up the round:

1. Framework (Value and Criterion Required in LD)

2. Key Issues

3. Voters

4. Impacts

Speaker points: I generally evaluate speaker points on things like clarity, argument structure and development, extensions, and overall how presence. However, I expect civility in the round. Please avoid ad hominem attacks.

SPEECH

I will first and foremost value delivery including tone, clarity, and gestures. Creativity is the second factor that influences my ranking. For extemp, I enjoy hearing sources incorporated into the speech. Most important, be sure to have fun. I will give time signals from 3 down.

If you ever have any questions, feel free to email me at jl.bradford@hotmail.com. It may take a little while, but I will respond.

PF:

-Do not spread. On a scale of 1-10 for speed I prefer somewhere around 6-7. I would prefer you to slow down or pause a tad for taglines for my flow. Also if you list 4-5 short points or stats in quick succession, I probably will miss one or two in the middle if you dont slow down.

-Arguments you go for should appear in all speeches. If your offense was not brought up in summary, I will ignore it in FF.

-I do not think cross is binding. It needs to come up in the speech. I do not flow cross, and as a flow judge that makes decisions based on my flow, it won't have much bearing on the round.

-At the least I think 2nd rebuttal needs to address all offense in round. Bonus points for collapsing case and completely frontlining the argument you do go for.

-Please time yourselves. My phone is constantly on low battery, so I'd rather not use it. If you want to keep up with your opponents' prep too to keep them honest then go ahead.

-In terms of some of the more progressive things- I haven't actually heard theory in a PF round but I hear it's a thing now. If your opponent is being abusive about something then sure, let me know, either in a formal shell or informal. Don't run theory just to run it though. Obviously, counterplans and plans are not allowed in PF so just don't.

-pet peeves:

1) Bad or misleading evidence. Unfortunately this is what I am seeing PF become. Paraphrasing has gotten out of control. Your "paraphrased" card better be accurate. If one piece of evidence gets called out for being miscut or misleading, then it will make me call in to question all of your evidence. If you are a debater that runs sketchy and loose evidence, I would pref me very high or strike me.

2) Evidence clash that goes nowhere. If pro has a card that says turtles can breathe through their butt and con has a card saying they cannot and that's all that happens, then I don't know who is right. In the instance of direct evidence clash (or even analytical argumentation clash) tell me why to prioritize your evidence over theirs or your line of thinking over theirs. Otherwise, I will consider the whole thing a wash and find something else to vote on.

3) Not condensing the round when it should be condensed. Most of the time it is not wise to go for every single argument on the flow. Sometimes you need to pick your battles and kick out of others, or risk undercovering everything.

LD:
So first, I primarily judge PF. This means my exposure to certain argument types is limited. I LOVE actually debating the resolution. Huge fan. I'm cool with DAs and CPs. Theory only if your opponent is being overly abusive (so no friv). If you are a K or tricks debater good luck. I know about the progressive things but since I primarily judge PF, my ability to evaluate it is very limited from experience. If you want to go for a K or something, I won't instantly drop you and I will try my best to flow and evaluate it in the round. But you will probably need to tweak it a little, slow down, and explain more how it is winning and why I should vote for it. I come from a traditional circuit, so the more progressive the round gets, the less capable I am of making a qualified decision.

I do not want you to flash your case to me. I want to flow it. If you read to point that it is unflowable then it is your loss. If I don't flow it, I cannot evaluate it and thus, cannot vote on it. Spreading in my opinion is noneducational and antithetical to skills you should be learning from this activity. Sorry, in the real world and your future career, spreading is not an acceptable practice to convince someone and get your point across.

Both:
Please signpost/roadmap- I hate when it is unclear where you are and I get bounced around the flow. Have fun and don't be overly aggressive.

I am a traditional judge.

Do not spread.

Civility is essential.

I value clear communication. Sign posts and voters are excellent tools.

I value clash. So listen to your opponent and tell me why they are wrong and your side is better.

Give weight to the most important arguments and tell me why they are the most important.

Write the reason for decision for me.

General: I debated 4 years of LD in high school (2014-2018) and am now a fourth-year student at Emory University. She/her pronouns. It’s been a few years since I’ve debated so I prefer traditional LD rounds and know little to nothing about the current topic (avoid too much LARP). I like debates that are clear, concise, interesting, and generally give good vibes. Include me in the email chain (dingrn823@gmail.com).

Speed: Don't sacrifice clarity. If I can't understand it, I can’t flow. ALWAYS slow down on the tags and authors please. Hate messy spreading.

Extensions: I need to hear a clear claim, warrant, and impact for the argument to be fully extended. Otherwise, I won't weigh any argument that is partially extended as much. Crystallization key.

CP's: CP's must have an articulated net benefit. I honestly think PICs aren't very fair so I am very easily swayed by aff theory args. Disads: Impact calc is key and if you don’t clearly extend I won’t weigh! Also, I need to see an internal link. I can't/won't weigh your impacts w/o links.

T: Unless the aff is blatantly untopical, I think you shouldn't waste your time with topicality. That said, I do believe T is a voter.

Please signpost/roadmap - Since I'm a flow judge, I really hate when it is unclear where you are and I get bounced around the flow. ***If you don't tell me where you are, I literally can’t flow.

I expect to hear voters in the 2AR and 2NR.

Other: Do not be annoying or rude to your opponent. Extra speaks for humor.

I'm fine with pretty much anything structure wise. Just make sure your arguments are clear and understandable. Give voters and weigh impacts, as a judge it becomes hard to not be interventionist when you don't.

Also, if you're going to call your opponent abusive in round please articulate it with actual theory arguments or else I can't really weigh it.

If you plan on spreading or running a very technical case, please case flash or send over email. My email is frye10190@gmail.com for email chains

I'm a third-year parent judge with lots of experience judging LD, though I'm still a traditional judge who will not evaluate the extremely technical side of LD debate.

The framework debate is most important, and you should have a value and value criterion. These things should be clearly stated along with your contentions, and I would prefer if you avoided policy jargon (e.g., "fiat," "perm," "pic," etc.) and didn't spread, because I will not be able to follow it.

That all being said, I've become more open to progressive arguments like kritiks and counterplans. There is a caveat to this: your arguments should be clearly explained and presented in a format that is understandable - you should still have a framework even if running a counterplan or other similar argument. Err on the side of extreme caution when reading progressive arguments in front of me.

I always try my best to check my biases at the door, and I will try to evaluate the round using only arguments presented in round.

Kai He

1 year Policy debater for Vestavia Hills High School

3 year LD debater for Vestavia Hills High School

I like to see a solid connection between evidence and reasoning for each of the debate's arguments. I also like to see the debaters pick their best arguments to go off of, not just as many arguments as they can make. This allows me to see that the debater has full grasp over the topic.

Spreading is fine as long as the speaking is clear. I can't flow something I can't understand or hear.

I debated national circuit LD at Starr's Mill High School '12 (GA) and did Policy at Vanderbilt University '16 (TN).

I think I am a standard national circuit LD judge. If you only have experience with local debate, this means that I'm fine with (and proactively prefer) spreading and non-traditional arguments. However, if doing so, I recommend using a email chain, for which my email is brenthu1717@gmail.com.

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LD Paradigm

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My general preference for debate argument types is Framework >= Plan-Focused/Util > Theory >> Kritiks.

Framework

I like philosophy debate a lot, especially analytical ethical philosophy. If you frequently read cards from Singer, Korsgaard, Mackie, and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy in general, I would probably really enjoy judging you.

- I enjoy cases that are balanced between framework and contention-level offense, e.g., the AC spending half its time justifying an ethical system (utilitarianism, Kant, Hobbes, virtue ethics, divine command, moral skepticism, etc.) and then the rest on offense under that framework.

- I'm extremely opposed to theoretically-justified frameworks/affirmative framework choice. I think these things kill philosophy education, which is the most useful part of debate. If you can't prove that util is objectively true, what's even the point of pretending it's true if we have no reason to believe it?

- I'm not a fan of vague standards like "structural violence" where practically anything commonly considered bad can be considered an impact. Winter and Leighton are the bane of my existence.

- Your impacts need to actually link to an ethical philosophy in the round. Explain to me why I should care about people dying, why human rights exist, and why racism is bad in the context of the round.

Plan-focused/Util

I can enjoy a Plan-focused or whole-resolution util debate just as much, however, and I've done Policy in the past.

- Weighing is wonderful, and probably the point where you will best be able to pick up high speaks.

- Things like author-specific indicts or methodological critiques of particular studies are fantastic. Tell me things like, "This study only has a sample size of n=24" or "The study's authors indicated the following problems with their own study."

- Impact turns are great. I can’t promise it’s always the best idea, but I’ll probably love it if the 1AR is four minutes of “global warming good” or "economic collapse prevents nuclear war."

- Counterplans are a very important neg tool, but I think some of the more abusive ones, like 50 States CP or Consult CP are difficult to defend in terms of making debate a good activity.

- In LD, I'd prefer you just read one unconditional CP.

Theory

- If the AC is super spiky, please number the spikes. This will make it a lot easier for me to flow. If you spout out single-sentence arguments for a full minute, I’ll be more inclined to vote on them if I can clearly tell where one ends and another begins.

- I like clearly articulated theory shells in normal Interpretation-Violations-Standards-Voters format. It makes it much easier to flow compared to paragraph theory.

- I would prefer if you shared pre-written shells in the email chain, even if they're only analytical.

- I default to competing interpretations but am receptive to reasonability if mentioned.

- I like RVIs and will often vote on them, especially for the aff. If you're the aff and you're not sure if you should go for 4 minutes of the RVI in the 1AR, my advice is probably yes.

Kritiks

- Post-fiat Kritiks are fine. I'm not very receptive to pre-fiat Kritiks. If you aren't sure about the distinction, think about whether your alternative negates the resolution. For example, if the resolution is "The US gov should do [x]", and your alternative is "The US gov should not do [x]" or "The US gov should instead do [y]", that's fine. If your alternative is only "People around the world should..." or "The judge should..." or "The debate community should...," I'm probably not going to enjoy it. If the alt doesn't even have an actor and is just to "reject the aff," that's even worse.

- Although I’m generally well-versed with the basic ones like Cap/Security/Fem K, my understanding of the more esoteric ones falls off. Although I will try to evaluate the round as fairly as possible, I haven’t spent much time reading 1970s Continentals, and you can’t assume that I’ll have intimate knowledge of their arguments ahead of time.

- I lean towards the Role of the Ballot being just whoever proves the resolution true or false (offense-defense is also acceptable).

- Fairness definitely matters. Education might matter to some degree. I am very loathe to consider anything else as an independent voter. If your argument is nothing more than "Util justifies slavery, so auto-drop them," I am not likely to be agreeable.

- If your NRs often include the claim, "It's not a link of omission; it's a link of commission," I am probably not the judge for you.

Miscellaneous

- I'm fine with flex prep (asking questions during prep time) if you want it. I think it's a good norm for debate.

- I do not care if you sit or stand.

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Policy Paradigm

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Read the Plan-focused/Util and Kritiks sections of the LD paradigm, but you can ignore most of the rest. Due to my LD background, I am much more willing to vote on philosophical positions. If you want to go for "Don't do the plan because objective morality doesn't exist" or "Pass the plan because that's most in line with Aristotle's notion of virtue," I'm totally fine with that.

Theory

- I still prefer clearly articulated Interpretation-Violation-Standards-Voters theory shells, even in Policy.

- I'm more willing to accept conditional CPs in Policy, although it gets really sketchy with conditional K's, especially if there's performative contradictions.

Miscellaneous

- I'm probably more willing than most Policy judges to consider analytics. I don't think you need a card for every argument you make, and oftentimes just having a warranted argument is sufficient.

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Public Forum Paradigm

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I understand that Public Forum has different end goals than LD or Policy. I will try to evaluate it through the following in contrast to LD or Policy:

- I will not require explicit ethical frameworks. If something sounds bad, like "It kills people" or "It hurts the economy" or "It is unfair," I'll try to evaluate that in some gestalt manner. You can probably expect a little bit of judge intervention might be necessary in the case of mutually exclusive impact frameworks and lack of weighing.

- I will generally keep in mind who is "speaking better." Although this will not change my vote in most cases, if the round is really close I might use that as the determiner.

- If I ask for a card and you can't find it, especially if it has a statistic, I will drop 1 speaker point for poor evidence norms.

I am a high school debater like yourselves.

While I do tolerate fast speaking, do not spread. Please make sure you are speaking clearly.

I value clash. So listen to your opponent and tell me why they are wrong and your side is better.

Give weight to the most important arguments and tell me why they are the most important.

Any new arguments brought up by the affirmative in the 2nd rebuttal will not be counted.

FYI: I am relatively new to this topic so do not expect me to know the acronyms or general preface.

I am very policy orientated. Open to all arguments including critical but please explain all of your arguments. Also, I am new to the topic so please avoid acronyms.

I debated as a 2N for 4 years at Northview High School. I don't have a preference for any type of argument, so you can read whatever you feel like reading as long as its ethical.

Also, I don't know much about the topic this year, so just explain your arguments thoroughly to me, and we should be golden.

Add me to email chains: avpat02@gmail.com

Have fun debating!

Email: lemuel30034@gmail.com

I will listen to most arguments. I have problems with most theory arguments in LD. Topicality is like the death penalty so I proceed with care. I understand policy arguments and kritiks. I flow most of the time. If you have questions about what I think about your arguments you should ask.

I believe debaters should be civil to each other. I would prefer that high school students not use foul language in debates.

I am ok with performance debates. I do believe the teams should engage the topic. If a team chooses not to engage the topic, then I will give the other team leeway to deal with the lack of engagement.

Reverse voting issues do not make sense in most instances.

I am ok with counterplans and disadvantages.

I will vote for the team that makes the most sense at the end of the debate.

Email Chains: iyang061002 AT google DOT com

Do whatever you want, I’ve gone for almost everything in my time.

I try to have no argumentative bias (I feel like I do a pretty good job).

Spreading is probably good but go ahead and be trad if you want, no preference

Non-negotiables:

- Have fun

- Try your best

For Debate:

- I focus on the flow of the argument

- I look for clashing - I want to see competitors breakdown the opponent's argument

For Speech Events

I look at the creativity in the speech, but also listen for tone and inflection and to present a speech or performance to convince me in what you are saying.