Senior Vice President at Major Financial Institution. I mostly judge LD but started judging PF.

TL;DR:

· Don’t be sketchy (as debaters or as people). If you spread, it won't flow.

The Long Version:

1. Framework/Narrative: Make clear compelling and warranted arguments. Present cohesive story.

2. Argumentation: Most of this is standard. If you feel important for me to evaluate that your opponent did not respond to your arguments then say it in your speech.

3. Evidence: Having evidence ethics is a thing.

4. A Final Note: Respect your teammate and opponents. Use proper tone. Additionally, I appreciate wit and you will probably earn higher speaks on average if you are able to use humor effectively.

Pretty obvious stuff

Debate is won through good, well researched arguments, not technical "tricks". Don't claim drops when they didn't happen. Make sure you clash and explain why you won clearly - what did the debate come down to?

I'm not particularly interested in a statistics fight. It is impossible for me to know which statistics are more accurate.

Don't spread. It's not fun, not in the spirit of debate and has zero life skill or educational value.