Hi! Adapting to this online judging stuff, I former national representative at WSDC Singapore and Stuttgart, multiple international regional tournaments, BP national champion, a consultant on energy and infrastructure projects, and a practicing attorney of law. As you're judge, I've been where you are standing. I look forward to a high-level debate, for which I suggest the following:

1. RESPECT.

2. Enjoy yourselves! My old coach used to say "half of winning is looking like you are winning". I want you to relax, take a deep breath, and speak at a well-intended speed. Try not to rush. I would rather have you present a solid argument (analysis-based) with one or two examples than an argument lacking analytical depth.

3. You don't have to win every argument or debate in absolutes. Don't get hung up on points or arguments that are not the main scope of the debate. Furthermore, don't just "avoid" arguments. Briefly examine why they are not relevant or why your arguments are more important for the debate. I like debates in which participants are not afraid of presenting multiple layers of analysis and can debate on the metaanalysis of each.

4. Always impact your arguments. As a judge, I try to be as unbiased and tabula rasa as possible. I will not make the arguments for you in my mind. I will only judge what is actually brought up in the debate, particularly regarding the impacts of your arguments. Tell me why should I care about (bla bla bla), or how does X affect the people, etc. I want you to be as explicit as possible and bring emphasis on how does the engineering of your argument has an effect on the debate and why should I give you my ballot.

5. Stay active throughout the debate. Interact with the other team through points of information. Communicate with your teammates. Show consistency throughout the bench.

6. Don't be afraid to use a mechanism when needed.

Finally, if there is anything I can help with throughout or after the round please let me know. I love giving feedback (last pointer: being open to constructive criticism and feedback is the fast track to becoming a world-class debater).

See you soon,

Alex

I debate for Stanford and used to debate for Eton. I like thoughtful, carefully analysed arguments delivered clearly. I'm fond of clever framing and ingenuity of all sorts.

General Background

I have an MA in communication studies and have served as an adjunct professor of communication, public speaking, and argumentation at US universities and internationally.

In Beijing, I partnered with private academies to create the first policy debate circuit for private English institutions in China and built communication departments with curricula in public speaking, debate, emotional intelligence, and logical reasoning.

I have been judging and coaching debate for around ten years. My original focus was policy and LD, which I competed in in the early 2000s. More recently I have begun coaching and judging World Schools tournaments including the European Open, Winter Holidays Open, Stanford, and Harvard invitationals.

My students have consistently broken in Worlds tournaments and placed in the top ten of Speaker Awards for ESL students. My expertise in coaching is in public speaking and coherent logical presentation slightly more than debate tactics.

Brief Debate Background

My own experience in debate is around twenty years ago as a policy debater. I won seven state tournaments and two regional championships in a row in my two years competing before going to university. I did not compete in college forensics, choosing instead to pursue positions with political groups and I gave speeches in campaigns and in support of bills I wished to see passed. I even had the opportunity to be a direct sponsor of a bill and speak to a congressional committee. Unfortunately, the bill was shot down. I was an impressive speaker but my opponents had money.

Judge Paradigm

As a judge, my paradigm can generally be categorized as stock issue with elements of policymaker. I believe each motion has clear-cut burdens and that the affirmative or proposition team must meet them to win the round.

I expect the arguments to stay focused on the motion and to understand the motion and the spirit of the motion clearly.

The elements of policymaker can be seen in how much I love the weighing of ads vs. disads and well-designed counter-plans. Are you designing the counter-plan to incorporate or replace and can you clearly elucidate mutual exclusivity? Very fun.

I respect evidence but debates are not won or lost on the strength or deliverance of evidence. If any piece of evidence is presented without analysis of its significance and relationship to the motion and to the debate do not expect me to make those connections for you.

In LD, I come from a time when it was still a pure value debate and the points made were based on a logically reasoned explanation of the value clash with presented values and criteria for upholding that value rather than cut cards of evidence. I still expect "ought" motions to be debates about the existence of moral obligations rather than evidentiary proof of solvency.

I know I sound old when I say that, and I am adaptable, but I do love the difference between an LD debate and a policy debate and hate to see those differences dissolving. That being said, I do still appreciate good evidence and will still decide the round on the major points of clash, burden meeting, and weighing.

I don't like PICs, particularly when the difference is tiny and makes the debate semantic. If I want to affirm the motion, I will vote affirmative. I expect a meaningful clash not manipulating the debate to earn a vote. A PIC suggests that negative has little to offer beyond what the affirmative has already offered. CPs are fine, love a good CP, but I expect it to be mutually exclusive and categorically non-topical.

I have seen and debated Ks... Haven't seen one yet that would justify deciding my vote, mostly because they are poorly presented. Race and gender Ks consistently come across as a way to avoid the actual argument. Present the K if you want to point out poor judgments in language, the motion's perspective, or assumptions, but don't make that an excuse not to engage with the underlying arguments being presented.

And honestly, I've watched debaters try economic K's about capitalism being the source of all evil in the world and must be stopped at all costs. So far, the debaters who tried it have shown that it is impossible to prove without a predetermined ideology. But I'm always willing to hear someone take on the challenge and I think there is potential in this and all K's when presented correctly.

However, leave the anti-humanism out of it if I am your judge. To argue that it is "better" if more humans die is not going to win a debate or turn an impact on my flow.

I think that's enough. Be respectful.

I have a background in judging World Schools, Asian Parliamentary, Public Forum, and British Parliamentary formats. I have been active (in high school and university debating) since 2013. I also have experience in coaching high school teams in BP and Asians format.

I appreciate speakers that are able to not only make comprehensive and well-analyzed arguments, but also argue the "meta" of the debate, and tell me why their arguments are the most important or relevant compared to the other team's contribution. I appreciate demonstration and discussing pragmatic benefits, but welcome principled argumentation as well. While I do use a timer, I also expect debaters to time themselves. If you have any questions or want feedback, feel free to approach me.

I have a background in WSDC, BP, and AP debating. I competed all four years in high school and am currently a university debater in the Asian circuit. I take notes and track the debate well. I dislike having to step in and will interpret the debate as is without interfering with my own personal biases. While I will be keeping my own timer to track, I expect you to time your speeches on your own.

That being said I appreciate speakers who are clearly able to weigh what are the principles in the debate and how they matter in relation to everything else presented in the debate. Additionally, I like clear, concise arguments that are easy to understand as an average reasonable person. I am not a fan of fluff or pretentious wording since I think they just make arguments less efficient, but this isn’t a really big deal to me as long as teams are still able to properly forward their points. Evidence is cool, but I don’t like speakers that throw a bunch of facts around without explaining their relevance to the speech or arguments.

Revised April 11, 2018

Sandy Berkowitz

The Blake School (Minneapolis, MN), where I teach communication and coach Public Forum, World Schools, Policy, and Congressional Debate. I also coach the USA Development Team and Team USA in World Schools Debate.

I debated policy in high school and college and began coaching in the early 1980s. In addition to the events listed above, I have coached and judged Lincoln Douglas, Extemp, Oratory, Rhetorical Criticism/Great Speeches, Informative, Discussion, and (and to a lesser extent) Interp events, at variety of schools in IL, NY, NC, MN, MI, ME, and CA.

Public Forum

Fundamentally, I believe that PF provides debaters with opportunities to engage and debate key issues of the day before experienced debate and community judges. It is useful and important to understand and adapt to a judge’s preferences. So, for me:

General issues

--The crux of PF is good solid argumentation delivered well. Solid arguments are those that relate to the resolution, are well organized, well warranted, and supported with quality evidence that is explained.

--Good analytical arguments are useful but not normally sufficient. If you make an argument, you bear the responsibility of supporting, explaining, and weighing the argument.

--I flow. But, clarity is your responsibility and is key to a good debate.

Evidence Ethics

--Evidence is critical to building good arguments and that includes warrants. Use academically rigorous and journalistic sources to support your arguments. Offering a laundry list of 5-10 names with few warrants or methodology is not persuasive.

--Proper citation is essential. That does not mean “University X” says. A university did not do the study or write the article. Someone did. Source name and date is required for oral source citation. Providing qualifications orally can definitely enhance the clarity and persuasiveness of your argument. The complete written citation (including source name, date, source, title, access date, url, quals, and page numbers) must be provided when asked in the round.

--Exchange of evidence is mandatory when requested. There is not infinite prep time to find evidence. If it takes you more than a minute to find a card when asked, or all you can provide is a 50 page pdf, then I will disregard it.

--Paraphrasing is not as persuasive as reading cards and using the evidence appropriately to develop and deepen your arguments.

--If you have misconstrued evidence, your entire argument can be disregarded.

--Evaluate your own and your opponents’ evidence as part of your comparative analysis.

Strategic issues

--Extending arguments goes beyond authors and tag lines. Extend and develop the arguments.

--Narrative is key. Debate is inherently persuasive. Connect the arguments and tell a story.

--It is in the best interest of the second speaking team for the rebuttalist to rebuild their case. If the 2nd speaking team does not do that, they likely yield the strategic advantage to the 1st speaking team.

--Avoid Grand becoming yelling match, which is not useful to anyone.

--Clash is critical. It is vital to weigh your arguments, which is best to begin before the final focus. Write the ballot in the final focus.

Delivery and Decorum

--PF, and all debate, is inherently a communication activity. Speed is fine, but clarity is absolutely necessary. If you unclear or blippy, you do so at your own peril.

--Be smart. Be assertive. Be engaging. But, do not be a bully.

--Racist, xenophobic, sexist, classist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, and other oppressive discourses or examples have no place in debate.

Finally, have fun and enjoy the opportunity for engagement on important questions of the day.

World Schools

Worlds is an exciting debate format that is different from other US debate and speech formats. It is important for you to understand and adapt to the different assumptions and styles of Worlds. Content (the interpretation of the motion [definitions, model, stance], arguments, analysis, and examples), Style (verbal and nonverbal presentation elements), and Strategy (organization, decision making, engagement, and time allocation) all factor in to the decision and should be seen as critical and interrelated areas. Some things to consider:

--As Aristotle noted, we are influenced by both logos and pathos appeals, which you should develop through both examples and analysis. Thus, narratives are critical. Not just a story to “put a face on the motion,” but an overall narrative for your side of the debate.

--Motions are, in most cases, internationally, globally focused and your examples and analysis should reflect that.

--Have multiple, varied, and international examples that are used not only in the first speeches, but are also developed further and added in the second and third speeches to be more persuasive.

--Racist, xenophobic, sexist, classist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, and other oppressive discourses or examples have no place in debate.

--POIs can be statements or questions and are a key element of engagement during the debate. Questioners should be strategic in what to pose and when. Speakers should purposefully choose to take POIs and smartly respond to them. Typically, speakers will take 1-2 questions per constructive speech, but that is the speaker’s strategic choice.

--Importantly, carry things down the bench. Answer the arguments of the other side. Rebuild and develop your arguments. Engage in comparative analysis.

--Third speeches should focus the debate around clash points or key questions or key issues. Narrow the debate and offer comparative analysis.

--Reply speeches should not include new arguments. But, the speech should build on the third speech (especially in the opp block), identify key voting issues, and explain why your side has won the debate.

Be smart. Be articulate. Be persuasive. Take the opportunity to get to know other teams and debaters.

Policy and LD

I judge mostly PF and World Schools. But, I have continued to judge a smattering of Policy and LD rounds over the last few years. Now that you may be concerned, let me be specific.

Overall, I believe that rounds should be judged based upon the arguments presented.

--Clarity is paramount. Obviously, my pen time is slower than it was, but I do flow well. Roadmaps are good. Sign posting and differentiating arguments is necessary. Watch me. Listen. You will be able to tell if you are going too fast or are unclear. Reasonably clear speed is ok, but clarity is key. For most of my career, I was a college professor of communication; now I teach communication in high school. I strongly believe that debaters should be able to communicate well.

--Do what you do best: policy based or critical affs are fine. But, remember, I do not hear a lot of policy or LD rounds, so explain and be clear. Having said that, my area of research as a comm professor was primarily from a feminist critical rhetorical perspective. In any case, you bear the responsibility to explain and weigh arguments, assumptions, methodology, etc. without a lot of unexplained theory/jargon.

--Please do not get mired in debate theory. Topicality, for example, was around when I debated. But, for other, new or unique theory arguments, do not assume that I have current knowledge of the assumptions or standards of the theory positions. It is your responsibility to explain, apply, and weigh in theory debates. On Framework, please engage the substance of the aff. I strongly prefer you engage the methodology and arguments of the aff, rather than default to framework arguments to avoid that discussion.

--Racist, xenophobic, sexist, classist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, and other oppressive discourses or examples have no place in debate.

--Last, and importantly, weigh your arguments. It is your job to put the round together for me. Tell a good story, which means incorporating the evidence and arguments into a narrative. And, weigh the issues. If you do not, at least one team will be unhappy with the results if I must intervene.

Finally, I believe that Policy and LD debate is significantly about critical thinking and engagement. Better debaters are those who engage arguments, partners, opponents, and judges critically and civilly. Be polite, smart, and even assertive, but don’t be impolite or a bully. And, have fun since debate should be fun.

I have judged extensively in both BP and WSDC, and have on occasion judged APDA. I believe strongly in conforming to the standards of the formats I judge, and therefore will approach WSDC slightly differently than I will BP. That said, there are a couple of commonalities.

I tend to view debating as an effort as persuasion. Imagine that there is a panel either of governmental officials, or senior officials at a company who are empowered to act on whatever policy or position you are advocating. The goal of a proposition team is to convince that they should do this. Central to such an effort is explaining why there is a problem which needs to be solved, but equally important is explaining what you expect them to do. It is all well and good to say that there is a principled obligation to do something, but if you cannot explain what they should do in order to fulfill such an obligation it can become unclear why it is important in the first place.

If this sounds like a burden on proposition, opposition teams should also actually explain why a policy should not be done, or why a principled statement is untrue. It is very easy for opposition teams to slip into the habit of poking holes in the proposition cases that were presented to them.

Hi! My name is Anh, and I'm super excited to see y'all debate! In high school, I competed mainly in WSD and attended WSDC my junior and senior years. I now (occasionally) do BP in college. 

A couple of things I look for in a round: 

1. Argument Construction/extension

When I hear your arguments, I should understand why your impact occurs, the extent to which it occurs (the degree of harm/benefit), and why it is unique to your side. 

2. Argument Interactions 

I will feel more compelled to vote for you if you weigh both mechanisms and impacts. For ex, you could tell me why your mechanism is more likely to achieve X than the other team's mechanism. Or why, assuming both mechanisms work, X impact is more important than Y impact. This type of weighing should certainly be in the 3/4s, but I welcome weighing earlier as well. 

GL!

I competed in the World Schools and Public Forum formats throughout high school, and have experience judging kids in both, but mainly in practice. In judging, I aim to deliver an unbiased verdict and tailored feedback for each individual debater.

Background: I'm the Director of Debate at Northland Christian School in Houston, TX; I also coach Team Texas, the World Schools team sponsored by TFA. In high school, I debated for three years on the national and local circuits (TOC, NSDA, TFA). I was a traditional/LARP debater whenever I competed (stock and policy arguments, etc). I have taught at a variety of institutes each summer (MGW, GDS, Harvard).

Email Chain: Please add me to the email chain: court715@gmail.com.

2023-2024 Update: I have only judged at 1 or 2 circuit LD tournaments the last two years; I've been judging mainly WS at tournaments. If I'm judging you at Apple Valley, you should definitely slow down. I will not vote for something I don't understand or hear, so please slow down!

Judging Philosophy: I prefer a comparative worlds debate. When making my decisions, I rely heavily on good extensions and weighing. If you aren't telling me how arguments interact with each other, I have to decide how they do. If an argument is really important to you, make sure you're making solid extensions that link back to some standard in the round. I love counterplans, disads, plans, etc. I believe there needs to be some sort of standard in the round. Kritiks are fine, but I am not well-versed in dense K literature; please make sure you are explaining the links so it is easy for me to follow. I will not vote on a position that I don't understand, and I will not spend 30 minutes after the round re-reading your cards if you aren't explaining the information in round. I also feel there is very little argument interaction in a lot of circuit debates--please engage!

Theory/T: I think running theory is fine (and encouraged) if there is clear abuse. I will not be persuaded by silly theory arguments. If you are wanting a line by line theory debate, I'm probably not the best judge for you :)

Speaker Points: I give out speaker points based on a couple of things: clarity (both in speed and pronunciation), word economy, strategy and attitude. In saying attitude, I simply mean don't be rude. I think there's a fine line between being perceptually dominating in the round and being rude for the sake of being rude; so please, be polite to each other because that will make me happy. Being perceptually dominant is okay, but be respectful. If you give an overview in a round that is really fast with a lot of layers, I will want to give you better speaks. I will gauge my points based on what kind of tournament I'm at...getting a 30 at a Houston local is pretty easy, getting a 30 at a circuit tournament is much more difficult. If I think you should break, you'll get good speaks. Cussing in round will result in dropping your speaks.

Speed: I'd prefer a more moderate/slower debate that talks about substance than a round that is crazy fast/not about the topic. I can keep up with a moderate speed; slow down on tag lines/author names. I'll stop flowing if you're going too fast. If I can't flow it, I won't vote on it. Also, if you are going fast, an overview/big picture discussion before you go line by line in rebuttals is appreciated. Based on current speed on the circuit, you can consider me a 6 out of 10 on the speed scale. I will say "clear" "slow" "louder", etc a few times throughout the round. If you don't change anything I will stop saying it.

Miscellaneous: I don't prefer to see permissibility and skep. arguments in a round. I default to comparative worlds.

Other things...
1. I'm not likely to vote on tricks...If you decide to go for tricks, I will just be generally sad when making a decision and your speaks will be impacted. Also, don't mislabel arguments, give your opponent things out of order, or try to steal speech/prep time, etc. I am not going to vote on an extension of a one sentence argument that wasn't clear in the first speech that is extended to mean something very different.
2. Please don't run morally repugnant positions in front of me.
3. Have fun!

WS Specific Things
-I start speaks at a 70, and go up/down from there!
-Make sure you are asking and taking POIs. I think speakers should take 1 - 2 POIs per speech
-Engage with the topic.
-I love examples within casing and extensions to help further your analysis.

I am an experienced World Schools Debating Championship coach and judge. I coach the highly successful national team of Singapore, as a country Singapore has 3 world championship wins at the World Schools Debating Championships as well as numerous international competitions. The team I coach is well versed and adept at the WSDC format.

I have also judged WSDC finals and been a Chief Adjudicator, been on Chief Adjudication Panela and been a judging adviser at several high level World Schools Debating Championship tournaments across the world. I have worked with wsdc circuits in Europe, Asia and the USA. I am a committed debate and drama educator who is pedagogically trained in these areas.

I believe in a strong adherence to wsdc rules as defined in the wsdc judging guide. I believe in well constructed argumentation, the use of positive matter within substantive speeches , use of clear and obvious casual links as well as the employment of appropriate illustrative evidence to show analytical outcomes. In particular, I look for teams that are responsive, as well as nuanced when constructing their arguments as well as their rebuttals. I am personally committed to growing debaters of all ages such that they can develop their skills in astute and persuasive speaking.

I debated on the European, Eurasian, and Caucasus circuits for Team Armenia in WSDC. I like intelligent arguments, creative and nuanced framing, logical mechanisms, and weighing of impact on the real world. I believe great style is achievable regardless of English level or talking speed, and I encourage all debaters to focus more on the content of their speeches and shape of their case rather than technical elements of debate. Debates are best when both sides engage with each others' best case scenarios and are responsive to new content and rebuttals brought in each speech.

Hi hi

I did WSDC and whatnot in high school, so I'm familiar with the norms of worlds judging and round expectations. A couple of specific things: (1) Make sure your arguments are properly mechanized. The term fiat is thrown around in world worlds too often without proper explanation or justification. I like interesting models, just explain them well and make sure they're reasonable. (2) Please impact things. This is straightforward, but if you have an argument, tell me why it matters relative to the debate. (3) Weigh! Be incredibly explicit about why one argument is more important than another in the back half. You don't have to win all/ the majority of arguments in world schools, just the most important ones!!

I'm a Blake debate alumna and now an assistant coach.

Worlds Schools debate was my main format, and I competed it for three years at the national level. Speech content: include the principle debate, rebuild / extend arguments from the first speech in the second speeches, and become more globalized for third and fourth speeches. Weigh - and early!! Speaking style: signpost.

As a secondary format, I competed in PF. I am very familiar with the format, and lay on most topics. Read dates, signpost, and I prefer cards / evidence over paraphrasing.

Be nice to each other! At the end of the day, debating is about learning and having fun.

EMAILS FOR EMAIL CHAINS: blakedocs@googlegroups.com and sierra@u.northwestern.edu

I'm a former WSDC participant and current Stanford student who will be judging at the 35th Stanford Invitational. I value clearly articulated argumentation and direct engagement in rebuttal, with an understanding of strategy and the demands of the given motion.

Background in debating and judging primarily British Parliamentary style. Preference for analysis through heuristics and reason from first principles versus citing statistics (essentially an appeal to authority). Please avoid spreading.

I competed in college parliamentary debate, and have 5 years coaching public forum debate in Beijing, Taipei, and now back in the United States. Under my tenure in Beijing, we won the NSDA China National Championship two years in a row.

I am a flow judge. I expect debaters to provide evidence for their arguments and responses, but if they do not, it is the responsibility of their opponents to highlight a lack of warrants.

I do not flow crossfire, so any significant information gained in crossfire should be brought up in later speeches.

I am focused on content over style, but do believe there is a necessity to communicate major issues clearly and convincingly when the debate is coming to a close.

I am okay with spreading, as long as the debaters are speaking clearly.

Updated Jan 2020

tl;dr:
I'm tab and will vote on anything.

General Things:

I debated for four years in high school and continued onto 4 years of college debate. I don't frequently judge on the circuit, so I'd appreciate if you'd slow down. That being said, if I say “louder”, that means speak louder, not slow down. I won’t feel comfortable voting on something that I’m not sure if I heard.

I'm open to a wide variety of argumentative styles and approaches.

I’m tab. I’ll listen to almost anything you tell me, but if I genuinely feel uncomfortable (because you’re saying something racist/sexist/etc.) I’ll stop flowing.

Extensions:

I have an exceedingly low threshhold for extensions.

If something is dropped, I’ll grant you it if you just explicitly point it out.

I’m amenable to voting off of tricks, but if I don’t think the argument was flowable the first time, I’ll listen to responses in the NR/2AR. That being said, I think most arguments are flowable most of the time.

Framework and Ks:

I’m familiar with framework and I studied Philosophy at Harvard. Since leaving high school, I’ve become convinced by Sophia Caldera’s stance on comparing frameworks:

• The round runs into an obvious problem when both debaters tell me some framework warrant "precludes everything." Please give me specific comparison or weighing between framework arguments instead of relying on concessions of overhyped analytics.

I’m interested in well-fleshed out framework debates between framework and the K, as well as well-warranted theory interactions.

I don't know what "link harder into the K" means. Do you mean that your opponent has done or said something that indicates that there is a second, independently sufficient way in which they link into the K? Or do you mean that they're repeating the action that caused them to link into it in the first place? Am I supposed to judge differently if someone links "hard" into the K as opposed to "a moderate amount" or "just a little bit"? Be clear and specific.

Theory:

Slow down on interps. Please make clear arguments for whatever paradigm issues you want me to use on theory.

I have no preconceptions about whether fairness or education is more important.

For some reason, someone runs disclosure theory in front of me in probably half the rounds I judge. I don't really like disclosure theory, but I find that I often pick it up and speak it well. If it's well-executed and wins the round, I'll pick it up and speak it well. But I still don't like it. That probably tells you something about the kind of judge that I am.

Other:

I don’t like passive aggression in the CX. If you’re gonna critical of your opponent’s arguments, be open about it. If you are passive aggressive, it won’t affect your speaks or whether or not you win or lose, but I might be sarcastic during my RFD.

I do not care about your attire, accent, or school. Be respectful. But also feel free to indict or challenge what exactly "being respectful" means.

I pay attention during CX.

Speech times are probably the only "rule" I'll always enforce. I can be flexible on other things that other judges might take to be unchangeable. For example, you could convince me that you should be allowed to bring up something from the AC in the 2AR even if it wasn't extended in the 1AR, if it's well explained (in the AC, or maybe even the 1AR).

Have questions? Ask me.

There’s a rumor going around (started by me, here) that I’ll give you slightly higher speaks for referencing RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Paradigms are silly as is tabroom!

I'm mainly a World Schools, Asian Parliamentary, and British Parliamentary judge. I have been judging at WSDC since 2017. As a predominantly parliamentary judge, I look at the debate holistically. Therefore, having consistency down the bench and demonstrating teamwork is important. I also prioritize logical reasoning over scientific evidence. It is okay to have evidence but make sure to always back it up with argumentation. Individually, content, strategy, and style are inseparable and speakers should strive to do well in all three areas. If you have questions, feel free to approach me!

I have been judging WSDC and BP for the past two years and have run several development tournaments along the way. In debates, I particularly value case-progression and expansive responses running down the bench. I believe that the best debates are incredibly close and are therefore decided based not on just the quality of the winning team's case, but also on how that team handled the framing of its opponent. I, therefore, place a high value on sincere responses that engage the other team's case at its best. Lastly, given that we are often talking about real people's stories in debates, I value teams that focus on the quality of the stories more than on the academic nature of the sport.

I am a university student with experience in debate in BP. I am less familiar with American Parliamentary styles.

Strong preference for content over style, provided it's communicated reasonably well. 

Please time yourselves and your opponents. 

G'Day!

My name is Meg Kandarpa, and I am a Cornell ILR student in the Class of '23. I currently debate for Cornell in British Parliamentary/Worlds debate. (It seems counterintuitive to list BP qualifications on a site that is not used for BP but if you truly want to know ask me).

In high school, I primarily partook in APDA/parliamentary debate but also competed in world schools, congress, public forum, and MUN/speech.

Judging Paradigm

My judging paradigm is relatively simple - If the round doesn't say it, then I don't judge in it (this is 100% based off the flow - not my intuition). This includes not pointing out contradictions, missing links, and other case failures. I'm not one who believes in "punishment judging" - eg if a first speech fails to provide a needed definition, I don't take "away" points.

Refutation is also a good practice - direct responses to teams and telling me why you win also does help!

Also - please weigh/impact. I always see myself questioning "so what" at the end of most cases. Don't let that be your case.

If there's any way I can make the round more accessible for you in any way please don't hesitate to let me know before (or even during) the round.

Specificities to Online Debate (Credit to a University of Rochester buddy - Ali Abdullah who wrote this)

Please please slow down a bit; online debate certainly isn't conducive to blazing fast speeds (especially when most of y'all aren't even enunciating properly in person). This doesn't mean you can't speak fast, just be sure to slow down enough that I can make out every word you're saying. I'll try to tell you if I can't comprehend you but chances are by the time I do I've already missed something important.

Please try avoiding speaking over each other during CX; I love heated CX but 2+ people with their microphones on become incomprehensible in an online setting.

On video, you certainly don't have to have it turned on when I'm judging you. There are a multitude of reasons for this from privacy reasons to personal comfort, etc. Basically, you do you. I may also ask you to turn your video off if my internet is being slow, but I'll never ask you to turn it on. I find myself paying infinitely more attention to what you say and the tone/form in which you say it than your facial expressions anyway.

On that note, my video will most likely be on as it makes me stay connected and focused - and for debaters to feel comforted knowing that I am not watching Netflix in round. I never make facial expressions when I'm judging anyway so it wouldn't really be useful to y'all in that sense.

Debate Etiquette

I make it effort when doing introductions to offer a space for pronoun preferences. This is by no means required, but helpful if needed. If someone discloses pronouns or doesn't - always best to defer to the speaking position over assumptions.

I'm all for heated debates, but behavior that can frankly be determined as just jerkish is not something I stand for. This includes aggressively cutting debaters off, excessive facial expressions (if it's that ludicrous, 99% sure I caught it as well) and any generalizations/insinuations towards an entire group of people.

Again - generalizations of groups of people - bad and unpersuasive. That goes for debate, and just life advice while we are at it.

Cheers, and thanks to all who have read this far (good luck if I'm judging you!)

Meg Kandarpa

Prefer logic-driven instead of evidence argument building, no spreading - my main background is WSDC and British Parliamentary

I am an ex-debater and public speaker who has experience coaching both face-to-face as well as online. I believe in a strong adherence to the WSDC rules as outlined by the WSDC Judging guide, and will reward teams that are able to demonstrate a strong understanding of the format and marking criterion of WSDC. I also value heavily the utilisation of causal links that demonstrate the logical flow of augments as well as illustrative examples that aim to tug at the hearts as well of minds if judges and listeners.

General: Debate is a game that is played to be won but it is also a game that can involve very personal components. So in round be respectful and inclusive. Tell me what weighing mechanism to use when evaluating who should win, debate which weighing mechanism is better, and tell me why you win within that weighing mechanism. Also, more structure and signposting is ALWAYS better. I default to evaluating the round through the technical components of the flow unless told to do otherwise.

Policy Debate: Run anything you want (politics, PICs, business confidence, anything). I prefer the contemporary debate structure (Advantages and Disadvantages) to the classical stock issues style. Solid impact weighing/framing can easily win you an otherwise close round.

Theory: I am good with anything. I prefer it when its used to actually check back for abuse in round and not just as a time suck but I am willing to vote on it regardless. I do not have a preference of the standards vs voters debate.

Speed / Speaker Points: I have no problem with speed, but be clear and maintain solid word economy. Don’t exclude other teams from the debate with your speed, it will cost you speaker points and I am open to theory/kritikal arguments against it. Otherwise, go as fast as you want. Speaker points are awarded by the quality and competitiveness of arguments made rather than persuasiveness.

I am a parent judge who has five years of experience in Parliamentary format and two years in WSDC. I appreciate presenters who speak slowly and clearly enough to be understood, use voice inflection (and/or body/hand movement) to put emphasis on the part of their speech that is most important, and those who avoid repetition. Numbering arguments makes it easier for me to flow ... please remember you are not being evaluated not on what you prepared for the debate but on what I understand and write on my flow sheet. I am a big fan of fallacies and if you are able to point out a logical error in your opponents reasoning that will effectively undercut their arguments in my analysis. Finally, please be punctual: I prefer speakers who finish in the last ten seconds of their assigned time over those who continue to speak beyond their allotted time. Thanks!

Public Forum

I have coached PF for about 8 years so I have a fair bit of knowledge about the style and most likely the topic that is being debated as well. This means that you should not worry too much about speed or giving arguments that are too complex. I'm a lay judge :)

My comments after the round will usually involve RFD and how to improve some arguments. The "improvements" part has no impact whatsoever on my decision in the round and is only meant as something to take into your next round. I do not complete arguments for teams or refute them based on my own knowledge. I will judge the round only based on what was said in the round.

Email-fredrickni97@gmail.com

Please don't refer to cards ONLY by author name because I don't note down author names for cards (e.g. "John 18 or Smith 20") I'm putting this at the top so y'all see it.

Content:

-No theory. I won't vote on it. See link for reasons

-Show me clear impacts and weigh them for me. This is super important in how I adjudicate rounds. Just proving a superior number of contention does not give you the round, proving why your contentions are more important wins you the round. Very rarely will there be a round where one side has no contentions standing at all, so I need some sort of metric to measure. This also means that I value a clear framework from both sides and potentially a debate about framework should that influence how I would adjudicate

-Crossfire is not super important to me unless either you go back to it in one of the speeches or something absolutely killer comes out of the exchange

Stylistic:

-Be courteous during cross-fire (ie. do not shout over each other) I will dock points if anyone is particularly rude

Misc:

-Have evidence ready; if the other team asks for it and you cannot give it to them in 1 min, it will be discounted from the round

-I will stop crossfire questions right at 3 minutes but I will allow for you to finish your sentence if the time is up during an answer

-I rarely write out RFD's on Tabroom ballots so my oral feedback after the round is where the majority of my RFD is explained

-I welcome questions or concerns about the round, and if you feel that I judged unfairly, please let me know after. While I cannot change the ballot, I will do my best to explain my RFD.

Parliamentary

I've done various parli-ish styles like BP and Worlds for about a decade now. I haven't judged much American Parli so there might be some rules I am not familiar with, but I'll catch on quickly.

I mostly judge based on content, with very little focus on style as long as I can understand you.

Please keep time for both yourself and your opponents. If you keep asking POIs during protected times I will deduct points. Obnoxious POOs will also lead me to dock you points.

priti[dot]rangnekar[at]gmail.com

Stanford University (Stanford Debate Society) '24.

4 years of varsity speech and debate at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley - Coast Forensic League. Did LD at NCFL Nationals, Extemp at TOC, NCFL Nationals, and NSDA, World Schools at NSDA.

Flow/flay judge.

I value arguments rooted in logic, evidence, and reason, as well as clarity and organization in speeches. Showing solid, nuanced understanding and analysis of the topic will also be rewarded.

Make good use of cross-examination and rebuttals to identify flaws in and explicitly refute your opponent's case. Please weigh arguments and impacts, and have good clash.

- Make well-analysed arguments that consider diverse stakeholders and have unique impacts. Importantly, explain why these arguments matter in the round.
- Be consistent with, rebuild, and defend your teammates' arguments and directly engage with the opposition's best case.
- Through classy rhetoric or rigorous clarity, humour or gravitas in your delivery, but make what you are saying be felt.

**Updated October 2022**

Hi, I'm Ellie (she/her)! I have experience competing and judging in PF and WS. For four years I competed mostly in APDA for Yale. I coached for Blake after my high school graduation. I have judged many rounds over time, but not recently, so be aware of that. 

Feel free to message me for feedback (if I forget you can nudge me), if you have questions about APDA, for moral support, or anything else. I'm happy to help!

Please put debate.ellie@gmail.com and blakedocs@googlegroups.com on the email chain if you make one!

This paradigm is for PF, though some things apply across events (eg: the decorum section).

The Split

Everyone frontlines now. That's nice.

Speed

I can flow speed, but proceed at your own risk. You can "clear" your opponents but do this sparingly. I don't use speech docs to fill in things I could not catch/understand.

Types of arguments

You are the debater and I want you to enjoy debating things that interest you. There are few things I refuse to hear.

Progressive arguments are important. I'll do my best to evaluate them fairly. I am not super well versed in K lit so while I will try and understand whatever you read, there's a risk I just miss something.

I really don't like when teams run squirrelly arguments just to throw off their opponents. Your points may suffer even if I vote for you and my threshold for responses will be lower.

If you're on a topic where people tend to run "advocacies" please prove there's a probability of your advocacy occurring.

I am not amenable to speaks theory.

The only other args I refuse to listen to are linguistic and moral skep – I have yet to hear them in PF, but don't even try lol

Dates

read them lol

Evidence

I very strongly prefer cards > paraphrasing, but it isn't a hard rule. I will punish you for misrepresenting evidence or knowingly reading authors that are fraudulent or very clearly unreliable.

Know where your evidence is. If you can't find it, it's getting kicked. Do not cut cards in round.

Bracketing is bad. No debater math pls.

Summary and Final Focus

Extend defense. Don't go for everything. Args needs to be in summary to be counted in FF. Also, weigh.

~~Decorum~~

Being funny or witty is fine as long as it isn't mean. I am not afraid to tank your speaks if you are rude.

Prep

keep track of it i won't

Misc

sIgNpOsT!!!!!!!!

don't delink your own case to escape turns just frontline them

You can enter the room and flip before I get there (when we're back in person that is).

If you want to take off your jacket/change your shoes/wear pajamas, go ahead!

If you're trying to get perfect speaks, strike me. A lot of my speaks end up in the 27.5-29 range.

Aaron Timmons

Director of Debate – Greenhill School

Former Coach USA Debate Team

Curriculum Director Harvard Debate Council Summer Workshops

Updated – April 2024

Please put me on the email chain – timmonsa@greenhill.org

Contact me with questions.

General Musings

Debate rounds, and subsequently debate tournaments, are extensions of the classroom. While we all learn from each other, my role is a critic of argument (if I had to pigeonhole myself with a paradigmatic label as a judge). I will evaluate your performance in as objective a method as possible. Unlike many adjudicators claim to be, I am not a blank slate. I will intervene if I see behaviors or practices that create a bad, unfair, or hostile environment for the extension of the classroom that is the debate round. I WILL do my best to objectively evaluate your arguments, but the idea that my social location is not a relevant consideration of how I view/decode (even hear) arguments is not true (nor true for anyone.)

I have coached multiple National and/or State Champions in Policy Debate, Lincoln Douglas Debate, and World Schools Debate (in addition to interpretation/speech events). I still actively coach and I am involved in the strategy and argument creation of my students who compete for my school. Given the demands on my time, I do not cut as many cards as I once did for Policy and Lincoln Douglas. That said, I am more than aware of the arguments and positions being run in both of these formats week in and week out.

General thoughts on how I decide debates:

1 – Debate is a communication activity – I will flow what you say in speeches as opposed to flowing off of the speech documents (for the events that share documents). If I need to read cards to resolve an issue, I will do so but until ethos and pathos (re)gain status as equal partners with logos in the persuasion triangle, we will continue to have debates decided only on what is “in the speech doc.” Speech > speech doc.

2 – Be mindful of your “maximum rate of efficiency” – aka, you may be trying to go faster than you are capable of speaking in a comprehensible way. The rate of speed Is not a problem in many contemporary debates, the lack of clarity is an increasing concern. Unstructured paragraphs that are slurred together do not allow the pen time necessary to write things down in the detail you think they might. Style and substance are fundamentally inseparable. This does NOT mean you have to be slow; it does mean you need to be clear.

3 – Evidence is important - In my opinion debates/comparisons about the qualifications of authors on competing issues and warrants (particularly empirical ones), are important. Do you this and not only will your points improve, but I am also likely to prefer your argument if the comparisons are done well.

4 – Online Debating – We have had two years to figure this out. My camera will be on. I expect that your camera is on as well unless there is a technical issue that cannot/has not been resolved in our time online. If there is an equity/home issue that necessitates that your camera is off, I understand that and will defer to your desire to it be off if that is the case. A simple, “I would prefer for my camera to be off” will suffice to inform me of your request.

5 – Disclosure is good (on balance) – I feel that debaters/teams should disclose on the wiki. I have been an advocate of disclosure for decades. I am NOT interested in “got you” games regarding disclosure. If a team/school is against disclosure, defend that pedagogical practice in the debate. Either follow basic tenets of community norms related to disclosure (affirmative arguments, negative positions read, etc.) after they have been read in a debate. While I do think things like full source and/or round reports are good educational practices, I am not interested in hearing debates about those issues. ADA issues: If a student needs to have materials formatted in a matter to address issues of accessibility based on documented learning differences, that request should be made promptly to allow reformatting of that material. Preferably, adults from one school should contact the adult representatives of the other schools to deal with school-sanctioned accountability.

6 – Zero risk is a possibility – There is a possibility of zero risks of an advantage or a disadvantage.

7 – My role as a judge - I will do my best to judge the debate that occurred versus the debate that I wish had happened. I see too many judges making decisions based on evaluating and comparing evidence after the debate that was not done by the students.

8 – Debate the case – It is a forgotten art. Your points will increase, and it expands the options for you to win the debate in the final negative rebuttal.

9 – Good “judge instructions” will make my job easier – While I am happy to make my judgments and comparisons between competing claims, I feel that students making those comparisons, laying out the order of operations, articulating “even/if” considerations, telling me how to weigh and then CHOOSING in the final rebuttals, will serve debaters well (and reduce frustrations on both our parts0.

10 – Cross-examination matters – Plan and ask solid questions. Good cross-examinations will be rewarded.

11 - Flowing is a prerequisite to good debating (and judging) - You should flow. I will be flowing your speech not from the doc, but your actual speech..

Policy Debate

I enjoy policy debate and given my time in the activity I have judged, coached, and seen some amazing students over the years.

A few thoughts on how I view judging policy debate:

Topicality vs Conventional Affs:

Traditional concepts of competing interpretations can be mundane and sometimes result in silly debates. Limiting out one affirmative will not save/protect limits or negative ground. Likewise, reasonability in a vacuum without there being a metric on what that means and how it informs my interpretation vis a vis the resolution lacks nuance as well. Topicality debaters who can frame what the topic should look like based on the topic, and preferably evidence to support why interpretation makes sense will be rewarded. The next step is saying why a more limiting (juxtaposed to the most limiting) topic makes sense helps to frame the way I would think about that version of the topic. A case list of what would be topical under your interpretation would help as would a list of core negative arguments that are excluded if we accept the affirmative interpretation or model of debate.

Topicality/FW vs critical affirmatives:

First – The affirmative needs to do something (and be willing to defend what that is). The negative needs to win that performance is net bad/worse than an alternative (be it the status quo, a counterplan, or a K alternative).

Second – The negative should have access to ground, but they do not get to predetermine what that is. Just because your generic da or counterplan does not apply to the affirmative does not mean the affirmative cannot be tested.

Conditionality

Conditionality is good but only in a limited sense. I do not think the negative gets unlimited options (even against a new affirmative). While the negative can have multiple counter plans, the affirmative will get leeway to creatively (re)explain permutations if the negative kicks (or attempts to add) planks to the counterplan(s), the 1ar will get some flexibility to respond to this negative move.

Counterplans and Disads:

Counterplans are your friend. Counterplans need a net benefit (reasons the affirmative is a bad/less than desirable idea. Knowing the difference between an advantage to the counterplan and a real net benefit seems to be a low bar. Process counterplans are harder to defend as competitive and I am sympathetic to affirmative permutations. I have a higher standard for many on permutations as I believe that in the 2AC “perm do the counterplan” and/or “perm do the alternative” do nothing to explain what that world looks like. If the affirmative takes another few moments to explain these arguments, that increases the pressure on the 2nr to be more precise in responding to these arguments.

Disadvantages that are specific to the advocacy of the affirmative will get you high points.

Lincoln Douglas

I have had students succeed at the highest levels of Lincoln Douglas Debate including multiple champions of NSDA, NDCA, the Tournament of Champions, as well as the Texas Forensic Association State Championships.

Theory is debated far too much in Lincoln – Douglas and is debated poorly. I am strongly opposed to that practice. My preference is NOT to hear a bad theory debate. I believe the negative does get some “flex;” it cannot be unlimited. The negative does not need to run more than four off-case arguments

Words matter. Arguments that are racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, etc. will not be tolerated.

I am not a fan of random; multiple sentence fragments that claim to “spike” out of all of the other team’s arguments. At its foundation, the debate should be about argument ENGAGEMENT, not evasion.

I do not like skepticism as an argument. It would be in your best interest to not run it in front of me. While interesting in a philosophy class in college, training young advocates to feel that “morality doesn’t exist” etc. is educationally irresponsible.

I do not disclose speaker points. That seems silly to me.

Dropped arguments and the “auto-win” seem silly to me. Just because a debater drops a card does not mean you win the debate. Weighing and embedded clashes are a necessary component of the debate. Good debaters extend their arguments. GREAT debaters do that in addition to explaining the nexus point of the clash between their arguments and that of the opposition and WHY I should prefer their argument. Any argument that says the other side cannot answer your position is fast-tracking to an L (with burnt cheese and marinara on top).

It takes more than a sentence (or in many of the rounds I judge a sentence fragment), to make an argument. If the argument was not clear originally, I will allow the opponent to make new arguments.

Choose. No matter the speech or the argument.

Cross apply much of the policy section as well as the general musings on debate.

World Schools

Have you chaired a WS round before? (required)

Yes. Countless times.

What does chairing a round involve? (required)

How would you describe World Schools Debate to someone else?

World Schools is modeled after parliament having argumentation presented in a way that is conversational, yet argumentatively rigorous. Debates are balanced between motions that are prepared, while some are impromptu. Points of Information (POIs) are a unique component of the format as speakers can be interrupted by their opponent by them asking a question or making a statement.

What process, if any, do you utilize to take notes in the debate? (required)

I keep a rigorous flow throughout the debate.

When evaluating the round, assuming both principle and practical arguments are advanced through the 3rd and Reply speeches, do you prefer one over the other? Explain.

These should be prioritized and compared by the students in the round. I do not have an ideological preference between principled or practical arguments.

The World Schools Debate format requires the judge to consider both Content and Style as 40% of each of the speaker’s overall score, while Strategy is 20%. How do you evaluate a speaker’s strategy? (required)

Strategy (simply put) is how they utilize the content that has been introduced in the debate.

World Schools Debate is supposed to be delivered at a conversational pace. What category would you deduct points in if the speaker were going too fast?

Style.

World Schools Debate does not require evidence/cards to be read in the round. How do you evaluate competing claims if there is no evidence to read?

Students are required to use analysis, examples, and interrogate the claims of the other side then make comparative claims about the superiority of their position.

How do you resolve model quibbles?

Model quibbles are not fully developed arguments if they are only questions that are not fully developed or have an articulated impact.

How do you evaluate models vs. countermodels?

I utilize the approach of comparative worlds to evaluate competing methods for resolving mutual problems/harms. The proposition must defend its model as being comparatively advantageous over a given alternative posed by the opposition. While many feel in World Schools a countermodel must be mutually exclusive. While that certainly is one method of assessing if a countermodel truly ‘forces a choice,” a feel a better stand is that of net benefits. The question should be if it is desirable to do both the propositions model and the opposition countermodel at the same time. If it is possible to do both without any undesirable outcomes, the negative has failed to prove the desirability of their countermodel. The opposition should explain why doing both would be a bad idea. The proposition should advance an argument as to why doing both is better than adopting the countermodel alone.

I have been involved with debate as a participant, judge, school coach, national team coach, and UDL Executive Director. I have coached multiple state and national championships in the following events: Congress, LD, Policy, and World Schools Debate; Extemporaneous and Impromptu Speaking; and Prose/Poetry/Program of Oral Interpretation. I coached the 2023 WSDC World Champions as well.

I believe that speech and debate provides transformative life skills and that my role in the round is adjudicator/educator.

All speeches should be communicative in delivery, persuasive in style, and adhere to ethical standards in every aspect. Respect should be displayed to all involved, at all times.

In a competitive space, your role as a speaker/performer is to persuade me that your arguments/reasoning/evidence/performance is more compelling than the other competitors in the round. I will endeavor to base my decision on what happens IN the round and what I write on my flow, but I don't leave my brain at the door. Act accordingly.

I currently judge more WS rounds than anything else. WSDC/NSDA/TSDA norms should be adhered to. Speaking should be conversational as regards speed/style. Refutation may be line-by-line or utilize grouping, but you need to be clear where you are on the flow. Weighing is key. Stick to the heart of the motion and avoid the extremes. Unless the motion is US-specific you should provide international examples. Make it clear what your side of the debate looks like: what does the world of the Prop look like? the Opp? Framing/definitions/models should be fair and in the middle of the motion. Stakeholders should be clear; put a face on the motion.

A good debate round is a thing of beauty; respect your craft, the event, and your fellow competitors.

I am a traditional World Schools Debate Judge as it is the main style of debate that I now coach. I have coached policy, LD, Public Forum and California Parli before and I understand the arguments and strategies. I have, however, been living, coaching and judging outside of the USA for the past 20 years. So here is what I prefer to see in the debate.

1. I want your strategy to be in the middle of the motion. DO NOT run from the motion. It will likely cost you the round. This means that you must debate the motion in GENERAL. Do not parametricize the motion down to one or a few examples or country(ies) unless the motion specifically calls for that.

2. I really appreciate good quality speaking style. I do not want to hear fast talking or blippy arguments. Analysis is critical. I like introductions at the beginning of the speeches and long walks on the beach. I really like it when debaters talk to me as if I were a human being.

3. As is traditional in WSD style, evidence should not be read in great length. It should be referred to and you may quote a few lines as you would do in a high quality extemporaneous speech.

4. I really appreciate teams that work together as a team and work together all the way down the bench. I tend to vote for teams who do that well and rarely vote on 3rd speaker new arguments.

5. I love and understand well played mechanism/model, counter-mechanism/model debates when it is warranted by the motion and well explained by the debaters. (My knowledge of this is base around US Policy debate plan/counter-plan theory.)

6. I am not completely tabula rasa/blank slate. I do my best to vote on only what is said in the round but if you call something ridiculous a voter, without good reason, or you make absurd claims, that seem like hyperbole, or I think you are distorting or manipulating the facts or evidence beyond reason, I reserve the right to consider them in perspective. I do NOT claim to know everything and I enjoy being educated by intelligent young men and women like yourselves. I love to listen to all kinds of arguments. I try to be very open minded and to suspend my liberal bias.

7. I do not like rude or snarky debate. A little sarcasm and humor is always appreciated as long as it is friendly like I have tried to do in this judge philosophy. Being a good sport is always highly valued.

8. I am happy to give overall and individual feedback after each round. Please just ask and I will make time for you.

9. I think that is it. Just ask if you have other questions but don't make a whole speech out of it.

Thank you for reading.

I am a college sophomore from Australia who competes in parliamentary debating. I have experience in WSDC, Australasian, Asian Parliamentary, British Parliamentary, and American Parliamentary formats, and my judging reflects my debating experience (substance over style, reason over facts). I strive to follow the principles and specific considerations outlined in the judging guidelines of the most recent WSDC (Online WSDC 2020). I will value good arguments that are mechanized, impacted, and weighed well first and foremost. Other considerations like speaking style and speech structure strategy will be judged as being instrumental to speakers' argumentative persuasiveness. Different speech styles will be considered equally.