I am a parent/lay judge and do not value spreading or critiquing when judging.

I wish you all the very best at the tournament. Congratulations on all of your hard work to get here.

I am the Director of Speech and Debate at Charlotte Latin School. I coach a full team and have coached all events.

Email Chain: bbutt0817@gmail.com - This is largely for evidence disputes, as I will not flow off the doc.

Currently serve on the Public Forum Topic Wording Committee, and have been since 2018.

----Lincoln Douglas----

1. Judge and Coach mostly Traditional styles.

2. Am ok with speed/spreading but should only be used for depth of coverage really.

3. LARP/Trad/Topical Ks/T > Theory/Tricks/Non-topical Ks

4. The rest is largely similar to PF judging:

----Public Forum-----

- Flow judge, can follow the fastest PF debater but don't use speed unless you have too.**

- I am not a calculator. Your win is still determined by your ability to persuade me on the importance of the arguments you are winning not just the sheer number of arguments you are winning. This is a communication event so do that, with some humor and panache.

- I have a high threshold for theory arguments to be valid in PF. Unless there is in round abuse, I probably won’t vote for a frivolous shell. So I would avoid reading most of the trendy theory arguments in PF.

5 Things to Remember…

1. Sign Post/Road Maps (this does not include “I will be going over my opponent’s case and if time permits I will address our case”)

After constructive speeches, every speech should have organized narratives and each response should either be attacking entire contention level arguments or specific warrants/analysis. Please tell me where to place arguments otherwise they get lost in limbo. If you tell me you are going to do something and then don’t in a speech, I do not like that.

2. Framework

I will evaluate arguments under frameworks that are consistently extended and should be established as early as possible. If there are two frameworks, please decide which I should prefer and why. If neither team provides any, I default evaluate all arguments under a cost/benefit analysis.

3. Extensions

Don’t just extend card authors and tag-lines of arguments, give me the how/why of your warrants and flesh out the importance of why your impacts matter. Summary extensions must be present for Final Focus extension evaluation. Defense extensions to Final Focus ok if you are first speaking team, but you should be discussing the most important issues in every speech which may include early defense extensions.

4. Evidence

Paraphrasing is ok, but you leave your evidence interpretation up to me. Tell me what your evidence says and then explain its role in the round. Make sure to extend evidence in late round speeches.

5. Narrative

Narrow the 2nd half of the round down to the key contention-level impact story or how your strategy presents cohesion and some key answers on your opponents’ contentions/case.

SPEAKER POINT BREAKDOWNS

30: Excellent job, you demonstrate stand-out organizational skills and speaking abilities. Ability to use creative analytical skills and humor to simplify and clarify the round.

29: Very strong ability. Good eloquence, analysis, and organization. A couple minor stumbles or drops.

28: Above average. Good speaking ability. May have made a larger drop or flaw in argumentation but speaking skills compensate. Or, very strong analysis but weaker speaking skills.

27: About average. Ability to function well in the round, however analysis may be lacking. Some errors made.

26: Is struggling to function efficiently within the round. Either lacking speaking skills or analytical skills. May have made a more important error.

25: Having difficulties following the round. May have a hard time filling the time for speeches. Large error.

Below: Extreme difficulty functioning. Very large difficulty filling time or offensive or rude behavior.

***Speaker Points break down borrowed from Mollie Clark.***

Email Chain: megan.butt@charlottelatin.org

Charlotte Latin School (2022-), formerly at Providence (2014-22).

Trad debate coach -- I flow, but people read that sometimes and think they don't need to read actual warrants? And can just stand up and scream jargon like "they concede our delink on the innovation turn so vote for us" instead of actually explaining how the arguments interact? I can't do all that work for you.

GENERAL:

COMPARATIVELY weigh ("prefer our interp/evidence because...") and IMPLICATE your arguments ("this is important because...") so that I don't have to intervene and do it for you. Clear round narrative is key!

If you present a framework/ROB, I'll look for you to warrant your arguments to it. Convince me that the arguments you're winning are most important, not just that you're winning the "most" arguments.

Please be clean: signpost, extend the warrant (not just the card).

I vote off the flow, so cross is binding, but needs clean extension in a speech.

I do see debate as a "game," but a game is only fun if we all understand and play by the same rules. We have to acknowledge that this has tangible impacts for those of us in the debate space -- especially when the game harms competitors with fewer resources. You can win my ballot just as easily without having to talk down to a debater with less experience, run six off-case arguments against a trad debater, or spread on a novice debater who clearly isn't able to spread. The best (and most educational) rounds are inclusive and respectful. Adapt.

Not a fan of tricks.

LD:

Run what you want and I'll be open to it. I tend to be more traditional, but can judge "prog lite" LD -- willing to entertain theory, non-topical K's, phil, LARP, etc. Explanation/narrative/context is still key, since these are not regularly run in my regional circuit and I am for sure not as well-read as you. Please make extra clear what the role of the ballot is, and give me clear judge instruction in the round (the trad rounds I judge have much fewer win conditions, so explain to me why your arguments should trigger my ballot. If I can't understand what exactly your advocacy is, I can't vote on it.)

PF:

Please collapse the round!

I will consider theory, but it's risky to make it your all-in strategy -- I have a really high threshold in PF, and because of the time skew, it's pretty easy to get me to vote for an RVI. It's annoying when poorly constructed shells get used as a "cheat code" to avoid actually debating substance.

CONGRESS:

Argument quality and evidence are more important to me than pure speaking skills & polish.

Show me that you're multifaceted -- quality over quantity. I'll always rank someone who can pull off an early speech and mid-cycle ref or late-cycle crystal over someone who gives three first negations in a row.

I reward flexibility/leadership in chamber: be willing to preside, switch sides on an uneven bill, etc.

WORLDS:

Generally looking for you to follow the norms of the event: prop sets the framework for the round (unless abusive), clear intros in every speech, take 1-2 points each, keep content and rhetoric balanced.

House prop should be attentive to motion types -- offer clear framing on value/fact motions, and a clear model on policy motions.

On argument strategy: I'm looking for the classic principled & practical layers of analysis. I place more value on global evidence & examples.

Hi! I'm a former high school debater from the late '80s and early '90s -- yeah, I'm old. So while I know what flow is and will flow your rounds, please note I am a newbie judge.

It would be helpful if you would:

1. Ask, "Ready, judge?" before you launch into each speech. (I will be keeping time, too.) What would be even better would be, "Ready, judge, for my four-minute speech (three-minute crossfire)?..."

2. Sign post your arguments. "Moving onto my second contention, my opponent says, but we contend..."

3. Speak a little slower. Don't spread.

Be good sports and have fun!

In the 20th century, I was a reasonably successful college debater and university coach.

Written judge paradigms were just coming into use back then. My favorite was from Tuna Snider. It read as follows:

"We gather. You debate. I decide."

That seems a great place to start. Here are a few things that may be helpful.

SPEED -- Though I have debated with and against speakers as fast as you can imagine, there is NO WAY I will read/follow a document to understand you during your speech. Be audible, signpost well, and have the strategic chops to parse out a winning solution. It is up to you, not me, to make sure you're being clear -- I never say "clear." Unless you're good at it (really good at it) spreading is annoying to me. That goes double if we're in a format other than CX, and triple if you're beating up on a less experienced opponent.

STYLE -- You're giving a speech. I'm an audience. Read the room. Make me glad I showed up to hear you. Be courteous to your opponents. I understand the round may crackle with rivalry. Lean into it with grace. Most of my best friends are the people I debated with and against back in the day. I won't ask to see any of your materials unless they're verbally contested, or I'm curious. This is a speaking contest, not an essay contest.

SUBSTANCE -- When it's clear you have a solid grasp of the subject matter, that's persuasive. Next level is you hearing and understanding your opponent, and returning on-point replies, with or without evidence. Hyperdrive is when you carry all that through to the final speeches and articulate a genuine solution to the debate.

THEORY/K's, etc. -- I will listen to what you have to say, if you give me sufficient reason to do so, at a pace I can digest. That said, the further you stray from simply affirming or negating the resolution, it's exponentially more likely I'll agree with your opponent's reaction. Thus, if you happen to find yourself defending against some esoteric K or theory onslaught, answer your opponent's argument as best you can. I'm likely to agree with you.

Let's learn, compete, and have fun!

My name is Tara Harris, and I'm a Myers Park High School parent. I'm a "lay" judge who is new-ish to the world of debate. Most of my judging experience has been in PF with some experience in speech. I am new to the world of Policy and Big Questions.

Please plan to:

-speak at a reasonable pace,

-provide enough evidence to properly support your arguments,

-be kind and respectful, and

-be clear and persuasive.

Even if I'm taking notes, I'm still fully engaged in what you're saying.

I'm unlikely to "flow" much of your crossfires and grand crossfires, but I'm very interested in these portions of the debate; of course, if something worthwhile comes out during a crossfire that merits repeating during one of your next speeches, please do so.

Good luck on engaging in a constructive and interesting debate! And most importantly, have fun!

My email: ashutosh.komali@gmail.com, add me to any speech or card doc.

A bit about me, I am a freshman in college (Rose-Hulman Institute of Tech.) and have competed in many events consistently over 4 years, mainly in Public Forum. Other events I did were Congressional Debate and World Schools Debate (best event) for Ardrey Kell High School/Carolina West District.

Please feel free to ask any questions about my paradigm before the round starts.

TLDR; my paradigm is pretentiously long but i dont feel like deleting it. Just debate, you got this. If you truly aren’t sure what to do in the round, my paradigm does tell you what I look for but you are competent enough to figure it out. Ive barely gotten out of high school so im not going to be as formal as a typical judge but I will be professional and expect you to be as well (my crocs aren’t professional attire but complement them for brownie points lol)

^Most important^

Current Tournament: Policy and BQ Carolina West Districts

I honestly don't have any topic knowledge on either topics and I have no experience in policy at all. For policy treat me like a lay judge, I'll do my best judging on the flow, I can't really handle speed for an 8 minute straight speech and won't do any prog and I haven't even checked the policy topic.

I've competed, prepped, and gotten familiar with BQ at some point so I'll be ok judging this more than policy. I know what the topic is but haven't though about it so I'll just judge on the flow and what I can understand (BQ can get convoluted so I'll try my best).

————————————————————————————————————————————

General PF Stuff:

Tech>Truth in almost any circumstance as long as it's not offensive or absolutely absurd (impacting out to 1 trillion humans)

Prog Debate: I am a substance judge and will always prefer a very lay and trad round. I don't really care how you feel about this, but I hate progressive rounds, and though I won't drop you for it, I'm unlikely to prefer the team that reads it, especially if it is being spread. Reading theory against novices is lame. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t read it on teams that are being absurdly exclusionary, but don’t read prog just for giggles.

For specifics on my thoughts on different forms of prog, just ask me.

Speaker Points: I won't go below 27.5, unless you are being excessively aggressive and/or rude or say anything offensive or discriminatory.

Speech docs: I hope this is obvious from what I just said, but don't try to spread, especially if you mess up your speaking a lot, but if you do spread, send speech doc.

I generally will not ask for a speech doc because I am fairly fine with flowing unless you spread very fast, which I considered being 250 or 260+ wpm.

Frameworks: I default cost-benefit analysis/utilitarianism, but you can have your own FW. Provide warranting for why this is the FW of the round tho, or else I will think it is very weak. Second case can always have a counter FW or just respond in rebuttal.

Mavericks: Everything the same except I'll give mav's 5 minutes of prep

Speech Analysis:

Case: Have clear warranting, it can be obscure or unique, but it should make sense. Case comprising of cut cards is recommended for your own usefulness, I am fine with anything paraphrased, but if a card is miscut or paraphrased incorrectly, I will drop it from my flow. Note: this can only happen if opponents call cards and address cards and I follow up with the card.

1st Rebuttal: Pre-emptive frontlines are nice, you should know what your job is, go top down on their case and respond to it to the best of your ability, addressing cross questions can help as well.

2nd Rebuttal: Make sure you frontline here, I won't evaluate it in second summary, feels abusive to me. Respond to their case obviously.

Don't read cards only, make analytical responses, these often have the best warranting throughout the round so they are useful, and when reading any carded response, make implications to why they clash with your opponents claims. Don't say something then not tell me why it it important.

Weighing is always welcome here.

1st Summary: Make sure you frontline your case well, only place for you to frontline. If you want me to evaluate something in my decision, you need to include it here. I advise you to collapse on your case, don't need to if opponents didn't do very well on responding. Make sure you weigh here.

2nd Summary: Again, no new frontlining that wasn't in rebuttal. Should address first summary. Nothing really different from first summary.

NO NEW RESPONSES, I get annoyed by this. This should be obvious, but no new arguments, I won't evaluate them.

If new arguments are made in summary and you respond to them just to be on the safe side then that's fine but I generally won't encourage it as I drop new args(unless its frontlining in first summary) and a time suck.

1st Final Focus: I agree that this is some disadvantage since you don't get the last word, but this is a big reason you should pre-emptively respond to their 2nd FF. Again extend things you want me to evaluate. Weigh.

2nd FF: Take advantage of this, you have the last word in the round. Don't do anything unfair, but if the round went very clash(AKA went to backlining and beyond), new analysis of the arguments are welcome here, this goes for first FF too. Weigh.

Your Final Focus should practically write the RFD for me, even if you are losing hard, don't give up and make a convincing final statement as to why you should win.

WEIGHING: To me, weighing and impact calc is very important, as even if you concede to all of your opponents links, you can still win off of weighing impacts with a clear link into them with your arguments. Magnitude is often the default in rounds, but differentiate your weighing from your opponents by using other weighing mechanisms too. Meta-weighing is often not included in many rounds I watch but it is a great tool, helps me in my decision and is always welcome.

Although it is convenient for the debaters, I don't believe in sticky defense, just don't do it. Extend.

I may call for cards once the round is over for me to clear up any suspicious evidence or cards that are challenged during the round.

Finally and probably most important, please make an implication of any argument that you extend in the back half of the round that has clash on both sides(hopefully a lot of them exist) because without implications I can't easily tell who wins an argument if they don't interact with the other side

I am a parent judge who has been judging a little over a year. I am most comfortable with traditional debate but if you want to run theory or a K then you need to explain it extremely well. No spreading please as if I can’t hear your argument I can’t give you points for it.
Please be respectful and good luck to all.

I am a parent of a Myers Park High School speech and debate student and have two seasons of experience judging Public Forum. I have also judged Lincoln-Douglas once. I am a retired accounting professional. I prefer for debaters to speak at a moderate pace rather than a very rapid one. I value argument over style. I will view overly aggressive debaters, and especially disrespectful ones, less favorably. I find weighing by debaters at the end to be very helpful. I provide some feedback in person at the end of debates but do not typically indicate which side won the debate, and in some cases I may need to go through my notes and do more thinking to determine who won. I do not consider any information not mentioned by the debaters in reaching my decisions.

Don’t be rude to your opponents. Articulate clearly.

I am a lay judge. I've completed online training and watched several demo videos.

Speed: I'm okay with speed, but I really like an articulate, eloquent speaker. Prioritize clarity, be sure to signpost, don't spread, and you'll be fine.

Framework: Please make your Value and Value Criterion clear at the beginning, weave them into your case, and tell me explicitly why your input is better than your opponent's.

I prefer some scholarly philosophies in there with supportive arguments.

Finish strong and on time. Be specific.

Hello Debaters,

My name is Yogesh Patil, I'm from Charlotte and I work in Information Tech. This is my second time judging Lincoln Douglas debate. I am from Ardrey Kell High school. Im very much of what you guys may call a "lay judge" and i prefer if you explain link chains thoroughly and slowly. In general, the easier you make it to understand, the more i can make sense. Please speak slowly and don't use rude or offensive language.

Thanks!

I am looking for ref and clashes if giving a late round speech, sharp CX involving both, staying alert (asking questions) and staying confident when being questioned. I would also be looking for speeches with good inflections (a speech I would want to hear twice) rather than speeches that don't show emotion, and as always show respect to all other participants.

Thank You!

TLDR: lay judge: go at a moderate speed, signpost, extend, weigh, and be respectful

Hey, I’m a PF debater, and I'm writing my dad's paradigm for him.

My dad is a lay judge, will take notes but I wouldn’t call it a flow. He will vote off what's extended (and weighed) in final focus. He appreciates a strong crossfire round but will not tolerate any rudeness. Will give 28 speaker points on average and will be higher if you deserve it.

General tips:

• Ask if everyone is ready before you start

• Read your contentions clearly, "Contention One is ____"

• Make your impacts really obvious, "The impact is __(lives, money, etc.)___" and be sure to quantify.

• PLEASE WEIGH! Tell him what you want him to weigh off of. The earlier weighing is introduced, the better! (For example, if your opponents dropped an argument, say so. This will make the decision much easier)

• Collapse in later speeches, giving you more time to better warrant your arguments (quality > quantity)

• Give a TW with an anonymous opt-out if ur gonna read stuff that needs one

• Give a strong rebuttal making sure to signpost the contentions you are responding to but make it more clear than "our case, their case"

• Second speaking team should ALWAYS frontline

• Do not use jargon (no "fiat", "delink", "non-unique", "offense/defense", etc.)

• Extend warranting on case and responses

Do NOT:

• NO SPREADING!

• Read framework, theory, and anything more than just pure substance

• Read a tech arg/impact

• Number/statistic dump

• Read offense if you finish early

• Do not abuse prep time!

Parent judge - new to this style of debate in terms of judging, but I have debated myself.

I need arguments to be clear rather than rush through super fast...want clarity of thought and communication, rather than debater rushing through trying to make more points...Please DO NOT rush through super fast

Logical responses have greater merit

Prefer the direct question/point/challenge to be answered appropriately, rather than be evasive

I want to see how you think on the fly ref rebuttals, rather than blabber something that is not relevant

(From tech son:)

I am a lay judge, please do not spread excessively or I may not flow all of your points.

Truth > Tech. Please use logical arguments.

I vote on logical arguments rather than technical cards. Please use substantial evidence to back your contentions.

I will weigh cross if you cite substantial evidence. Please respect time during cross.

I debated PF for four years at Delbarton. I currently coach for Charlotte Latin.

my email for the chain is alexsun6804@gmail.com

Tech over truth

go as fast as you want, but if there isn't clarity then none of the content within the speech will matter.

You should weigh and collapse on whatever arguments you think are the most important within the round.

Tell me where you are on the flow (signpost) for speeches after constructive, otherwise I'm going to be really confused.

For Rebuttal

Provide warrants (reasoning and explanation) and implications to your responses
First rebuttal should address your opponent's case and you can do weighing if you want

Second rebuttal should respond to your opponent's case and you should frontline your own case.

For Summary

Collapse on the most important arguments in the round

This is the latest you can start weighing, if you start weighing for the first time in final focus I'm not going to evaluate that.

Rebuttal responses are not sticky so extend them if they are conceded

General structure for summary can be your case, weighing, their case, but you can do whatever you want in terms of the structure as long as it makes sense

Always extend or explain your case in summary

For Final Focus

Should be very similar to summary with exception to front lining and comparative weighing

Other stuff

Have cut cards ready if something is called

Extend offense in the back half, otherwise, I'll be forced to intervene or presume

I've done some stuff with theory and Ks, but don't be really trigger-happy with either. I'll do my best to evaluate them if it goes down in round.

Don't be rude or say something problematic in round. It could cost you the round.

Good luck in round

I am a parent judge.

I give more weight to contents than to style of delivery.

I highly value clarities in your understanding of the topic, in the contentions you are making, and in the logical connections between your supporting materials and conclusions. Simply citing a researcher or a publication to "prove" X leads to Y without you telling me how that is supposed to work won't help you a lot. This means that you have to do some serious thinking by yourself during your preparation.

As of style of delivery, I appreciate clarity and confidence in your speech. So you really don't want to rush it under the pressure of squeezing in more contents.

Of course, rudeness and sarcasm to your opponent are game losers.

I'll not mind if anybody does not pronounce my name correctly and I may not be good at pronouncing yours either. I believe tolerance means we should demand less from others, not more.

Parent judge. No spreading or sliming. Explain to me why you win. Have realistic impacts, not everything leads to nuclear war. You can be aggressive while not being rude.

I'm a parent judge with about 2 years of judging experiences, mostly in PF and some in LD.

Never done Policy before so please don't spread. If I can not catch what your arguments are, I can't vote for them.

If may be helpful if you want to share your case doc with me: zhusufeng@hotmail.com.

Be confident, respectful and have fun.