Hello, fellow debaters and esteemed participants, I appreciate the opportunity to serve as your judge today. As an inexperienced judge, I may not have the extensive background in debate, but I come here with an open mind and a commitment to fairness. My goal is to provide a fair, educational, and enjoyable debate experience for all involved. Here is my judging paradigm:

1. Clarity and Structure:

• I value clear communication above all else. Please speak at a moderate pace and enunciate your words.
• Organization and structure in your arguments are important. Clearly outline your main points, and signpost as you move through your speech so I can follow your arguments easily.
• Use of clear and logical arguments is highly encouraged.

2. Respect and Sportsmanship:

• Treat your opponents, your partner, and me with respect. Maintain a professional and courteous demeanor throughout the debate.
• Avoid personal attacks, offensive language, or disrespectful behavior.

3. Evidence and Analysis:

• Evidence should be relevant, recent, and credible. Explain how your evidence supports your arguments.
• Provide analysis and reasoning to help me understand the implications of your evidence and how it connects to your case.

4. Rebuttal and Clash:

• Effective refutation is key. Address your opponents' arguments directly and explain why they are flawed.
• Highlight key points of clash between the two sides. Show how your side's arguments are superior in terms of logic or evidence.

5. Flexibility and Adaptability:

• Be prepared to adapt your strategy if your opponents present strong arguments or evidence that challenge your case.
• A willingness to engage in the debate, even if it means adjusting your original position, is highly regarded.

6. Time Management:

• Keep track of your time and adhere to the established speaking times. I will take timekeeping seriously.
• Use your time wisely to cover your main points and engage in effective rebuttal.

7. Decision Making:

• I will make my decision based on the quality of arguments, evidence, and overall persuasive ability of each side.
• Winning a particular point doesn't necessarily guarantee victory; I will evaluate the debate as a whole.

8. Learning Experience:

• Recognize that, as an inexperienced judge, I am here to learn as well. If you can teach me something new or offer a unique perspective, it will be appreciated.
• Please explain debate jargon and concepts to ensure I can follow your arguments effectively.

9. Feedback:

• After the debate, I will provide constructive feedback to both teams. I encourage you to use this feedback to improve your debating skills.

10. Fairness and Impartiality:

• I am committed to fairness and impartiality. My decision will be based solely on the arguments presented during the debate and the quality of those arguments.

Remember that my lack of experience may lead me to ask questions for clarification or request further elaboration during cross-examinations. I am here to learn and grow alongside you as debaters. Best of luck, and let's have a productive and enjoyable debate!

Hello debaters!

My names maysa and I'm a college student and I'm new to judging. I'm currently taking a course in public speaking and I'm looking forward to judging debate. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Hi! I am a lay judge.

I dislike spreading and value interacting with your opponent's arguments well.

I am a lay parent judge. Please speak slow and clear. I will not buy arguments I cannot understand, so speak clearly at the very least if not slow.

Spreading:

Don't do it please. Truth>tech.

Harvard '25

Share Docs Email: novadebate.docx@gmail.com

Background

I have no personal speech and debate competition experience. I began judging in early 2014; I have been involved in the community ever since and have attended/judged/run tournaments at a rate of 30 tournaments per year give or take. The onset of online in early 2020 has only pushed that number higher. I began coaching in 2016 starting in Congressional Debate and currently act as my program's Public Forum Coach.

General Expectations of Me (Things for You to Consider)

Consider me "flay" on average, "flow" on a good day. Here is a list of things NOT to expect from me:

1. Don't make assumptions about my knowledge. Do not expect me to know the things you know. Always make the choice to explain things fully.
2. Post-round me if you want, I don't care. If you want to post-round me, I'll sit there and take it. Don't think I'll change my mind though. All things that should influence my decision need to occur in the debate and if I didn’t catch it, that’s too bad.
3. Regarding Disclosures/Decisions. Do not expect me to disclose in prelims unless the tournament explicitly tells me to. I will disclose all elim rounds unless explicitly told not to.
4. Clarity > Speed. I flow on paper, meaning I most likely won't be looking at either competitor/team too often during the round. Please don't take that as a discouraging signal, I'm simply trying to keep up. This also means I flow more slowly than my digital counterparts, so there may be occasions that I miss something if you speak too quickly.
5. Defense is not sticky in PF. Coverage is important in debate; it allows for a sensible narrative to be established over the course of the round. Summary, not Rebuttal, is the setup for Final Focus.

Should other things arise, I will add them to this list at that time.

General Debate Philosophy

I am tech > truth by the slimmest of margins. I am here to identify a winner of a debate, not choose one. Will I fail at this? At times yes. But I believe that the participants in the round should be the sole factors in determining who wins and loses a debate. At its most extreme, I will vote (and have voted) for a competitor/team who lies IF AND ONLY IF those lies are not called out/identified by the opposing competitor/team. If I am to practice tabula rasa, then I must adopt this line of reasoning. Will I identify in my ballot that a lie was told? Absolutely.

Why take this hard line? Because debate is a space where we can practice an open exchange of information. This means it is also a space where we can practice calling out nonsense in a respectful manner. The conversations of the world beyond debate will not be limited by time constraints or speaker order nor will there be an authority or ombudsman to determine what is truth. We must do that on our own. If you hear something false, investigate it. Bring it to my attention. Explain the falsehood. Take the time to set the record straight.

Public Forum / Lincoln Douglas Paradigm

Regarding speaker points:

I judge on the standard tabroom scale. 27.5 is average; 30 is the second coming manifested in speech form; and 20 and under is if you stabbed someone in the round. Everyone starts at a 27.5 and depending on how the round goes, that score will fluctuate. I expect clarity, fluidity, confidence and decorum in all speeches. Being able to convey those facets to me in your speech will boost your score; a lack in any will negatively affect speaker points. I judge harshly: 29+ scores are rare and 30 is a unicorn. DO NOT think you can eschew etiquette and good speaking ability simply due to the rationale that "this is debate and W's and L's are what matter."

Do not yell at your opponent(s) in cross. Avoid eye contact with them during cross as much as possible to keep the debate as civil as it can be. If it helps, look at me; at the very least, I won’t be antagonistic. I understand that debate can get heated and emotional; please utilize the appropriate coping mechanisms to ensure that proper decorum is upheld. Do not leave in the middle of round to go to the bathroom or any other reason outside of emergency, at which point alert me to that emergency.

Structure/Organization:

Please signpost. I cannot stress this enough without using caps and larger font. If you do not signpost or provide some way for me to follow along your case/refutations, I will be lost and you will be in trouble. Not actual trouble, but debate trouble. You know what I mean.

Framework (FW):

In Public Forum, I default to Cost-Benefit Analysis unless a different FW is given. Net-Benefit and Risk-Benefit are also common FWs that I do not require explanation for. Broader FWs, like Lives and Econ, also do not require explanation. Anything else, give me some warranting.

In Lincoln Douglas, I need a Value and Value Criterion (or something equivalent to those two) in order to know how to weigh the round. Without them, I am unable to judge effectively because I have not been told what should be valued as most important. Please engage in Value Debates: FWs are the rules under which you win the debate, so make sure your rules and not your opponent's get used in order to swing the debate in your favor. Otherwise, find methods to win under your opponent's FW.

Do not take this to mean that if you win the FW debate, you win the round. That's the beauty of LD: there is no dominant value or value criterion, but there is persuasive interpretation and application of them.

Should other things arise, I will add them to this list at that time.

Regarding the decision (RFD):

I judge tabula rasa, or as close to it as possible. I walk in with no knowledge of the topic, just the basic learning I have gained through my public school education. I have a wide breadth of common knowledge, so I will not be requiring cards/evidence for things such as the strength of the US military or the percentage of volcanos that exist underwater. For matters that are strictly factual, I will rarely ask for evidence unless it is something I don’t know, in which case it may be presented in round regardless. What this means is that I am pledging to judge ONLY on what I hear in round. As difficult as this is, and as horrible as it feels to give W’s to teams whom I know didn’t deserve it based on my actual knowledge, that is the burden I uphold. This is the way I reduce my involvement in the round and is to me the best way for each team to have the greatest impact over their debate.

A few exceptions to this rule:

• Regarding dropped points and extensions across flow: I flow ONLY what I hear; if points don’t get brought up, I don’t write them. A clear example would be a contention read in Constructive, having it dropped in Summary, and being revived in Final Focus. I will personally drop it should that occur; I will not need to be prompted to do so, although notification will give me a clearer picture on how well each team is paying attention. Therefore, it does not hurt to alert me. The reason why I do this is simple: if a point is important, it should be brought up consistently. If it is not discussed, I can only assume that it simply does not matter.
• Regarding extensions through ink: This phrase means that arguments were flowed through refutations without addressing the refutations or the full scope of the refutations. I imagine it being like words slamming into a brick wall, but one side thinks it's a fence with gaping holes and moves on with life. I will notice if this happens, especially if both sides are signposting. I will be more likely to drop the arguments if this is brought to my attention by your opponents. Never pretend an attack/defense didn't happen. It will not go your way.
• Regarding links/internal links: I need things to just make sense. Make sure things are decently connected. If I’m listening to an argument and all I can think is “What is happening?” then you have lost me. I will just not buy arguments at that point and this position will be further reinforced should an opposing team point out the lack of or poor quality of the link.

I do not flow cross-examination. It is your time for clarification and identifying clash. Should something arise from it, it is your job to bring it up in your/team’s next speech.

Regarding Progressive: I'm not an expert on this. I am a content debate traditionalist who has through necessity picked up some things over time when it comes to progressive tech.

A) On Ks: As long as it's well structured and it's clear to me why I need to prioritize it over case, then I'm good. If not, then I'll judge on case.

B) On CPs: Don't run them in PF. Try not to run them in LD.

C) On theory: I have no idea how to judge this. Don't bother running it on me; I will simply ignore it.

Regarding RFD in Public Forum: I vote on well-defined and appropriately linked impacts. All impacts must be extended across the flow to be considered. If your Summary speaker drops an impact, I’m sorry but I will not consider it if brought up in Final Focus. What can influence which impacts I deem more important is Framework and weighing. I don’t vote off Framework, but it can determine key impacts which can force a decision.

Regarding RFD in Lincoln Douglas: FW is essential to help me determine which impacts weigh more heavily in the round. Once the FW is determined, the voters are how well each side fulfills the FW and various impacts extending from that. This is similar to how I vote in PF, but with greater emphasis on competing FWs.

SPEED:

I am a paper flow judge; I do not flow on computer. I’m a dinosaur that way. This means if you go through points too quickly, there is a higher likelihood that I may miss things in my haste to write them down. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, SPREAD OR SPEED READ. I do not care for it as I see it as a disrespectful form of communication, if even a form of communication at all. Nowhere in life, outside of progressive circuit debate and ad disclaimers, have I had to endure spreading. Regardless of its practical application within meta-debate, I believe it possesses little to no value elsewhere. If you see spreading as a means to an end, that end being recognized as a top debater, then you and I have very different perspectives regarding this activity. Communication is the one facet that will be constantly utilized in your life until the day you die. I would hope that one would train their abilities in a manner that best optimizes that skill for everyday use.

Irrational Paradigm

This section is meant for things that simply anger me beyond rational thought. Do not do them.

1. No puns. No pun tagline, no pun arguments, no pun anything. No puns or I drop you.

Should other things arise, I will add them to this list at that time.

Trinity Le: First Year/Orange Coast College

I am really just looking for you to do your best! It takes a lot of courage and knowledge to share your speech and compete in a debate.

A small general list to follow by is:

• To speak clearly and eloquently. (no need to use big vocabulary just speak in a manner that makes sense to the audience)
• Have defensible claims with corresponding evidence. (Keep in mind overall relevance of the points and evidence you share.)
• Citing your evidence as well builds your credibility.
• Have prepared questions and answers to respond to the competing team. (shows your expertise in your position)
• Follow the debate outline given to you so it makes it both easier for me and you to keep up and understand what you’re trying to say.

These will make you seem like you really believe in your argument and that you’re ready to win. :)

Good Luck!

Parent judge

please speak slowly

Hi,

I am a lay judge but i was judging for the last 4 years and have experience with PF, LD and also speech events. I am not a huge fan of spreading and really appreciate respectful interaction among all teams.

Lay Judge; Talk no faster than conversational and explain your points to me. I will vote for the team that I think has the strongest argument at the end of the round.

*Varsity Speaks: Boost in speaker points when you compliment your partner in-speech - the more fun or earnest, the higher the speaks boost :) I've found this gives some much needed levity in tense rounds.

*Online: Please go slower online. I'll let you know if you cut out. I'll try on my end to be as fair as possible within the limits of keeping the round reasonably on time. If the tournament has a forfeit policy, I'll go by those.

Background: 3 years of college debate - v traditional policy (stock issues/T & CPs) & some parli. I've been coaching PF for 6+ years, mostly MS/some HS.

PF:

Firm on paraphrasing bad. I used to reward teams for the bare minimum of reading cut cards but then debaters would bold-faced lie and I would become the clown emoji in real time. I'm open to hearing arguments that penalize paraphrasing, whether it's treating them as analytics that I shouldn't prefer over your read cards or I should drop the team that paraphrases entirely.

Disclosure is good because evidence ethics in PF are bad, but I probably won't vote for disclosure theory. I'm more likely to reward you in speaks for doing it (ex. sharing speech docs) than punish a team for not.

“Defense is sticky.” No it isn’t.

To be clear: fully frontline whatever you want to go for in second summary in second rebuttal. Same logic as if it's in your final focus, it better be in your partner's summary. I like consistency.

It shouldn't take you long to send cards if you were literally just reading them. Make it quick or it starts coming out of prep.

Collapsing, grouping, and implicating = good, underrated, easy path to my ballot! Doc botting, blippy responses, no warrants or ev comparison = I'm sad, and you'll be sad at your speaks.

Cleaner debates collapse earlier rather than later.

I'm super into strategic concessions. "It's okay that they win this, because we win here instead and that matters more bc..."

I have a soft spot for framing. I'm most interested when the opposing team links in (ex. team A runs "prioritize extinction," team B replies, "yes, and that's us,"), but I'll definitely listen to "prioritize x instead" args, too. Just warrant, compare, etc.

TW/Para theory/K's - judged a couple times, but by no means an expert. I'm not saying you can't run these debates or I'm unwilling to listen to them, but you're better off going slower than usual and making your judge instructions very, very clear.

All else fails, I will 1) look at the weighing, then 2), evaluate the line-by-line to see if I give you reasonable access to those impacts to begin with. Your opponents would have to really slip up somewhere to win the weighing but lose the round, but it's not impossible. I get really sad if the line-by-line is so convoluted that I only vote on the weighing - give me a clean place to vote. I'll be happy if you do the extra work to tell me why your weighing mechanism is better than theirs (I should prefer scope over mag because x, etc).

LD:

I’m a better judge for you if you're more trad/LARP. The more "progressive," the more you should either A) strike me if possible, or B) explain it to me slowly and simply - I’m open to hearing it if you’re willing to adjust how you argue it. Send a speech doc and assume I'm not as well-read as you on the topic literature.

All:

If it's before 9am, assume I learned what debate was 10 minutes ago. If it's the last round of the night, assume the same.

Open/varsity - time yourselves. Keep each other honest, but don't be the prep police.

On speed generally - I can do "fast" PF mostly fine, but I prefer slower debates and no spreading.

Content warnings should be read for graphic content.

Have warrants. Compare warrants. Tell me why your args matter/what to do with them.

Don't post-round. Debaters should especially think about who you choose to post-round on a panel when decisions echo one another.

Having a sense of humor and being friendly/accommodating toward your opponents is the easiest way to get good speaks from me. Be kind, have fun, laugh a little (but not at anyone's expense!!), and I'll have no problem giving you top speaks.

If I smile, you did something right. If I nod, I'm following what you say. I will absolutely tilt my head and make a face if you lost me or you're treading on thin ice on believability of whatever you're saying. If I just look generally unhappy - that's just my default face. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

hi! my name is shea (he/him)

put me on the email chain: shea.rueda@gmail.com

I debated with The Bishop's School for 3 years and Capitol Debate before that. I did PF and LD in high school (mainly LD) and I currently compete with USC in college policy. I have experience debating on the national circuit but also a lot of local lay type of tournaments.

*Novice*

Novice debaters: You can basically ignore the rest of my paradigm besides this section.

• Make sure to clearly tell me which argument you are talking about during your speeches (ex: "On first contention, we have three responses here..."). I always found that giving my judges a brief off time roadmap was helpful for organization.
• I know debate can be heated at times, but please remember to be respectful and courteous to your opponents (and your partner!) before, during, and after the round.
• I will keep time but also try to keep your own time as well, it's a good habit.
• Please don't interrupt your opponents speech to say that they went over time or set a timer that goes off really loud. I promise that I'll notice when they go over time and stop flowing.
• In your final focus (even summary), I would advise you to not go for every single argument in the round--talk about the most important points of the round and tell me why you're winning there.
• Make sure to to not assume that the judge automatically believes something (ex: don't just say that the impact of the argument is climate change, tell me why climate change is bad and why it's the most important argument).
• Weight between different arguments. Tell me which impact has the most magnitude or probability to happen. Extra speaker points if y'all get into why your weighing mechanism that you're winning is more important than your opponents!
• If your evidence clashes with your opponents, tell me why you should prefer your evidence (author credentials, recency, they misinterpret the text).
• Ask for evidence during prep time. If there's a dispute over evidence I will check it post round.

TLDR:

1- Policy/Traditional

2/3- Cap, Set Col, and Pess

3-Theory/T

4-Other Ks

5-Phil

Strike-Tricks

General:

Tab approach, don't assume I know or believe almost anything

I debated mostly policy args in high school, I'm most comfortable with this. I ran a bit of theory and some Ks infrequently

i'm good with you recording the round, ask your opponent

PLEASE SIGNPOST, it's really annoying trying to flow when I don't know which flow you're talking about and I'm not that fast at typing or writing lol

Being sarcastic is fine with me, but being rude or overly abrasive during the round will dock your speaks + L for egregious violations

Speed: slow down on analytics and tags (like 30% slower than on cards)

I will say slow or clear like 4 times before I start docking speaks

Tech> Truth but please still explain throughly in later speeches what arg was dropped, why that matters, etc

BUT if your arg is just inherently and blatantly wrong I won't vote on that

Serious evidence ethics claims will stop the round

I love weighing work done early and often, but esp in the later speeches

Crystalize in the last speech, tell me why you're winning

I default to 1ar theory is fine and no rvis but I would be open to voting on those

Ask for cards during prep time

I'm not gonna vote for death good

Pre round disclosure is a good norm, but I'm not gonna buy your shell if the arg is new

I think avg/middle of the pack speaks should be around 27.5

Policy/Traditional

I did this the most in high school and I'm most comfortable with this

I'm gonna get really bored by the end of the tournament, run a unique arg

I usually don't buy "no risk of the DA" but its possible if you explain it

CPs: Be explicit with the solvency, what it is, how it solves the aff

PICs, Agent, Consult, Process CPs are good, but i'm willing to hear theory about why it isn't

K

I like both K affs and negs, I think some of the best educational experiences for me in debate have come out of these rounds

K on the neg: I'll consider generic links but it's that much easier for me to also buy a "no link" arg. Tell me how you generate offense in the later speeches.

Like CPs, be specific with the solvency, why it solves the link/aff

Theory/T

Don't run a billion shells against a novice or traditional debater

I default to reject the arg, not the team, tell me why to reject the team

Weighing between standards is k2 my ballot

Default to presumption flows neg, but tell me why it doesn't

TVAs are compelling

Phil

I hit Kant a fair amount, but I never ran phil myself, assume I know nothing and over explain

Author indicts to phil are compelling to me, but only when you explain why the indict proves their theories are problematic/wrong and why that means we should reject.

+0.1 speaks If you make a Celtics reference

Hello,

my email is liamcryals@gmail.com

policy debater for 7 years so im fine with anything. I like Ks, antiblackness, and Orientalism.

Hi I'm Sam (she/her) and I’m a junior in college. I have 3 years of experience in PF, 1 in Parli, and now I coach PF.

Add me to the email chain: samsemcheshen@gmail.com

------------------------------------------

All:

Read content warnings for anything that might need it and have an extra case if someone opts out.

Be respectful, I'm fine with rounds being casual but everyone in the round should be respected. Be nice, be polite. If I look annoyed, that's probably just because I'm tired, but if I make it very obvious that I have stopped flowing and I am just staring at you, you're probably doing something wrong. Bad behavior will reflect in your speaks and in some cases possibly my decision.

Speed is fine (not spreading though lol) but I prefer slower debates, especially if we are online.

Time yourselves please. If it's novice I'll time, but you should still try and time yourselves in case I forget and so you don't have to rely on me solely.

Keep each other accountable but don't be the prep police or speech sheriff. For speeches, I'd say give each other like a 10 second grace period.

HOWEVER, I don't know why I keep seeing this but a lot of online people just start taking prep without saying anything. Please don't do this or else I am going to have to nag to make sure you're not stealing prep. If you're gonna take prep please just say so before you start.

SIGNPOST!!!! or I will have no clue what is going on.

Terminalized impacts please, I don't care that the GDP was raised by 1% what does that even mean. I should also not be hearing your impact once in constructive then never again or you just referring to it as "our impact" without restating what it is. EXTEND IMPACTS.

I'm cool with a rowdy cross those are fun just don't get too carried away and make sure everyone is able to speak.

Also, reading whole cards in cross is my pet peeve. Try not to do that.

Some evidence things!!!!:

• To save time, set up ev exchange before the round starts. (I think email chains are best but its your call)
• On that note, I don't have a set time limit for how long pulling up evidence should take, but it shouldn't take long. I've seen teams struggle to find a "card" they just read in their speech and like ???? You either got the card or you don't.
• If you just send a link and tell someone to "control f" I am gonna cry. Send cards, its not hard.
• To help enforce better norms, if I see that when your team's evidence is called for, it is properly cut and shared in an appropriate way (AKA not pasted into zoom/NSDA campus chat or handing each other your laptops), I will give your team a speaks boost of .3 . All evidence shared must abide in order to get the boost.

PF:

PF has the worst evidence ethics so go ahead and reread the evidence points I put earlier just in case.

I'm cool with paraphrasing cards but you better have a cut card version if someone calls for it.

I hate when people wait until 2nd summary to frontline. I am more comfortable evaluating frontlines done in 2nd rebuttal than if you skip that and only frontline in 2nd summary. Frankly, if the other team comes up in ff and says that frontlining only in summary is unfair, I'll probably agree with them and you'll be out of luck.

Is defense sticky? NOPE!

If it is not extended into summary, I'm not evaluating it in ff. Don't just spam your impact numbers, remind me how you get there. If you don't think you have time for that, then maybe you should have been collapsing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Basically, if you end up not extending your case properly, oh well your loss. Literally your loss.

Other:

For LD, Policy, Parli, etc. just treat me more trad.

I can evaluate theory but I am not super experienced with it. If you want to do it anyway, make sure you slow down and REALLY explain it well to me.

If I'm allowed to, I typically disclose and give feedback. If you have questions about my decision or want specific feedback, I'm happy to explain as long as you are going about it in a respectful way.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask me before the round :)

I am a parent judge, so please do not spread too quickly.