In debate, please ensure that I can understand the words you are speaking. If you are speaking too rapidly for me to understand you, I will ask you to slow down. If you continue to be difficult to understand, that hurts your chances of winning the round, as I won't give you credit for arguments you make, but I cannot decipher. If you're speaking rapidly and your diction is sharp, all is well. Slurring or mumbling hurt you.

To the degree to which it is possible, I strive for mens rea. I will judge the round based on what is actually said in the round. I may comment on lost opportunities, but the decision comes from the arguments presented, not from anything I fill in from my own experience.