Hey y’all. My name’s Matt, I competed in congress for 2 years in high school and I’ve been judging tournaments for about the same amount of time. Basically I’ve been in a lot of congress rounds so don’t worry, I know how this works. When I’m judging a round, I’m mainly looking for who can advance the debate the most or otherwise contribute the most to the round as a whole. Whoever can give me the most solid, impactful, well explained point and contextualize it to the round is going to stand out to me the most. That means if you’re speaking early, set the framework for your side to follow and for the debate as a whole to follow. If you can effectively do this, you’ll get ranked well. If you’re speaking later in the round, make share you make your arguments more responsive so the debate can be furthered, incorporate refutation so I know why your points are better, and are your point make sense in the context of other points I’ve heard in the round so far so it’s easy for me to understand. Clean, professional speaking will benefit you but it’s not the deciding factor for your rank. Important to note, I also appreciate a good presiding officer. If you are well versed in procedures and run the round smoothly, you’ll rank well with me, and if I feel you’ve contributed more than anyone else, you’ll rank REALLY well with me. That about does it for me, great luck in round everyone, I look forward to seeing you all compete.

I'm a first time lay judge, I have not judged any rounds before.

LD:

Make sure to thoroughly explain all your cards and warrants to make it easier to understand. Make sure to impact and explain the importance of those cards as well. I will be expecting you to time yourself during rounds.

Do not spread, I will not be able to catch what you're saying. Make sure you speak slower and enunciate. Always signpost so I know where you are on the flow, and clearly state the taglines and the card names.

Good luck!

Speak at a pace that people can understand. In order to cover too many thing in your time limit don't speak so fast that i cannot understand anything .

Be authoritative in what you say. if you are not convinced what you are saying, i am not convinced either.

Enjoy speech and debate!!!!

Hello! I've debated LD for all 4 years of high school and I'm a college freshman so I still have a grasp of debate. Progressive or traditional, I'm down for either but my experience with theory debate is pretty limited. All speeds are alright, just don't spread if it's obvious your opponent is not comfortable with it. Really I'll just follow the flow. If I didn't answer all your questions feel free to ask in round!

About Me:

I am a dad of 2 kids. One of my kids does congress

How I Judge:

I like respectfulness and professionalism between all competitors. I prefer slower speaking and can understand technical terms.

I give points based on many things and prioritize respect.

I am a lay judge so treat me like that.

Prefer debaters to speak not too fast. Standard news reader speed <= 150 wpm preferred.

I have been judging for 3 years now. I judged 2 years for PF and 1 year LD.

Hi everyone!

I am judging for Dougherty Valley.

Here is how I judge:

Number 1: Don't talk fast and do not spread. Be loud and clear so I can make proper notes.

Number 2: Please be polite, don't scream at your opponent.

Number 3: Please provide a definition and make sure to explain everything you say clearly.

Number 4: Make sure to give an off time road map.

Number 5: Quality over quantity

Number 6: Offense over defense

Number 7: Weigh properly, impact is critical

Number 8: Probability of your argument is also key for my ballot

Number 9: Look professional

Number 10: Have fun

I am a teacher at Mission San Jose High School.

Debate Rounds

First and foremost, our school believes in fairness and transparency in debate. For varsity debaters, this means that you are expected to provide wiki disclosure, which must include all of the arguments and evidence that you plan to use in the round. Second, we believe in the importance of reading direct quotes rather than paraphrasing. Finally, you must use email chains to share evidence prior to the debate.

For my decision I will also consider the organization and flow of the debate, and the extent to which debaters are able to effectively convey their arguments and evidence. Debaters should use clear signposting and transitions to guide the audience through their reasoning. Debaters should also be able to adapt their strategy and arguments in response to the arguments and evidence presented by their opponents. I expect debaters to conduct themselves with professionalism, respect and should refrain from personal attacks or disrespectful behavior.

Theory

I will judge on Theory only on the varsity level.

If a team did not fully disclose on Wiki for any reason (personal, school policy, ect.) they will not win my vote.

Lastly, such an argument on disclosure MUST be made in the opening Constructive Speech of the team.

Speech Rounds

In order of importance:

1) Clear thesis of your presentation

2) Development or growth of character/speaker during the speech

3) Know your lines

4) Use of space

5) Moment to moment objectives

My name is Leo Mutarelli, and I am a former HS Parliamentary Debater.

I do not believe I have any particular judging preferences which would strike you as abnormal; however, I'll briefly go over some of my preferences.

Fact Checking: I did Parli for 4 years and I understand Parliamentary debaters can often times have a unique relationship with the truth. With that being said, I will not generally fact check unless a piece of information becomes so important that the result of the entire debate is contingent on the veracity of the fact.

Theory: I am perfectly fine with theory arguments; however, I have a general dislike for arguments that seem pre-baked.

Spreading: I cannot state in strong enough professional terms how much I despise spreading. Do with that information what you will.

Speed: I understand that many of you will have a lot to get through, and I have no problem with you talking fast in order to do so.

Disclosures: Provided the tournament does not have any specific regulations barring judges from disclosing, I am happy to disclose.

This list is by no means an exhaustive list of all my preferences, and if you have questions regarding my preferences, I am happy to discuss them with you once both teams are in the round.

Dougherty Valley High School

Congress

First Year

I will judge off good speaking style, energy, passion, comprehensibility, and overall presentation skills. Good points should still be incorporated.

Participation, as well as my overall feeling on how well I thought your speech went, how good were your points compared to others, and the way that I awarded points.

My notes will mostly consist of your speaking/presentation, as well as your performance against other competitors. Your rebuttal, to a tough question.

I am looking for the date, other than that as long as the source is something that I know is trustworthy, or isn’t fake you should be fine.

I look for the relatability, and which would have a better impact depending on what you have to say.

I will judge the cross examination by the speaking style of the examiner and speaker. I will also keep a mental note at good questionnaires and speakers. I will also pay attention to see if the speaker is avoiding the question.

I need to be able to understand the evidence in a well presented way. If your speaking and presentation is good and your cross is good as well, then you may have the upperhand.

I am a parent judge. Just because you share a speech doc does not mean I will be able to fully understand your contentions or the weight of your arguments if you spread at an incomprehensible rate. Spread at your own risk.

Weight out contentions, be respectful, etc. Engage in a good, substantive round with argumentative clash.

lay judge

speak slowly and clearly

presentation is very important

TELL ME WHY YOU WIN CLEARLY

I’ve been a parent judge since 2019 with experiences in Congress, Public Forum, and Lincoln Douglas.

In my judging, I weigh more on how the debaters make their argumentation clear and understandable to the audience than how much information they cover. Appreciate a complete argument with definitions, claim, reasoning, and impact.

In addition, real-world impacts matter. I value a strong and convincing rebuttal focusing on key points/facts that can materialize.

Very importantly, follow the tournament code of conduct and respect your competitors and partner.

Enjoy debate and have fun!