Spreading is in the nature of the debate beasts in the modern era…please keep it to 50% of your max.

I am a newer judge and coach, but I can appreciate all intellectually sound arguments. My largest concern is your understanding of your material and capability to defend it. 

High school LD in the dark ages before the internet. I prefer traditional LD, and arguments to be flowable. 

Superior logic, evidence, and skill in defending/refutation will always dictate my vote. In a very close race speaks will turn the tide in your favor. Strong presentation skills are part of the persuasive package.

Congress- Speeches should be delivered at a rate of speed that a casual listener would be able to understand and follow the argumentation. Evidence is necessary and should support every argument in a speech. In order to stand out and rank higher, written speeches should be adapted to include clash from previous speeches and offer something new to the debate. Debaters should offer speeches that forward the debate and do not simply rehash previously stated arguments. A PO should run a transparent and efficient round with a clearly offered way to track precedence and recency.

Extemp- State the topic word for word verbatim, I am looking for strong argumentation to support your answer as well as current and credible evidence. Competitors who have an in depth analysis of the topic will rank higher, fluff and generic answers will rank lower. This is a speaking event and you need to have conversational speed as well as humor to do well. Funny and pop culture AGDs are my favorite.

LD- I am an old school trad judge. I can keep up with moderate speed but if you start spreading and I put my pen down you are not in a good spot. If I can't flow I can't judge you. K and theory aren't my favorite but simple and common K like ROB I am familiar with, extinction arguments are my least favorite, they seem lazy unless you have a really compelling and interesting argument to go with it. Judge adaptation is crucial in LD success. I am not the most tech oriented judge so if you are pulling tricks make them clear and easy to follow for me, I am open to weird stuff but it had better be accessible to me.

For (DI, DUO) - Subtlety is the key, I don't need you to scream and shout to get emotion across. I'm not against screaming, but it should be during appropriate moments during the piece and build over time. At no point should you jump from deadly quiet and calm to intense and screaming. Gradually build the emotion. Show me the tension and intensity over time. Screaming when you erupt during the climax is perfectly acceptable. Further, intensity can be shown without screaming, crying, or yelling. The quiet moments of the piece are usually the ones I find most powerful. THINK and REACT to what you are saying. Emotion should come nearly effortlessly when you "are" your piece. Don't "act" like the mom who lost her daughter in a school shooting, BE that mom! Transitions and timing are SUPER IMPORTANT, DON'T RUSH!!!

For (HI, DUO) - Facial expressions, characterization, and blocking take the most importance for me. I want to see each character develop once you introduce it throughout the piece. Even if the character doesn't appear all the time, or only once or twice throughout the script, I want to see that each character is engaged throughout the piece itself. Most importantly, please remember that humor without thought is gibberish. Jokes are said for a reason - use facial expressions to really hone in on character's thought and purpose. For example, if a character A says a joke and character B doesn't get it, I should see character B's confused reaction. I will also tend to reward creative blocking and characterization. However, note that blocking should not be overly distracting.

For (POI, PRO, POE) - Regarding emotion, facial expressions, and character development, see the above text in the two paragraphs above regarding DI and HI. Personally, I place a little more emphasis on binder tech - the more creative the better! I think binder events are the synthesis of good binder tech, good script selection, and good facial expressions/emotion. Obviously, it's harder to do, since you have multiple characters in multiple parts of your speech and each have a distinct mood and personality. I prefer POI to read like an OO with someone else's words, give me a really concrete problem solution.

Speech - Organized arguments, credible sources, practical solutions, relatability is probably the biggest thing for me. I love speeches where personalities show through and I can see how you are as a person.

Interp - Relatable pieces with big, distinguishable characters.

WSD - I want a conversational round with a crystallization of points at the end. Clear voters are always the way to go. POIs should be addressed consistently however not everyone needs to be taken.

Debate, Public Speaking and Interp Coach

In debate I like organized speeches, direct clash, weighing of arguments, strong practical and principle arguments. Style is important, so don’t spread…if I can’t flow, it makes it difficult to judge those arguments. Be respectful of your opponents and enjoy the opportunity to compete!

Hello, my name is Andy! I just recently graduated from UT Austin with a BS in Political Communications and Government. I will be pursuing my JD very soon and which law school is TBD. >_<

I typically judge World's School Debate and my history can be seen below. I competed on the Alief Elsik Speech & Debate Team all four years having done WSD and Extemp for most of it. I also have competed in PF and Congress. I have competed at local, state, national, and international tournaments: made it to semi-finals at TFA State tournament and double-octos at Nationals in 2020 for WSD. So, I am pretty familiar with the norms and have a good amount of experience in World's!

General notes about how I evaluate a WSD round:

• Just like every form of debate, they have their own unique styles and prefer if competitors stick to the norms of WSD. (e.g. 1st - presenting the case and providing the framework from which the debate round should be viewed from, 2nd - extending/adding a new substantive, 3rd - crystalizing the main key clashes of the round). 3rd speech is really important for me so make sure you really address the key issues in the round and how your world better satisfies whatever practical gain/loss or principle. Why should I prioritize your benefits/harms over the other team's even when taking them at their highest ground? Do not automatically assume I will know everything regarding the motion so please provide the necessary characterizations for me to understand what you're advocating for in the 1st speech.

• Spreading, using other debate jargon, or making small technical arguments that are not relevant to your case do not appeal to me. Unless you think the small detail in the other team's case is important or could be a determining factor in me buying their arguments, please focus more on the main ideas. WSD is about the bigger picture debate and providing a comparative on why your world is better and should be prioritized over the opposing team's world.

• Don't have a preference for practical v. principle arguments. What it comes down to is the warranting you provide and how you weigh your impacts against the other team going toward the end of the round. Really just depends on the motion and what it is asking you to debate so please pay close attention to the motion. "This House would, regrets, believes, or supports" all have different implications.

• I know that the nature and style of debate of WSD make it more plausible for teams to rely less heavily on empirical information in contrast to other forms of debates, especially during impromptu rounds, but please don't abuse this and I will ignore any arguments that are being supplemented with any questionable examples or abusive interpretations that aren't being explained why I should intepret it the way you are telling me too.

• Please be organized with your speech. I value content over style but don’t lose me in a dense fog of information. If I can’t flow your speech or you see me stop, then it is a sign you are possibly losing me. Whether you think it is obvious or not through the links you make, don’t assume I will connect the dots so please provide a very clear linkage! But of course, it helps with the speaker's points if you have strong speaking skills and does keep me more engaged as a judge. :)

• POIs are a unique aspect of WSD so please do engage with them whenever they’re presented and not do things such as waiting till the 6-minute mark to take them on your own terms. On the inverse, please don’t bombard the opposing team with POIs or be overly obnoxious when trying to get the other team’s attention.

• If your side of the house is reliant on just one example as to why it is practically realistic or true, I will most likely not give you the ballot unless you are able to effectively demonstrate how it's something that is applicable to all of your stakeholders.

• (My two cents on models/countermodels: I typically find that a lot of motions can do w/o one. I find that the debate on the effectiveness/feasibility of one often distracts from what the motion is asking you to debate.)

General notes on how I evaluate other debate rounds (LD and PF):

• Spreading doesn't bother me even though I am against it in WSD. I can typically keep up but I will say something if I can’t. No shade but some of y’all “spread” and I genuinely cannot understand most of what you’re saying because most of the words begin to get slurred. That’s fine if you want to squeeze in a lot of info but it is also important that I can intake and flow it! Signposting and slowing down on taglines will help a lot.

• For LD, I was a traditional debater when I did it for a bit so the main focus was resolution/value/criterion for me but I am cool with progressive debates or a combination of both. (But honestly…what is K?) So that’s a heads-up that you run the risk of me just being completely clueless if you get too dense with the verbiage. Sure, I am down to hear out things such as a possible plan or counter-plan but please remember it is not a CX round and get too crazy with it.

• For PF, I think my comments such as weighing and providing clear linkage on how I weigh WSD rounds apply here. I think teams are often good at explaining the impacts and how their contentions lead to this and that, but I struggle to comprehend that linkage/warranting as to why what you claim will happen on your side will actually happen if we affirm/negate the resolve. But some additional stuff…not a fan of definition debates. Think it is a big waste of time. Please make sure to actually clash and respond to the other team’s arguments, rebuttals, or even questions. The lack of engagement with the opposing team’s arguments or rebuttals just makes for a very repetitive round. I try my best to flow everything but I may miss things here and there. So, having very clear voters (such as how you may win on aspects such as scope, magnitude, and etc.) at the end as to why I should give you the ballot makes my job easier when writing the ballot. If your opponent drops an argument, I may or may not catch it so feel free to make it known.

• If a card is left uncontested or unrefuted, I will take it as a truth. So if you suspect there is a mischaracterization or abusive interpretation, please make sure to make it apparent in your speech.

• Timing: Please, please be mindful of your time. If you're in the middle of finishing a sentence and it's time, then feel free to finish but don't try to squeeze in a few extra sentences. I won't penalize you if it happens once, but I will dock speaker points if it is a frequent occurrence. If you want to examine another team's case for whatever reason, it will count as prep time. Don't mean to be uptight but it's more about being respectful of your opponent's time, my own, and even the tournament itself.

Most judges say this but I do not usually make the decision until the last speech is made, even if I feel as if there seems to be an "obvious winner". Thus, I highly recommend using every second you have! Have a good round and please be respectful! Making personal attacks are unnecessary and defeats the educational value that you are supposed to take away from engaging in these events.

Extemp:

• I usually rank based on content but presentation does matter and can be the difference between getting a higher or lower rank if speeches are on par in terms of content so please don’t overlook this aspect.

• Small little things like a good introduction and strong speaking skills do help but I think something that is really important is to stay organized and structured in the speech and in the individual points. Too often competitors are very good at providing the road maps of the whole speech but begin to just ramble in the individual points.

• My main focus when I am judging FX/DX is the analysis you provide. How well are your arguments built and how effective are you at integrating sources for purposes such as warranting and taglines. At a minimum, I prefer at least four sources.

• I think another thing to avoid is having points that are identical. If you are struggling to find a third point, I would much rather you make two main points with multiple layers of analysis under each instead of three underdeveloped points.

• If you pause or forget something, trust me…I will not hold it against you. Been there, done that. Don’t panic and let it consume you.

Hi my name is Fadilat (she/her). I do have experience competing and judging in Congress and WSD and some judging experience in LD but I'm still pretty new to judging.

These paradigms are for WSD but a lot can apply across different events.

I don't like to set too many rules or restrictions for my rounds. My paradigm is simply a list of preferences, and they can be mostly overridden by good debating. So don't let my preferences sway you away from doing what you want. You have the freedom to run whatever argument you want and I will do my best to judge it fairly. However, please be mindful of arguments made, I want everyone to feel safe and respected here.

But here are my 3 main things for the round:

1. Etiquette: Be courteous to your fellow debaters. I won't tolerate rudeness or discrimination. Be mindful of the arguments you run and how you conduct yourself in the room. I am unlikely to vote for someone that yells at their opponents, yells at me about their opponents, makes rude or overly aggressive comments, or runs an argument that is offensive or discriminatory. Ultimately be nice, debate is not that deep even though it may seem like it sometimes. Don't ruin a round/tournament for someone else who will remember your rudeness.
2. Speed: I place high importance on the pacing of speeches because to me it’s not how much you’ve said but really the clarity and depth of what you have spoken that’s really going to sway my decision. If what you're saying isn’t clear enough to be understood, chances are, I didn’t catch that argument. Follow this guide - if you think you might be too fast, you probably are. WSD is about style which involves how you present the content you have and it should be able to be judged by the "average educated citizen" so please do me and yourself a favor and speak at a good pace. Talking too fast is bad stylistically and strategically. I want to be able to hear your argument because that’s what I’m here for.
3. Above all have fun

Hi i’m Ashley! I attended Jersey Village High School and was an executive council member for the varsity debate team for 3 years. I’ve competed in Tfa state,Nsda, and Uil tournaments for 4 years but my main event to judge is World Schools Debate but overall I judge everything including ie’s, speech, and debate events. Time signals can always be given if wanted :)

Debate overall:

• I will be flowing the round but my flow will not be in my comments. I will provide feedback in my comments and if asked will provide verbal feedbacks.
• Please be civil and respectful during the round there is a difference between being assertive and or witty v.s just being rude.
• I judge mostly on content and argumentation.
• Please do not spread :|
• I would appreciate and prefer off time roadmapping before speeches.
• You are allowed to time yourselves but I will be timing as well so try not to go overtime.

LD/PF:

• I like structured arguments ( claim, warrant, impact ).
• I put heavy emphasis on weighing when judging so make sure you show me that your impacts are more probable/severe.
• When clashing make sure you emphasize why your evidence is better than your opponents especially when your opponent is saying the complete opposite. Repeat your strongest evidence against them and provide a solid link to your argument.
• I flow crossfire.
• Make sure to try to address all of your opponents main points and don’t ignore or drop them. If your opponent has completely ignored a main point in your argument make sure to bring up their lack of rebuttal.
• Again do not spread as this is NOT Policy debate! I do not mind stuttering and would rather you take a second to recollect your thoughts than feel worried about not speaking fast enough.

WSD:

• For content make sure to provide solid international examples in your arguments as this is WORLD schools. I prefer less hypothetical evidence but if stated make sure the hypothetical is actually likely to happen or at least even be plausible.
• For style I really like well structured speeches with off time roadmapping but I also like some sort of personality in the speech as that’s what makes this event so fun! Good attention getters, anecdotes and humor would be really interesting to hear just make sure not to be blatantly rude to your opponent.
• For strategy structure your team in order of who’s best for each speaking position. Make sure your substantives and rebuttals are carried throughout the bench consistently and answer and ask POI’s as I do evaluate them.
• Again do not spread as this is NOT Policy debate! I do not mind stuttering and would rather you take a second to recollect your thoughts than feel worried about not speaking fast enough.
• I put heavy emphasis on weighing of worlds when judging so make sure you show me how your world is most beneficial under your burden.
• Clearly define your definitions. If your definition has been challenged please address it ASAP.
• Make sure to try to address all of your opponents main substantives and don’t ignore or drop them. If your opponent has completely ignored a main point in your argument make sure to bring up their lack of rebuttal.
• When clashing make sure you emphasize why your evidence is better than your opponents especially when your opponent is saying the complete opposite. Repeat your strongest evidence against them and provide a solid link to your argument.

Extemp:

• Make sure you structure your speech when answering the question.
• Questionable facts will be checked!
• Try not to fidget so much but including movements like hand gestures and moving when transitioning to the next point (triangle method) is great!
• Try to include around 2-3 sources within your speech and include an attention getter preferably one that can connect to your conclusion and has a little personality and or humor.
• Try to maintain good eye contact and tone of voice. I do not mind stuttering and would rather you take a second to recollect your thoughts than feel worried about not speaking fast enough.
• You are allowed to time yourselves but I will be timing as well so try not to go overtime.

Speech:

• I like organized speeches with credible sources.
• Try not to sound monotone the whole speech, the most crucial parts of your speech should be distinguishable.
• I really like humor, relatability and personal connections as it can really let personalities shine through.
• Please shed light on the importance of your topic that we listened to for 10 minutes, and how we benefit from being aware of the solutions or just being aware of the topic overall.
• Try not to fidget so much. Move with your points and include some hand gestures.
• I do not mind stuttering and would rather you take a second to recollect your thoughts than feel worried about not speaking fast enough.
• Try to maintain good eye contact and tone.

Interp:

• A big thing for me is to be able to understand and follow the plot of the piece, try to make sure your piece is cut into a clear narrative.
• Try to make sure your teaser does not appear confusing to your audience.
• I really like clearly defined transitions!
• Try not to sound monotone and use dynamics throughout your piece.
• Make sure to show the ranges of emotions throughout your piece not just yelling.
• It is extremely crucial to me to be able to also distinguish characters from each other and I really like when I see clear developments within characters throughout the story.
• I really like the use of creative blocking but make sure it’s not confusing.
• Make sure your intro contextualizes the theme/topic of your piece well.
• I do not mind stuttering and would rather you take a second to recollect your thoughts than feel worried about not speaking fast enough.
• Try to maintain good eye contact and tone.

If you have any questions about my paradigms or judging style you’re more than welcome to ask :)