I will appreciate consideration of your opponent and their talents. I think that a well-researched debate is important. I want to see the competitive spirit but also appreciate appropriate tone toward your competition. I will look for you to make your case and be able to defend it well and counter. I like to take notes so I can give feedback and be fair to each side.

About me: I began coaching high school debate in the US in 2017, after coaching 2 years in Japan. In that time I have judged PF and LD debate from local novice rounds up to the final round of LD at NCFL Grand Nationals. While not a high school debater myself, I learned the value of debate in college, where I publicly debated my thesis on a potential war in Iraq (this was shortly before the 2nd war). A poll of the lay audience suggested that I "won" on my solid arguments, evidence and impacts... But the poll also showed the majority disagreed with my proposed course of action. So could that really be considered a "win"? Turns out, I had barely touched an underlying value debate that neither I nor the lay audience had recognized was needed. This is just one reason I find great value in both impact-oriented PF and value-oriented LD debate (the two styles I have most experience coaching and judging). Below are things I value when judging a round.

What I value as a judge:

Do the most important work for me. I expect to debaters to do the core work of linking claims to evidence to framework, etc., highlighting key points of clash, and weighing. If reasoning seems to be vague or missing, I will not fill it in for you. For example, don't tell me to cross-apply an argument and assume that I will know how you expect me to cross-apply it--explain how it applies and why it matters.

Speak so I can flow. Debate is a speech event. Do not expect me to read your speech. If debaters speak too fast or use too much jargon, I cannot flow it. When I make the final decision, I refer to my flow. You want your arguments to be on my flow! PF is aimed at educating the public, so make sure a layman can follow along. Even LD should be flowable for opponents and judges. There is no excuse for obfuscation.

Be clear and concise. Use signposts to refer to framework, contentions and sub-points. If a debater has to speak fast to fit all the arguments in, they likely have not distilled their speeches down to the most critical issues. Puns are fun, but my RFD is based on argumentative powers, not added "flowers".

Use Cross-Ex/Crossfire to clarify. Ask questions to reveal and clarify key issues, and answer opponents' questions in good faith. Be sure that both sides get the opportunity clarify the key issues. CX is not an opportunity for one side to extend its own points according to its own prerogative. I frown upon cases that blatantly expect Side A to use their CX time so that Side B can finish laying out a case that Side B couldn't fit within their own allotted time.

Maintain decorum. Be careful not to lose temper in the heat of the round. Do not abuse CX by excessively cutting off or talking over the opposing team. Avoid gestures and comments that would be considered offensive in an academic or professional setting. I may down-vote teams that break these rules.

Don't linger on rule violations. I do appreciate teams letting me know when they think an opponent has violated the rules, but don't spend too much time on it. Summarize how the rules appear to have been violated and then move on. Lingering too long on a rule violation runs the risk of leaving other important issues unaddressed, which I may weigh more heavily than the perceived violation.

I have been judging for 2 years and I enjoy the events. Here are key points that i look for that make a great PF debate.

1. Pace of delivery is important. If I'm unable to understand what is being said, it makes it hard for me to judge the point.
2. Evidence is more powerful when it comes for a reputable source.
3. Off time roadmaps shouldn't be necessary. If organization of the argument exists, I will be able to clearly follow your argument.
4. Please be respectful during cross-fires.
5. A convincing final focus that summarizes why your argument won by clearly summarizing how you countered your opponents argument will be the deciding factor in many debates. Convince me you should win, without telling me I "should" vote for you.
6. Have fun and enjoy the competition.

I debated PF and LD in high school.

I value logical arguments that are supported by evidence. To me, logic is the most important. I also value debate decorum and respectfulness. I enjoy voting issues, flow the round and look for arguments dropped, and overall place emphasis on values and value criterions to make my decision. Logical arguments and a solid defense of your case is how i award points! Thx!

I participated in policy debate in high school, and am excited to be back as a judge 30 years later. I am a professor of civil engineering and public policy at the University of Kentucky and my research focuses on the use of technical evidence--data and simulation models--to inform choices about transportation infrastructure and the built environment. In the context of debate, I especially value clear arguments where the theory and data align.

Hey y'all! I'm Jack. I'm a political science undergrad student at the University of Louisville. Highkey I'm obsessed with debate. This was my shizzle. I have a bunch of info below, don't worry too too much about it, just do you and you're chillin. Read the stuff in bold tho. If y'all ever wanna talk about debate and/or have questions about my ballot please reach out, jgeruc@outlook.com.

TLDR: I debated in LD, PF, and Congress for years in Kentucky and have some national circuit experience, I know what I'm talking about. I'm a technical judge so I will judge more on the flow and your arguments instead of your way of speaking, substance will always come 1st. I won't tolerate any bullying, hostility, homophobia, sexism, racism, etc. You're able to walk a fine line of being commanding and powerful while also being respectful. Besides that, do whatever you want, I'm here for y'all and to help.

Experience:

5 qualifications to nationals

- 2x to NCFL in LD

- 2x to NSDA in LD

- 1x to NSDA in the House

My junior year I made it to round 9 at NSDA in LD. My senior year I made it to double octos at NCFL in LD and placed 14th at NSDA in original spoken word poetry.

LD:

Honestly, I have a lot of thoughts about LD and will clarify anything in round so please just ask me questions if you have them but here are a couple things...

Framework:

• I was a consequentialist debater so I prefer debates about methods and implementation with some solid empirics
• Tbh, values don't really matter that much. I care more about value criterion debate because that's material change and shows me how to interpret the round, not some abstract moral principle like a value. In an ideal world for me, everyone would say "I value justice defined as giving each their due. My value criterion is..." and move on with their lives.
• Miss me with that "this is a debate about morals and values" bs cuz girly pop no. If you want to read some heavy framework, go for it and I'll judge it to the best of my ability. That being said, please do it right because I will not hesitate to point it out in the ballot if it just doesn't make sense
• If you wanna appeal to me, please read a "mitigating structural violence"-esque framework. This was my preferred method of debate. We need to center conversations of marginalization and it makes the round more interesting for me to listen to

Arguments in Round:

• Please make sure that you have stats, empirics, etc. to support your arguments because those are the only way that arguments can make sense
• Please signpost

• I love a good counterplan/alternative. I know they're illegal in Kentucky (bs rule) but there are ways to get around that, which I employed more often than not
• Run whatever you want as long as you and your opponent are okay with it, I'll interp anything
• Please weigh your impacts, aka let me know why something matters
• Make sure your arguments connect to your framework

Random Stuff:

• Nothing irks me more than people who go over on time. I will stop flowing at that clock. If you go for more than 10 seconds over I will start deducting speaks. Please call out your opponent for doing this.
• Please don't bully the novices or each other, debate needs to be a welcoming space to survive

PF:

Tbh, probably my least favorite debate format. I did it and was alright but I don't have too strong of opinions on this, just a few things...

• Please cite your sources/cards, I wanna hear empirics
• Extend your impacts
• Crossfire is a conversation, please don't dominate the space either way
• Weigh your arguments
• As always, be respectful and SIGNPOST

Congress:

This form of "debate" (I use the term lightly) has the least amount of judge intervention so I honestly don't really have much to say besides the basics.

• No rehash
• Be persuasive in tone and content
• Engage with the other people in the chamber
• Make sure you're actually asking questions and not just saying "Would you agree..." and then basically restating their speech (happens way too often)
• If you're POing (Bless up g, you doin the lord's work), I'm not gonna be too nitpicky as long as everything runs smoothly and you get times right

Anyways, I'm really looking forward to this and hope that you all get to have fun and grow throughout this. Debate is an educational experience first and foremost so just have some fun and teach me something new!

• Come talk to me after round, odds are I'm bored. I promise I'm nice and I can talk to you about round and try to give advice if you'd like :)

Hi!

My name is Kelly, I use she/they pronouns.

My main event was LD, but I've competed in many different speech and debate events. I coached LD while I was in high school and now. 

Across the board, no matter what type of debate you do, I expect you to be respectful to your fellow competitors, audience, and judge(s). Even if you make the best arguments, if you are disrespectful, it is unlikely that I will vote for you or I will deduct speaker points. A good and fair debate can still happen while maintaining respect. 

Be aware of your time. You should be keeping track of your own time during speeches. I will also be timing for official purposes, however, I should not have to stop you. In order to manage your time better, I would suggest signposting and using your prep time wisely.

I'm fine with spreading, I tend to be a fast talker myself; however, if you are speaking so fast that I cannot understand you then I won't be able to judge the round...So keep that in mind. It is better to say less and speak slower than to say more and speak so fast that nobody can understand you. 

While I do try to do my research about the topics so I have a general understanding before judging, I am definitely not doing the level of research that I used to when I was a competitor. It would be a good idea to avoid jargon or complex ideas unless you are going to explain them. Generally, most of your judges won't know much about the topics you're speaking on. It is easier to convince the judge if you are speaking in terms and explaining to them in ways that they can understand. You are trying to convince your judge and if your judge doesn't understand what you're talking about then they're probably not going to vote in your favor.

LD specifics:

The more evidence you have the better! Although, LD is a philosophical debate in some senses, facts, and evidence can and WILL bolster your arguments (make sure you are using credible sources though). 

Don't forget about your value and value criterion! This is the part of LD that makes LD unique. It should not just be stated at the beginning of your case and then never mentioned again. All of your contentions and arguments should link back to your value and value criterion. Framework debate is a good spot to have those more philosophical debates. Ultimately, your whole case is built on your framework, so if your framework is flawed, your opponent can make a good case against you. 

I love a good cx. This is the one point in the debate where you get to interact with your opponent so use it to your advantage! I want to see good leading questions. By CX I can usually tell who my ballot is going to. 

Ultimately just have fun! I'm excited to see what you all can do!

I prefer clear, concise, easy to follow debates. Please sign post and clearly reference both your previous points and your competitors. Make it clear why I should vote for you. Avoid dropping arguments but highlight those that have been dropped by your opponent. Stay respectful to your competitor. I take this point very seriously :). I have been judging since 2008 but still consider myself less technical/more lay person.

Explain why your arguments matter. 

Hello All. My name is Riley Murray and I am a debate coach and former college and high school debater. I am a tabula rasa judge, so I want to see clear warrants and convincing logic above all else. Make sure to be polite and speak at a pace that is easy to follow for judges and opponents. Debate is meant to be an educational exchange of ideas, and I believe those are our best rounds. Have fun!

I use she/her pronouns.

I have coached all forms of debate, with students as state champions, national qualifiers, and national outrounds (mainly in LD, but also CX, PFD, and congress). While I am a coach of 20+ years, I like to be treated as a lay judge. My philosophy is that regardless of the style of debate, you should never assume that your judge knows more than you and it is your responsibility to educate them on the topic. That means:

1) I prefer speech habits that emphasize persuasiveness and understanding. Don't spread, make sure to signpost, and think about how you can use your voice to emphasize key points.

2) Avoid topic-specific jargon. We are not researching this stuff to the level that you do as a competitor. Don't throw out an acronym without telling me what it stands for, unless it is a universally-known one (i.e. NATO). Sometimes even terms of art in the resolution aren't really known to the judge, so it is helpful to clarify. That also goes for complex ideas and theories.

3) Explain your arguments/contentions. Just reading card after card does not showcase your logic. Remember the warrant -- WHY does that evidence matter? And with that said, what is the impact? I love a good impact.

If competitors are doing an email chain for evidence; Sanchez-villa@trinityrocks.com

Competed in the Louisville, Kentucky Circuit in high school for three years. Graduated with a major in Political Science from the University of Louisville. I am an assistant coach of Trinity High School for the Speech & Debate team and have held that role for four years now. I say this to highlight that I have years of experience in this event and am familiar with many debate styles, philosophies, frameworks and am aware of changing trends in the debate world, that being said Debate is an educational tool and a time for students to practice analytical thinking and persuasive skills in a unique environment unlike school, so please do not spread at a rate that is so fast that it can never be repeated in a public environment, dont go so fast that the only way to flow is off a speech doc because I will ignore it. Evidence calling is a new thing with the advent of technology post-covid but do not make the evidence calling period so long that it delays the debate and ends up being wasted, call for cards that matter to the judge, not your team. Great debate, for me, is one where both sides are understanding of what the other person's case is stating and evaluating and clashing at that crucial point. There are a lot of debates where people run past each others points and do not actually attack the meat of what is being debated causing me to weigh two worlds that have very little to differentiate from. Competitors should be critical of evidence (yes please do stake the round on thats not what your evidence says, and I will read evidence of contention if I believe there is merit to it not claiming what it means, bad card cutting happens to everyone) and claims being made and any connection that they do not make for me as a judge I will not flow. Make my decision for me with your final speech.

Oh Hey! I didn't see you there. Your hair looks AMAZING!

My name is Ray smith and I'm an alumni of Knott County Central High School (Class of 2005) located in Hindman, KY. At the very bottom I've included categories I've competed in during my time at Knott Central. Since then, I've had the opportunity to help judge competitions (in the early 2000's with paper ballots ????) and assist as a freelance coach. Additional professional experience includes working as an actor and educator with The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival as well as acting with Savage Rose Classical Theatre and Louisville Repertory Company. I'm currently signed with Heyman Talent Agency located in Louisville, KY where I primarily focus on film, television, and commercial projects. One of my favorite gigs was a lead role on a Spotify shoot.

When it comes to judging, I keep my poker face strong. It's a preference to help ensure no favoritism is being shown so don't be discouraged. When it comes to interpretation events, I look for solid character development and how polish the piece is. For example, in Humorous Interpretation, I really look at how well you pop into characters, focal points, as well as looking to see if characters blend into one another.

One piece of advice I would give We all started somewhere so don't give up. My freshman year in high school, I wasn't following the scripts and I believe I broke into finals once at a local competition. By my senior year, I quadrupled in state finals and even won a category. And my direct experiences in speech and debate have led me to a successful career as an engineer and actor.

Here are categories I've competed in along with some of my titles:

After Dinner Speaking (Humorous Oratory at the Great Smoky Mountain National Invitational) | 2005 Semi-Finalist
Broadcasting
Dramatic Interpretation
Duo Interpretation | 2005 KHSSL State Finalist
Group Interpretation (Non-Sweepstakes points at KESDA State)
Humorous Interpretation | 2005 KHSSL State Champion
Impromptu Speaking
Improv Duo
Poetry
Storytelling | 2005 KHSSL State Finalist (Top 3)

General Experience and Views

I've been participating in debate, as either a coach, judge, or competitor since 2017. Most of my competitive experience is in Congressional Debate, but I have ample experience with PF and LD as well. For all events, I will weigh heavily against students who spread in their speeches. I don't want to be shared on your cases, it should be able to speak for itself and you should be articulate enough for me to be able to flow everything.

Congress

Clash is my number one priority for congress, this is what makes or breaks a round. If you do not incorporate clash with other students in your speech (with the exception of authorship and first negative speakers), then you are not going to do well. You should also be clashing during questioning by asking hard-hitters, not softballs or fluff.

I prefer for there to be some signposting during a congress speech, although you have limited time so I won't be too harsh on this. At the very least there needs to be some organizational structure.

As a congress judge, I DO FLOW. This means that I will be weighing not just on individual speeches, but how you are able to defend yourself in your own questioning period and how you respond to clash with your arguments in other student's questioning periods. If someone clashes with a point you made and you have no response in questioning or in another followup/crystallization speech, this will reflect poorly on your ballot.

A final score for a congress round is not supposed to be equal to your average speech score (though it can be and often works out that way), it is an indicator of your overall performance in the round, including factors like questioning, decorum, chamber presence, etc.

For POs, you do not need to stand out or be the most visible person in the room. In fact, it is often better for you to do your job as unimposingly as possible. As the leader of the student congress, you have a responsibility to uphold all rules and procedures and you should not rely too heavily on your parli or other students to help you fulfill that role. Make sure you are calling out prefacing and not unfairly prioritize certain people during questioning. Otherwise, you should not seek to impress me all that much. If the round runs smoothly and there are no major conflicts or hiccups, you will do well as PO. Finally, I really really really don't want to see any POs state the number of speeches and questions given during the round and I don't want to hear about which bills passed and failed. Orders of the Day is clearly defined in the rule book as a calling back of any tabled bills that have yet to be voted on, nothing more.

PF and LD

These debate events are much more independent so as your judge, I don't want to have to hold your hand or walk you through the round at all. I will be keeping time but I expect you do the same. Don't spread in your constructive, don't be abusive in questioning, be mindful of your decorum while your opponent is speaking, and I'll be happy.

For how I weigh rounds, it will vary depending on the content of the debate. I'm not always going to favor the side that wins on framework if their case is simply worse and they lost on most contentions. Similarly, I'm not always going to favor the side that had the greatest number of contentions extend if that speaker was spreading or their framework was inadequate. Make voting issues clear and convincing in your FF/NR2/AR2 and if your voters match the extended framework, that's how I'll weigh most rounds.

During CX, don't waste your opponent's time by bringing in new arguments. You can make arguments in questioning, but don't sit there and just pre-flow your case during CX, that's annoying.

I am the speech and debate coach at Hazard High School. Congressional Debate is my favorite event and I have coached many state finalist and champions and as well have had students do well at national tournaments. I enjoy all aspects of congressional debate but really like best is the role of Parli. I am here to facilitate a smooth chamber. My preference is to remain unobtrusive yet be of value and assistance to the PO, judges and the participants.

I also coach interp, limited prep events, and public speaking. I love to see the character come through the performance, the passion evident in the speech and the clear and concise analysis in delivery of your view on a topic.

My paradigm is pretty straight-forward. I believe debate is an educational opportunity designed to promote discourse. While I can handle speed, I do not prefer it as I believe that it detracts from the intentions of the activity. I prefer lots of clash. Having the ability to provide a strong line-by-line response is effective. Use your evidence to your advantage. Don't assume I will make the connections for you. If you want me to flow it, say it.

In Congressional Debate, there is no need to preface how many times you have spoken. It's a waste of time. Your name and your school is sufficient. As a Parliamentarian, I will be as hands off as possible. If you think there is an issue, that is up to you as representatives to ask the PO. Try to be as direct as possible in your questions. Lots of time is wasted in prefacing.