We strive to ensure each debater receives a fair evaluation of their progress and performance for every speech they give. To deliver on this promise, we encourage every judge to reference the materials on this page when grading debaters in order to ensure objectivity and fairness.
Information
As a judge, your primary role is to grade speeches and give debaters feedback. To ensure debater scores adequately reflect their performance, your objectivity and fairness is of immense value. While debaters may not always appreciate how you score them, your commitment to adhere to the same criterion and apply decisions evenly and fairly is ultimately what keeps the spirit of debate alive and thriving, and keeps the ICDA circuit a competitive and thriving environment.
Some examples of what you do as a judge:
- Provide debaters with paradigms to help them tailor their speaking to suit desired criterion.
- Evaluate each speech on a six-point scale.
- Provide detailed, targeted, and constructive feedback that helps debaters improve their skills before the next tournament.
- Nominate two debaters who you feel performed exceptionally throughout the session.
- Facilitate best legislation, best PO, and 2nd/3rd place voting after the end of the third session.
- Act as a role model to debaters for the best debating, questioning, and decorum practices.
