Berkeley High School Speech and Debate
General Judging Info
General note:
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Families are asked to judge at tournaments, usually one day for every two days that your student competes. Judges may be parents, older siblings, grandparents, family friends - anyone who has graduated from high school and speaks English.
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Instructions:
1. Wear comfortable shoes since you may need to walk from one end of the campus to another. Judges wear casual attire—there is no need to dress up.
2. Bring a pad of paper on which to take notes, and at least two pens. Also, bring reading material, work to do, knitting, or other portable activity. You may need to wait for a half hour or more between rounds, and you may not be assigned to judge every round. Some tournaments have wifi; others don't.
3. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your first assigned round. Schools that fail to provide the appropriate number of judges may need to cut competitors, so please be sure to show up on time!
4. Follow the signs in the parking lot directing you to the “Judges Room”. Check in with the tournament staff. There may be a form for you to complete, a list to sign, or a pre-printed list to initial.
5. Pick up a map of the school, and read any printed instructions you may receive.
6. Your name will be called when you have been assigned to a round. Go immediately to your assigned room.
7. If you are not called, it is a good idea to ask the person handing out the ballots if you are indeed entered in the judging pool.
8. Immediately after each round, return your completed ballot to the Judges Room. Late ballots are one of the prime reasons tournaments run behind. If you will need more than a couple of minutes to complete the ballot, check to see whether the judges table wants to get your decision before you write detailed comments.
9. League tournaments provide snacks and meal for judges. At Invitationals you are usually on your own for meals.
10. Please be patient. Tournaments often run late.
11. If you are judging a partial day, please check out with the registration desk when you leave. If an emergency happens and you must leave, please notify the team’s chaperone and registration desk, and check back in again if you return later. Unless you have volunteered to drive students home, you are free to leave when you have met your judging commitment for the day. Your son or daughter should attend the Awards Ceremony.
The Essence of Judging
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Judging really comes down to a few things, which don't require any expertise:
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1. Listen carefully to what each speaker says.
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2. Complete your ballot with care, so the debaters understand your reason for decision, and what they could have done better.
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3. We all have biases. Be aware of yours and set them aside as best you can. Make your decision based on the speakers' use of facts and logic, and persuasiveness. Try not to be influenced by your personal opinions about the issues being debated, or by the identity of the speaker. Some judges, unfortunately, are affected by debaters' school, race, ethnicity, or religion, age, reputation, or most commonly, their gender. Don't be one of them! Girls in debate routinely encounter double standards about speaking style, attire, and content of arguments. Focus on students' skills as debaters, not who they are, and make debate a fair experience for all.
Homegrown "How to Judge" Videos
Coaches Emma and Sebastian go over the basics on October 9, 2016.
These are very detailed, and the five videos total about 45 minutes. Recorded and edited by Manning Sutton.
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Note: while these are packed with good info that will make you feel like a pro, you are already "qualified" to judge. Most judges are parents with no training.