Judge Training

Watch this video from a Judge Training session presented by DVSD sessions to learn about how to judge each event.

Please complete this mandatory cultural competency training to be eligible to judge at tournaments.

 Judging at a GGSA League Tournament?

Judging at a GGSA League Tournament is different from judging an invitational tournament. There are certain arguments that aren’t allowed and a specific judging style that has to be adapted to judge at these tournaments. Please check out the CHSSA Judging guide for specific judge training.

Judging at an Invitational Tournament?

An Invitational tournament is different than a GGSA League Tournament. Different types of arguments can be read and the rules are less strict. Please check out the NSDA Judging Guide for training in judging for your specific event, implicit bias training, examples of judging and more.

Judge Training - Videos

Here you can find the judge training videos from the judge training night that our leadership team members had! The link will take you to a collection of three videos:

The first being: “How to Write a Good Paradigm.”

The second being: “Judging Speech Events.”

The third being: “Judging Debate Events.”

To choose the videos, click the forward or backward buttons that can be found next to the play button on the Zoom player.

Password: S7#@vn==

Framing your ballot

The framing of your ballot is an important part of making a decision on the winner of the debate. The ballot is the platform for the judge to give the competitors thoughts and feedback. As seen in the example below, you want to clearly write out specific comments for both sides of the debate and write out why you chose to vote on one side or the other. Make sure not to write “parent judge” anywhere on the ballot.

Setting Up a Paradigm

Many invitational tournaments require judges to set up paradigms. Paradigms are a written document that debaters can read before the round to get to know judge’s preferences and aversions. Make sure to write what arguments and ideas you are comfortable with in the round and what arguments and ideas you don’t like or want the debater to stay away from. These paradigms will be created in Tabroom under your account.

Tabroom

This is where you will see which round you are judging, where it is, and who you are judging. This is also where you should set up your paradigm and submit your ballots. Most tournaments are run on Tabroom with a few exceptions that are run on other platforms.