A Guide to Judging Forensics Competitions

Keep Calm and Carry On…

First and Foremost, Thank You for your service to the team. We realize you may be nervous about the prospect of judging.

• Yes, it is a heavy responsibility.
• You don’t know the details of the law.
• You are not a legal scholar.
• Yet you, and every other citizen, may potentially serve as a member of a jury.
• You listen to the evidence and the arguments.
• You weigh all of the information.
• You render a decision to the best of your ability.

Think of it as Jury Duty!

(Minus the dread…)

General Duties and Responsibilities

1. Rank competitors and/or select winners

2. Evaluate the performance of each student

3. Offer brief positive comments and constructive criticism, orally and/or written

4. Approach each round with an open mind

5. Leave personal biases and pre-conceived notions out of the round.

6. Only evaluate the evidence and information presented in the round by the competitors.

7. Be honest with the competitors. They are trained to adjust their performance to your needs.

8. Don’t forget to bring paper and a couple pens!

OK, I found the tournament, now what?

• Report to the Judges’ Room and sign in as a judge representing Claremont High School.
• You will need to provide your child’s name and the events in which they are competing.
• Listen for any special judging instructions and Host concerns.
• Listen for your name to be called. Remain in the room and on site, unless directed otherwise by a tournament official.
• Review your ballot before you leave the judges’ room and note any concerns with the tournament official.
• Report to the competition room and begin the round as soon as possible.
• Return to the judges’ room immediately following the round to complete your ballot and turn it in to the tournament official.

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Speech Events fall into three categories

Originals: Oratory, Advocacy, Expository, OPP

(Each has specific rules which will appear on your ballot or on a handout provided by the tournament. Some details found in your Judges’ Handbook.)

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# Written by student

# Should be research based

# Persuasive, informative, entertaining

# Evidence of delivery strategies by speaker

# All 10 min. max.

# Expos allows use of Visual Aids

# Judge on content and delivery style

Speech Events Continued…

Interpretation: Dramatic, Humorous, Oratorical, Duo

(Each has specific rules which will appear on your ballot or on a handout provided by the tournament. Some details found in your Judges’ Handbook.)

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# Content published by another person

# Portray several characters with voice, body and mannerisms

# Be sure each character is distinct and unique

# Is there a clear plot-line that you can follow?

# All a max. of 10 mins.

# Judge on entertainment value, captivated? Moved?

Speech Events Continued…

Spontaneous: Extemporaneous & Impromptu

(Each has specific rules which will appear on your ballot or on a handout

provided by the tournament. Some details found in your Judges’ Handbook.)

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# Impromptu: 2 min. to prepare for a 5 min. speech

# Extemp: 30 min. to prepare for a 7 min. speech

# Opening hook? Thesis? Distinct points of analysis?

# Extemp must demonstrate use of references

# Judge on content and flow of speech

# Judge on delivery style and connection to audience

There are five different Debate Events

1. Student Congress: Approx. 15 competitors debating a

bill or resolution.

2. Parliamentary Debate: (Both H.S. & Middle School)

A spontaneous partner debate with new resolutions for

each round.

3. Public Forum Debate: A short; but case-based partner

debate with a new resolution monthly.

4. Lincoln Douglas Debate: A one-on-one debate, centered

on deeper moral and philosophical arguments.

5. Policy Debate: A heavily evidenced and in-depth partner debate on a governmental policy. One topic all year.

Each style of debate has its own unique format

and structure and is governed by a set of specific

rules. These rules are covered more in-depth in your Judges’ Handbook. The rules are often included on

your ballot or provided in a handout at the specific tournament as you check in.

Shorter debates are often double-flighted, which means that you are asked to judge two debates in a

row before returning to the Judges’ Room.

Things to look for in the debate

1. Argumentation: Are the arguments logically reasoned and well supported with evidence?
2. Refutation: Do they find ways to dismantle, mitigate or minimize their opponent’s arguments?
3. Defense: Do they defend, extend and rebuild their own arguments from opponent attacks?
4. Impacts: Do they explain why their arguments matter by highlighting the magnitude of consequence?
5. Weighing: Do they explain how their arguments outweigh their opponent’s arguments?
6. Organization: Do they provide you a roadmap and signposts along the way to keep the debate well-structured?

Finally,

• Quite simply, the event cannot happen without parent judges.
• Yes! You ARE qualified. This training makes you 10X more qualified than most!
• There are no wrong judging decisions!
• Always uphold fairness and integrity.
• Education is paramount, competition comes a distant second.
• Be the eyes and ears of the tournament.