Judge's Frequently Asked Questions

1) What do I do when a child is really nervous and can't think of anything to say, or cries?

This isn't a common occurrence, but it does happen. The primary thing is to use your gut instinct and do what is in the best interest of the child. You should certainly, smile and encourage the child. You may even need to, momentarily, speak words of encouragement and coax them on. Many kids, if they can't think of much to say... do think of ONE argument... a gentle, "Good... keep going with that idea." will help them.

Also, use discernment, you may want to stop the clock, allow the child to compose their thoughts, or emotions, an then begin again. (Some kids would rather keep going than have that kind of attention on themselves).

The primary thing is to encourage all of the children, and after the round, encourage ALL the debaters in the room... you may need to tell the others privately and individually, "You were great. Thanks for encouraging your friend in that hard spot. You did the right thing."


2) What do I do when a debater says, 'We deserve to win because'....?

You just keep listening. That is never the conclusion of the round. It isn't over till it's over. :-). They're just trying to point out the key arguments to help you make a decision. Sometimes they're right about those key arguments, sometimes they're not. Keep using your discernment.


3) What do I do when a child asks me (the judge) a question?

The children shouldn't ask you questions.... unless they ask for a time signal (provide it), or say, 'Did you understand my definitions, etc.?" (nod yes or no, and they'll repeat accordingly). If they ask you a question that requires a verbal response and is not strictly procedural (keeping the round going, knowing that they're following the rules, or making sure you understand), you may reply, 'I'm sorry I can't answer questions. I'll remark on the ballot."


4) What do I do when the children try to take control of the round?

The children should never dispute the way you run the round. If they correct you, argue with you, or try to dispute a decision you've made about a Point of Order or Procedure, just politely remind them that you're in charge and they must graciously accept your ruling.


5) What if the heckling gets too loud?

You are "running the round"... if it becomes so loud no one can hear the speeches, simply stop the round momentarily, call for order in the House, and remind everyone to keep the volume soft so as not to disrupt the speeches.


6) What if students are whispering or passing notes to the child at the podium giving a speech?

Again, remember you are in charge. This is cheating (they may pass notes while sitting, but as soon as someone begins to deliver a speech- the partner may not communicate with the person speaking). You may stop the round momentarily and remind them of the rules and ask that they follow them.


7) Why do the kids tell me to underline or circle a point, or say, 'This is why we won'?

This is not rude (presuming the kids follow their manners otherwise).... it is simply a tool of persuasion. Their goal is to persuade you, and that requires that they determine their best arguments and see to it that you understand and notice those. Many students have expressed frustration that they said the "winning thing" but the judge did not notice. So, I've encouraged them to study other speakers and what works for persuasion.

We've studied, Patrick Henry, specifically, and one thing they observed was his use of, "I repeat....". This is the same as, "Please circle this, or underline." What they're really saying is, "I believe this is the KEY argument and I want to be sure you noticed."


8) What do I do if the Opposition claims that the definitions are unfair?

The debate proceeds, but then it becomes a debate about, "are the definitions fair."

The Government has three obligations in defining: 1) to explain and defend their definitions (in other words they can't just say Baseball is the same as Pie because they feel like it, they must explain their logic in arriving at that conclusion), 2) to UPHOLD the resolution (if their definitions fail to uphold the resolution, they should lose the round), 3) to present a debatable case (not morally repugnant, not specific knowledge).

Should the Government present unfair definitions, it becomes the burden of the Opposition to persuade you that the definitions are unfair (because they failed to meet the above 3 criteria), and the Government must defend their definitions and say, 'No they really are fair because...'. OR the Opposition may choose to redefine, in which case the Gov either accepts their new definitions or defends the old ones.

The decision then becomes.... did the Government fulfill their obligation to present fair, debatable definitions that DO uphold the resolution? If yes, they win. If no, the Opp wins. It makes for an ugly debate, but unfortunately, does happen. Likewise, if the defs are unfair, this should never result in a penalty for the Opp speaker points (it isn't their fault the Gov set up a situation that gave them very little to speak fluently about).


9) Should I write something to each individual student on the ballot?

If possible, that is great. Try to point out an area to improve and what they did best. If you have a comment for one child that dazzled you, please write to the others also... we all need the encouragement... even if some are naturally better debaters than others.... they each have a gift.


10) What if the debate has me completely confused about the winner?

You may refer to the book, Chapter 9, or ask any experienced judge. The primary thing is, this is PERSUASION..... in your gut who persuaded you, nine times out of ten, it's just that simple.


11) What if the debate is full of false information?

Sometimes the kids have a misunderstanding about history, science, or something that you feel is "common knowledge". It is not their fault that they do not know something. If the error is correctly corrected by the other team, use the CORRECT information in your decision. If both teams operate with misunderstandings, judge as though they know what they're saying... and gently point out the truth on the ballot.


12) May I give verbal pointers after the debate?

Yes.... as long as it does not reveal the verdict. If a child was struggling to collect their thoughts, or incorrect about a particular fact, or really impressed you with their sense of humor... Yes! You can absolutely offer suggestions and encouragement. They are trying to improve throughout the day, and those gentle tips can be great. Use your own discretion for timing extra tips.

If a student comes to you with, 'How can I improve?'.... answer honestly. The student is communicating a desire to learn and grow- your feedback can make their day. If you can spot their weakness, but don't know a solution, tell them, 'Hey I noticed you didn't speak clearly, or whatever... maybe you should ask your teacher or partner for ideas." Pointing out the problem is half the solution. Offer as much as you can.


13) May I heckle?

YES!!!! Heckling is a tool for the students in audience adaptation. If you say, "balderdash" it signals them that, "Hey I made a mistake or the judge disagrees" and may help them get back on track. If you say, "Here Here" it may coax them along into completion of a key argument. Your smiles and responses help the students ADAPT to you, and that is one of the primary skills debate tries to develop.


14) What if I observe someone breaking a rule during prep time?

You correct it! During Prep Time the rules are: 1) Debaters may communicate ONLY with their own partner. (Regardless of whether they're Gov or Opp) 2) They may only use the Constitution, Dictionary, and Textbook during prep time. These may not be used in the debate. 3) They may not exceed their 15 minutes. 4) The Gov prepares in the room, the Opp outside in the hall. Please give them privacy. 5) They should start with blank paper (no notes from previous rounds)


15) What if I'm scheduled to judge my child or someone I have a bias toward (godchild, best friend's child, etc)?

Remove yourself from the round, seek the Tournament Director (Kristina), and have it switched before the round starts.


16) What if the topic doesn't make sense to me as I read it?

All Jr. rounds have the same topic, and all Sr. rounds have the same topic at the same time. So, if you have a confusing topic, verify it with another judge. They should all be things the students understand. Because the topics are sometimes handwritten, you may misunderstand a topic. Once a judge read, "This House should support the Kansas City zoo"... to be the "KC 200." (We still don't know what the KC 200 is.:-). The students used it and did well! That's fine too. However, when in doubt, feel free to verify.


17) What is specific knowledge?

Loosely defined, "Specific knowledge" is information that the other debaters would not reasonably have access to. For instance, they aren't likely to know private information about one another's families. Also, one may have a passion for a particular field of trivia that the others don't enjoy. If it is entirely unreasonable to assume that the opponents would share their knowledge, it is "specific."

However, sometimes debaters know things the other team does not know.... but it is reasonable to assume they would know it. For instance, I recently judged a debate about World War I. The Gov team knew quite a bit because they'd recently studied WWI in history. It was perfectly reasonable to assume the Opposition would have, at least, some understanding about WWI. However, the Opposition knew very little. This was not specific knowledge, and was very fair to debate.

However, the Gov, in that case and ALL cases, had the burden to explain their case so clearly that the Opposition, upon hearing their case, then understood enough to debate the subject. The Gov did clarify the areas of confusion for the Opposition, and it resulted in a great debate over all!


18) What do I do if a student is rude?

If it is disrupting the debate, (i.e. breaking a rule, passing notes to a partner who is giving a speech, making comments other than traditional heckling, etc.), you may call a Point of Order, politely ask the student to correct the behavior, and proceed with the debate. If you notice an overall pattern, but no rule is broken you may offer constructive advice on the ballot and politely speak with the child after the round.

This isn't a common occurrence, but it does happen. The primary thing is to use your gut instinct and do what is in the best interest of the child. You should certainly, smile and encourage the child. You may even need to, momentarily, speak words of encouragement and coax them on. Many kids, if they can't think of much to say... do think of ONE argument... a gentle, "Good... keep going with that idea." will help them.

Also, use discernment, you may want to stop the clock, allow the child to compose their thoughts, or emotions, an then begin again. (Some kids would rather keep going than have that kind of attention on themselves).

The primary thing is to encourage all of the children, and after the round, encourage all the debaters in the room... you may need to tell the others privately and individually, "You were great. Thanks for encouraging your friend in that hard spot. You did the right thing."