For parents, educators, and invited civic leaders

Judge Guide

You do not need any debate background to judge well. If you can tell when a young person has made a clear, well-supported, respectful argument, you can do this. This guide gives you the full scoring rubric, how to rank speakers, and the one rule that matters most.

The one rule that matters most

You are judging how well a student argues — not whether you agree with the position. Students are assigned to defend bills both ways and do not choose their side. Reward the speaker who reasons clearly, uses accurate evidence, answers opponents, and treats the chamber with respect — whichever side they were given.

Registration & check-in

Arrive at 8:00 a.m. to check in.
Bring a government-issued photo ID. We are required to inspect every judge’s ID at in-person registration, so please have it ready.
Attend the judges’ meeting at 8:30 a.m. See the Schedule.

Most judges are brought by a school or family — commonly one judge for every four students entered. Teachers, parents, and college-age or older siblings are all welcome to judge; chaperones may double as judges.

Your job in 60 seconds

Check in and attend the briefing. Locate your e-ballot or request a paper ballot from the tournament office, and find a seat at the back of the chamber.
Score every speech 1–6 using the rubric below, and jot a quick note — one thing done well, one thing to try next.
Score the Presiding Officer once for the session.
Rank the speakers at the end of the session (best first).
Submit your ballot promptly. The tab room is waiting on it.

Judges score independently — you will not confer or agree on scores. Independent views are exactly what make the results fair.

The 1–6 speech rubric

Score each speech as a whole number from 1 to 6, where 6 is exceptional for a novice. Most speeches land at 3, 4, or 5; reserve 6 for the truly outstanding and 1–2 for speeches that didn’t engage. Judge against what’s reasonable for a beginner, not against a seasoned competitor.

Speech score guide (1–6 points)
Score	What it looks like
6 — Exceptional	Clear position, two or more strong reasons with solid evidence, directly answers earlier speakers, poised and courteous delivery. Moves the debate forward.
5 — Strong	Clear position and solid reasons with some evidence; engages the other side; confident delivery with minor rough edges.
4 — Solid	A clear point and at least one well-supported reason; some response to others; steady delivery. A good, sound speech.
3 — Developing	States a side and a reason but thin on evidence or clash; may mostly repeat earlier points; nervous but completed.
2 — Emerging	Unclear position or reasons; little support; very brief or hard to follow. Showed courage to speak.
1 — Just starting	Did not present an argument (e.g., a few sentences, off-topic, or read someone else’s words). Still credit the effort to participate.

Two numbers, two directions

A speech’s points run 1–6, where a higher number is better — like a score out of 6. A rank orders the speakers, where a lower number is better — 1st place is best. A top speaker earns high points and a low place number.

Five things lift a score, in roughly this order of importance:

Reasoning — is there a clear claim with reasons that actually support it?
Evidence — facts, examples, history, or quotations, fairly used and sourced.
Clash — do they respond to what others said, not just recite prepared lines?
Delivery — clear, audible, composed. Polish matters less than substance.
Courtesy — respectful to opponents and the chamber.

Please don’t reward or penalize

The position a student was assigned, their accent or speaking style, nervousness, clothing, or how much you personally agree. A shy student with a sharp argument should outscore a smooth speaker who said little.

Ranking the chamber

At the end of the session, rank all the speakers in the chamber in order, best first — your strongest speaker as rank 1, next as rank 2, and so on. Your individual 1–6 scores help you remember; the ranking is what most determines awards.

Rank on the body of work across the session, not one lucky speech.
It’s fine for your ranking to differ from the other judges’. Combining several independent rankings across the day is how the tournament reaches a fair result with few ties.
If you’re torn between two students, ask: who advanced the debate more — who made the room think?

Scoring the Presiding Officer

One student (the Presiding Officer, or PO) runs the chamber each session — recognizing speakers fairly, keeping time, and following the parliamentary steps. Give the PO one score for the session on the same 1–6 scale, and include strong presiding in your ranking. A good PO:

Keeps recognition fair (those who’ve spoken least go first) rather than calling on friends.
Manages time evenly and calmly.
Is accurate and unobtrusive — the chamber runs smoothly because of them.

Presiding well is hard and deserves credit; a student who keeps a fair, smooth chamber should rank comparably to a strong speaker. This ensures that volunteering to lead never costs a student.

Writing helpful comments

Your written notes are a gift these students will read carefully. Keep it kind and concrete — one strength and one next step per speaker is perfect:

A model comment

Helpful

“Loved your example about the 1787 convention — it made the point concrete. Next time, answer the speaker before you by name.”
“Very clear two-reason structure. Try slowing down on your evidence so we can write it down.”

Less helpful

“Good job!” (true, but they can’t learn from it.)
“I disagreed with you.” (they didn’t pick the side — comment on the argument instead.)

Judge etiquette

Be on time for your meeting — the session can’t score without its judges.
Submit your ballot as soon as possible after the session ends. Late ballots delay the entire tournament. If you need more time to write comments, submit your ballot first, then go back and edit the comments section.
Stay quiet and neutral during the debate: no nodding along, reacting, or coaching. A warm, steady presence is great; visible approval or disapproval can sway a room of nervous beginners.
Silence devices. Use a device only for your ballot and notes.
Keep scores to yourself until ballots are in. Don’t compare with other judges mid-session.
If you know a student (your own child, a relative, your student), tell the Chamber Coordinator — we’ll seat you in a different chamber.
When in doubt, ask the Chamber Coordinator — the adult (non-judge) helping run the room. No question is too basic.

Judge FAQ

I’ve never seen a debate. Can I do this?: Yes. If you can recognize a clear, well-supported, respectful argument, you can judge. The meeting and the Chamber Coordinator are there to help.
What if I don’t catch every word or fall behind?: That’s normal. Score your overall impression against the rubric. Perfect note-taking isn’t expected — a fair, attentive read of each speaker is.
What if I strongly agree (or disagree) with a bill?: Set it aside. You’re scoring the arguing, and students didn’t choose their side. The student making the better case for a view you dislike should still score higher.
A student cited a fact I think is wrong. What do I do?: Note it. Reward students who use evidence carefully and source it; a shaky or misused fact is a fair reason to score a bit lower, and a good opponent may challenge it during questioning.
How long is each speech, and how many will I score?: Speeches run up to three minutes (novices often two), each followed by about a minute of questioning. Expect roughly fifteen to twenty speeches across a 90-minute session.
Can two judges score the same speech very differently?: Yes, and that’s fine. Independent judgment is the point. The tournament combines many rankings across the day, which smooths out individual differences.
I’m an invited legislator or civic leader. Anything different for me?: No — same rubric, same neutrality. Your presence means a great deal to these students, and the most valuable thing you can model is judging ideas fairly regardless of which side a student is called upon to support. Many judges also enjoy the Founding Documents Forum later in the day.

Thank you for giving your time. Want to see what the students were asked to prepare? Skim the Student Guide and the Sample Legislation. Unfamiliar with a term you heard? The Glossary has plain-English definitions.