{{ assistantHint }}
No messages yet.
{{ m.text }}
Thinking…
Judge's Guide
Parent Judge Guide — V1.0

You don't need experience. You need this page.

A complete, plain-language walkthrough for first-time parent judges — the criteria, real rounds to watch, an AI-graded practice mode, and every resource you'll need. No debate jargon, no test to pass.

Events
{{ totalEventsLabel }}
Skill Levels
5
Judge Mode
AI-graded
Resources
31
No experience required• Plain language, no jargon• Your opinion is the point• There's no wrong answer•
No experience required• Plain language, no jargon• Your opinion is the point• There's no wrong answer•
How it works

Three steps to your first ballot

01
Learn the criteria
Read what judges actually look for in your event, in plain language, with a five-level example scale.
02
Practice on real rounds
Watch real competitive footage, then try Judge Mode: an AI grades your written verdict and levels you up.
03
Judge with confidence
Walk into the round knowing what to watch for — there's no wrong answer, just your honest read.
What's inside

Everything a first-time judge needs

Judge Mode
AI-generated mock rounds you judge yourself, graded with feedback and a level-up loop.
Criteria Library
Every speech and debate event, what to watch for, and a five-level performance scale.
Real Footage
Embedded national-finalist rounds so you can see, not just read, what strong judging looks like.
Resource Library
Searchable, filterable judge training guides, videos, and courses from real leagues and NSDA.
How to Judge Speech & Debate — A Parent's Guide Powered by LearnHaus AI Visit speechanddebate.org ↗
Judge's Guide

Welcome back

Log in to pick up where you left off.

Forgot password?
or
Powered by LearnHaus AI
Judge's Guide
Judge's Guide
{{ loginNameLabel }}
Parent judge · Profile
 {{ loginInitial }}
Welcome back, {{ loginNameLabel }}

You don't need experience. You need this page.

Pick up where you left off, or explore a new section below.

{{ r.kind }} {{ r.name }}
{{ r.snippet }}
Nothing matched. Try a shorter word, like an event name.
Judging in 5 minutes? Jump straight to your event
Sign up to judge
Most tournaments need you registered or trained first. Start with one of these.
{{ l.title }}
{{ l.publisher }}
→
Events
{{ totalEventsLabel }}
Skill Levels
5
Formats
Speech + Debate
Levels
5
No experience required• Plain language, no jargon• Your opinion is the point• There's no wrong answer•
No experience required• Plain language, no jargon• Your opinion is the point• There's no wrong answer•
Judge Mode

Judge a round, get graded

Pick an event. An AI generates two competitors in a mock round — you write who wins and why, and get graded on your reasoning. Get it right and the next round gets harder.

Picked up where you left off.
Speech events
{{ ev.name }}
Debate events
{{ ev.name }}
{{ quizEventLabel }}
Simulated level: {{ quizLevelLabel }}
Generating a round…
{{ quizError }}
Round topic: {{ quizScenario.topic }}
Performance video
Coming soon
{{ quizScenario.personaA.name }}
{{ quizScenario.personaA.mood }}
{{ quizScenario.personaA.description }}
Performance video
Coming soon
{{ quizScenario.personaB.name }}
{{ quizScenario.personaB.mood }}
{{ quizScenario.personaB.description }}
Your verdict: who wins, and why?
Grading your verdict…
{{ quizResultHeading }}
{{ quizResult.feedback }}
A strong judge's take: {{ quizResult.modelPick }}
Breaking it down…
{{ whyText }}
Panel mode: see how two co-judges called it
Gathering co-judge opinions…
Judge X voted: {{ coJudges.judgeX.pick }}
{{ coJudges.judgeX.reasoning }}
Judge Y voted: {{ coJudges.judgeY.pick }}
{{ coJudges.judgeY.reasoning }}
Your reconciliation: who do you side with, and why?
Reviewing your reasoning…
{{ reconciliationResult.feedback }}
You've reached Expert level for this event.
{{ selectedResource.category }}

{{ selectedResource.title }}

{{ selectedResource.authors }} · {{ selectedResource.publisher }} · {{ selectedResource.yearLabel }}
Summary
{{ selectedResource.summary }}
{{ kw }}
Preview · {{ selectedResource.embedHost }}
Scroll inside the frame
Opens on {{ selectedResource.embedHost }}
This publisher doesn't allow their pages to be displayed inside another site, so there's no preview here. The link below opens the real thing in a new tab.
 View original source ↗
Resources

Go deeper when you're ready

Extra reading and watching, whenever you want more than the basics.

{{ r.title }}
{{ r.formatLabel }}
{{ r.summary }}
{{ r.source }}{{ r.category }}
Nothing matched — try a broader term
Or clear a filter above and see what's there.
Learn

Judging mindset, glossary & feedback

How to hold the ballot
Five habits that separate a useful ballot from a discouraging one.
{{ m.num }} {{ m.title }} {{ m.iconGlyph }}
{{ m.body }}
Tips
•{{ tip }}
{{ m.reference }}
Vague vs. specific feedback
{{ row.category }}
Vague
{{ row.vague }}
Specific
{{ row.specific }}
Check your own written feedback
Paste a comment you're about to write on a ballot. This checks it against the vague/specific patterns above — it's a checklist, not an AI judgment of quality.
{{ selfCheckHeading }}
• {{ f }}
Glossary
{{ g.term }} — {{ g.def }}
Bad-habit catch card
Six mistakes to glance for mid-round, drawn from the habits above. Prints pocket-sized.
{{ h.title }}
{{ h.fix }}
Glossary flashcards
Tap the card to flip it. Terms you mark "Again" come back around. {{ flashProgress }}.
You know all {{ glossaryCount }} terms.
{{ flashFace }}
Read the ballot, spot the problem
Real comments judges write, and why some help competitors more than others. Tap "Reveal" to check your read.
{{ card.event }}
“{{ card.quote }}”
Rank given: {{ card.rank }}
What to spot: {{ card.problem }}
{{ card.verdict }}
Criteria

Judging criteria and performance

All {{ speechEventCount }} speech events and all {{ debateEventCount }} debate events are covered below. Event rules vary by league and season — the criteria and time limits that govern your round are the ones printed on your ballot.
{{ c.name }}
{{ c.oneLiner }}
{{ t }}
Timing
{{ c.timing }}
How the round runs
{{ c.roundFlow }}
Criteria
{{ cr.name }}: {{ cr.desc }}
Watch for
• {{ b }}
{{ ev.name }} {{ ev.iconGlyph }}
{{ ev.oneLiner }}
{{ tg }}
How the round runs
{{ ev.roundFlow }}
Round timer
{{ timerGenericNote }}
minutes
{{ timerDisplay }}
Time's up
What to watch for
•{{ b }}
Judging criteria for this event
{{ c.name }}: {{ c.desc }}
The five-level scale
{{ lvl.name }}
{{ lvl.example }}
Watch an example
{{ ev.videoTape.videoTitle }} ↗
Pause the video partway through, write your verdict, then reveal what this tape actually shows.
What this tape shows:
{{ ev.videoTape.desc }}
{{ ev.videoTape.note }}
Ranking: In speech, rank each competitor against the ones who have already performed. There is never a single universal correct decision — judging is subjective, and your overall impression of a student's performance is what matters.
Tournament Day

Your rounds, in order

Enter the rounds you've been assigned today. You'll get a reminder before each one and a quick check-in after.

{{ soonLabel }}
{{ breakLabel }}
{{ notifState }}
{{ dayProgress }}
{{ r.time }}
{{ r.event }}
{{ r.roomLabel }} · {{ r.statusLabel }}
No rounds added for today yet.
How did that one go?
Oral critique builder
Type your rough notes. They get sorted into a short spoken outline using only what you wrote.
Organizing…
{{ sec.title }}
• {{ it }}
Nothing in your notes for this.
Reflection log
Confidence over time
Log at least two rounds to see a trend.
No entries yet. Finish a roster round or tap "Log a round."
{{ r.event }} · {{ r.level }}
{{ r.dateLabel }} · {{ r.confLabel }} · {{ r.source }}
{{ r.notes }}
Topics

This season's topics

These are the National Speech & Debate Association topics for the 2026–27 season. Your tournament's invitation confirms which one is in use.

No current topics are loaded here. Check the source link below for this period's resolutions.
{{ t.event }} {{ t.period }}
{{ t.resolution }}
{{ t.note }}

Only events where every competitor debates the same resolution are listed. Events without one shared topic, like Congress, Extemp and World Schools, aren't.

Source: speechanddebate.org ↗
Cheat Sheet Mode

Light, text-only reference

No videos, no embeds, nothing loaded from outside the page — just the text you need. Loads fast on weak tournament wifi and keeps working once the page is open, even if your connection drops.
{{ ev.name }} {{ ev.iconGlyph }}
{{ ev.oneLiner }}
Watch for
• {{ b }}
Criteria
{{ c.name }}: {{ c.desc }}
Profile

Judge profile & paradigm

Display
Training summary
Pass Judge Mode in at least 3 different events to print a one-page record of what you practiced. {{ certProgress }}.
This site's own practice record, not an NSDA accreditation or league certification.
Judge setup
Speech events you're comfortable judging
Debate events you're comfortable judging
Location
How confident are you deciding a close round today? ({{ confidenceValue }}/5)
Certifications & training
Demo view — progress fills in once you've actually practiced an event.
{{ lvl.name }} 0 / {{ totalEventsLabel }}
Build your paradigm
{{ pq.question }}
Your draft paradigm
{{ paradigmDraft }}
Strengths & weaknesses
Worked out from your own Judge Mode history on this device.
{{ strengthSummary }}
{{ r.event }}{{ r.label }}
Judge at least three rounds in Judge Mode to see a breakdown.
Your specificity over time
Each bar is one Judge Mode verdict. Taller means fewer vagueness flags from the feedback checklist. Blue = no flags.
Submit at least two verdicts in Judge Mode to see your trend.
Ballot history
Your written verdicts from Judge Mode will be saved here on this device.
{{ h.event }} · {{ h.level }} {{ h.dateLabel }} · {{ h.resultLabel }} · {{ h.specificityLabel }}
{{ h.verdict }}
How to Judge Speech & Debate — A Parent's Guide Powered by LearnHaus AI Visit speechanddebate.org ↗