Judging Debate

Judging debate is the core of the volunteer program at the Washington Urban Debate League. A judge is required for every 4 participants in a tournament, so the more judges we have, the more schools we can recruit and the more students we can work with. 

Teacher Oscar Orlando and American University student Ari Giles judge a debate at Largo High School

The Requirements: 

1. A willingness to listen and take notes as students argue their positions and a willingness to give a minute or two of constructive feedback after the round. 

2. Fill out a short background check (see below)

Judges do not require a background in debate. Our judge pool is a diverse array of people from students to retirees, with all sorts of different personal and professional backgrounds.

To complete the background check, click here: 

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Consultant and WUDL volunteer Richard Day reviews his flow while students from Dunbar prepare to speak at Columbia Heights Education Campus in 2017

Judge Training:

We offer two different levels of judge training during breakfast (and sometimes again at lunch) at each competition:

Beginner:

This 101 course goes over the basics for those who don't have a debate background, and/or who haven't judged before. This course will cover the the structure and flow of a debate round, how to fill out the ballot, and the basics of strategy and the use of evidence in policy debate

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Advanced:

This course is designed for those who have judged several tournaments and are ready to learn more, or for former debaters looking for a refresher course. Our goal is to provide the best feedback possible to our students to help them grow, improve, and prepare our varsity students for regional travel. 

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Schedule: 

Tournament schedules generally follow the following format, unless specified otherwise: 

8:15-8:45 Breakfast, Registration, and Judge Training—Please be prompt!

9:00-10:30 Round 1 

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10:45-12:15 Round 2

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12:15-1:00 Lunch, Coaches Meeting, and Judge Training

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1:00-2:45 Round 3

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3:00-4:45 Round 4

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5:00 Awards

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