Welcome!Welcome!National Christian Forensics

and Communications Association (NCFCA)

“…addressing life’s issues from a biblical worldview in a manner that

glorifies God…”

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Thank YOU for coming!

• We can’t do this without you.

• You are making an investment.

• YOU make it possible for young people across the country to learn these skills.

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Qualified to Judge

• This is a communication activity. It is the speaker’s job to communicate with you. It was not your job to study their topic, format, or methods before coming.

• You have already been judging communication.

• We give you tools.

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What is a debate?

• Two opposing teams argue an idea– Affirmative (for)– Negative (against)

• Debaters alternate sides during course of tournament

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Primary Role of the Judge

• Listen to the debate

• Decide which team best supports their position

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Role of the Judge

DO:

• check the names on your ballot

• start on time

• monitor distractions (cell phones)

• stay in the room throughout the round

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Role of the Judge

DON’T:

• request or accept written material offered by debaters before or during the round

• interrupt speakers/debaters

• modify the rules

• extend a debater’s speaking time

• disclose your decision

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NCFCA Debate

• 2 Styles offered: – Team Policy (two person teams)

– About 90 minutes

– Lincoln Douglas Value (one person team)– About 45 minutes

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Topics

• Team Policy– Resolved: That the United States Federal

Government should significantly reform its policy toward Russia.

• Lincoln Douglas Value– Resolved: A government's legitimacy is

determined more by its respect for popular sovereignty than individual rights.

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Debate Vocabulary

• Debaters are responsible for explaining any terms they use in context, including but not limited to:– Theory– Organization of ideas– Information about the topic

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Stock Issues

• Policy– Topicality– Significance– Inherency– Solvency

• Disadvantages

• Value– Definitions– Criteria– Correspondence– Application

Stock issues are one way to make a decision…

It’s up to the debaters to tell you how to vote and why.

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1AC 1NC 2AC 2NC 1NR 1AR 2NR 2AR

Flow (note-taking system)

No column for cross-examination

(8) (8) (8) (8) (5) (5) (5) (5)

1 = 1st speaker

2 = 2nd speaker

C = Constructive

R = Rebuttal

A = Affirmative N = Negative

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AC NC 1AR NR 2AR

Flow (note-taking system)

(6) (7) (4) (6) (3)

a. Blabb. Blabb

y blab

a. Blah b. Blah blab

Point 2

a. Yak

b. Yak-yak

Point 3

a. blip

a. Yak, yak

b. Yacky-yak

a. blip-blop

a. Yip-yapb. Yackety-

yak

a. Blippety blop

Point 1

a. Blah

b. blab

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The Ballot

Affirmative vs. Negative

Judge: you

Do not judge the same debater in another debate round during this tournament.

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The Ballot

Fill in the debaters’ names in the appropriate box on the ballot.

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The Ballot

Vote Affirmative

orNegative

Double Loss is a

disciplinary action.

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The Ballot

Reason for Decision

Tell the debaters what issue or

issues influenced you to vote the way you did.

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The Ballot

Debaters are judged for

1. winning debates

2. speaking well

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The Ballot

Team Policy vs. Lincoln Douglas

Ballots

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The Ballot

Evaluatingthe Speakers

1. Write comments

2. Circle & Total Speaker Points

3. Rank speakers

1 thing the speaker did well and

1 they could improve upon

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The Ballot

• Speaker points determine rank.

• Speaker points may be tied.

• Break ties with rank.

• Lower speaker points may win round.

1 thing the speaker did well and

1 they could improve upon

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What to Expect

• Number of judges– Preliminary rounds – 1– Outrounds – 3, 5, 7

• Timekeeper – Ask him/her to sit next to you.

• Debater’s Greeting – Debaters may ask for your Judging Philosophy

• Cross-Examination– Debaters face you

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Guidelines

• Set aside personal bias/opinion.• Judge round based upon issues entered

into and refuted in the round.• Don’t ask questions or give verbal

feedback. • In the rare instance that you have a

question about the evidence presented, you may request to review it for clarification or accuracy at the end of the round.

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When the round is over…

• Immediately following the round, take your ballots to the designated area for completion.

• Return completed ballots to Ballot Check.

• If you will be staying to judge speeches, you will need to attend a separate orientation.

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Event Judging Record(Dance Card)

Please fill in who: • you judge, • you time, • you watch

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Questions

• You may ask questions of a tournament official at Ballot Check.

• Please do not consult anyone else about your decision.

Thank you!Thank you!

We

appreciate

your time!