Learn

For Judges

How to Volunteer as a Judge - First Steps

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with PUDL! 

If you haven’t already, please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form.

Our volunteer vetting goes through Portland Public Schools. You will need to submit a background check and review their Mandatory Reporting training along with their Volunteer Code of Conduct

Send an email to info@portlanddebate.org with the confirmation of your successful background check! Your background check should be good for several years.

Upcoming Tournaments

Check out the tournaments page for an up-to-date listing of 2024-2025 tournaments.

What to Expect at a Tournament

Download and peruse our complete Volunteer Judge Guide!

You will need:

  • A laptop or Ipad

  • If you wish to judge on paper instead of on a laptop you will need pens!

What to expect

  • Arrive at the school at the designated check in time

  • Find the judge check in table and let us know you are here

  • We will show you to the hospitality room, where you will wait until about 10 minutes before the round start time

  • 10 minutes prior to the round, you should go find your room and get set up.

  • Debaters will arrive (hopefully on time) and the debate round will start. 

  • After the round concludes you will need to fill out your ballot clearly stating why one team won and what the other team could have done better, and then submit your ballot on tabroom.com. We will then alert you if you’re needed for the next round or not. 

  • If, after your round concludes you wish to give the students an oral critique of the round you may do so. However, if your round ends late or it is within 10 minutes of the next round start time, we ask that you refrain from giving an oral critique. 

Flowing & Timetables

Debate Resources for Returning Judges

  • Go Fight Win: videos on everything from introductory to advanced topics

  • Dr. Debate: videos on beginner through advanced strategy and arguments

FAQ

Will I have to judge alone?

In all likelihood, yes. We typically have a similar number of volunteers and debate rounds and the majority of volunteers judge independently to ensure that every student has the opportunity to debate. Occasionally, we have significantly more volunteers than debate rounds and are able to assign volunteers to a panel of three judges. Panels are a great opportunity to get to know other judges and learn from them, so we encourage you to bring a friend!

When can I take a break? What do I do between debate rounds?

You’ll have a break of 15 or 30 minutes between each debate round. You can use this time to finish writing your reason for decision or to step away from your computer and stretch, use the restroom, grab a snack, or do whatever else you need to be ready for the next round. Your break may be a little longer if your round ends early. 

Who keeps time?

The students should keep their own time, but we recommend keeping time as well so that when a student forgets to start their timer you will have a backup one going.