Guidelines for Debating Adjudicators(Adjudicators must be familiar with the Adjudicator’s Handbook 2012)

Speaking Times

Year 7Warning Bell:3 minutesFinal Bell:4 minutes

Year 8Warning Bell:4 minutesFinal Bell:5 minutes

Year 9Warning Bell:5 minutesFinal Bell:6 minutes

Year 10Warning Bell:6 minutesFinal Bell:8 minutes

SeniorWarning Bell:6 minutesFinal Bell:8 minutes

Duties of Speakers

First Affirmative / First Negative
Identification of issue, definition, justification,
development of team line, allocation, argument. / Identification of issue, must either accept or amend affirmative’s definition with justification, refutation, team line, allocation, argument.
Second Affirmative / Second Negative
Deal with definitional issues, recapture the initiative through refutation and argument. / Deal with definitional issues, recapture the initiative through refutation and argument.
Third Affirmative / Third Negative
Presents refutation ( bulk of speech even to the 1st bell). Summarise own case and contrast with other team’s case. SHOULD NOT INTRODUCE NEW MATERIAL. / Presents refutation ( bulk of speech even to the 1st bell). Summarise own case and contrast with other team’s case. SHOULD NOT INTRODUCE NEW MATERIAL.

Debates are often lost rather than won because speakers fail to discharge their duties. Every speaker must attempt to capture the initiative from the opposing team.

Marks: Marks are not used in the CSDA Competition The following 3 areas are to be treated equally.

Judging MATTER

Look at the content of a speech or what a speaker says.

This includes: definition, team line, argument and refutation.

Watch for generalisations, unsupported opinions, hypothetical arguments, invalid arguments and personal attacks.

Judging MANNER

Look for the individual way in which a speaker presents material.

This may include: “talking” to the audience instead of reading the whole speech, eye contact, use of language, varied use of voice, effective gesture, evidence of thinking on their feet, personality.

As an adjudicator, you must not allow superior manner to outway deficiencies in matter

Judging METHOD

Look at the team’s organisation.

Does each speaker complete her/his role?

Do the individual speeches and the team’s material follow a logical sequence?

Is refutation effective?

Do team members use the available time appropriately?

Does the team work together throughout the debate?

To implement an argument, different techniques can be used. The following example often causes confusion.

One ‘Technique to assist proof’: Topic – That private cars should be banned from the CBD.
-Example: To prove that the CBD would be better without private cars, a scenario is created to further support why this line of argument is the better one i.e.showing the different ways in which the CBD would be better and suggesting possible ways by which such a scheme could be implemented. / Adjudicators need to be aware that some of the CSDA teams compete in other competitions and some do not. In other competitions, the above technique is often referred to as a “model”. The technique can be used whether it is called a model or not. It is not an essential technique for winning a debate. It is just another technique and as such needs to be understood and be available for students to use if they wish. No one technique alone can win or lose a debate.

The result cannot be a draw.

  1. Because a debate should be a conflict or argument it is reasonable to award victory to the team which has won the conflict, unless there are good reasons for not doing so.
  2. Debating must be a teameffort. NO award should be given on the merits of any one speaker e.g. a brilliant 3rd speaker. Remember also, that debaters are speakers, not readers.
  3. The decision must not be based on whether a team uses or does not use any one technique.

Announcing the Decision: Never speak longer than the time allocated to an individual speaker.Be as POSITIVE as possible.

*Congratulate both teams.*Give the reasons for your decision.*Never address an individual speaker in front of the audience.

*Announce the winner.*Invite teams to speak to you for personal feedback. Sometimes it is better to invite the teams to move to the gathering area, e.g. school hall, and to speak to you there. This helps to avoid conflict arising. Remember all students and their parents have signed the Code of Conduct Form.