Return to the Table of Contents Judging The goal of competitive debate is to persuade. The object of that persuasion is the judge. The judge is the ultimate arbiter of the round, and his decision is final. In most cases, however, there will be a single judge, who will also serve as the Speaker of the House. The backbone of parliamentary debate.
Arguments shuold be clear, convincing, and provide clash with the other team's values.
While parliamentary debate is not based primarily on evidence or statistics, real-life examples and factual knowledge used to bolster your position will always help. While facts should not be used as a crutch which eliminates the need for analysis,they can provide an important way to anchor and reinforce abstract argumentation. Organization Judges appreciate a speech whose arguments are clearly and carefully mapped out. Through signposting and other techniques, different lines of arguemtn should be distintly presented. Rebuttals shuold concisely and powerfully distill the most important issues of the round, and should not get bogged down in unnecessary details.