Resources · Quick references
The judging ballot
Most school scrimmages are judged by whoever is available, and most new judges are handed nothing but a blank page. This ballot fixes that: per-speaker boxes on the official 40/40/20 split, reply scoring, and a calibration guide so a first-time or parent judge lands scores in the same band an experienced adjudicator would. It pairs with our full judging guide, which explains what style, content, and strategy actually reward.
World Schools ballot
wsdcacademy.comMotion: ____________________________________________ · Round: ______ · Judge: ______________
| Speaker | Style /40 | Content /40 | Strategy /20 | Total /100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 1 | ||||
| Opposition 1 | ||||
| Proposition 2 | ||||
| Opposition 2 | ||||
| Proposition 3 | ||||
| Opposition 3 | ||||
| Opp reply (20/20/10) | /50 | |||
| Prop reply (20/20/10) | /50 |
Result: this debate is won by ______________________ because _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
Reply speeches: opposition replies first, proposition closes. Replies take no points of information; the first and last minute of each substantive speech are protected.
Calibrating the 60–80 scale
Substantive speeches are scored between 60 and 80, with 70 the average and replies on 30–40. New judges drift high; the fix is anchoring on 70 and moving for named reasons.
Exceptional
A speech you would expect at the top of a national circuit: sophisticated argument, commanding delivery, flawless role fulfilment. Rare by design.
Excellent
Clearly above the field: well-mechanized arguments, responsive engagement, strong structure, only minor lapses.
Above average to good
70 is the anchor: the average speech at this tournament. Award it freely; move up only for concrete reasons you could name.
Below average
Real contributions with visible gaps: assertions without mechanisms, missed rebuttal, structure that wanders.
Developing
Significant problems across style, content, or strategy. Reserve the bottom of the band for speeches with little usable material.
The three habits of a fair lay judge
First, flow the round: a two-column page of what each side argued, because the result should come from what was said, not what you remember loudest. Second, judge as an average reasonable person; your own expertise and opinions on the motion are set aside, and a two-point gap per speech is a normal winning margin, so small consistent differences matter more than one dramatic mark. Third, decide the round before totting up the points, then reconcile: the winner is the team that won the important clashes, which is the same skill the whip speech and weighing essays teach from the debater's side of the table. Judging a practice round, incidentally, is one of the fastest ways for a debater to improve; hand teammates this ballot and rotate the job, with motions from the practice bank.
Common questions
How do you score a World Schools debate round?
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Each substantive speech is marked out of 100: up to 40 for style (delivery and persuasion), 40 for content (arguments and evidence), and 20 for strategy (structure, timing, prioritization, and role fulfilment). Reply speeches are marked out of 50 on the same proportions (20/20/10). In practice, substantive speeches live on a 60–80 scale with 70 as the average, and replies on 30–40. The team with more total speaker points usually wins, but the ballot asks for a winner on the debate as argued, not an arithmetic check.
Can a team lose the round but have the top speaker?
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Yes, and it is common. Speaker scores rate individual speeches; the result rates which side won the clash of cases. A brilliant speaker on a team that dropped a decisive argument loses with high points. If your totals and your instinct about the winner disagree, re-examine both: usually one number is charitable somewhere the round was actually decided.
What should a parent judge focus on in a World Schools round?
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Judge as an average reasonable person: no specialist knowledge, no personal views on the motion. Track three things per speech: did it answer the strongest opposing material, did its own arguments come with reasons rather than assertions, and could you follow the structure. Resist rewarding confidence alone; a fluent speech that ignores the debate scores worse on content and strategy than a plainer one that engages.
Do points of information affect the score?
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Yes, under style and strategy. Speakers should take one or two POIs in the unprotected minutes and answer them without losing their thread; offering sharp POIs during opponents’ speeches also counts toward engagement. A speaker who takes none, or collapses on the ones they take, loses strategy marks; nobody is obliged to take more than two.
Every one of our rounds is judged like this.
Students in our programs debate judged practice rounds on this exact rubric, with written feedback after every session.
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