New FRED Course and Certification

We have a new FRED course and certification. Certification is good for one year beginning on August 25, 2025. For example, if you earn your certification on February 17, 2026, it expires on August 24, 2026.

★ Access the FRED Certification Course

Being the Judge

Please bring a laptop, tablet, or phone. An online ballot system is used for all PSCFA tournaments. Make sure your phone number and email are correct in FTN before arriving. Contact the Director of Forensics for the team you are judging if you are unsure.

Judge Demeanor

As the judge, be a supportive audience member. Present a positive and attentive attitude to each speaker, and use respectful language when referring to students on ballots.

Turn Off Phones

Turn off all cell phones and pagers before the round begins — do not set them to vibrate. Remind all students to do the same.

What to Bring

• Stopwatch: To time speeches. A timer is also available on the ballot, but it does not automatically record times — you must type the speech time into the designated area.
• Computer, Tablet, or Phone with Internet Access: You will access your ballots online. Make sure you are receiving emails from FTN before the day of the tournament.
• Pad of Paper: To take notes during debate rounds.

Getting Started

Individual Events: Start on Time

Start the round as close to the designated time as possible. Do not wait for every student — some may be entered in more than one event per round.

Debate: Start on Time

For Lincoln Douglas and International Public Debate, both debaters must be present before the debate can begin. For Parliamentary and Policy Debate, both teams must be complete before the round starts.

Attendance

Your ballot will list the speaking order. Students should sign in by writing their names on the board or a sheet of paper. Students perform in the designated order unless there is a double entry — that speaker is given order priority.

Double Entry

Students competing in two events during the same round will mark DE or XE next to their name. They will either perform and leave early, or arrive late after competing elsewhere. Students double-entered in extemporaneous speaking may be very late. Do not penalize double-entered students for arriving late or leaving early.

No Show

A judge may call a “No-Show” once the designated round time has passed. If the student signed in as Double Entered (D.E.), wait to confirm they have not returned before leaving. Write “No Show” on the ballot.

During the Round

Timing the Speakers

All events must be timed and recorded on the ballot. See each event description for specific time limits and whether verbal or visual time signals are required.

Ballots

Filling Out the Ballot

Your ballot will include the room number, student names, student codes, school name or code, preferred pronouns, accommodations, and double-entry status. Take roll before the round begins to verify students are in the correct room.

Note on Double-Entered Students: Do not mark double-entered students as “no show” or penalize them for arriving late or leaving early. They are competing in two events simultaneously.

Comments

Ballots are an educational tool. Write comments during and briefly after each speech. Submit your ballot as soon as you have decided rankings and rates. You may return to add comments before the tournament ends.

Ranking the Round

Rank each competitor from 1st to 5th after each preliminary round (1 = best). Give a tie rank of 5th to all students beyond the top four, unless instructed otherwise by the Tournament Director.

Reason for Decision

Explain why a student received their ranking. For example: if a student is ranked 3rd out of six, what about their performance placed them third? Students rely on your feedback to improve.

Returning the Ballots

Submit your ballot immediately after making your decision. When submitted successfully, confetti will appear on your screen. If you do not see confetti, your ballot has not been submitted. You may add additional comments before the tournament ends.

Judges Criteria

Criteria

The weight of performing over-time, being a poor audience member, arriving late, literary merit, topic selection, social significance, and any situation not expressly covered in these guidelines is left to your discretion as the judge.

Objectivity

Judge each round as fairly as possible. Keep an open mind, avoid bias based on personal affiliations, and be mindful of how your written comments will affect the students reading them.

Responsibilities of Judges

1. Arrive at least 15 minutes before each round. Accept your ballot as soon as you receive it. Do not leave the area until all ballots are accepted and “Stand-by” judges are released.
2. Submit completed ballots promptly after the round. You may add comments after submitting rates and ranks — before the tournament ends.
3. Do not provide oral critiques in non-debate events before submitting your ballot.
4. Provide accurate time signals in all limited preparation events and debate.
5. Provide detailed and constructive written criticism for every round you evaluate.
6. Render an unambiguous win/loss decision in each debate round, and unambiguous points and rank in each preliminary round.
7. You may disclose decisions and provide oral critiques in debate if it does not impact the schedule and it is not a final round. Final round winners are disclosed at the awards ceremony. Submit your ballot first.
8. The Tournament Director has discretion to remove a judge from a round based on potential conflict of interest.

Potentially Unfamiliar Attributes of PSCFA Tournaments

Impromptu

Students choose one of three topics or quotations for their speech. Students are expected to watch the entire round unless double-entered — they do not wait in the hall.

Parliamentary Debate

Students may consult written materials during preparation time but may not read from those materials during the debate. Two students may engage in group preparation during prep time.

Festival Finals

In events with 24 or more contestants, the tournament typically uses festival finals — simultaneous “finals” rounds — instead of semifinals. In all final rounds, judges rank to 5th place and tie remaining speakers at 5th.

Limited Preparation Events

General Description: Limited Preparation events are speeches students prepare at the tournament. Students give a different speech each round.

Extemporaneous Speaking (Extemp)

Students are given a current events topic and have 30 minutes to prepare a 7-minute speech. Topics are drawn from political, economic, and international affairs from the 90 days prior to the tournament. Schools provide their own research materials. Students select one topic from three choices and may use notes.

Handing out topics is not the judge’s responsibility. Students arrive one at a time in speaking order. The judge must give each speaker time signals throughout their speech.

Impromptu Speaking (IMP)

Each contestant receives 3 topic slips drawn from quotations, slogans, and similar prompts. A total of 7 minutes is allowed to read the topic, prepare, and speak. No outside notes are permitted beyond what the student writes on the topic slip or note card during preparation.

Handing out topics and supervising preparation time are the responsibility of the judge. Ensure no student sees topics before their turn. Each student receives a different topic. The ballot table will typically provide a labeled set of topics for each speaker.

Begin timing once the speaker has read their topic. Give time signals aloud before they begin, then by hand during the speech. Students must remain in the round as audience members unless double-entered.

Platform Speaking Events

General Description: Platform events are original speeches prepared before the tournament. Delivery may be from memory, extemporaneous, or manuscript. Judges should NOT give time signals. Audio/visual aids are allowed but not required. Set-up time is not counted in the speech time but should be minimal.

Speech to Entertain (STE) / After Dinner Speaking (ADS)

Students deliver a speech to entertain an audience. It may be persuasive or informative in nature — it should be more than a series of jokes or a stand-up routine.

Communication Analysis (CA)

Students analyze a spoken or communication event by applying principles of rhetorical and/or communication theory to contribute to a better understanding of that event.

Informative (INF) / Expository Speaking

The purpose is to describe, clarify, explain, and/or define an object, idea, concept, or process.

Persuasive Speaking / Persuasion (PERS)

A speech designed to inspire, reinforce, or change the beliefs, attitudes, values, or actions of the audience.

Multicultural Event

Cultural Artifact (Cult Art)

This speech examines, explains, or analyzes an artifact of a culture, co-culture, or counter-culture. The presentation must include a representation of the artifact (visual, audio, etc.). Delivery may be from memory, extemporaneously, or manuscript.

Oral Interpretation Events

General Description: Oral Interpretation involves presenting literature and original remarks to orient the audience to its meaning, show its significance, or link selections together around a theme.

General Rules

1. Students must appear to present from the printed page — selections should not seem memorized. Introductions and transitions are delivered in an apparently extemporaneous manner.
2. Presentations may include one or more selections of literature.
3. Students may present portions or “cuttings” from works rather than complete works.
4. Contestants may not add or reassign scenes or lines to the cutting. Adding an occasional line when a character has been deleted is discouraged.
5. Contestants may not rewrite the ending of a work.
6. Contestants may not change the point of view or gender of a character.
7. Contestants may not perform a text in a genre for which it was not written.

Event Descriptions

Dramatic Interpretation (DI)

A selection or selections of dramatic material (for example: plays, screenplays, radio dramas).

Prose Interpretation (PRO)

A selection or selections of prose (for example: short stories, novels, essays).

Poetry Interpretation (POE)

A selection or selections of poetic material (for example: poetry, lyrics).

Program Oral Interpretation (POI)

A program of thematically linked selections from two of the three recognized genres (prose, drama, poetry). A contestant may use works from one or more authors.

Dramatic Duo Interpretation (DUO)

A cutting from a play involving two or more characters performed by two individuals. Material may be from stage, screen, or radio. Focus should be off-stage — not directed at each other.

Readers Theater / Interpreters Theater

1. Readers Theater is a group oral interpretation event involving three or more readers. Through vivid vocal and physical expression, the group causes the audience to experience the literature as a living event — for both readers and audience. Original student work is encouraged.
2. Students should interpret from the printed page — the audience should perceive the presentation as interpretation, not recitation or memorization.
3. Presentations should consist of: (1) a thematic collage of varied literary selections from one or more authors, or (2) a cutting or adaptation from a single piece of prose, poetry, or drama.
4. Ensemble, dress, and music may be used as suggestive accouterments; however, extra-literary devices should not dominate the presentation.
5. Time limit is 25 minutes, including set-up, performance, and take-down.
6. Students may not be double-entered in Readers Theater.

Debate Events

International Public Debate (IPDA)

1. Topics are announced in-round with 5 topics (2 value, 2 policy, 1 metaphor) for strikes. Negative strikes first; turns are taken until one topic remains.
2. Debaters may not consult others during prep time. Paper and/or electronic research materials are allowed and may be quoted or paraphrased — but not read directly. Extemporaneous delivery is required per IPDA rules.

Lincoln Douglas Debate (LD)

1. One-on-one debate following the same rules as policy debate, with different speaking times.

2. Each speaker is allowed 4 minutes total prep time for the round. The judge must track each side’s time.
3. When asked to provide evidence, the debater must supply a legible paper copy including the full paragraph context — no ellipses. Font must be at least 12pt or legible handprint. Evidence must be returned by the end of the round.
4. Debaters are prohibited from conducting online research during the round.
5. After the round, assign ranks and up to 30 speaker points per speaker. Points below 15 should be extremely rare. Ties in points are NOT permitted. The speaker ranked 1st should receive the most points. A “low point win” should be noted on the ballot if applicable.

Parliamentary Debate (PARLI)

1. The judge decides which team better upholds or disproves the resolution.
2. If three topics are provided, the government team strikes one, then the opposition strikes one. The remaining topic is debated. The judge — also called the “Speaker of the House” — distributes topics and starts timing when the topic is decided. Both teams have 15 minutes to prepare. One team may prepare in the room; the government team has priority.
3. If one topic is announced centrally, that announcement begins prep time.
4. Students may ask for your judging philosophy. Explain your debate background so speakers can adapt to your expertise level.
5. Students may not be double-entered in Parliamentary Debate.
6. PSCFA does not allow group preparation or internet use. The tournament does not guarantee internet access.
7. After prep time, confirm which student fills each role: Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, Member of Government, Member of Opposition. Record names and team names on the ballot.
8. Give each speaker time signals throughout their speech. Speech order and time limits:

9. Write comments during and after the debate. Time is of the essence.
10. Students may raise a “point of information” during constructive speeches — only after the first minute and before the last minute. Knock once on the desk to signal one minute elapsed or remaining.
11. Students may raise a “point of order” to ask the judge to rule on a procedural issue. Stop timing, hear both sides, then accept, reject, or take it under consideration.
12. After the round, assign ranks and up to 30 speaker points per speaker. Points below 15 should be extremely rare. Ties in points are NOT permitted. A “low point win” should be noted on the ballot if applicable.

Policy Debate (PD)

1. Students debate the same topic all year. Ask the ballot table for the current year’s topic.
2. Students arrive prepared to debate.
3. Students may ask for your judging philosophy. Explain your debate background so they can adapt to your expertise.
4. Evidence and prepared materials are allowed and encouraged.
5. The affirmative team speaks first; the negative team speaks second.
6. The round consists of 8 speeches — 4 constructives followed by 4 rebuttals:

7. Each team is allowed 10 minutes total prep time. The judge must track time used by each side.
8. After the round, assign ranks and up to 30 speaker points per speaker. Points below 15 should be extremely rare. Ties in points are permitted in Policy Debate. The speaker ranked 1st should receive the most points. A “low point win” should be noted on the ballot if applicable.
9. You may give oral critiques if time permits, but vacate the room promptly so the next round can prepare.