Volunteering as a Debate Judge
Time commitment
The time commitment is usually 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. depending on when things wrap up. Judges may have to judge 4-5 rounds. Food is usually provided in a hospitality room, and judges can rest and get refreshments between rounds in this dedicated space.
Become eligible to judge
All judges need to create a Tabroom account. Judges are encouraged to write a paradigm (see Mrs. MacFarland’s paradigm) for judging.
Judges should watch these two videos to understand the two different debate formats in which Meridian competes:
Lincoln Douglas and Public Forum.
Lincoln Douglas Training for Judging Video
Public Forum Training for Judging Video
Contact information
Please reach out to the debate coaches if you are interested in this volunteer opportunity to discuss details and logistics.
Tournament Schedule 2025-2026