HOW TO TAKE YOUR TEAM TO A CEDA TOURNAMENT

Joe Corcoran
Director of Forensics
California State University
Chico

"Working for peanuts is all very fine,
but I can show you a better time."
The Beatles

What to do once you get there?
The first thing that you should do once you get to a CEDA tournament is to check in at the registration desk to register your teams. Try to arrive an hour to a half-hour prior to the first round to give yourself plenty of time to correct any mistakes in your entry. For instance, perhaps you phoned in three teams, but the tournament only entered two of them. Arriving early may allow time to make necessary corrections. Additionally, if you have any drops (teams or L/D debaters who you entered in the tournament but who could not make the tnp), please let the tournament staff know. (Actually, you should phone in drops as soon as you know of them. Many coaches have strict rules against team members dropping once entered. It is strongly suggested that you employ similar regulations. Nothing is more frustratting to a tournament staff than having to repanel an entire division five minutes prior to the first round.)

What are the costs of the tournament?
Be prepared to pay your fees during the registration period. Some tournaments may require payment before the tournament begins. Personal checks, cash, money orders, or school checks are usually acceptable means to pay entry fees. Fees usually range from $15.00 per 2-person team to $80.00 per 2-person team. Make sure you check the tournament announcement carefully, so that you can predict accurately what your fees will be. Realize also that one judge only covers two 2-person teams. Therefore, if you are the only critic traveling with more than two teams, you should expect to pay $25.00 to $50.00 extra per uncovercd team. Also, often there is a"school fee": a fee charged to each college entered in the tournament, usually $10.00 to $25.00.

What is required of me at a tournament?
If you bring at least two 2-person teams to a toumament, expect to judge every preliminary round if you are the only judge for your teams. In fact, you are expected to judge one round past the time which your last team is elirninated. For example, if your last live team is eliminated in quarterfinals, you must stay to judge semifinals. Additionally, if none of your teams advance to elimination rounds, you are required to judge the first elimination round and sometimes the first two elimination rounds, depending on the tournament.

Try to cover your entry.
If possible, try to bring at least one judge for every two teams or L/D debaters you bring to a tournament. One of the biggest headaches for a tournament director is managing the hired judge pool.

Be sure to pick up all your ballots.
Be on time and be cordial when picking up your ballot. Realize also that judging at tournaments is hard work. You will get tired. Sometimes you go without food or rest for long periods of time. However, that is no excuse for simply leaving a tournament to eat lunch or rest. Please understand that every time you leave someone else must judge YOUR ROUND. That is unfair. Additionally, judges failure to pick up ballots on time is one of the biggest reasons that tournaments run late. If you are the kind of person who cannot go without a break, please try to arrange a round off during the middle of the day and hire a substitute to take your place. Most tournament directors are happy to work around you if you only let them know ahead of time. When vou call in the entry, simply ask for say round 3 and round 6 off. Let the tournament director determine if that is possible. If it is not possible, be ready to compromise or accept every ballot. Remember, you are required to judge. Getting rounds off is up to the discretion of the toumarnent director. Asking can do no harm as long as you are willing to hear a"no."But ask well in advance. Asking ten minutes before the round is unacceptable. Additionally, don't eat lunch or read a book while judging a debate round. You are expected to pay attention during the round.

What do I say before the round starts?
At some CEDA tournaments, Judges are asked to give an oral judging philosophy before each round. Usually, judges don't say anything unless the debaters ask. If asked, keep your comments concise. And be honest. If you have never judged or debated before, say so. Most good debaters should be able to adapt to that. Normally, you should address your background, likes and dislikes, and key issues (presumption, affirmative burdens, negative burdens, delivery rate, evidence citations, etc.). More and more tournaments are requiring a one-page written philosophy statement. Some sample philosophy statements (reprinted from the 1987 National CEDA Tournament) are included in Appendix A of this manual.

What is the correct etiquette after the round?
Generally, you should neither reveal decisions nor give oral critiques. If debaters press you for information, simply say that you do not reveal decisions. They will usually leave you alone. If they continue to hassle you advise the tournament director that Team X is pressing critics for decisions and that you do not appreciate it. Occasionally, however, tournaments sanction oral critiques or immediate decisions. If that is the case, by all means comply.

How much information should I write on the ballots?
Please fill out the ballots completely. Debaters deserve feedback from their judges. Debaters put in numerous hours researching, practicing, and preparing. They deserve to know why you voted a particular way. You should write at least a paragraph or two on each ballot. Describe desirable and undesirable techniques used by each team and give a clear reason for decision. Additionally, be sure to fill in the box material, the point totals, the code and school name of the winning team, the first and last names of each speaker, and whether it is a low-point win. (A low-point win means that the team with the lower speaker point total still wins the round. Failure to check that box at appropriate times means that you will probably have someone from the tournament staff contacting you to verify that you in fact meant for the least talented speakers to win the debate.) During elimination rounds, speaker points are usually not awarded. You may simply list the winner and the reasons for decision. It is occasionally allowed for you to hand a copy of your ballot to each team immediately following an elimnation round. Ballot packets are often given out before elimination rounds. Giving a copy directly to each team is normally a wav to guarantee that the debaters can read your comments.

How much time to I have to fill out my ballot? You are expected to get your ballot turned in immediately following your round. The white top sheet may be separated from the rest of the ballot and turned in once you have decided who won the round and what the individual points should be. Your explanation of the round may be written at a later time. However, the carbon (pink and yellow) copies should find their way to the ballot box before the last preliminary round. Occasionally, the tournament staff will give you two ballots at once and instruct you to turn in both ballots folIowing the termination of the second round. That is the only exception allowing you to hang onto a white top sheet for an additional round. If you are having a difficult time making a decision (which occasionally happens), go directly to the ballot table and explain the nature of your last round. Stay in the judges room or near the ballot table while you assess the round. Try to reach a decision as soon as possible. Remember, if the round is a tie, generally presumption assigns the round to the negative.

General Comments
As in any profession, forensics coaches admire hard-working and amiable professionals; similarly, the same Coaches loathe slothful and rude Colleagues. Try to emulate behavior patterns of the former, and you should find many allies on the debate battlefield.