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Speech Judge Information

Welcome & Thank You!

Our speech competitors are always thrilled to see new faces at the judge tables in our compeition classrooms. We're ready to address your questions and get you ready!

  • Getting Started

    As a caring adult, you’re already prepared to be a great speech judge! 

    Please advance through the next three tabs to find additional information and resources for your experience!

    Need help with Registration?

  • Required Child Safety Video

    All adults who participate in our tournaments are required to view our 4-minute Judge Welcome and Safety video and agree to our Child Safety Protocols before interacting with the minors who compete in our tournaments. 

    Thank you for taking time to help us ensure the safety of students in our program. 

  • See What to Expect

    In this short video, recently graduated competitors will walk you through what to expect and prepare you for a great round of  judging a speech event. 

  • Find More Resources

    See ballot samples and rubrics before you judge.

    • Interpretation  (Biblical Thematic, Duo, Open, Original)
    • Limited Prep (Apologetics, Impromptu, and Extemporaneous)
    • Platform (Digital Presentation, Informative, and Persuasive)

    Other Resources

Preview Speech Events You Could Judge

In tournaments, we divide our speeches into two patterns on the schedule: A and B. Each pattern allows judges to choose from about half of the events pictured below during each round on our schedule. You can preview which speeches will be in each pattern when you sign into your NCFCA dashboard. 

  • Apologetics

    Presents a well-reasoned defense and thoughtful application of basic tenets of the Christian faith.

  • Extemporaneous

    Analyzes news and other sources to prepare an evidence-based speech on a current-events topic.

  • Impromptu

    Presents a unique and meaningful speech on a topic drawn from abstract words, phrases, quotations, or table topics.

  • Duo

    Explores a published literature selection and is presented by a team of two competitors.

  • Open

    Explores a published literature selection and is presented by one competitor.

  • Digital Presentation

    Informs or persuades the audience, accompanied by digital visual aids.

  • Informative

    Explains a significant topic.

  • Persuasive

    Influences the audience to consider a particular point of view or course of action.

  • Biblical Presentation

    An interpretation speech that explores one or two selections of Scripture using visual aid(s).

  • Oratorical Thematic

    Creatively explores, develops, and analyzes one or more published speeches, developing a theme through analysis and/or expression.

FAQs

Find answers to commonly asked questions about competing in tournaments.

  • What kind of device and/or browser will I need?

    • Top tip: use Google Chrome if possible.
    • Be sure your camera and microphone are enabled.
    • Click HERE for the Technology Guidelines detailing Device and Browser Requirements

  • How and when do I check in for the tournament?

    Check In

    • Approximately 45 minutes before the round, please log in to your account on NCFCA.org with a supported browser.
    • Find the Tournament under My Upcoming Tournaments and Enter.
    • Click on Check-in and follow the prompts to confirm your contact information and rounds (Community Judges)
    • Wait for the Select button for the round to display near the top of the screen.
    • See the screenshots below.

    Why do I need to log in 45 minutes before the round?

    Ballots are released to judges in groups well ahead of the round. We aim to have all judges on ballots 20 minutes prior to the first speaker. This allows you to have time to check-in and check technology, have a choice of ballots, review event information, and be ready at the competition room before the first competitor’s assigned speaking time.

  • How do I select a ballot after logging in?

    About 30-45 minutes before the round begins, judges will begin to see notifications by text and on the tournament dashboard that it’s time to select a ballot.

    •  A ballot selection button for the round will appear on your dashboard screen (as shown above).
    • Our system will show two competition room choices at a time with the names of the competitors. 
    • Click to accept a ballot that does not include competitors that you know on a personal basis. 
    • If you need assistance finding a ballot that works for you, please contact Tournament Administration.

  • What if I accidentally choose a ballot with someone I know?

    In the event that you discover a conflict with your ballot selection, please contact Tournament Administration as soon as possible for assistance with a reassignment. 

  • What should I do after selecting my ballot?

    • Once you have selected a ballot, you will see the room you have selected on your screen with a View button that displays participants. Please check again to be sure you do not have conflicts with competitors.
    • There may be a waiting time while other judges select the rest of the remaining ballots.
    • While you wait, you can read about your selected event and preview a sample ballot.
    • This is also a good time to refill your beverage and prepare for the round which will take approximately 2 hours. Please do not leave the competition room during the round. If there is an emergency during a round, please contact Tournament Administration.
    • When it’s time for the round to begin, you will receive a text and/or dashboard notification from Tournament Administration.
    • For an in-person tournament, the View button will change to Open.
    • For an online tournament you will see a Join button to enter the electronic competition room.

  • What do I do if I need help?

    For an issue that must be resolved during the round

    • At in-person tournaments, contact a member of our Communications Team, identified by green name tag inserts and stationed near your room. 
    • At online tournaments, change the room status to “Need Help” in the upper right corner of your screen. If you are not able to use the functionality in the competition room, please try to use the Contact Tournament Administration button on your dashboard and monitor your phone for contact from a tournament representative.

    For help after the round is complete 

    • You may use the Contact Tournament Administration button in the upper right corner of your screen. 
    • At in-person tournaments, you also have the option to consult members of the Compliance Team, identified by yellow name tag inserts. 

  • What do I do after the round ends?

    • At the end of the round, please exit the competition room to finish filling out your ballot. For in-person tournaments, please remain at the facility until your ballot is submitted.
    • You will receive a notification indicating the time when ballots are due. In order for the tournament to proceed in a timely manner, please prioritize your decision and speaker rankings, then provide as much additional feedback as time allows. 
    • Once your ballot is submitted, your work for the round is complete.

  • Can I get documentation of my volunteer hours for judging?

    Absolutely! If you would like a Volunteer Certification for your time, please contact our Judge Support Team.

  • May I take photographs or recordings?

    • Please do not record the round or take photographs of the competitors.
    • Please do not use your cell phone during the round unless you encounter an issue that requires a conversation with tournament administration. 

  • What should I expect while judging a speech round?

    We try to run a tight schedule!

    • Speakers will arrive precisely at their designated time, so please be in the room and ready before the first scheduled speaker.
    • The Head Judge will keep the round moving.

    You’ll want to take notes.

    • You will be able to make notes for each competitor in the electronic ballot between speeches and/or take notes on paper.
    • Students love your feedback, so please use the comments sections to write notes on your thoughts for each competitor.

    There are a few things to know about completing ballots.

    • Competitors will announce their speech times, and you will need to record the time and mark the Timer Issue box if instructed to do so by the Head Judge.
    • If your ballots have a checkbox to indicate that a student used a script, you will want to check it if they used one.
    • You will want to rank students according to your preference. You can find more information how to rank competitors here.
    • At the end of the round, you will want to confirm your ranking (placings) for students.
    • Submitted rankings are final, and the rankings (not category scores) determine placing in the tournament.

  • Which fields am I required to complete on my speech ballots?

    The following must be completed on your ballots in order to submit them successfully.

    • Did/Did Not Compete
    • Time
    • Timer Issue
    • Script Use (if applicable to the event)
    • Overall Comment
    • Score for each category criterion
    • Ranking

  • Where can I find out more about the speech events?

    To see a preview of all the events you can judge, scroll down on the speech judge welcome page.  There are tabs for our three different categories of speeches, and you can click on any of the ten events to find out more!

  • Do I need to read the speech event rules?

    We do not expect volunteer community judges to know our event rules. A Head Judge will be assigned to each room, and they are responsible for familiarity with the rules. However, all judges are welcome to read the rules if they would like and are encouraged to ask any questions they have of the Compliance Team after the round. 

  • May I ask the competitors questions?

    We ask that you not interrupt or ask questions of the competitors during or after the round. Speaking between judges and competitors should be limited to the competitor introduction, timing information, and any reasonable communication needed to deal with the logistics of the speaking situation. 

  • What if I have questions about something in a speech?

    Please do not conduct independent research, confer with other judges, or discuss questions with anyone except tournament administration regarding the speech content, rules, or your rankings. 

    Our competitors will receive your feedback on their ballots at the end of the tournament.

  • How do I rank competitors in a speech round?

    Ranking competitors from first to last is one of your two most important tasks as a judge. (The other is typing written feedback comments for them.)

    You have the flexibility to rank the students according to whatever you feel is most important and/or compelling. Our ballot system will suggest ranks based on equal weighting of the category scores you enter in the ballot rubric or allow you to rank the students first and then enter scores in the rubric. Please note that ranking determines overall placings in the tournament, not the rubric category scores. 

    We recommend that judges plan to use one of two methods in each round.

    These methods are both explained in separate FAQ entries below, and our Speech Ballot Demonstration video shows both approaches. You can also find ballot samples and rubrics on the Resource tab of the Speech Judge Information page. 

Judge Policies

We value the perspectives of caring adults form a variety of backgrounds. If you are willing and qualified, we can provide the orientation and training to help you feel equipped.

Find a Tournament

  • Judge Philosophy and Eligibility

    NCFCA values a diverse judge pool. In addition to our parent judges, we actively recruit people from all walks of life who may or may not have judging experience.

    Volunteer Community Judges are not required to affiliate with the league or affirm agreement with our mission, core values, or foundational beliefs in the same manner required for affiliates.  However, Apologetics judges are required to affirm agreement with the Nicene Creed before judging the event.

    A judge must be at least 18 years old, must not be currently enrolled in high school, and must not have been eligible to compete in any NCFCA event during the current season. Please direct any questions regarding eligibility status to the National Judge Coordinator at gro.ACFCNobfsctd-28c8c6@segduJlanoitaN.

  • Judge Training

    All volunteer Community and Alumni judges are required to view our Judge Orientation and Safety video at least once per season prior to judging their first round of competition.

    We provide additional training videos and materials for judging both speech and debate. This training is highly recommended but not mandatory for volunteer Community Judges.

    Parents with competitors in the tournament must follow the judge preparation requirements associated with the Parent Participation Requirements.

  • Judge Decisions

    All judge decisions are final as they apply to assessment of the round and will be visible to competitors; however, adjudication penalties supersede judge decisions.

  • Safety Requirements for Volunteer Judges

    NCFCA is committed to providing a safe environment for all students who participate online or in-person. While NCFCA leadership and tournament staff will be present and actively monitoring tournament activities, vigilance is the responsibility of all participants.

    Registration Requirement

    Judges must be registered for the tournament and complete a “referred by” section during the tournament registration process.

    Check-in Requirements

    • All community judges must check in approximately 45 minutes prior to the start of the round in MyPlace.NCFCA.org.
    • Immediately upon arrival at in-person tournaments, all visitors, observers, and Community Judges must check in at the welcome table and present a valid form of photo ID.

    Identification

    • In-Person Tournaments: All attendees must wear an NCFCA nametag while onsite with the name they normally use (not an alias).
    • Online Tournaments: All attendees must sign in using an NCFCA account and be identified onscreen throughout the tournament platform with the full name they normally use (not an alias).

    “More than Two” Rule

    Adults may not enter a competition room where there is only one student present unless the student is a member of their family.

    Open Doors

    Competition room doors are to remain open unless there is a speaker speaking or there is a debate round in progress.

    No Further Contact

    Adults may not take the initiative to share or solicit contact information (e.g., phone numbers, email, or physical address) with competitors or other minor participants via ballot feedback or any other means.

    Response to Safety Concerns

    • If an unsafe condition exists, immediate action should be taken to remove the student(s) from harm and to notify tournament administration by contacting the nearest Communications staff member.
    • In online tournaments, the participant should immediately notify tournament administration by contacting the Child Safety Coordinator for that event or the NCFCA Office at (682)802-2727.

    Supervision of Young Children

    Children under 12 years old must be directly supervised by their parent, guardian, or a parent-designated adult while they are at a tournament.

    Tournament Boundaries

    NCFCA participants must remain in areas of the facility designated for NCFCA use as communicated through tournament announcements and/or signs.

    Tournament Administration

    Tournament administrators will have the authority to immediately dismiss, remove, and block any attendee for violation of NCFCA’s rules, policies, or other behavior deemed detrimental to the tournament community as a whole.

    Background Checks, Safety Training, and Eligible Participants

    • NCFCA has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse as defined in our full Child Safety Policy document.
    • All non-minor volunteers, including parents, coaches, alumni, and community judges, plus any adult visitors attending an NCFCA event, must watch a brief child safety training video and must also affirm that they are not required by law to be listed on a sex offender registry and have not been convicted of a sexually-related crime involving a minor. Anyone confirmed to be on a sex-offender registry will not be allowed to participate in any role.

  • Avoiding Judging Conflicts

    We make every effort to minimize identifiable conflicts through our electronic ballot selection screening processes. However, we rely on judges to determine conflicts based on personal connections that are not captured in our system.

    • Judges may not take a ballot that includes a competitor they know very well or have coached in the event.
    • Judges may not take a ballot for a room where a family member is also judging. If this happens inadvertently, please contact Tournament Administration.
    • Affiliated parents who have competitors participating in the tournament must follow additional Parent Guidelines.
    • We seek to avoid having our alumni judges take ballots for competitors whom they previously competed against in elimination rounds.

  • Ballot Completion and Deadlines

    It is essential for the smooth operation of our tournaments that we receive completed ballots from all judges in a timely manner.

    • At the end of the round, judges should exit the competition room to finish completing their ballots. For in-person tournaments, please remain at the facility until your ballot is complete.
    • The Ballot Administration team will send a notification indicating the time when ballots are due. Judges are asked to notify the Judge Support staff if they need extra time.