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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! 

  • Required Child Safety Video

    All adults who participate in our tournaments are required to view our 4-minute Judge Welcome and Safety video 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

    Explore additional information before you judge. 

    As the season grows closer, we’ll post additional, optional tools and tutorials. 

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.

  • Original

    Presents an original literary work or a derivative work.

  • 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 Thematic

    Presents three or more literature selections, including one from Scripture, and visual aids to develop a biblical theme

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

  • Judging Philosophy

    In order to offer competitors varied feedback and encourage them to be universal in their impact, 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. We intentionally extend judging invitations to judges with worldviews which are both similar to and different from those of NCFCA competitors.

  • Judge Eligibility Policies

    Age

    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 a judge’s eligibility based on age, graduation, or competition eligibility status to the National Judge Coordinator at gro.ACFCNobfsctd@segduJlanoitaN.

    Relationship

    Judges must be unrelated to the competitors they are assigned to judge and may not have coached them in that event.

    Re-Judging

    A judge should not judge a specific speaker more than one time in the same prepared speech or on the same side of a debate round in any given tournament. The same judge may judge a speaker in a different event or more than one time in limited preparation speeches.

  • Judging Conflicts

    Our ability to employ best practices for avoiding judge conflicts beyond our stated eligibility policies is dependent on the number of judges available for each round. Our system will prevent most judging conflicts, but there are some factors we ask judges to keep in mind when choosing to accept a ballot. 

    • Please do not take a ballot with a student you know very well or have coached in the event.
    • Do not take a ballot for a room where a family member is also judging. If this happens inadvertently, please contact Tournament Administration.
    • Judges who have a question or have difficulty finding a ballot that seems suitable should contact tournament administration for help.

    Parent judges should follow additional guidance contained in our tournament prep instructions.

  • Judge Decisions

    All judge decisions are final as they apply to assessment of the round; however, adjudication determinations by the National Adjudication Team supersede judge assessments. All adjudication decisions are final.

  • Ballot Completion and Deadlines

    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 complete.

    You will receive a notification indicating the time when ballots are due. We want judges to provide ample and excellent feedback; however, for the tournament to proceed in a timely manner, the ballot deadline must also be honored. Until we have all ballots returned, we cannot begin processing the next round. Therefore, please prioritize essential items on your ballot like your win/loss decision for debate and ranking speakers for both speech and debate, then provide as much additional feedback as time allows.