Welcome
Judging Tips
Welcome to the National Christian Forensics &
Communications Association (NCFCA) Speech &
Debate Tournament! Thank you for your important
role in making this tournament possible. The giving
of your time is an enduring investment in the lives of
our students. The top students from this tournament
will advance to the [TOURNAMENT NAME AND
LOCATION HERE], this spring.
 Remember to attend the orientation for the event
you are judging.
Speech and debate have
different orientations.
NCFCA is the third largest high school speech &
debate league in the nation, as well as the largest
homeschool speech & debate league and includes
homeschooled students, ages 12 to 18. NCFCA
believes that formal speech and debate training can
provide a means for students to learn and exercise
analytical and oratorical skills, addressing life issues
from a biblical worldview in a manner that glorifies
God. We want to equip young Christians with the
life skills necessary to effectively communicate with
others.
 Please do not discuss the round or the
performance of a speaker with anyone, including
the competitor. Do write all relevant comments on
your ballot.
As a Community Judge, your role is vital to our
goals in training these young people. No previous
experience is necessary. We give you an orientation
before each round, and provide you with tools to
evaluate the competitors.
We are thankful for the time you have taken from
your busy schedule to help us in our efforts to train
godly communicators!
 Please turn off your cell phone during the round.
 Ask a tournament official for help if you are
unable to start for any reason.
NCFCA
Speech & Debate
Tournament
2014
Community Judge
Information
 Please direct questions about your round(s) only
to a tournament official (not to students or
parents).
 Immediately following the round, please take
your ballots to the designated judge area for
completion.
 Submit your completed ballots to the Ballot
Return staff as soon as possible.
 Please stop by the Ballot Distribution Table to
check in before judging your next round.
“ … addressing life issues from a
biblical worldview in a manner that
glorifies God.”
 Help yourself to the food in the Judge Hospitality
area. It was prepared with you in mind!
National Christian Forensics &
Communications Association
www.NCFCA.org
To learn more about NCFCA, please visit our
website at www.NCFCA.org.
Thank you for judging!
Platform Speech Events
After Dinner Speaking is an original humorous
platform speech that informs or attempts to persuade
the audience on a noteworthy topic.
Illustrated Oratory is an original platform speech
that informs or explains a particular topic with the use
of visual aids.
Informative Speaking is an original platform
speech on any topic the speaker chooses. The primary
goals of the speech are to inform, instruct, and/or
inspire.
Persuasive is an original speech intended to attempt
to persuade the audience to adopt a particular point of
view or course of action.
Limited Preparation Speech Events
Apologetics is a limited preparation event in which
the speaker is given four minutes to prepare a sixminute speech on a topic related to defending his or
her faith.
Extemporaneous Speaking is a limited preparation
event where the speaker is given thirty minutes to
prepare a seven-minute speech on a current event
topic.
Impromptu Speaking is a limited preparation speech
in which the speaker is given two minutes to prepare
a five-minute speech on a randomly drawn topic.
Interpretive Speech Events
Duo Interpretation speeches creatively explore and
develop the intellectual, emotional, and artistic
embodiment of a single piece of literature for dual
performance.
Debate Events
NCFCA has established a program of formal debate
with the ultimate goal of training young people to be
able to think critically and communicate effectively
about all issues in a manner that pleases God.
Two styles of debate are offered in NCFCA: Team
Policy (TP) Debate and Lincoln Douglas (LD) Value
Debate. TP Debate advocates a change in policy,
while LD Value Debate centers on a proposition of
values. There are unique elements to each, such as
the fact that Team Policy debate teams are made up of
two students and LD debates are one-on-one, but both
offer similar benefits with regard to skill-building.
All NCFCA debaters learn research skills, respectful
argumentation, refutation, organization and, most
importantly, good communication and speaking
skills.
In a debate tournament, each team will take turns
advocating and opposing the resolution in a series of
different rounds so that competitors thoroughly learn
all the issues involved in the debate topic, as well as
the skills to both advocate for and oppose a
proposition without compromising their own beliefs.
NCFCA debate encourages a conversational style of
debate and utilizes judges from the community as
well as debate coaches and teachers to ensure that
competitors learn how to communicate to a general
audience.
2013-2014 Debate Topics
Humorous Interpretation speeches creatively
explore and develop the intellectual, emotional, and
artistic embodiment of a single piece of humorous
literature for performance.
Team Policy Debate
Resolved: That federal election law should be
significantly reformed in the United States.
Open Interpretation speeches creatively explore and
develop the intellectual, emotional, and artistic
embodiment of a single piece of literature for
performance.
Lincoln Douglas Value Debate
Resolved: National security ought to be valued above
freedom of the press.
Thematic Interpretation speeches creatively explore
and develop the intellectual, emotional, and artistic
embodiment of three or more selections of literature
linked by a common theme through personal
narrative analysis.
Schedule of Regional Tournaments
We would love to have you join us at our next
tournament! If you do not live locally, please
consider inviting friends, family, or colleagues
in the area to register to judge.
[TOURNAMENT NAME] [(CITY, STATE)]
[TOURNAMENT DATES]
[TOURNAMENT NAME] [(CITY, STATE)]
[TOURNAMENT DATES]
[TOURNAMENT NAME] [(CITY, STATE)]
[TOURNAMENT DATES]
[TOURNAMENT NAME] [(CITY, STATE)]
[TOURNAMENT DATES]
[TOURNAMENT NAME] [(CITY, STATE)]
[TOURNAMENT DATES]
[TOURNAMENT NAME] [(CITY, STATE)]
[TOURNAMENT DATES]
Please tell the Judge Greeter, whom you met
when you arrived, that you would be interested
in judging another tournament, and we will
help you register!
You may also register at www.NCFCA.org, by
clicking on “Judges” at the top of the page, and
following the instructions.
If you have any questions or comments, please
email [RC NCFCA.ORG EMAIL ADDRESS
HERE].