Ziggy Online Debate - Judge Orientation - Part 1 - Welcome

Oct 22, 2026

Ziggy Online Debate judge orientation outlines the judge’s responsibilities and expectations for upcoming debate rounds. It explains the judge’s role as a neutral communicator, emphasizing respect, avoiding personal biases, and offering debaters advice on clearer communication. The guide describes how judges are notified via email, how to access the online “View Debate” interface and ballot, and practical preparation steps for judging at scheduled times. It also previews the online app and covers core debate ethics and formats.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Role of the Judge

What to Expect

What the Online App & Ballot Look Like

Ethics

5 Types of Debate

Judge Orientation Ziggy Online Debate ™ Revised September 2022 Part 1 of 4: Welcome! Introduction Welcome to Ziggy Online Debate™! We are truly grateful that you are willing to devote some of your time to judge debates over the next few months . Based on data from the past several years, if each judge judges 4 debate rounds in total, ALL debate rounds would have a judge. Your feedback helps students develop the communication and critical thinking skills that are essential for life. This guide will help give you some tips as to how to judge debate rounds, and speciﬁ cally Ziggy Online Debate. Role of the Judge The purpose of debate is to communicate complex ideas in an understandable and respectful way. It’s the debater’s job to ensure that you understand, not your job to decipher what they mean . It is not your job—or your role—to argue with the debaters . You must never bring your own biases (religious, political, personal, otherwise) into the round. If you feel you cannot judge without bias, please do not judge. You are a communicator, and your role as the judge is to give debaters advice on how to communicate better. This presentation will explain how to be the best kind of judge What to Expect You’ll get an automated email from Ziggy telling you that a debater has requested you judge their round at a certain time. If you can’t judge, just ignore the email. If you can judge, click the “View Debate” button in the email—it’ll take you to the Ziggy website, and then click the “I can judge” button. Most debates will take place over Skype, Zoom, or Google Chat/Meet. ~~Your ballot will be saved by clicking the ~~“Save Draft”~~ button, so you can start drafting it and ~~come back to it later. Be sure to click this button often so your ballot doesn’t get lost, especially if you know you are going to be coming and going from your computer. Plan to be ready at your computer a few minutes before the scheduled time. You’ll want to make sure everyone can hear each other clearly. Debaters will time themselves. Please judge a minimum of 4 rounds to ensure no round is without a judge What the Online App & Ballot Look Like A short video explaining the app Click this link to see a 1 minute video explaining how to use the app (the video does not have sound): [https://youtu.be/419S1KQtcBo](https://youtu.be/419S1KQtcBo) Part 2 of 4: Debate Basics You only need to view the slides for the type(s) of debate that you will be judging. Ethics Online communication (such as chat) has a different jargon than verbal communication, and informal shorthand is often the norm . Still, debaters must be respectful and courteous in their words and conduct at all times . Judges have the ﬁ nal say on any ethical conduct questions not covered in the ofﬁcial Ziggy Rules . This does not mean “I disagree with the moral arguments a debater is making.” It means they are acting in a grossly disrespectful way toward others . Contact Ziggy Staff with questions . 5 Types of Debate Team Policy (TP) : 2 teams of 2 debating about changing some kind of government or international policy. About 1 hr 30 min, and debaters rely largely on evidence. Lincoln Douglas (LD) : 1 on 1 debate about values and ethics . About 45 minutes, and relies largely on logic and philosophy. Team Parli Debate (PD) : 2 teams of 2 debating a current events topic. About 45 minutes, and relies on a mix of logic, evidence, philosophy, and examples . Individual Parli Debate (IPD) : 1 on 1 debate about current events . About 30 minutes and relies primarily on logic, examples, and persuasion. Moot Court: 2 teams of 2 making constitutional arguments as if before the Supreme Court. About 45 minutes. Judges engage directly by questioning the debaters .

FAQs

What is the main purpose of debate judging in Ziggy Online Debate?

The purpose is to communicate complex ideas in an understandable and respectful way. Judges ensure the debate stays fair and advise debaters on how to communicate better.

Can a judge use personal biases during the round?

No. Judges must never bring personal biases into the round, including religious, political, or personal biases. If bias makes judging impossible, the judge should not judge.

How does a judge get access to judge a specific round online?

Ziggy sends an automated email when a debater requests a time. If the judge can judge, they should use the email’s “View Debate” button, then select the “I can judge” option on the Ziggy website.

Oct 22, 2026

Uploaded by Aria Callaghan