Learn how to judge better, teach debaters more!

Throughout our work, it is clear that quality is our top priority. We focus on the quality of both debaters and youth workers working with them. We work with our member organisations to improve the feedback that adjudicators give to debaters. We also develop better methods for making fair and well-reasoned decisions in debates.

Strong adjudication is just as important as strong debating. That is why we invest time and effort in improving both. We organised five seminars as part of our Erasmus+ accreditation in youth to enhance the skills of our adjudicators. Making the right decision in a debate requires analytical thinking, weighing arguments, and understanding the ideas that debaters present in their speeches. It is not only about choosing the winner, but about understanding the entire debate and helping debaters improve their skills. By developing better judging abilities, adjudicators ensure that future tournaments remain competitive and educational.

During these sessions, we covered topics such as giving useful feedback, structuring reasons for decisions clearly, and identifying key strengths and weaknesses in speeches. Feedback should help debaters see what they did well and where they can improve. It should be clear, constructive, and specific. Instead of just saying, "Your argument was weak," an adjudicator should explain why it was weak and suggest how to make it stronger. Encouraging debaters and giving them practical advice helps them grow and perform better in future debates.

We are confident that our adjudicators found these sessions valuable. A big thank you to all participants for their commitment to improving the quality of adjudication. We are sure that they will use their newly acquired skills to help debaters succeed in upcoming tournaments!