ADJUDICATION IN ABP

The role of the adjudicator
  • The adjudicator must:
    - Confer upon and discuss the debate with the other adjudicators;
    - Determine the rankings of the teams;
    - Determine the team grades;
    - Determine the speaker marks;
    - Provide a verbal adjudication to the members; and
    - Complete any documentation required by the tournament.
  • The adjudication panel should attempt to agree on the adjudication of the debate. Adjudicators should therefore confer in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect
  • Adjudicators should acknowledge that adjudicators on a panel may form different or opposite views of the debate. Adjudicators should therefore attempt to base their conclusions on these rules in order to limit subjectivity and to provide a consistent approach to the assessment of debates.

18. Ranking teams
  • Teams should be ranked from first place to last place. First placed teams should be awarded three points, second placed teams should be awarded two points, third placed teams should be awarded one point and fourth placed teams should be awarded zero points.
  • Teams may receive zero points where they fail to arrive at the debate more than five minutes after the scheduled time for debate.
  • Teams may receive zero points where the adjudicators unanimously agree that the Member has (or Members have) harassed another debater on the basis of religion, sex, race, colour, nationality, sexual preference or disability.
  • Adjudicators should confer upon team rankings. Where a unanimous decision cannot be reached after conferral, the decision of the majority will determine the rankings. Where a majority decision cannot be reached, the Chair of the panel of adjudicators will determine the rankings.

19. Marking the members

Speaker points should be given the following interpretation:
Grade Marks Meaning: 
  • A 90-100 Excellent to flawless. The standard of speech you would expect to seemfrom a speaker at the Semi Final / Grand Final level of the tournament. This speaker has many strengths and few, if any, weaknesses.
  • B 80-89 Above average to very good. The standard you would expect to see from a speaker at the finals level or in contention to make to the finals. This speaker has clear strengths and some minor weaknesses.
  • C 70-79 Average. The speaker has strengths and weaknesses and roughly equal proportions.
  • D 60-69 Poor to below average. The team has clear problems and some minor strengths.
  • E 50-59 Very poor. This speaker has fundamental weaknesses and few, if any, strengths.
20. Verbal adjudications
  • At the conclusion of the conferral, the adjudication panel should provide a verbal adjudication of the debate.
  • The verbal adjudication should be delivered by the Chair of the adjudication panel, or where the Chair dissents, by a member of the adjudication panel nominated by the Chair of the panel.
  • The verbal adjudication should:
    - Identify the order in which the teams were ranked
    - Explain the reasons for the rankings of team, ensuring that each team is referred to in this explanation; and
    - Provide constructive comments to individual members where the adjudication panel believes this is necessary.
  • The time limit for the verbal adjudication shall be decided by the Adjudication Core
  • The members must not harass the adjudicators following the verbal adjudication.
  • The members may approach an adjudicator for further clarification following the verbal adjudication; these inquiries must at all times be polite and non- confrontational.
  • The members must not harass the adjudicators following the verbal adjudication.
  • The members may approach an adjudicator for further clarification following the verbal adjudication; these inquiries must at all times be polite and non- confrontational.
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