Workflow Overview

This guide walks you through the entire judging process with DebateFlow—from the moment you sit down in the room to submitting your final ballot. Think of it as your roadmap for a complete round.

Before the Round

1. Connect to the tournament

If you haven't already, make sure your Tabroom account is connected in Settings. This allows DebateFlow to pull your assignments automatically.

Your upcoming rounds will appear on your dashboard—no manual entry needed.

2. Check your equipment

Before the debaters arrive:

• Test your microphone - Click the microphone icon in your browser to ensure it's working
• Ensure good internet connection - Transcription happens at the end of each stage
• Charge your device - Rounds can be 45+ minutes
• Close unnecessary tabs - Keep DebateFlow focused and responsive

3. Start the round

When you're ready to judge:

1. Click "Start Round" on your assignment (or "New Round" if entering manually)
2. Verify the pre-filled details (tournament, teams, speakers) match your schematic
3. Confirm recording consent - Make sure both teams have agreed to be recorded
4. Click "Start Round" to begin

During Recording

4. Navigate through each stage

DebateFlow automatically sets up all Public Forum stages. Just click through them in order:

For each speech:

1. Click "Start" when the debater begins speaking
2. The timer counts up and recording begins
3. Take notes on your impressions (not a complete flow—AI handles transcription)

4. Click "Stop" when the speech ends

The AI transcribes automatically and you can view transcripts anytime in the Timeline view.

5. Answer post-speech assessments

After each speech, you'll rate the speaker:

• Clarity (1-5) - How easy were they to understand?
• Persuasiveness (1-5) - How compelling was their delivery?

Then answer content questions:

• Constructive speeches - Case structure, evidence quality, impact clarity
• Rebuttal speeches - Response effectiveness, extension of own case
• Summary speeches - Voting issues, weighing, argument coverage
• Final Focus - Clear story, weighing, why they should win

These ratings help structure your thinking and inform feedback later.

6. Use the tools available

Throughout the round, you have access to:

Timeline button (top right)

• View full transcripts of all speeches so far
• See all your notes organized by stage
• Verify exact wording or evidence citations

Prep timers (top)

• Click to start prep time countdown for either team
• Tracks remaining prep automatically

AI Analysis (starting with rebuttals)

• "What Just Happened" summaries after each speech
• Argument Tracker showing all contentions and their status
• Coverage analysis (which arguments were addressed or dropped)
• Extension tracking through Summary and Final Focus

7. Mark checkpoints

At key moments (after first few speeches, after Summary), DebateFlow asks: "Who's ahead right now?"

This isn't your final decision—it's just tracking your impressions as the round progresses. It takes 5 seconds and helps you remember how you felt at different points.

8. Handle crossfire stages

Important: We do NOT record during crossfire (too hard to attribute who's speaking).

During crossfire:

• Click Start/Stop for timing as usual
• Take good notes on questions, answers, and concessions
• Your notes are the only record of these stages

After Recording

9. Wait for final analysis

After the last speech (Final Focus), you might see a loading screen while DebateFlow completes its analysis. This takes 2-3 minutes.

During this step, the AI is:

• Reviewing all transcripts comprehensively
• Cataloging extensions, drops, and responses
• Analyzing argument quality (claim/warrant/impact completeness)
• Identifying potential voting issues

10. Use the Decision Wizard

Once analysis is complete, you'll enter the Decision Wizard to organize your thoughts.

Step 1: Identify voting issues

• Review AI-suggested voting issues or create your own
• A voting issue is any argument that could determine the winner
• Common examples: Major impacts, dropped arguments, key clash points

Step 2: Evaluate each voting issue

• For each issue, decide: Which team won this point?
• Provide a brief reason (1-2 sentences)
• Your post-speech ratings and notes are available for reference

Step 3: Make your decision

• Based on the voting issues, select the winning team
• The AI helps draft your Reason for Decision (RFD) based on your choices

Step 4: Assign speaker points

• Rate each debater (25-30 scale)
• DebateFlow provides suggested ranges based on your clarity/persuasiveness ratings
• Adjust as you see fit based on overall performance

Creating Feedback

11. Generate or write feedback

For each team, you'll provide feedback using the 3 C's method:

• Compliments - What did they do well?
• Constructive Criticism - What could they improve?
• Corrections - What specific mistakes should they fix?

Option 1: Write it yourself

• Use the Timeline to review transcripts
• Reference your notes from throughout the round
• Craft feedback in your own words

Option 2: Generate with AI

• Click "Generate AI" or "Generate All" to create feedback based on:
  • Your ratings and post-speech assessments
  • Technical AI analysis of arguments
  • Your notes and checkpoint responses
• Review and edit the generated feedback to match your voice

Most judges use AI generation as a starting point, then personalize it.

12. Review your complete ballot

Click "Preview for Tabroom" to see your complete ballot:

• Winner (clearly highlighted)
• Speaker points for all four debaters
• Your complete Reason for Decision (RFD)
• Feedback for each school

Everything is ready to copy into Tabroom.

Submitting Ballot

13. Copy to Tabroom

Open Tabroom in another tab and navigate to your ballot.

For each piece of information, click the Copy button in DebateFlow and paste into Tabroom:

1. Winner → Paste into Tabroom
2. Speaker points (all four) → Paste into Tabroom
3. RFD → Paste into Tabroom
4. Each team's feedback → Paste into Tabroom

No retyping required—just copy and paste.

14. Final review and submit

In Tabroom:

• Double-check all information is correct
• Read your RFD one more time
• Verify speaker points are appropriate
• Click Submit in Tabroom

Done! Your ballot is submitted and teams will receive your feedback.

Quick Reference: Complete Flow

1. Before Round
   ├─ Connect Tabroom account
   ├─ Test microphone
   ├─ Start round & confirm consent
   └─ Enter Demo Mode for practice (optional)

2. During Recording
   ├─ For each speech:
   │  ├─ Click Start
   │  ├─ Take notes
   │  ├─ Click Stop
   │  └─ Answer post-speech assessments
   ├─ Use Timeline to review earlier speeches
   ├─ Track prep time
   ├─ Review AI analysis (starts with rebuttals)
   └─ Answer checkpoint questions

3. After Recording
   ├─ Wait for final analysis (2-3 minutes)
   └─ Enter Decision Wizard

4. Making Decision
   ├─ Identify voting issues
   ├─ Evaluate each issue (who won?)
   ├─ Select winning team
   └─ Assign speaker points

5. Creating Feedback
   ├─ Write yourself or generate with AI
   ├─ Use 3 C's method (Compliments, Criticism, Corrections)
   └─ Preview complete ballot

6. Submitting Ballot
   ├─ Open Tabroom
   ├─ Copy/paste each section
   ├─ Final review
   └─ Submit in Tabroom

Tips for Success

Before the round:

• Connect Tabroom early (not when you're rushing)
• Test your microphone at the start of the tournament, not during the round

During the round:

• Don't try to write everything—let AI handle transcription
• Trust the checkpoints—they help you remember your thinking
• Take crossfire seriously (it's not recorded, so your notes matter)

After the round:

• Trust your post-speech ratings when assigning speaker points
• AI-generated feedback is a starting point—personalize it
• Copy to Tabroom soon after the round (don't wait until end of day)

Overall:

• The first round feels like a lot of clicking. By round 2-3, it becomes natural
• You're the judge—AI is a tool to help you, not replace your judgment
• Good feedback helps students improve. Take the extra 2 minutes to make it specific.

What's Next?

Now that you understand the complete workflow, dive deeper into specific topics:

• Recording Your Round - Detailed guide to the recording interface
• Understanding AI Analysis - How AI helps track arguments
• Decision Wizard - Making your decision and assigning points
• Generating Feedback - Creating helpful feedback with the 3 C's
• Tabroom Integration - Seamless ballot submission