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About JudgeReady

Free interactive scoring sheets for volunteer speech & debate judges — built by someone who's been in the judge's chair.

The Problem

Every weekend during speech and debate season, thousands of parents walk into a tournament and get handed a ballot they've never seen before. They're told to judge an event they don't fully understand, score students on criteria they're not sure about, and write feedback that kids will actually read.

Most do their best — but it's stressful. The existing tools (Tabroom, Speechwire) are built for tournament operations, not for helping judges figure out what to write. The training videos help, but they don't follow you into the room.

What This Is

JudgeReady is a set of interactive scoring sheets — one for each speech and debate event. Open one on your phone, and it walks you through the round:

🕐 Built-in timers

Pre-set for each event's time limits, with grace period warnings so you don't have to look up the rules.

📋 Guided rubrics

Each scoring category has a plain-English description of what to look for. No debate jargon. Just "here's what good looks like."

📊 Auto-calculated scores

Tap your scores, and the total updates automatically. Rankings are suggested based on your scores.

📤 Easy export

Copy your feedback to clipboard, print the sheet, or save as PDF. Then paste into Tabroom when you're ready.

Zero data storage. Seriously.

Nothing you type is saved to any server, ever. There are no accounts, no cookies, no analytics tracking. Your scores and feedback live only in your browser tab. Close it and it's gone. We built it this way on purpose — your ballot is yours.

Who This Is For

Primarily: parent judges who got volunteered (or voluntold) to judge their first tournament. But also community volunteers, college students, and anyone who wants a structured way to take notes during a round.

If you're an experienced judge or coach, you probably have your own flow system and don't need this — but you might find it useful to share with the new parents on your team.

Common Questions

Is this an official NSDA / NCFCA / NCFL tool?

No. JudgeReady is an independent project and is not affiliated with any league or organization. It's a companion tool designed to help volunteer judges, not a replacement for official ballots. You'll still submit your scores through Tabroom or Speechwire as usual.

Does this replace Tabroom?

Not at all. Think of JudgeReady as your notepad during the round. When the round is over, you transfer your scores and feedback into your official Tabroom ballot. JudgeReady just helps you figure out what to write.

Do I need to create an account?

No. There are no accounts, no sign-ups, no passwords. Just open the page and start scoring.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes. It's designed mobile-first. Works on any phone, tablet, or laptop with a web browser. No app to download.

What if I close the tab by accident?

Your data only lives in that tab. If you close it, it's gone. We recommend exporting (copy/print/PDF) after each round before closing. We're exploring adding a "save to clipboard" reminder in a future update.

Is it free?

Yes. All scoring sheets, timers, rubrics, and export features are free and always will be.

I'm a coach. Can I share this with my judge pool?

Please do. That's exactly what it's for. Send them the link before tournament day and they'll show up more confident and write better ballots. If you'd like to talk about team licensing for premium features, reach out.

Get in Touch

Questions, feedback, or want to partner? Email hello@judgeready.com

If you're a coach or tournament director interested in recommending JudgeReady to your judges, we'd love to hear from you.