What’s the point of asking your judge what they want to see in the round? There isn’t one, if you’re not going to act on it. One of the biggest mistakes debaters make is misunderstanding what it means when a judge says they want you to focus on impacting. Most debaters think that means just making it really clear why you should win that particular argument. Some debaters will take it a step further and interpret that statement to mean explaining why that argument wins the round. However, very few debaters understand the implicit request in that phrase. We often forget there should be some guiding idea or principle behind every debate case. Judges want to hear not just why you win an argument, or why that argument wins you the round, but why that argument matters beyond the context of high school speech and debate. Continue to read THREE levels of layered impact…
I believe, there are three levels of impact:
- Impacting to the argument, where you explain why you win that particular argument.
- Impacting to the round, where you explain why that argument fulfills the value and should win you the round
- Impacting to the principle, where you explain the importance behind valuing your side of the resolution and the implications that has for the real world.
The moral of the story is that you want your judge to care about your side of the resolution, not just care about your particular argument or about you winning the debate. Judges need to understand both the practical and ethical importance of the principle behind your side.
| Type of Impact | Description | Order |
| Impact to the Argument | Why you win an argument | First |
| Impact to the Round | Why your argument fulfills the value and should win you the round | Second |
| Impact to the Principle | Why your argument/s fulfill the principle, and why the principle matters to the judge and to the real world | Third |
When judges ask the implicit question, “Why should I care,” the process of answering that question begins with the construction of your case. Your case should offer a line of argumentation directed towards demonstrating and proving the importance of a principle. This means that all of the aspects of your case– your arguments, your framing, and your definitions– point towards an objectively important truth. When you construct a case with the principle in mind, you aren’t just arguing why you should win the round. You’re establishing a philosophical bright line that should influence behavior in the real world. This is the impact that judges are looking for. Every good debater needs to internalize these layers of impact– first explaining why you win an argument, then explaining why that argument wins you the round, and finally why that argument (and your principle winning the round) is something people should care about objectively. You need to be so passionate about the principle that you have a natural answer to the last layer of impacting.
Are you looking to make more of an IMPACT! in your case or speech? Connect with a Lasting Impact! Coach today!!
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