Guide

How the Judges Portal works

Step-by-step how-tos for judges and families — getting a login, filling out the survey, and using the portal. Looking to report a problem instead? Use Help & Feedback.

Getting started

Get a login for the Judges Portal

You don’t create a password — you sign in with a one-time link sent to your email.

  1. Fill out the Judging Survey using the email you want to sign in with. This adds you to your team’s judge pool.
  2. Go to Judge Sign-In and enter that same email.
  3. Open the email we send and click the one-time sign-in link — no password to remember.
  4. Judging at a tournament? Check “Keep me signed in” so you stay logged in all day.
The Judge Sign-In screen — enter your email and we send a link.
The Judge Sign-In screen — enter your email and we send a link.
Use the same email everywhere — the survey, your sign-in, and (if you have one) Tabroom — so everything links to you.
Getting started

Get an admin (coach) login

The admin panel is granted by an existing admin — there’s no public sign-up, which keeps the coach tools private.

  1. Ask your league’s existing admin or coach to add you.
  2. They add you under Admin Users in the panel and pick your role.
  3. You’ll receive an email to set up access, then sign in from the Coach Login.
Not sure who your admin is? Send a note through Help & Feedback and we’ll point you to the right person.
The judging survey

Fill out the judging survey

The survey is how families join the judge pool and share their availability and tournament preferences.

  1. Open the survey with your team’s access code (your coach provides it).
  2. Enter your contact information. You’ll be asked whether you’re judging on behalf of a student (a parent or designated judge) or as a community volunteer — please only enter a student’s name if you’re truly their parent or designated judge.
  3. Rank up to four tournaments you’d prefer — or check “I have no preference.”
  4. If you have a Tabroom account, check the box and use the same email so we can link you for e-ballots.
  5. Submit. You can then sign in to the portal with that email (see above).
The parent judging survey.
The parent judging survey.
Filling out the survey does not sign you up for any tournament — it just adds you to the judge list for the season. You choose whether to judge each tournament separately, when it opens for sign-up.
Using the judge portal

Accept or decline a tournament

Once you’re signed in, the portal shows the tournaments open for sign-up — each with a live count of how many judges have signed up.

  1. Open My Sign-ups.
  2. Each open tournament shows “X of Y judges signed up.” Tap “Sign me up” to commit or “Can’t make it” to decline.
  3. When you commit, we email you a calendar invite so the tournament drops straight onto your calendar.
  4. If a tournament is already full, you can join the waitlist as an alternate — you’ll be clearly marked “not confirmed.” If a spot opens we’ll email you and move you in; you can leave the waitlist anytime.
  5. Below your open sign-ups you’ll see your upcoming commitments, any closed sign-ups (so you can see how they filled up), and the tournaments you’ve judged.
  6. Changed your mind? Cancel or sign up again while the sign-up is still open. Once it closes, contact your coach to make a change.
My Sign-ups — commit or decline in one tap.
My Sign-ups — commit or decline in one tap.
Using the judge portal

On a waitlist — what it means

If a tournament already has all the judges it needs, you can still sign up — but you join as an alternate on the waitlist rather than taking a confirmed spot.

  1. When a tournament is full, the button becomes “Join waitlist.” Tap it to add yourself as an alternate.
  2. You’ll be clearly marked “Waitlist · alternate (not confirmed).” This is not a confirmed spot — please don’t plan on judging it unless we tell you you’re in.
  3. If a confirmed judge drops out, the longest-waiting alternate moves up first. If that’s you, we’ll email you that you’re now confirmed to judge.
  4. Changed your mind, or can’t make it after all? Tap “Leave waitlist” anytime to take yourself off.
  5. If sign-ups close while you’re still an alternate, we’ll email you a quick “you’re all set — not needed this time, thank you,” so you’re never left wondering.
Short version: waitlisted ≠ signed up. You only judge a tournament once you get a confirmation that says you’re in.
Using the judge portal

Block the dates you can’t judge

Tell the portal which weekends you’re unavailable so you aren’t asked to judge them.

  1. Open Availability.
  2. Add a date or date range you can’t judge (an optional reason is just for you).
  3. You won’t be emailed to recruit for tournaments that fall on those dates.
  4. Remove a date anytime to open it back up.
Availability — add the weekends you can’t judge.
Availability — add the weekends you can’t judge.
Using the judge portal

Your ballots & flowing a round

Your ballots are personal flow notes for each round — only you can see them, and they autosave as you type.

  1. Open My Ballots and start a New flow for the event you’re judging.
  2. Flow each speech in its column, and jot cross-examination / crossfire notes.
  3. Pick the winner (or ranks) and write your reason for the decision.
  4. Add the round, tournament, and competitor code(s), then Mark done once you’ve entered it in Tabroom.
My Ballots — every round in one place, with status badges.
My Ballots — every round in one place, with status badges.
Flowing a debate round; speech and Congress ballots work similarly.
Flowing a debate round; speech and Congress ballots work similarly.
Notes save to your device even if the wifi drops mid-round, and sync when you’re back online.
Using the judge portal

Your info & getting help

Keep your details current and know where each kind of help lives.

  1. My Info: update your phone, the student(s) you support, and your Tabroom/device notes.
  2. Resources: official links from NSDA, CHSSA, and CVFL.
  3. Help & Feedback: report a problem or request a feature — that’s the ticket form (this Guide is for how-tos).
My Info — contact details and your student(s).
My Info — contact details and your student(s).

Coaches & admins: the Admin Guide (inside the panel) covers the coach-side tools.