Studies in Debate and Oratory
Abstract
Running a debate competition over Zoom is not just a technical exercise. It’s an educational event that asks organizers to balance fairness, logistics, and civic purpose in a medium that was never designed with debate in mind. The Civic Debate Consortium has used Zoom extensively to host competitions since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced much of higher education into online environments. Over the past several years we’ve developed a set of practices for administering competitions over Zoom that make the difference between a chaotic video call and a polished, professional experience. This article outlines those practices, not as abstract rules, but as solutions born from collaboration, experimentation, and occasional frustration. The aim is to provide a practical framework that others can adapt when they are tasked with turning Zoom into a debate tournament space.
Recommended Citation
Patrick, John F. II
(2026)
"A Set of Best Practices for Administering Zoom Debate Competitions,"
Studies in Debate and Oratory: Vol. 3:
Iss.
2, Article 1.
Available at:
https://scholar.stjohns.edu/sido/vol3/iss2/1