Debater Search

Look up any debater's Tabroom record and disclosed OpenCaselist page by name.

Debater Search is a name lookup for competitive debaters. Type a name and it returns matching debaters with their school, a link to their record on Tabroom (the site that runs registration and results for most tournaments), and, when their team has disclosed, a link to their page on OpenCaselist (the community site where teams post the cases and evidence they read). It is a scouting tool: use it to find out who you are about to face and what they have run. It's free for any signed-in account; there's no public, no-login version. You reach it from the Tools menu.

When to use it

Reach for Debater Search before a round to scout an opponent, or any time you want a specific debater's tournament history and disclosed cases in one place. It searches public tournament data, not your own cards, so it sits apart from the rest of your prep in the app.

  1. Open Debater Search from the Tools menu.
  2. Type a debater's name. Results begin after two letters and narrow as you keep typing. There is no autocomplete; a person's name has no suggested spellings, so you type the whole thing.
  3. If the name is common, you may get a lot of matches. The list shows the first 20, so add more of the name (or the last name) to narrow it.
  4. Pick the debater and open one of their links (next section).

If you just want to see what a result looks like, two example names sit under the search box; click one to run it.

Reading a result

Each result row shows:

  • The debater's name, with a Dormant tag when they have not competed at a tracked tournament in more than two years. The tag is there so an old record does not read as a current, active debater.
  • Their school, or "School unknown" when the index does not have it.
  • A Tabroom Record button that opens their profile on Tabroom in a new tab. Tabroom may ask you to sign in to see the full record.
  • An OpenCaselist or School caselist button, shown only when the team has disclosed. It is labeled OpenCaselist when it points at the team's own page and School caselist when it points at the school's list. Either opens OpenCaselist in a new tab, which needs a Tabroom login to view.

When a name has more than 20 matches, a note under the list reminds you to keep typing to narrow the set.

What it covers

Debater Search runs on a rolling index of the last four debate seasons, refreshed weekly (that is the "Tabroom index ยท updates weekly" note under the search bar). It covers debaters who have competed at a Tabroom-hosted tournament inside that window. Someone who last competed before the window may not appear at all.

Because it is a snapshot that updates weekly rather than a live feed, a tournament from the last few days may not be reflected yet.

Corrections and older debaters

If a result is wrong, or you want your own entry taken down, use the Request a correction or removal link in the results footer; it opens a pre-addressed email. For debaters who competed before the four-season window, the footer (and the no-results message) points you to Raymond Xu's Debater Search, a separate lookup with deeper history.

  • Bracket Math: project your record and likely opponents at a tournament.
  • Logos: search the cards other debaters have published, including ones a team you are scouting may have read.