Debate Formats

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Gain the confidence to express yourself effectively. Explore our comprehensive guides on different motion types, public speaking techniques, and debating strategies.

Prime Minister (PM)

Opens the debate, defines the motion, and presents the first set of arguments supporting it.

Leader of Opposition (LO)

Responds to the PM’s definition, presenting counter-arguments and the opposition’s stance.

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM)

Strengthens the PM’s arguments, rebutting the opposition’s points.

Deputy Leader of Opposition (DLO)

Supports the opposition and continues to rebut the government’s case.

Member of Government (MG)

Opens the case for the Closing Government, presenting additional arguments and defending the government’s position.

Member of Opposition (MO)

Opens the case for the Closing Opposition, defending the opposition’s position and making comparisons to the government’s case.

Government Whip (GW)

Summarizes the government’s case and addresses the opposition’s arguments.

Opposition Whip (OW)

Summarizes the opposition’s case and counters the government’s arguments.

Speech Duration

Each speech lasts for 7 minutes.

Points of Information (POIs)

POIs are allowed during the first 6 minutes of each speech and may be accepted or declined by the speaker. No POIs are allowed during the reply speeches.

Opening Remarks

The debate begins with an initial vote by the audience, followed by debaters presenting their opening statements, usually without rebuttals, but brief mentions of opposing arguments may occur.

Intra-Panel Discussion

Debaters engage in a dynamic discussion, challenging each other’s points under the guidance of a moderator.

Question-and-Answer Period

The audience asks questions to the debaters, seeking clarification or deeper insights into their positions.

Closing Remarks

Debaters deliver a 2-minute closing statement, summarizing their arguments and attempting to persuade the audience.

Voting and Winner Determination

After the closing remarks, the audience casts a final vote, and the winner is determined by the greatest change in votes from the initial to the final round, showcasing the debaters' influence.

The First Proposition Speaker introduces the motion, provides a clear definition, and presents the first set of arguments supporting the proposition's stance. In response, the First Opposition Speaker challenges the proposition’s definition and arguments, introducing the initial set of counter-arguments.

The Second Proposition Speaker builds on the case made by the first speaker, adding new arguments and defending against the opposition’s points. The Second Opposition Speaker counters this by defending their team's position and refuting the claims made by the second proposition speaker.

The Third Proposition Speaker wraps up the debate for the proposition team, summarizing the key arguments and reinforcing the case. Similarly, the Third Opposition Speaker does the same for the opposition, providing a final rebuttal to the proposition's arguments.

Each speaker has 8 minutes to present their arguments, with Points of Information allowed throughout most speeches, though typically restricted during the final speeches.

Public Forum Debate is a competitive debate format where two teams of two debaters each advocate for or against a given resolution, typically addressing current public policy issues. This format emphasizes using evidence and reasoning to weigh the benefits and harms of opposing sides. It is widely practiced in middle and high schools, though college teams also participate, and it has spread internationally to countries like China, India, and Romania.

Each team delivers alternating speeches lasting between 2 to 4 minutes, and the debate includes Crossfire sections, where debaters directly engage with one another for 3 minutes, asking and answering questions to challenge each other’s arguments. The judge, who also times the sections and ensures the rules are followed, ultimately determines the winner based on the strength of the arguments presented.

Public Forum debates are designed to be accessible to the general public, making it a popular format for new debaters and an effective way to discuss important contemporary issues. The format aims to be straightforward, with a focus on clarity and persuasion rather than complex debate jargon.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Lincoln–Douglas (LD) Debate is a competitive, one-on-one format practiced primarily at the high school level in the United States. Known for its emphasis on values, logic, ethics, and philosophy, LD Debate focuses on presenting compelling arguments around abstract issues, often exploring moral and philosophical questions. The format is named after the 1858 Lincoln–Douglas debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, which centered around the moral arguments regarding slavery.

Each debater is allotted 13 minutes of speaking time across various speeches, with 3 minutes of cross-examination. Additionally, 4-5 minutes of preparation time is distributed between speeches as needed. Debate rounds typically last around 45 minutes in total.

Affirmative Constructive (AC)

The Affirmative presents their case, arguing why the resolution is valid. This speech lasts for 6 minutes

Cross-Examination (CX)

The Negative asks the Affirmative questions to identify weaknesses in their argument. This lasts 3 minutes.

Negative Constructive and First Negative Rebuttal (NC)

The Negative presents their case, refuting the Affirmative’s points, followed by a rebuttal of the Affirmative’s arguments. This speech is 7 minutes long.

Cross-Examination (CX)

The Affirmative asks the Negative questions, attempting to expose flaws in their arguments. This lasts for 3 minutes.

First Affirmative Rebuttal (1AR)

The Affirmative addresses both their own case and the Negative’s arguments. This is considered one of the most challenging speeches as the Affirmative has only 4 minutes to respond to the 7-minute Negative speech.

Negative Rebuttal (NR)

The Negative responds to the 1AR, summarizing the round for the judge. This speech lasts 6 minutes and may introduce no new arguments, as the Affirmative has only 3 minutes to respond.

Second Affirmative Rebuttal (2AR)

The Affirmative summarizes their case and the entire debate, closing the round. This final speech, lasting 3 minutes, may not introduce new arguments.

Affirmative Case (3 minutes)

The first speaker from the Affirmative side introduces their argument in support of the motion.

Cross-Examination (1.5 minutes)

The opposing team questions the Affirmative speaker to challenge their argument.

Negative Case (3 minutes)

The first speaker from the Negative side presents counter-arguments in response to the Affirmative case.

Cross-Examination (1.5 minutes)

The Affirmative side questions the Negative speaker.

Negative Counter-Arguments (2 minutes)

The Negative team refutes the Affirmative team's arguments.

Affirmative Counter-Arguments (2 minutes)

The Affirmative team responds to the Negative team's counter-arguments.

Negative Closing Statement (2 minutes)

The Negative team summarizes their case.

Affirmative Closing Statement (2 minutes)

The Affirmative team summarizes their case.

Opening Speech

Each speaker presents their case supporting one side of the motion.

Switching Speech

After the opening, each speaker switches sides and argues for the opposing

Closing Speech

After the switch, the speaker summarizes and defends their position, now from the opposing side.

The side-switching occurs after the first few speeches, requiring debaters to adapt their strategy mid-debate.

No Points of Information (POIs) are allowed during the switching speeches, allowing speakers to fully focus on presenting their switched position.

Prime Minister (PM)

Opens the debate by defining the motion and presenting the first set of arguments.

Leader of Opposition (LO)

Responds to the PM’s definition and introduces counter-arguments.

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM)

Supports the PM's case and rebuts the Opposition’s points.

Deputy Leader of Opposition (DLO)

Supports the Opposition’s case, providing rebuttals to the DPM’s arguments.

Government Whip (GW)

Summarizes the Government's case, addressing any critiques from the Opposition.

Opposition Whip (OW)

Summarizes the Opposition's case and counters the Government’s arguments.

Reply Speeches (4 minutes)

Both teams deliver a final summary, outlining why they should win the debate. No new arguments can be introduced during this segment.

Each speaker is allotted 7 minutes.

Points of Information (POIs) can be given during constructive speeches (except in reply speeches). However, POIs are not allowed during reply speeches.