All Debate
Debate and Individual Event Times
Public Forum Debate Times 4 minutes – 1AC – First Affirmative Constructive 4 minutes – 1NC – First Negative Constructive 3 minutes – CX – First Cross Examination or Cross Fire 4 minutes – 2AC – Second Affirmative Constructive 4 minutes – 2NC – Second Negative Constructive 3 minutes –
15 Tips for Winning with a Lay Judge
The number one rule in debate is adapting to your judge. You could be the quickest, most organized, and technical debater in the round, but if the judge doesn’t like your style you will lose. Lay judge is simply another way of saying that someone is inexperienced. Most of the
The Technical Debate Dictionary
The Technical Debate Dictionary Abuse (Abusive Arguments): Arguments that make the debate round unfair. For example if the affirmative team made the argument that they should be able to run 3 plans the negative could argue that that is abusive because it inherently gives an unfair advantage to the affirmative. Advantage (AD): A
Top 10 Debate Research Tips
Prior to research There are a couple of things you should do before starting your debate research. The single most important principle is to completely understand the topic. Contrary to popular belief one of the best places to start is Wikipedia. They provide a fantastic semi-comprehensive overview of nearly every topic. As
LD – How to Judge Lincoln Douglas Debate (Video)
Coach Sidwell is back again to go over how to judge Lincoln Douglas debate rounds in specific. She goes over some of the lingo you will hear, what the format of the debate is, what the students should be doing and more.
How to Flow in Debate
Flowing is simply an organized way of taking notes. The process has a fairly steep learning curve and may feel strange at first, but with nearly every top debater flowing in a similar fashion, it is definitely a skill worth fostering. Once you get the hang of it, you will
How to Judge a Debate (Video)
Here are some excellent instructions from Cindy Sidwell on how to judge a debate round. This video covers what to expect when walking into that first debate round, how to fill out your ballot, and so much more. As coach Sidwell puts it, “Our debaters can’t compete without wonderful people
PF – How to Judge Public Forum Debate (Video)
In this video coach Cindy Sidwell goes over exactly what you will be seeing when you get to your Public Forum Debate round. Sidwell address the coin flip, how flighted rounds work, how to fill out your PF ballot, what to expect from the students, and much more.
LD – Lincoln Douglas Debate Format
Lincoln Douglas is arguably the most dynamic debate event. With the judging pool ranging from soccer mom’s to technical debate legends there will always be a disagreement on the “correct” way to do things. The only variable that remains constant is the Lincoln Douglas debate format. Lincoln Douglas Debate Times
CX – Policy Debate Format
Policy debate is the most advanced and technical event that exists. This event is sometimes referred to as CX debate and has a topic that changes annually. A single topic each year sounds simple enough, but with the amount of technical jargon, organization, and speed reading required this event it
