Debating Tips ~

General Rules & Guidelines for Debating

The aim of this page is to give you an idea of how to debate. It's not just a simple case

of standing up and saying the first thing that comes into your head. There are certain

rules and guidelines which have to be adhered to if you want to have any chance in a

competitive debate.

This is not the page with all the answers. It is only a rough set of guidelines to help

get you started. Everyone should try to find their own strengths and failings.

In the Debating Union we practice British Parliamentary style, which is now the

official style of the World Championships. In the U.S., Canada, etc. a very different

style is practiced.

• 1. Speeches should be SEVEN minutes in duration. Speakers exceeding this

may be penalised but should never be substantially less than this. In general you

should speak for at least 6:45 and generally no more than 7:20-7:30. Ideally stay on

your feet until you hear the 7th min bell and then finish (i.e. Mr. Speaker sir, I beg

to........) and be in your seat by 7:15. Your times will be recorded by the timekeeper

and given to the adjudicators as they leave to make their decision.

• 2. In general most debates are in English. The main competitions are all in

English but occasionally there are other Language debates usually in conjunction with

some other event/soc. Debating in Europe, Asia etc tends to be in the local language.

At Worlds there is an English as a second language competition.

• 3. A bell will be rung after the expiration of one minute and six minutes. The

bell will be rung again at seven minutes and at regular intervals after that.

Page 5

4. If the chair of the debate is the head of the host society

he/she usually has a title e.g. Speaker, Auditor, etc. Most often

the proper form of address is Mr Speaker/Madame Speaker.

You must also acknowledge the adjudicators, if there are any.

Some speakers will also acknowledge other members of the

house, it is basically just a matter of personal preference as to

how you begin your speech after acknowledging the chair and

adjudicators. (e.g. "Mr Speaker, Madame Secretary,

Adjudicators, Ladies & Gentlemen........................).

• 5. Points of information may only be offered after the expiration of one

minute and may not be given after the expiration of six minutes. Points of information

may only be given to opposing speakers and should generally be not more than 15

seconds in duration. The chairman may request a speaker to end a point of

information at his/her discretion. Adjudicators also frown upon barracking (constantly

interrupting the speaker by offering points) and the chair is expected to control this.

Acceptance of points of information is at discretion of the competitor holding the

floor. In competitive debates only the competitors may offer points of information

however in non-competitive debates points will often be accepted from the audience.

Once you have accepted a point of information you can't just ignore it and carry on.

You must deal with it or risk the adjudicator's wrath.

• 6. In most societies Maiden speakers (i.e. speakers making a speech for the

first time) have the protection of the chair. Other speakers may not offer them points

of information unless they choose not to accept the protection of the chair. Even if

they reject the protection of the chair most experienced speakers will not offer them a

point unless they run into difficulty and it can help them. If you are good enough (or

misfortunate enough depending on how you look at it) to be making your maiden

speech in an intervarsity (rare but it has been known to happen) you do not have any

special protection.

• 7. Points of order concerning the procedure of the debate must be addressed to

the chair. These can be brought at any time and take priority over all other speeches.

However these are only used in exceptional circumstances when the rules and

standing orders are being abused and the speaker making the point must be certain

that the point of order is appropriate. In British Parliamentary there is no such thing as

Points of Personal Privilege (which are used in the US/Canada). At

Worlds/Europeans it is made clear to the competitors in briefing that ONLY points of

Information may be offered. Repeated attempts to offer any other sort of Point can be

heavily penalised by the adjudicators.

• 8. Speakers must observe parliamentary language i.e. bad language is not

permitted.

• 9. The use of Props is not permitted in a debate.

• 10. No amendment to the motion is permitted. You must debate the motion as

presented and interpret it as best you can. You cannot define a motion in a Place/Time

Specific sense (i.e. you cannot set the debate in Dublin 1916 and therefore attempt to

limit the scope of the debate and information which the other teams can use)

• 11. The "house", which will often be referred to, is basically the chairperson

competitors audience etc.

12. The speakers are evenly divided on both sides of the

motion. Speakers for the motion are the "Proposition" or

"Government", speakers against are the "Opposition".

• 13. The opening Prop speaker (sometimes called "Prime Minister") has to

define or interpret the motion. If this definition is unreasonable or irrelevant then the

opening opposition speaker may challenge the definition. But if the definition is

relevant but just doesn't suit the opening opp. speaker attempting to redefine may not

go down well with the adjudicators. If a definition is given and all the other speakers

or teams completely ignore it then the defining speaker is effectively out of the

debate. Definitions must also be fair and debatable "Truistic" or Self Proving

arguments are not accepted. (e.g. The sea is full of water is pretty hard to reasonably

argue against)For full guidelines as to who can redefine and when please refer to the

Rules of British Parliamentary (e.g. the Sydney 2000 Rules).

• 14. The last speaker on each side is expected to sum up his/her side's

argument and rebutt or refute the arguments of the other side. Generally this speaker

will not add a great deal of new information to the debate.

15. Rebuttal is vital in any competitive speech. Any

argument left unchallenged is allowed to stand. The later

you come in a debate the more rebuttal you must use.

Rebuttal basically involves ripping the opposing side's

argument apart and exposing its weak points. However

don't forget to make your own argument and ideally use

that to rebutt. It is important to also point out that unlike

the style of debating in some countries you do not have

to defeat every one of the opponents points (but of course

all the Key ones must be knocked down). If the

Government makes 19 points and you only manage to

hammer 17 in the time allowed then you will win and

any attempt by the Government to point out that 2 of

their arguments are left standing is basically grasping at

straws.

• 16. Be careful to avoid leaving statements hanging in mid-air. If you say

something important back it up. Just because you know something is true and where

it came from that doesn't mean the audience/adjudicators know where it came from

and why it's true. To a certain degree the safest bet is to assume that the audience

know little or nothing about the subject.

• 17. Specialised Knowledge should not be used to unfairly define a motion. If

you are a Legal, Scientific, Management, Computer etc student then you must

remember that others in the debate may be "experts" in another field of study. Unfair

definitions would include things like why the case of Smith versus Jones is more

important to company law than Ryan versus Kelly. (These are just examples I have

no idea if these cases even exist).

18. Just because you may not be competing this does not

mean that you can take no part in the debate. All debates

are usually opened up to the floor after the last speaker and

once the adjudicators have retired. Often there is a prize for

the best speaker here, but time allowed is usually no more

than 3 min. to allow as many people take part as possible.

• 19. Heckling is also common in some debates. This involves members of the

audience offering some good-humoured abuse to the competitors. However there is a

fine line between heckling and barracking and members of the audience should

remember to respect the speaker. Heckling can be scary at first but you will soon get

used to it.

• 20. Private Members Time, PMT, is a period of time at the start of each debate

where members may bring up a motion or issue that they wish to see debated.

Speeches here are limited to 3 min. This is often a part of the debate, which is not

only used to raise issues but also where many speakers show off their wit and

humour.

• 21. Remember you do not necessarily have to believe the side of the motion

you are on. You just have to make it appear as though you strongly believe in it for 7

min. In competitive debates you will have very little choice as to which side of a

motion you get.

• 22. No matter how bad you think your speech is try to stay up for the full

seven minutes. If the audience is giving you a hard time just remember that they

probably want you to walk off so don't give them the pleasure. If the chair doesn't

control the audience ask him/her to and put him on the spot with the adjudicators. Of

course you have to be able to handle a reasonable amount of heckling.

23. You don't have to be a genius for facts and figures to

do well. If you can remember an example, or fact which

you researched, to back up your argument use it. However

if you get stuck and can’t remember the exact details of

the fact you want to use don’t worry about it. If the

underlying details of the report, research etc are correct

then the chances are you will not be challenged and the

point will be made. If an opposing member corrects you

and gives you the correct name of the report, researcher,

institute etc then they are an idiot for backing up your

case.

• 23. You don't have to be a genius for facts and figures to do well. If you can

remember an example, or fact which you researched, to back up your argument use it.

However if you get stuck and think that a fact, figure or example is needed and you

don't have one, try making one up. It can be risky if you get caught by a member of

the opposing side who actually knows what they are talking about (it can be painful,

believe me) but it can be very effective if you get away with it. This is not, however,

a replacement for good research, only a fall back if you're in trouble

• 24. If you can use humour it can be extremely effective in a debate. You can

ridicule and destroy an opponent's whole speech with a one-line joke attacking it. But

don't go over the top, while humour helps, adjudicators may not be impressed by

stand up routine with little substance. Although humour can be an advantage don't

worry if you can't crack a joke to save your life (or speech). You'll be surprised at the

number of speakers who have to really struggle to include humour in a speech while

others do it with ease

Speaking order in a Debate

The speaking order depends on whether it is individuals or teams, or both, and the

style being used in the competition but it generally follows either "Times" or

"Mace/Worlds" format;

Individuals:

(1.) Opening Prop.

(2.) Opening Opp.

(3.) 2nd Prop.

(4.) 2nd Opp.

(5.) 3rd Prop.

(6.) 3rd opp.

(7.) Last Prop.

(8.) Last Opp.

Times:

(1.) 1st speaker from opening prop.

(2.) 1st speaker from opening opp.

(3.) 1st speaker from 2nd prop team.

(4.) 1st speaker from 2nd opp team.

(5.) 2nd speaker from opening prop.

(6.) 2nd speaker from opening opp.

(7.) 2nd speaker from 2nd prop.

(8.) 2nd speaker from 2nd opp.

Mace/Worlds:

(1.) 1st opening proposition.

(2.) 1st opening opposition.

(3.) 2nd opening proposition.

(4.) 2nd opening opposition.

(5.) 1st closing proposition.

(6.) 1st closing opposition.

(7.) 2nd closing proposition.

(8.) 2nd closing opposition.

If there is a mixture of teams and individuals (e.g. in Times final) the Individual

speakers are inserted in the middle of the debate i.e. after the first speaker for the last

team and before the last speaker for the for the first team.

(1.) 1st speaker from opening prop.

(2.) 1st speaker from opening opp.

(3.) 1st speaker from 2nd prop.

(4.) 1st speaker from 2nd opp.

(5.) 1st proposing individual.

(6.) 1st opposing individual

(7.) 2nd proposing individual.

(8.) 2nd opposing individual.

(9.) 2nd speaker from opening prop.

and so on.

Naturally the actual order depends on the number of teams/individuals debating.

Researching your debate

Research is vital and cannot be avoided if you want to make a winning speech. Some

people say that only a small portion of your research should appear in your speech

and the majority will come into play later. I have yet to see the "later". This may be in

the form of points of information but that is assuming that you can predict what

information you will need to contradict what the speaker says. If you have

information don't keep it to yourself, USE IT.

Look for facts and examples more so than statistics. While statistics can very handy

for filling up a few minutes, they are also boring. Your information should back up

your argument and be memorable. If you find a little known fact that will surprise the

audience and catch their attention use it strategically. Place it at a crucial stage of your

speech in a way that everything falls in together and the audience becomes convinced

of the truth of what you are saying. Remember that your argument is the most

important part of your speech and your research should back it up, not the other way

round.

Sources:

There are invaluable sources of information all around and you will very rarely come

across a motion which you can find absolutely no information if you look hard

enough

o Internet:

Type any subject into the Internet and you are likely to get back 100 sites with useful

information and "Greater than 250,000" of utter rubbish (e.g. this site). However

there are a couple of good places to start. On the main page of this site you will find

links to a couple of research webpages which give pros and cons about many topics.

They are www.Debatabase.com and www.Youdebate.com

o Library:

Although you may complain about your library it is still an invaluable source of

information. Look around the sections which relate to your motion and flick through a

few books that look relevant. A good source of historical information are the

"Chronicle" style, black bound, journals in the history section of a good college

library. These are updated monthly. If you don't know where to go for information

take the keywords from the motion and type them into a nearby terminal. It should

give you the book references you need.

o Books:

Yes there are books available which give Pros and Cons of vatious topics. They

should be used with caution and not a complete replacement for your own arguments

and research but they are a good start point and particularly useful in the first 2-3 min

of your 15 min prep at Worlds style events. Not surprisingly the best of these books

is called Pros and Cons

o Journals Room:

This is easily the best source of information on any campus. If you have a motion

dealing with a topical political, cultural, or scientific subject then the first thing you

should do is look through the back issues of Time and Newsweek. These contain a

huge amount of information and not only on current affairs. If you've never read them

it is well worth spending a short time flicking through them so that you get a feel for

the sort of information they carry and where to find it if you need it later. If you want

more information then there is bound to be some information about it in other more

specialised journals but it may be harder to find. You could also look up the past

issues of newspapers on microfilm but you really would want to know exactly what

you are looking for

o T.V. & Radio:

While it is unlikely that TV will oblige you by broadcasting a program dealing with

the subject behind your motion while you are preparing for it you can still use them

for information. If you know that there is a documentary, special report or debate on a

topical issue why not watch, or listen to, it. You don't have to go out of your way or

sit there taking notes like a lecture but if you have nothing better to do you might be

surprised how much of it you will remember if it comes up later.

o Brainstorming:

This involves a group of people getting together to discuss a motion and come up with

ideas. The group meets in a room and trash out the various issues involved from a

definition and line to examples and the other sides possible strategy. One member

writes down all the ideas and this is best done on a blackboard so a tutorial room is

sometimes used. However these can also become side-tracked (one I was at lasted

over three hours and only twenty minutes were spent discussing the motion). If used

effectively they should work well and we may start doing them on a more regular and

organised basis. Even if you don't want to hold a brainstorming session don't be afraid

to ask other debaters for ideas, most will be glad to help and may even have debated

the motion before.

o A word of caution

Page 17

There are many other sources of information if you know where to look. Perhaps the

best source is your own memory. If you remember some fact but are hazy on the exact

details of where or when you heard it don't be afraid to use it. A debate isn't an exam

so the information you use doesn't have to be 100% accurate just sort of, from a

certain point of view of course.

However remember an outright lie can be considered unethitical and some more

"conservative" people in debating would like to report students who break local codes

of ethics to their home college officials. These people have lost all sight of the goal of

debating and believe that an inability to stick to the moral code they subscribe to

means you can be expelled from college. They take no account of the fact that people

get facts wrong and often in an attempt to win will use facts they have not "properly

researched". In my opinion this is an extremely dangerous trend in debating and

while rare you should ask for clarification on the situation if debating outside the

British Isles and Worlds competitions (particularly in eastern Europe). Of course by

even advocating a lack of research I can be accused of unethical behaviour by these

people. In response I say that my view of debating is that it is a pastime not a

research conference. I will never condone blatant lies but I recognise that the world

is far too vast for mere mortals to research the hundreds of topics that could arise at

worlds and the human brain could never store that volume of information. You are

dealing with young people who have to absorb and remember vast amounts of

information. Facts will muddled and quotes not properly referenced. That doesn't

make their central point any less valid. The cut & trust of debating is to undermine

and highlight flaws in the opposing side’s logic and fact. That their facts are

accidentally flawed is not justification to seek to formally punish them and have them

expelled from college as some misguided academics would seek.

Structure of a Speech

Ideally you should try to have a structure to your speech. If you do then it is more

likely to be a good speech. If you don't have some form of structure you may be

penalised by adjudicators and you may ramble. You don't have to use a strict structure

just have a mental layout of what you want to say and when. In fact if you have too

rigid a structure then you will find it impossible to stick to it, when you have to rebutt

and deal with points of information.

The following is a rough outline of how to structure your speech. In general just use

these as guidelines and, ideally, develop a style and structure which you are

comfortable with.

1st Minute (0:00-1:00):

(Can't be given a point of information).

• Win the audience, perhaps with a joke.

• Don't rebutt another speakers speech.

• Define your speech, i.e. say what you will address and how.

• Ideally be able to state your argument in a single, short sentence.

• Define your team approach i.e. say, roughly, what your partner will say (or

has said).

2nd Minute (1:00-2:00):

• Don't take any Points of information until foundation has been laid i.e.

until you have developed your speech a bit.

• Layout your argument.

• Usually best to propose/oppose on 3 points. (e.g. Political, Economic,

Social).

• Begin your first point.

3rd-6th Minute (2:00-6:00):

• Accept 2 to 3 points of information. Say outline political aspects and deal

with them.

• Then take a P.O.I. on that. Do the same for the other aspects (i.e.

Economics & Social).

• Use these four minutes to make all your points. Effectively this is your

speech.

• Refer back to the single, short, core sentence one or two times.

7th Minute (6:00-7:00):

• Once the sixth minute bell has gone you can't be offered any points of

information.

• Finish the point you were on as quickly as possible.

• Don't introduce any new points or arguments.

• Sum up. Reiterate your main points and arguments (and those of your

partner if you are the second team speaker.).

• Ideally, if possible, restate the single, core sentence as the last thing you

say.

7:00 min:

• Stay on your feet until you hear the bell.

• Finish, immediately if possible, "Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to ...............".

• Be back in your seat by 7:15, if possible, and no later than 7:30.

Speaking Style

One thing you are bound to notice at any debate is the different speaking styles used

by the competitors. Speaking style is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of

debating to attempt to "teach". You will have to develop your own style and

preferably one that comes naturally to you. However there are a couple of things to be

kept in mind.

1. You must speak clearly and loudly enough so that

your voice can be heard by everyone. Remember the

adjudicators will sit towards the rear of the hall so at the

very least they must be able to hear what you are saying

if you are to have any chance of winning. However you

shouldn't shout as the halls have generally been designed

so that your voice will carry towards the back.

• 2. Try to avoid monotone. If you are making an important point use your

voice to stress it and make it stand out. Try to slowly increase the stress and force

behind your voice as you go through your speech. Build up to a high point and make

this the crucial point of your speech. However don't bring the audience on a

rollercoaster ride. Don't start high, fall down, build-up and fall down again, it looks as

though you are only convinced about the truth of half your speech.

3. Keep eye-contact with the audience and don't stare at the

podium. It gets easier to do this after some experience and

once you use fewer notes. Some people like to pick out

individuals in the audience and look at them. Others just

speak to the audience as a whole. However you do it make

sure to scan the audience and move your gaze to different

parts of the hall regularly.

4. Use your body language to back up your speech. If you stand

rigidly and don't move then you will find it very difficult to have

any real conviction in your voice. Use your arms and facial

expressions to convey your emotions and back up your speech.

However don't go overboard, you want the audience's attention to

be focused on your speech not your arms. Try not to have anything

in your hands. Some people like to carry a pen and end up waving it

about like a baton which can distract the adjudicators. If you really

need something use index cards.

5. You don't have to stand strictly behind the podium.

Move around a bit and face different sections of the

audience at different times. Apparently studies have

shown that people tend to prefer to be able to see the

whole person as this is supposed to indicate that you

aren't hiding anything. However, once again, don't go

overboard. It annoys people (and more importantly

adjudicators) if you walk too far from the podium. Try

not to go more than 1-2 meters away from the podium.

One way to ensure this is to leave your notes on the

podium, you'll find yourself reluctant to move too far

from them.

• 6. Don't be too complicated. If your argument is too elaborate people may

have difficulty following it. Don't use 15 syllable Latin words when a 2 syllable

English word will do. Remember you are trying to convince the audience that your

argument is the best and not that you consider your talent wasted on them (even if it

is).

7. Use humour to help win over the audience and make

your speech stand out. If you have a natural talent for

comedy or impersonations etc. then use it. If you don't

then don't worry about it, even the most serious of us

can be funny at times (often even without meaning it).

You can work out a few put downs and one-liners in

advance but be careful. If a joke sounds too prepared

than it may bomb. Try to make it sound spontaneous

and it's more likely to be successful.

• The best thing to do is watch other speakers and see how they combine the

various elements. Experiment with different styles and try to find one that you are

comfortable with. However the only real way to develop a good style is to try to

speak on a regular basis and listen to the advice of adjudicators and the more

experienced debaters.

Points of information

• Points of Information are a vital part of any debate and should not be

underestimated. Before and after your speech you can't just sit quietly and enjoy the

other speeches. You must keep the adjudicators aware of your presence, ideas and

argument. Also P.O.I. can be used as a weapon to undermine, and even destroy, an

opponents speech.

Presentation:

• When giving a point of information you are expected to stand up, hold your

left hand out (place your right hand on your head, honestly!) and say "On a point of

information sir". Different people use slight variations on this but this is the basic

one. Often speed is important to get in first, but that is no guarantee that you will be

accepted. So you should make sure that you have enough space to stand up quickly

and at a split second's notice (without sending your notes flying towards the podium).

If you can do without a bench for writing, then a front row seat is ideal. If however

you can't then use a seat at the end of a row so that you need only stand out to the

side. Once you have been accepted stand facing the speaker at the podium but also try

to half face the chair and audience, if possible.

Keep your P.O.I. short and to the point. The max. time

allowed is 15sec but you should try for between 5 and 10 sec.

Remember that many speakers like to take a P.O.I. and then

use the time to check what they will say next while half

listening to the person offering the point. Once they know

what the next part of their speech is they work out an answer

to your point. If your point is only about 5 sec. in duration it

doesn't give them enough time and is more likely to catch

them (especially if the point is weak and wouldn't work well

if they had time to think about it). It looks bad if they have to

stop to think what to say, especially if they have to ask you to

repeat it.

• Timing is important. If a speaker is in full stride and knows exactly where

they are going for the next few seconds, he/she is unlikely to accept a point. Wait for

a pause, for breath etc. by the speaker and then offer the point. Obviously you have to

be quick and good reflexes are needed to be on your feet literally within a split

second. I've found that a point is more likely to be accepted in this type of case but

you can't wait for too long as the point could then be out of place.

Styles:

• Different people have different styles when it comes to Points of Information.

Some people (no names) like to virtually barrage opposing speakers with every point

which pops into their head. This can be very difficult to deal with and takes some

getting used to. The trick is to just ignore it if possible and make your speech. If you

decide to use this type of style be very careful. It has been known to annoy

adjudicators if taken too far and there IS a precedence for having speakers

disqualified.

Different people have different styles when it comes to

Points of Information. Some people (no names) like to

virtually barrage opposing speakers with every point

which pops into their head. This can be very difficult to

deal with and takes some getting used to. The trick is to

just ignore it if possible and make your speech. If you

decide to use this type of style be very careful. It has

been known to annoy adjudicators if taken too far and

there IS a precedence for having speakers disqualified.

• Most speakers prefer to just wait and see how a speech develops. This

involves leaving weak points go and use just one or two attacking the central core of

the speech once it has developed a bit.

Accepting:

• When you are speaking you should accept 2-3 points. Watch out for good

speakers. If someone has killed off every other speaker on your side be careful and

don't assume that you can handle them. Accept someone else ideally someone who

has been offering poor points all night. Points should not be longer than 15 sec. but

you can cut that person off before this if they are making a very poor point and

particularly if you have a good put-down to use on them. Always deal with the point

that is offered. Never accept a point as true, unless the offerer has made a mistake and

it backs up your argument. Always try to dismiss a point as incorrect or irrelevant. A

point ignored is allowed to stand and will go against you in adjudication.

Roles in a debate

Prime Minister (Opening Speaker);

It is the duty of the “Prime Minister” to define the topic of the debate BUT it must be

clearly linked to the Motion. In some cases the motion will be worded in such a way

as to permit a wide variety of Definitions (e.g. “This house believes that the Glass is

half full”, Worlds 98.) Others will be tighter motions, which allow little flexibility for

Definition (e.g. “This house believes that Northern Nationalists have nothing to fear

from a United Kingdom” Irish Times 96). As 1st Government you should look for a

twist to the motion. For example “This house would rebuild the Berlin Wall” (Worlds

96) is often defined as repartitioning of Germany and a return to Communism. This

is, in my experience, a very difficult line to win from. Two more “successful”

definitions which I have seen run are that the Berlin Wall represented a division

between East and west and that (a) the EU should not allow Eastern Bloc countries

membership until they have fulfilled certain Social and Economic Criteria. Or (b) that

Nato should not expand membership eastward.

When Defining make sure that you have an argument. You have to propose

something. Saying that something is wrong and this is how it should be is not

enough. You must say that something is wrong and THIS is what you are going to do

about it. “What you are going to do” is the debatable part of the definition.

Example “This house favours Positive Discrimination”. Poor Defn: People have been

discriminated against because of their sex/race/etc and they shouldn’t be in the future

therefore we’ll use something called Positive Discrimination. Better Definition:

People have been discriminated against because of their sex/race/etc and to correct

that we are going to take actions X, Y, and Z under the umbrella name of Positive

Discrimination. You must then fully outline what actions X, Y, and Z are and how

they will work.

Opposition Leader;

It is your role to set out the opposition to the Governments case. You have only 7min

(or less) to come up with your opposition case but provided that the Government have

presented a debatable case you will be expected to handle the limited time for

preparation. Outline and develop your case. Then deal with the points made by the

government and link back the reason for them being flawed to whatever your team’s

central case is. Remember the role of last Opp is to rebut all four Government

speakers in his/her 7 min and sum up the entire opposition case. You have only seen

one speaker so you can’t make a “Last Opp Speech” Look at it in terms of

proportions. You’ve only seen a quarter of the Government therefore at most a

quarter of your speech should be rebuttal. The rest should involve outlining a

“substantive” opposition case.

It is also your duty to decide if the case is debatable. If it isn’t (and be very, very

certain that it isn’t) then you must submit an alternative definition. You cannot

simply say “That’s a Truistic/self proving” argument, spend seven minutes outlining

why and sit down. If you do that then you will have failed to do your duty as 1st

opposition. If you have the ability to spot a truistic argument then you should have

the ability to redefine, or at least to modify the Governments case to make it

debatable.

Deputy Prime Minister;

You must further develop your team’s argument. Rebut what the first opposition

speaker has said but don’t spend all your time rebutting. Your team’s case can’t have

been fully outlined and developed so to spend 7 min attacking one opposition speaker

is no win tactic.

You must back up your teammate. If he/she has been torn apart then don’t jump ship.

“CLARIFY” what your teammate said. Don’t abandon your case because you realise

that it is flawed. Judges will look out for that and will penalise a “Dump” severely.

You will gain more marks for bailing your teammate out than for jumping ship and

engaging the opposition on their ground leaving your teammate behind.

Deputy Opposition Leader;

As with the second government speaker you must back up your teammate. Don’t

abandon your case because you realise that it is flawed. Fix it but don’t get an

entirely new one. A good guideline is that you should spend double the amount of

time rebutting that your teammate and therefore the rest of your speech is reserved for

YOUR team’s case.

Remember that your team’s case should be set up in such a way that it in itself rebuts

the government case. Therefore simply by developing it you are rebutting the

government. If you remember this it should help you avoid the trap that a lot of Opp

speakers fall into of 100% point-by-point rebuttal. There is a misconception that the

opposition just have to oppose and don’t have to lend any constructive argument or

matter to the debate. People will get away with this from time to time but the recent

trend in adjudication is to frown on that. It is an easy way out and doesn’t really lend

anything to the debate. Constructive opposition always looks better than mere

opposition for opposition’s sake. This applies in debating as well as most things in

life.

Member for the Government (3rd Gov Speaker);

You are the first speaker in the second half of the debate. Now you have options to

consider

If there has been a redefinition, and IF it was a valid redefinition then you must decide

if you are going to follow the Government line or switch to the definition which the

Opposition as offered and take them on at that. Be careful. It is also possible to take

a combination of both but you will have to be careful not to tangle your argument up

in trying to tie the two definitions together.

If the Government presented a case, which was debatable but weak and has been

thorn apart you cannot simply stab them in the back. You may however bring in an

“extension” this allows you to bring in a new point of view while still roughly

following the Government line. Again just, as with 1st government, you must present

a debatable definition.

Your role is to develop your team line. As with all government speakers you cannot

spend all you 7 min rebutting the opposition. Outline and fully develop YOUR team

line, showing how it links to AND backs up the original government case. As you

develop your case use it to rebut the opposition. Also remember that a sizable amount

of your teammate’s speech will involve summing up the entire Government case and

rebutting the opposition. He/She will have little time to further develop your team’s

case so you must do a good job on your team line. You are almost in an individual

debate against 3rd Opp speaker and your argument must be fully developed or he/she

will destroy you, and there will be no come back from your teammate. If your

teammate has to spend all his/her time bailing you out then you have failed and have

dragged him/her down with you.

Member for the Opposition (3rd Opposition Speaker);

In my experience this is a difficult position in terms of strategy. You can’t give a

100% rebuttal speech and you also are limited in that your teammate will not be in a

position to spend a lot of time developing your case (see Opposition Whip’s role). It

is up to you to set out AND fully develop your team’s case. Remember you have to

provide matter of your teams argument in such a way that it stands out from the other

teams. You should concentrate on the third Government speaker in your rebuttal.

You must rebut what the 1st Gov team said but it is primarily your duty to take on the

extension provided by the 2nd Gov team. If first opposition have done their job then

the time you spend rebutting the 1st Gov team will in effect be going over what they

have done and impinging on your teammate’s role.

Government Whip; (last Gov speaker)

Both Whips will be penalised if you do not Sum up your side and rebut the

opposition. You can develop your team line a little but the vast majority of your time

must be spent summing up the ENTIRE government case and rebutting the

Opposition arguments. Remember as well that the 3rd opposition speaker hasprobably spent a sizable amount of time attacking your teammate so you should spend

some time on your team line and counteracting the attack on it. In short you must do

3 distinct things: (1) Sum up your team line. (2) Sum up the first Government’s

arguments (3) Rebut the Opposition. Remember that while you cannot stab the 1st

government in the back you should really reinforce your team line and then sum up

the rest of the Government argument.

Opposition Whip. (Last speaker of the debate)

Rebut, Rebut, Rebut, Rebut, oh and sum up. You are in pole position. You have had

almost an hour to develop your speech and this is a huge advantage. You should not

bring new information into the debate but remember that by new information we

mean new core arguments and examples. In your rebuttal you may bring in new

examples, which relate directly to the points you are rebutting but you cannot make

them the central plank on which your entire argument is based. A lot of last Opp

speakers will deal with the Government speakers almost one at a time and this

generally works quite well and lends a structure to your speech.

A lot of last Opp speakers make the mistake of just rebutting and not summing up.

Ideally you should use a summary of what has been said by the opposition up to now

as your rebuttal. However you should also try to have a clearly defined period of

summation. Don’t get carried away with your rebuttal and leave your sum up for the

last 30 seconds. Remember that there are a lot of inexperienced judges out there who

may not recognise that you have mixed summation and rebuttal in your speech and

will, unfairly, penalise you for only spending a few seconds on sum up. Ideally aim

to start your sum up of the Opp case with about 1.5 to 2 minutes left. You can use

your last protected minute to sum up the entire debate and not just your speech, it may

go against the textbook structure of a speech but it is accepted practice.

Key extracts from WUDC criteria

These are key sections from the Adjudication criteria of the World Universities

Debating Championships and are increasingly used at British & Irish IVs and around

the world.

1.4 Points of Information

o 1.4.1 Points of Information (questions directed to the member

speaking) may be asked between first minute mark and the six minute mark of the

members’ speeches (speeches are of seven minutes duration).

o 1.4.2 To ask a Point of Information, a member should stand, place one

hand on his or her head and extend the other towards the member speaking. The

member may announce that they would like to ask a “Point of Information” or use

other words to this effect.

o 1.4.3 The member who is speaking may accept or decline to answer the

Point of Information.

o 1.4.4 Points of Information should not exceed 15 seconds in length.

1.4.5 The member who is speaking may ask the person offering the Point of

Information to sit down where the offeror has had a reasonable opportunity to be

heard and understood.

o 1.4.6 Members should attempt to answer at least two Points of

Information during their speech. Members should also offer Points of Information.

o 1.4.7 Points of Information should be assessed in accordance with

clause 3.3.4 of these rules.

o 1.4.8 Points of Order and Points of Personal Privilege are not

permitted.

1.5 Timing of the speeches

o 1.5.1 Speeches should be seven minutes in duration (this should be

signalled by two strikes of the gavel). Speeches over seven minutes and 15 seconds

may be penalised.

o 1.5.2 Points of Information may only be offered between the first

minute mark and the six-minute mark of the speech (this period should be signalled

by one strike of the gavel at the first minute and one strike at the sixth minute).

2.1 The definition

o 2.1.1 The definition should state the issue (or issues) for debate arising

out of the motion and state the meaning of any terms in the motion which require

interpretation.

o 2.1.2 The Prime Minister should provide the definition at the beginning

of his or her speech.

o 2.1.3 The definition must:

􀂃 (a) have a clear and logical link to the motion - this means that

an average reasonable person would accept the link made by the member between the

motion and the definition (where there is no such link the definition is sometimes

referred to as a “squirrel”);

􀂃 (b) not be self-proving - a definition is self-proving when the

case is that something should or should not be done and there is no reasonable

rebuttal. A definition is may also be self-proving when the case is that a certain state

of affairs exists or does not exist and there is no reasonable rebuttal (these definitions

are sometimes referred to as “truisms”). 

(c) not be time set - this means that the

debate must take place in the present and that the definition cannot set the debate in

the past or the future; and 

(d) not be place set unfairly - this means that the definition

cannot restrict the debate so narrowly to a particular geographical or political location

that a participant of the tournament could not reasonably be expected to have

knowledge of the place.

2.2 Challenging the definition

o 2.2.1 The Leader of the Opposition may challenge the definition if it

violates clause 2.1.3 of these rules. The Leader of the Opposition should clearly state

that he or she is challenging the definition.

o 2.2.2 The Leader of the Opposition should substitute an alternative

definition after challenging the definition of the Prime Minister.

2.3 Assessing the definitional challenge

o 2.3.1 The adjudicator should determine the definition to be

‘unreasonable’ where it violates clause 2.1.3 of these rules.

o 2.3.2 The onus to establish that the definition is unreasonable is on the

members asserting that the definition is unreasonable.

o 2.3.3 Where the definition is unreasonable, the opposition should

substitute an alternative definition that should be accepted by the adjudicator provided

it is not unreasonable.

o 2.3.4 Where the definition of the Opening Government is unreasonable

and an alternative definition is substituted by the Opening Opposition, the Closing

Government may introduce matter which is inconsistent with the matter presented by

the Opening Government and consistent with the definition of the Opening

Opposition.

o 2.3.5 If the Opening Opposition has substituted a definition that is also

unreasonable, the Closing Government may challenge the definition of the Opening

Opposition and substitute an alternative definition.

o 2.3.6 If the Closing Government has substituted a definition that is also

unreasonable (in addition to the unreasonable definitions of the Opening Government

and Opening Opposition, the Closing Opposition may challenge the definition of the

Closing Government and substitute an alternative definition.