Utah Speech Arts
2022 — NSDA Campus, UT/US
Champion/Varsity Policy
Event Description:
Sample Ballot for Reference:
https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Sample-Policy-Debate-Ballot-Blank.pdf
In debate, each round will have two debaters, or two teams, depending on the event. Prior to the start of the round, the judge will pick up a ballot from the tournament organizer. The ballot is where judges will record their thoughts on each performance, suggestions for improvement, and general feedback for the performer. At the end of the tournament, each school will receive all the ballots written about their competitors so contestants can use your feedback to improve!
There are two sides to every debate, one side supports the resolution being debated, the other side negates the resolution. In Policy Debate and Lincoln-Douglas Debate, the sides will have been decided before the round. In Public Forum Debate sides are determined by a coin flip at the beginning of the round.
All debate events have a unique order to the round, divided into three parts: speeches, cross-examination, and prep time. Speeches are where the bulk of the debating is done, with each team presenting and reinforcing their arguments while refuting their opponents. It is common for judges to flow a debate, which means the judges will take notes about the speeches in order to keep track of the debate.
Cross-Examination is a period of time where debater’s can ask each other questions. There are some differences between kinds of debate, but, the purpose of cross-examination remains the same; asking questions that will allow the debater to make stronger arguments. It is up to you whether or not to flow this part. Typically, this is not a time for debaters to be making arguments, instead, it is to clarify their opponents position’s.
Each event gives debaters a set amount of prep time, where competitors can take a moment to prepare for the next part of the debate. Competitors can take prep time between speeches and should notify the judges when they begin and end prep.
The judge will watch the entirety of the debate and then decide which side won. Depending on the tournament, judges can give an oral critique or disclose the results of the round.
Policy debate is a two-on-two debate where an affirmative team proposes a plan and the negative team argues why that plan should not be adopted. The topic for policy debate changes annually, so debaters throughout the course of the year will debate the same topic.
One member of each team will perform the ‘first’ speeches, the other the ‘second’ speeches. So the person who reads the 1AC wil also perform the 1AR, for example. Note that the debate begins with the affirmative speaking first, and then switches midway through the debate where the negative speaks first, thus giving the affirmative the ability to speak last.
Time Limits Speech Abbreviation Time Limit 1st Affirmative Constructive 1AC 8 minutes Negative Cross-Examination of Affirmative 3 minutes 1st Negative Constructive 1NC 8 minutes Affirmative Cross-Examination of Negative 3 minutes 2nd Affirmative Constructive 2AC 8 minutes Negative Cross-Examination of Affirmative 3 minutes 2nd Negative Constructive 2NC 8 minutes Affirmative Cross-Examination of Negative 3 minutes 1st Negative Rebuttal 1NR 5 minutes 1st Affirmative Rebuttal 1AR 5 minutes 2nd Negative Rebuttal 2NR 5 minutes 2nd Affirmative Rebuttal 2AR 5 minutes Prep Time (each team) 8 minutes