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 will 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.

The Negative position can argue strictly against the affirmative, and/or offer a counterplan.

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

USE THE RUBRIC FOR SPEAKER POINTS AND DECISION. A LOW POINT WIN MAY BE GIVEN, BUT YOU MUST CLEARLY INDICATE WHY IN THE RFD.