Shamrock Invitational with Wyatt Debate

2026 — Louisville, KY/US

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Varsity Extemporaneous Debate

Event Description:

1. Resolutions: Tournament officials will post the resolution that will be debated
for each round 30 minutes prior to the start of the round.

2. Sides: Contestants will be assigned sides by the tab room.
3. Evidence: Students may conduct research prior to the debate and use
authoritative references within their speeches, but are not required to do so.
Students may use the internet to conduct research between the posting of the
topic and the start of the debate. If using authoritative sources, students are
expected to act in accordance with the League’s policy on evidence at the
beginning of the Debate section of the KHSSL Handbook: Except as
noted in this section, the rules for evidence applicable during the current
school year’s NSDA District Tournament apply to the KHSSL State
Championship.

4. Expectations of Debaters: Contestants must debate the topic that was
assigned for the debate round. Students may use materials they create during
the preparation time before their rounds, including but not limited to research
they have completed, pre-written blocks, and flows. Contestants should
directly clash with their opposition in the rebuttal speeches and provide clear
organizational schemes throughout the debate.

5. Expectations of Judges: Judges should decide the round as it is debated, not
based on their personal beliefs.
6. Structure of the Round: All speeches are two minutes in length and all speech
times are protected; a speaker may not be interrupted by the other speaker or
by the judge. The Proposition debater must affirm the resolution by presenting
and defending a sufficient case for that resolution. The Opposition debater
must oppose the resolution and/or the Proposition debater’s case.

Decisions: At the conclusion of the round, the judge(s) will determine which
debater won the round. Judges will not make any oral or written comments
to the debaters outside of the Tabroom ballots.

8. Preparation: Each debater will prepare in isolation in the Extemp Debate
prep room. No AI or people may be consulted during prep – evidence rules
for Debate apply.

Sample topics below.
General topic areas will be posted in the tournament invitation.

Resolved: Zoos do more harm than good.

Resolved: On balance, in college sports, monetizing Name, Image and
Likeness (NIL) does more harm than good.

Resolved: The United States should claim territory in Antarctica.

Resolved: On balance, publicly televising criminal trials does more harm than
good.

For Coaches
1. Drills: Give students random topics with 10–15 minutes prep, then run a
mini-round.
2. Structure training: Teach the habit of clear outlines: intro → 2 contentions →
weighing → conclusion.
3. Cross-ex skills: Train students to ask short, strategic questions that clarify or
expose weaknesses.
4. General knowledge: Encourage reading widely (news, politics, ethics,
economics) to have examples ready.
5. Time management: Show students how to allocate prep: brainstorming →
outline → rehearse key lines.

For Students
1. Focus on clarity: Pick 2–3 strong arguments instead of overloading with
shallow points.
2. Framework: You will not have time for deep philosophy, so frame the debate
in simple terms (e.g., “This round is about costs vs. benefits”).
3. Prep wisely: Use your limited prep to outline key points + examples, not a full
script.
4. Leverage common knowledge: Judges won’t expect deep research, so current
events, history, and logic go far.
5. Stay flexible: Opponent arguments may go in unexpected directions; adapt
rather than sticking to your outline.
6. Delivery counts: Confidence, clarity, and persuasion matter as much as
content.

2025-2026 KHSSL Handbook

113

For Judges
1. Clarity over complexity: Reward debaters who are easy to follow and
persuasive, not those who overwhelm with jargon.
2. Argument quality: Look for logical, well-explained arguments backed by
relevant examples, even if not heavily cited.
3. Responsiveness: Debaters should clash directly with opponents, not just
repeat their own points.
4. Structure: Organized speeches (clear signposting, logical flow) should rank
higher.
5. Delivery: Good eye contact, confidence, and pacing show control under
pressure.
6. Feedback: Note where a debater excelled in adapting quickly vs. where they
could add more depth or clash.