State Qualifiers District 6 WA

2026 — Pasco, WA/US

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World Schools Debate

Event Description:

World Schools Debate

In World Schools debate, the winning team is the team with the most points, so there are no low point wins. The score for each speech is based on a combination of style, content, and strategy: they are not merely “speaker points.” Please use the guidelines below in determining your scores, bearing in mind that your score should reflect a combination of the three criteria and not simply reflect the quality of the speaker’s delivery overall.

Style: 40% of the total score. Speakers should communicate clearly using effective rate, pitch, tone, hand gestures, facial expressions, etc. The use of notes should not be penalized unless it hinders delivery; however, speakers should not read their speeches. Notes are to be used only for reference.

Content: 40% of the total score. This portion of the score should focus on the argumentation used by the speaker, divorced from the style. Weak arguments should be marked accordingly, even if the other team does not expose a weak argument. Judges should not be influenced by their own personal beliefs or specialized knowledge when making this decision.

Strategy: 20% of the total score. Strategy consists of whether or not the speaker understands the importance of the issues in the debate and the structure/timing of the speech. Debaters should identify the most substantive issues and allocate their time to covering issues based on the relative importance. Strategy may also consider answers to points of information and choosing when/how to address them. Strategy is not content: a speaker who answers the critical issues with weak responses should get poor marks for content but good marks for strategy

1. During the tournament, all members of the team are allowed to participate during the preparation portion of impromptu rounds:

a) During each round, only 3 members of the team are allowed to compete. The extra debaters are allowed to observe the round, but are NOT allowed to participate in any way and may not take notes or flow the round.

b) Members of the team who are not participating in the debate during a round are not to speak, interact, or communicate with the members of the team who are debating. Knocking (which is a convention of Worlds used to show approval) is permitted.

c) Non-speaking members shall not sit at the same table or group of desks as the rest of the team.

d) During preliminary rounds, sides will be set by the tournament program. Elimination round sides will be determined by a coin toss with the winning team selecting which side they want to defend.

e) The proposition or Government team advocates for the motion to be debated. The opposition team opposes the motion to be debated.

f) Before the round begins, each team must declare to the judge the order of speakers, including the reply speech.

2. Speeches

a) Each speaker delivers an 8-minute substantive speech to introduce

arguments and counter opponents’ arguments.

b) Each team then delivers a single 4-minute reply speech, with the opposition going first followed by the proposition. ONLY the first or second speaker can deliver the reply speech. The third speaker is NOT allowed to give the reply speech.

c) Each team ought to present three main arguments supporting their side, with two arguments presented by the first speaker and the third argument presented by the second speaker of each team.

d) During each constructive speech, the opposing team is permitted to request Points of Information (POI’s) of the speaker.

(1) A POI is only allowed to be requested during the middle 6 minutes of the speech.

(2) The first and last minute of the constructive speech is protected time. No POI is allowed to be requested during this time or during Reply Speeches.

(3) A POI is an opportunity for the opposing team to ask a question of the speaker or to make a statement in opposition. A POI can be asked by any member of the opposing team. The POI can be accepted or denied by the speaker with a simple “No, thank you” or hand motion.

(4) It is considered bad form to harass the opposing team with POIs occurring too frequently while convention also suggests that a speaker take 2-3 POIs during their speech at their discretion.

Impromptu motions should be available on tabroom.com and will be sent to all teams as close to the designated schedule time as possible. Teams should immediately go to their assigned preparation spaces.

(1) Proposition teams will prepare in the competition room.

(2) Opposition teams will prepare in the hallway immediately outside of the classroom where debating.

(3) Teams are allowed to use one reference book; These sources should be of a reference nature: Black’s Law Dictionary, Webster’s Dictionary, almanac, textbook, etc.

(4) All members of the team are allowed to participate during the preparation segment of the round but only 3 may participate in the debate segment.

(5) No electronic devices are allowed including cell phones, laptops, tablets, etc. Use of such devices may result in forfeiture of the round and/or disqualification from the tournament.