The George Washington Tournament 2
2026 — NSDA Campus Rooms, US
Parliamentary Debate
Event Description:
OVERVIEW: Parliamentary debate is extemporaneous debating on topics that change from debate to debate. There are two speakers per team, and two teams in a debate. One team is called the proposition team. This team supports the motion for debate by making a specificcase for the motion. The other team is called the opposition team. This team opposes theproposition team’s case for the motion.
Contestants debate a wide variety of topics drawn from current events, contemporaryculture, domestic and international issues, politics and philosophy. The proposition team has theburden of making and defending a specific case for the motion for debate. The opposition teamargues against that case by showing that the case should not be upheld because it is wrong,dangerous, ill-informed, or some combination thereof. Topics are normally announced 20minutes before the beginning of each debate. Students may consult materials during theirdesignated preparation time, but once the debate has started, students may not use any materialsprepared prior to the announcement of the topic.
There are two types of formal speeches in each round of debate: constructive speeches and rebuttal speeches. The order, formal titles of the speakers, and time limits for each speech are as follows:
First Affirmative/Proposition: 7 minutes
First Negative/Opposition: 7 minutes
Second Affirmative/Proposition: 7 minutes
Second Negative/Opposition: 7 minutes
Negative/Opposition Rebuttal: 5 minutes
Affirmative/Proposition Rebuttal: 5 minutes
The first speaker for each side speaks twice (a constructive speech and a rebuttal speech). The second speaker for each side delivers a single constructive speech.
One unique and dynamic feature of parliamentary debating isthe use of points of information. A Point of Information is a request by one or more debaters onan opposing team to the speaker holding the floor to yield a portion of her speaking time for abrief statement or clarifying question. To make a point of information, one or both members ofthe opposing team rise and announce “Information” or “Point of Information”. They may alsosignal non-verbally that they wish to make a point of information, for example, by extending anarm forward in the air.