2022 Frederick Douglass Debates

2022 — Online, PA/US

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Debate

Event Description:

Format: Two-person team Switch-Side Debate.

● Affirmative opening speech (6 minutes)
● Cross examination (3 minutes)
● Opposition opening speech (6 minutes)
● Cross examination (3 minutes)
● Affirmative rebuttal speech (4 minutes)
● Opposition rebuttal speech (4 minutes)

Cross Examination (CX): There are two CX periods.CX always follows an opening speech. Teams can decide which member will conduct CX, but only one team member is permitted to cross examine during that period. Only the person delivering the opening speech must also answer questions during cross examination.

Timing Speeches: Judges are the official time keepers of each round. However, debaters should time themselves. Debaters also have the right to time their opponents and to make a point of order to the judge, should the opponents go significantly over time.

Preparation time: Each team has a grand total of five minutes of preparation time, which they can use throughout the debate round. The judge is the official time keeper for preparation time, although teams should also time themselves.

Tech time: Each team is allotted 15 minutes of “tech time” per round if they experience issues with technology in the round. If the debate must be paused for technology related reasons, the judge will track the tech time used. Once a team has exhausted their tech time without resolving the issue, they will be required to forfeit the round.

Side Assignment: Assignments for the preliminary rounds will be announced at the start of the tournament. In preliminary rounds, teams alternate between arguing the Affirmative (AFF) side in some rounds and the Opposition (OPP) side in other rounds, depending on random assignment or power matching procedures. Most teams will have two AFF prelim rounds and two OPP prelim rounds. In the case of an odd number of teams entered into the tournament, a bye will assigned.

For elimination rounds, the sides will be randomly assigned unless teams have debated earlier in the tournament at which case their sides will switch. If two teams from the same school meet during the elimination round, then the team with the higher seed will advance.

Research Prize: Each year, a prize is awarded for the squad that provides the best research. To be eligible for the prize, the coach must email a research packet to the tournament director at the beginning of the tournament (date to be announced). Squads may use any style for their bibliography (Chicago, MLA, APA, etc), as long as the format is consistent and complete citations for all sources are provided.

Role of the Judge: A judge determines will determine only one winner and one loser of each round. All participants should recognize that judges are volunteering their time, and should be treated with utmost dignity and respect. Judges are usually college professors or community members with varying levels of speech and debate experience. It is the obligation of debaters to present rational, reasonable, and rhetorically effective argumentation that tailored to the skill and experience level of judges. Judges assign points (0-2) in each of ten areas for a maximum score of 20 points. The team with the highest point value wins. Judges are expected to decide based only on the arguments presented in the debate.

Ballot: Immediately after each round, debaters are shown the judge’s “Team Score Sheet.” The score sheet details the judge’s decision, which is final. Debaters can use this feedback to prepare for their next rounds. it is never appropriate for debaters to argue with judges, and doing so may be grounds for disqualification.

Use of Evidence and Academic Integrity: Debaters are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. Upon request, debaters must be prepared to provide full citations for all evidence read in a round. Debaters may request to see the evidence of opposing teams. If a judge determines that a team has falsified or misused evidence, the team loses the round.