LD Basics
How long is the AC?
6 Minutes
What are the two components of a traditional LD framework?
Value and value criterion
What do we call the written record a debater keeps of every argument in the round?
What are the three parts of a complete argument?
Claim, warrant, impact
During cross-examination, who is allowed to ask the questions?
The debater who just finished listening to their opponent's speech
How much total prep time does each debater get in a standard LD round?
4 minutes, though some circuits use 5
What is the job of the criterion in relation to the value?
It's the mechanism/standard for measuring or achieving the value — it tells the judge how to weigh arguments
What does it mean to "drop" an argument?
To fail to respond to it — a dropped argument is generally considered conceded
Attacking the person instead of their argument is this fallacy.
Ad hominem
True or false: you should make new arguments in the 2AR
False — new arguments in final speeches are generally disregarded
Which speech is the shortest in the round and how long is it?
1AR and 4 minutes
If both debaters agree on the value but disagree on the criterion, where does the framework debate happen?
At the criterion level — you debate whose standard better achieves the shared value
What's the difference between an offensive argument and a defensive?
Defense mitigates or denies an argument; Offense says something is bad.
Misrepresenting your opponent's argument to make it easier to attack is this fallacy.
Straw man
What should you do in CX if your opponent asks a question you don't know the answer to?
Stay calm, answer honestly or clarify — never make things up; "I'll address that in my next speech" is acceptable sparingly
Name all seven speeches/segments of an LD round in order.
AC, CX, NC, CX, 1AR, NR, 2AR
What does it mean to "win offense back to your opponent's framework"?
Showing your arguments also link to/satisfy their criterion, so you win even if you lose the framework debate
What is a "voter" or "voting issue"?
An argument a debater identifies as a reason the judge should vote for them — usually crystallized in the final speeches
"If we allow X, then Y will happen, then Z, then catastrophe" with no warrants between steps is this fallacy.
Slippery slope
What is "weighing," and when should you start doing it?
Comparing the importance of your arguments vs. your opponent's using mechanisms like magnitude, probability, and timeframe — start as early as possible, not just the last speech
Why is the 1AR often called the hardest speech in debate?
You must answer 7 minutes of negative argumentation in only 4 minutes
Your opponent concedes your framework in the 1NC. Is this automatically good for you? Why or why not?
Not necessarily — it often means they think their offense links to your criterion better than yours does. A conceded framework can be a trap if they can outweigh you under your own standard.
What does "extending" an argument require, beyond just repeating the tagline?
Restating the warrant and impact and explaining why it still matters — ideally answering responses made against it
What's the difference between correlation and causation, and why does it matter for evidence?
Two things happening together doesn't prove one caused the other; empirical evidence needs a causal warrant to prove a link
Your opponent drops your entire contention 1. What's the right way to capitalize on this?
Explicitly extend it — claim, warrant, impact — point out the drop, explain why it's conceded, and weigh it as a voting issue