Debate 101

Speakers

1

How many debaters speak in one round of debate?

6 (3 speakers on Prop, 3 speakers on Opp)

2

What is the second Opposition speaker called?

Deputy Leader of Opposition

3

What are third speakers called in debate?

Whips

4

Which Reply speaker goes first in the debate?

Opposition Reply

5

What are the different names for the team supporting the motion?

Proposition, Government, Affirmative

Speaker Roles

1

Whose job is it to offer the definition/explanation of the motion?

First speaker of Prop

2

How long is a POI?

15 seconds or less

3

What is a policy/model?

A plan of action describing what your side wants to do and how it will be done.

4

Can you give NEW responses/rebuttals in third speaker's speech?

YES!!!!

5

Which speakers are allowed to use clashes/issues in their speech?

ALL of them

Debate Rules

1

How long are debate speeches in the QPSDL?

6 minutes for substantives, 4 minutes for reply

2

Who is allowed to give the Opposition Reply?

Either the first or second speaker of Opposition

3

What is a POI?

Point of Information - a short question or statement offered by the opposing team to the speaker

4

What are knockout rounds?

Rounds where the losing teams do not get to continue to the next round

5

What is the rule where there are only 2 debaters in a team so 1 of them needs to make 2 substantive speeches?

Iron Man / Iron Person

Motions

1

What is a motion?

The topic or the subject that both teams will debate about

2

What does THP stand for?

This House Prefers

3

What is a value judgement motion?

A motion that does NOT require a policy because there is no change being implemented

4

Is THBT dogs are animals a possible motion for debate? Why (or why not)?

No, because it is an objective statement 

5

What is the difference between THW Ban Junkfood versus THBT Junkfood does more harm than good?

The first is about a policy that makes junkfood illegal (action) whereas the second is about an opinion (value judgement)

Random

1

Will you lose points for not introducing yourself at the start of your speech?

No

2

What should you do if someone asks you a POI but you do not want to accept it?

Decline the POI

3

True or False: if I save all my best responses for later, I will win, because the other side won't be able to rebut.

False, the judge can penalise you for lack of engagement

4

Why shouldn't you use ChatGPT for a debate speech?

because you won't learn how to think

5

Logical Fallacy: What is it called when someone argues that because everyone who doesn't floss eventually dies, not flossing will kill you?

Correlation, not causation