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What is debating?

The art of arguing for and against ideas.

The purpose of thinking is to let the ideas die instead of us dying.

- Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947)

Many centuries ago, to ‘debate’ meant to beat someone up. Thankfully, society has evolved better means of resolving disputes, using words rather than weapons.

We live in a divided world, in uncertain times, suffering from complex problems.

Our only hope is to work together and to communicate our ideas.

Debating is one of the best ways to become better at listening, thinking, and speaking, which are the three cornerstones of communication.

Our Format

British Parliamentary (BP)

We mainly debate in the BP format, which goes a little something like this:

First, the debaters are split up into four teams:
- Opening Government (OG),
- Opening Opposition (OO),
- Closing Government (CG),
- Closing Opposition (CO).
  - The Government teams argue in favour of the motion and the Opposition teams argue against the motion.
  - There are two debaters per team, totaling eight debaters per debate.
After the debaters are split into their teams, the topic is announced.
- In the BP format, the topic is a 'motion'. Below are some examples.
  - This House Would (THW) ban zoos.
  - This House Believes That (THBT) lying is always immoral.
  - THBT the EU should suspend the voting rights of countries which violate its core values (human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights)
Next, the teams prepare for the debate without technology.
During the debate, each person gets to speak once for up to seven minutes, alternating from the Government to the Opposition.
A judge or panel of adjudicators evaluate the debate.
For more in-depth information, see pages 7-12 of the official manual, also found below.

Quick Facts

All of our debates are in English
You are assigned a position before you know the topic
- Therefore, the motions are designed to be fair and balanced
15 minutes of preparation time (without technology!)
One 7-minute speech per person
- If you run out of things to say, feel free to end the speech early!
- Points of Information (short questions or remarks) may be offered to an opposing speaker between 1:00-6:00 of their speech.
- The speaker may accept or deny these requests, but is encouraged to take 1-2.
The adjudicators judge the debate as impartial, reasonable voters
The four teams are ranked individually based on their persuasiveness

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I keep in mind when debating?

Regardless of what your goals are, here are some suggestions from our most experienced coaches:

Slow down. Remember to breathe.
Focus on one thing at a time.
Take the other side at their best. Defeating a strawman is easier than defeating your opponent, but it is not helpful or constructive.
For most arguments, it is important to prove two things: That the conclusion is true, and that the conclusion is important.
Remember that you're trying to persuade the judge or panel of judges!

Is debate scary?

It can be.

That is why we must be brave, to face our fears!

Many people struggle to identify the difference between anticipation, nervosity, and fear.

It feels the same in your body! The butterflies in your tummy can feel the same as your anxiety. Excitement, potential, opportunity!
It is your body being prepared and ready, focused!

Speaking is a vulnerable action, but in being upfront and vulnerable, we can learn, improve, and grow.

What if I don't know anything about the topic?

There will come times when you are faced with motions or topics which are unfamiliar. It happens to the best of us!

When you're in a situation like this, keep the following things in mind:

Don't panic! Odds are, other people may not know much about it either.
Almost always, you can tie it back to something you do know. Use metaphors and analogies to point out the similarities.
In the long-term, prevent these sorts of situations by taking note of the times when you feel a bit lost, and covering up your weak points.
If all else fails, the best defence is a good offence – focus on rebuttal.