A debate always involves two two-person teams, one affirmative and one negative. The topic for the next year is selected and announced in late spring. The order of the speeches is 1AC-1NC-2AC-2NC-1NR-1AR-2NR-2AR where A=affirmative, N=negative, C=constructive (10 minutes maximum), R=rebuttal (5 minutes maximum). The 2nd affirmative speaker can give the 1AR. This is called “insides.” His partner’s role, which is considered insulting, is called “outsides”. I performed outsides as a sophomore and insides at one tournament as a sophomore. I was almost always 1N, but during 1966 I was 2N and then again when we used the Emory Switch. I may have done 1AC and 1AR in my sophomore year, but only once or twice.

For each debate the host school generally provides timekeepers who hold up cards with the number of minutes remaining in each speech. There is also a 1/2 minute card and a stop card. Judges are supposed to ignore anything after the appearance of the stop card.

There is no preparation time. When one speaker finishes, the next is expected to start. A little leeway is given, but some judges might tell the timekeeper to start timing before the speaker stands up.

There was no cross-questioning in 1966-1970. However, at some point between 1970 and 1974, the rules were changed to allow each team ten minutes of prep time. In addition a three-minute cross-questioning period was added after each constructive speech.

Debates always have an odd number of judges. Each judge must vote for one team or the other and assign speaker points (usually 1-30) to each speaker. The judge fills out a three-part ballot with plenty of room for comments. Most judges use this area to explain why they voted as they did.

Tournaments consist of preliminary rounds (“prelims”) in which everyone competes and elimination rounds (“elims”). At the top tournaments there always are eight preliminary rounds. Smaller tournaments often have six. There is (except in the NDT) one judge per round. Judges are usually debate coaches or former debaters who seem qualified. Each team debates half of the prelims on each side of the question. No one faces the same team twice. Some rounds are usually power-matched, which means that the teams with the best records face each other.

The number of teams that qualify for the elims is usually 16 or 8. Qualification is based on number of wins and then total speaker points. If two or more teams are tied, a predetermined method of breaking the tie is used. The teams are seeded based on records, and a single elimination bracket (1 v. 16, 2 v. 15, etc.) is used. If two teams from the same school are scheduled to meet, they can debate or they can designate which team advances. The round with 16 teams is called “octafinals”.

Elimination rounds are open to the public. Debaters from the home school or a nearby school might ask to attend a prelim round, but they would probably ask permission of both teams.

The debate season starts in late September or October. The last tournaments are the National Debate Tournament (NDT) and the Tournament of Champions (T of C) in March. California schools host consecutive tournaments (“west coast swing”) over the holidays. New England schools host tournaments (“east coast swing”) in early January.