This introduction is about what is Indisputably the most iconic event of the WSC: The Team Debate event. Often the first “serious” event that occurs during any round, the team debate tests each and every scholar’s ability to do verbal combat and dominate their opposition. Here’s a run-down of important details for new scholars wishing to learn more about this most prestigious of events.
Important Terms:
Motion: The most important part of any debate (and sometimes the most controversial!) is the debate motion. Otherwise known as the “topic”, this sentence is what you and your team will be arguing for or against during the round. All motions start with RESOLVED and detail an action, opinion or proposal that your team will either agree or disagree with. Example motions include:
RESOLVED: That we should develop a way to communicate with the dead
RESOLVED: That the recent diplomatic actions between the US and North Korea are triumphs of diplomacy
RESOLVED: Romeo and Juliet would have had a happier ending if there was social media
Side/Stance: Once given the motion, your team needs to prepare for a side to debate. During official rounds, your debate sheet will tell you what side you’re debating for (either positive or negative). If you’re the positive team, you’ll be agreeing with the motion and its content. If you’re the negative team, you’ll be disagreeing with the motion in its entirety.
Adjudicator: Otherwise called a judge, the adjudicator will be the person who “judges” the debate and scores each person and team once the debate is finished. Often a volunteer coach or parent, the adjudicator is the person whom you need to convince in order to win the debate. All speeches should be addressed to them and direct eye contact made at times.
Opposition: A word used to refer to the team you’re debating against. Probably the word you should use to refer to them as well during your debate.
Speaker: Speaker will probably be how the adjudicator and opposition refer to you and every other person participating in the debate. There are three speakers on each team and each one of them will speak.
Points: Points are essentially what main ideas you want to present during your debate to help persuade the adjudicator that your side of the motion is correct. Points usually contain several points of evidence and a thorough explanation on why the point is valid and a good one. Most debaters tend to bring up 2 or 3 points in their debate.
Rebuttals: Rebuttals are essentially counter-arguments that you will present at the beginning of your speech if an opposition speaker spoke before you. Rebuttals are points that counter the other team’s points, thus discrediting their believability to the adjudicator and possibly preventing them from winning.
So now that the terms have been defined, let’s break down the step-by-step process of a WSC Debate.
Debate Procedure:
And that’s it for the debate introduction! Ready to learn some more about how to master the art of verbal domination and persuasion? Click the button below for a comprehensive debating guide!
Important Terms:
Motion: The most important part of any debate (and sometimes the most controversial!) is the debate motion. Otherwise known as the “topic”, this sentence is what you and your team will be arguing for or against during the round. All motions start with RESOLVED and detail an action, opinion or proposal that your team will either agree or disagree with. Example motions include:
RESOLVED: That we should develop a way to communicate with the dead
RESOLVED: That the recent diplomatic actions between the US and North Korea are triumphs of diplomacy
RESOLVED: Romeo and Juliet would have had a happier ending if there was social media
Side/Stance: Once given the motion, your team needs to prepare for a side to debate. During official rounds, your debate sheet will tell you what side you’re debating for (either positive or negative). If you’re the positive team, you’ll be agreeing with the motion and its content. If you’re the negative team, you’ll be disagreeing with the motion in its entirety.
Adjudicator: Otherwise called a judge, the adjudicator will be the person who “judges” the debate and scores each person and team once the debate is finished. Often a volunteer coach or parent, the adjudicator is the person whom you need to convince in order to win the debate. All speeches should be addressed to them and direct eye contact made at times.
Opposition: A word used to refer to the team you’re debating against. Probably the word you should use to refer to them as well during your debate.
Speaker: Speaker will probably be how the adjudicator and opposition refer to you and every other person participating in the debate. There are three speakers on each team and each one of them will speak.
Points: Points are essentially what main ideas you want to present during your debate to help persuade the adjudicator that your side of the motion is correct. Points usually contain several points of evidence and a thorough explanation on why the point is valid and a good one. Most debaters tend to bring up 2 or 3 points in their debate.
Rebuttals: Rebuttals are essentially counter-arguments that you will present at the beginning of your speech if an opposition speaker spoke before you. Rebuttals are points that counter the other team’s points, thus discrediting their believability to the adjudicator and possibly preventing them from winning.
So now that the terms have been defined, let’s break down the step-by-step process of a WSC Debate.
Debate Procedure:
- Arriving at the room: In a traditional WSC tournament, you will receive a “debate tree” sheet that has room allocations for each of the 3 rounds. As soon as you arrive at the first room (or any room before the next round begins), take some time to get to know your adjudicator and then get settled. This is the perfect time to set up any electronic devices you need for research and also any paper if you prefer to take notes.
- Meeting the opposition: Depending on the punctuality of the previous round (which, as is with everything in the WSC, very fluid), you might meet your opponents as you walk into the room or they’ll enter shortly after you. Just because you’re against them doesn’t mean you can’t take the opportunity to make some new acquaintances. Introduce yourselves to them, ask them how their previous round went and inquire as to their history with the WSC.
- Revealing the motion: After everyone’s settled down and the adjudicator has taken down your team number, the motion will be revealed (insert dramatic gasp here). Most adjudicators read it out first before showing the text to each team. Make sure every member has written it down (or better yet, ask the adjudicator to write it on a whiteboard) before moving on the next phase.
- PREPARATION TIME: Your team now has 15 minutes to make points, draft speeches and prepare your debate strategy. Use this 15 minutes to map out how your points are going to connect to each other, find evidence to support each other’s points and possibly think of some rebuttals in advance for the opposition. Make sure to write everything your team might find useful down somewhere, as no electronic devices are allowed to be used after this stage. Adjudicators will usually call 10, 5 and then 2 minutes before this time ends, but feel free to ask them if you want the precise time.
- DEBATE TIME: After the 15 minutes are over, the adjudicator will call the 1st speaker for the affirmative team to the “podium” (usually an empty space in the middle of the room) to give their speech. Each debate speech has a time limit of 4 minutes. No interruptions are allowed for any reason and the adjudicator will usually signal the speaker when 1 minute and then 30 seconds are remaining.
- Between-speech preparation time: Once a speech has been delivered, both teams have 1 minute to prepare their next speech, ideally this is the time in which to make rebuttals, fix any weak points or quickly find new pieces of evidence.
- NEXT SPEECH: Steps 5 and 6 will repeat again, with the 1st speaker of the negative team making their speech. After this, the second speaker of the affirmative and negative will respectively, make their speeches (followed by the third speakers).
- Feedback time: Once all the speeches are done, teams are given 60 seconds to formulate 90 seconds worth of feedback for the other time. Feedback can refer to any strengths for individual speakers or areas of improvement for the entire team. Once both teams are ready, the negative team starts with their 90 seconds of feedback for the affirmative team.
- Winner announcement: Once all the feedback has been given, the adjudicator will announce who won the debate round. As always, applause and celebration regardless of whether you won or not is appropriate here. Once this is complete, you may congratulate the other team and head on to your next debate round! Ready to start the cycle again until all 3 rounds are done.
And that’s it for the debate introduction! Ready to learn some more about how to master the art of verbal domination and persuasion? Click the button below for a comprehensive debating guide!
Alternatively, click the button below to return to the introductions homepage, where you can learn about all the other events of the WSC!