Public Forum Debate Format Pdf
Milan Skidmore
Public forum debate is a form of competitive debate where debaters use their evidence and impacts to outweigh the benefits and harms of the opposing side. The topics for public forum have to do with current-day events relating to public policy. Debaters work in pairs of two, and speakers alternate for every speech. It is primarily competed by middle and high school students, but college teams exist as well. Invented in the US, public forum is one of the most prominent American debate events, alongside Policy debate and Lincoln-Douglas debate; it is also practiced in China and India, and has been recently introduced to Romania.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Individuals give short (2-4 minute) speeches that are interspersed with 3 minute "Crossfire" sections, questions and answers between opposed debaters. The winner is determined by a judge who also serves as a referee (timing sections, penalizing incivility, etc).[8] The debate centers on advocating or rejecting a position, "resolve", or "resolution", which is usually a proposal of a potential solution to a current events issue.[8] Public Forum is designed to be accessible to the average citizen.[9]
Public Forum debate was invented in 2002. It was initially called "Ted Turner Debate" for CNN founder Ted Turner. The "crossfire" period of PF is modeled after Crossfire (U.S. TV program), a political debate show on CNN.[10]
Public Forum debate is often described as more accessible than policy debate. Unlike policy, which has one topic per year, PF debate topics switch every month or every two months and are based on current events. In policy debate, participants tend to "spread", or speak very fast, something that is less common in PF, making PF more understandable to the average "lay", or non-debating person.[11]
The first speech, also known as a case, is pre-written and presents the team's "contentions," arguments either supporting or opposing the resolution. These contentions are backed up by warrants, evidence in the form of quotes, or citations from sources.[13]
The two speakers from each team who presented cases then participate in a 3-minute crossfire. The first speaker asks the first question in the crossfire, and the rest of the crossfire consists of each speaker asking their opponent questions.
The first rebuttal speaker refutes the constructive speech for the opposite side (that is, the second constructive speech). Parts of this case are sometimes pre-written and are known as "answers to" (A/2s or ATs) or "blocks".
The second refutation speaker refutes the first constructive speaker, but must also defend the arguments of the second constructive speaker, which have just been refuted by the first refutation speaker.
The summary speech, given by the 2 first speakers, is given to both reinforce arguments and to refute their opponents, as well as to try and tell the judge which points the debate should be judged on. The summary is often referred to as the most important speech. Competitors "weigh" their points in comparison to their opponents to explain why it is more important through the framework of scope, magnitude, prerequisite, etc.)
The final focus, given by the second speakers, is 2 minutes and is used to explain to the judge why the speaker's team should win the debate. Debaters are not allowed to bring up new material in final focus.
"Prep" time differs from tournament to tournament. The most common amount of prep in a debate are 3 minutes. This prep time can be taken in between speeches or at other times, but some tournaments or leagues may have rules about when prep time is allowed to be taken. Each team may use the other team's prep time for their preparation, however, the time is only taken from the team that decided to take prep time. Strategically, most teams do prep when the other team is prepping in order to maximize their own prep time. [14] Though it is not common practice, some national tournaments give teams additional prep time. For example, the Yale Invitational Debate Tournament provides both teams with 4 minutes of prep time.[15]
Topics are presented as resolutions, meaning they advocate for solving a problem by the means of a certain position. Resolution options and official topics are released by the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) on their website.[16] Competitors are encouraged to focus on the "main issues" of the topic rather than search for obscure arguments.[17] The resolution changes frequently and focuses on current events. Some topics spread the length of two months, while others rotate monthly.[18]
Public Forum has continued to grow and evolve as an activity. Two teams of two square-off in a structured Pro-Con format to convince judges that their position, on the most-timely topics of the day, should be endorsed. Public Forum rewards debaters for quality research, efficient refutation, strategic decision-making, and polished delivery. It is necessary for summer workshops to address the evolving nature of the activity and help students navigate a fluid situation. The key to adapting is to be versatile and have the ability to not only debate in front of judges who flow well and are capable of handling technical debate, but also to compete in front of less experienced judges with the capacity to understand arguments that sometimes are very complex.
Students learn best by doing so we will host frequent practice rounds, drills, and redos. Debaters need to learn to debate in front of judges without being condescending or making use of too much jargon. The key to doing well in debate is to develop good arguments. Our focus will be on well researched, well documented, and clearly articulated arguments. We will practice those skills on a daily basis, making sure that students are speaking and debating beginning on the first day. Debaters learn to debate by debating. Our goal will be to help you make the transition from local to regional to national competition. We will do so by focusing on honing the ability to make good arguments. We look forward to working with you this summer.
Our staff of experienced classroom teachers and coaches, along with recent graduates and collegiate competitors, are confident that MGC Institute attendees will leave prepared to meet their goals in the next competitive season.
Dave will be returning to the MGC after a hiatus of a few years. He has worked previously at several workshops, instructing students in all forms of debate. Focusing on Public Forum debate in recent years, he has the distinction of qualifying PF teams to every national tournament since 2015. He is especially adept at helping first and second year debaters in making the transition to full varsity competition by focusing on case writing and good research resulting in well researched and developed cases. He is a member of both the TFA and NSDA Halls of Fame. He has coached national champions in Lincoln Douglas and Policy debate. His Public Forum teams have won or been in late elimination rounds at several regional and national tournaments including the Glenbrooks, UT Longhorn Classic, U Cal Berkeley, Harvard, Emory, and the Tournament of Champions. Mr. Huston is excited about the opportunity to work with students from the North Texas area.
After 8 years competing and 7 years judging and coaching, Emily has witnessed success in a multitude of debate formats. As a competitor in high school she qualified to TFA state in LD each year she competed, attended NSDA nationals in World Schools, and made it to the top 64 of Extemporaneous Debate. As an ecology student at UNT, she competed and saw success in NFA-LD, IPDA, and NPDA parliamentary debate. Here at MGC she returns to the debate event that started her career in PF, where she is excited to bring her unique perspective and background in philosophy, ecology, and chemistry to the event she's known the longest.
Hosted on the stunning Stanford campus, our competitive PF program brings together top-tier coaches, a practice-intensive curriculum, and dynamic tailored instruction that will facilitate the skills you or your student need to excel in debate.
At our camp, you'll have the opportunity to learn from some of the most respected coaches in the country. With years of experience and a proven track record of success at national tournaments, our instructors are dedicated to providing personalized guidance and mentorship to each participant, helping you refine your arguments, enhance your delivery, and master the art of persuasion. Your coaches are currently active in PF and know what argument styles, skills, and formats are needed to excel in your local circuit or nationally.
With separate divisions for novice and varsity debaters, our program ensures that every participant receives instruction and challenges suited to their level of experience. We send out a student survey before camp to adapt our labs and lesson plans. Each of your instructors will get a summary of that survey to better understand how to tailor their respective labs. Whether you're just starting your debate journey or looking to fine-tune your skills at the highest circuit level, you'll find a supportive community of peers and mentors ready to help you succeed.
Crossfire Mastery: Varsity participants will sharpen their crossfire skills, mastering advanced techniques for strategic questioning, effective rebuttals, and skillful navigation of cross-examination exchanges.
Tech & Theory: Varsity students will get a Tech & Theory 101 course. They will leave with the basic knowledge of how to avoid theoretical violations and develop their own if needed. They will also be instructed on the structures of how to respond to Kritiks and how they function in PF in 2024.
Flowing and Analysis: Participants will deepen their understanding of debate flow, learning advanced techniques for efficient note-taking, accurate analysis of arguments, and strategic organization of information to enhance decision-making in rounds.
Tournament Simulation: Debaters will engage in a tournament at the end of camp participating in debates with fellow participants and receiving feedback from experienced coaches to fine-tune their strategies and techniques.
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