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Home > Public Forum Debate

1 Overview

Public Forum Debate can be compared to a nationally-televised debate, such as Crossfire in which the debators argue a topic of national importance in terms that a common person would understand. Similar to Policy Debate, the debate in Public Forum Debate is conducted by teams of two people, alternating speeches for their side.

2 Mechanics

Public Forum Debate begins with what is known as the "coin toss," in which one team tosses a coin and the other team calls it. The debaters of team that wins the coin toss are allowed to choose from two options - either decide which side they want to represent (either the "pro" side, for the resolution, or the "con" side, against the resolution) or whether they want to speak first or second. After the coin toss winners make a selection, the other team is allowed to choose from the remaining option. Unlike in Policy Debate and Lincoln-Douglas Debate, in Public Forum Debate, the pro, or affirmative, side does not necessarily speak first.

After sides and speaking order have been decided, the debate begins with the first team's first four-minute constructive speech. In this speech, one of the members of the team gives arguments either for or against the resolution, dpending on which side the team is speaking for. When debaters speak in Public Forum Debate (both for speeches and crossfire), they always face forward towards the judge, usually from behind a podium. Next, the other side is permitted to give its first four-minute constructive speech in which not only arguments may be presented, but rebuttals to arguments from the first speech as well.

Following this speech, the first speaker from the first team joins the first speaker from the second team at the podium and the first three-minute "crossfire" begins. The first speaker begins crossfire by asking a question to the second speaker. In crossfire, the two debaters directly ask each other questions and answer questions of their opponent.

After crossfire, the second speaker (the one that has not spoken yet) of the first team gives another four-minute constructive speech in which he or she makes arguments in support of his or her team's side and rebuts arguments made by the other team. Then, the second speaker of the second team gives a four-minute constructive speech following this same format. Following this speech, another three-minute crossfire ensues.

The first speaker of the first team then gives a two-minute summary speech of the debate and the first speaker of the second team does the same. After this speech, all four debaters rise to participate in "Grand Crossfire." Grand Crossfire is similar to crossfire except that all four debaters can ask and answer questions of each other. The speaker that gave the first summary speech begins Grand Crossfire by asking the first question.

After Grand Crossfire, each team's second speaker has a chance to give a one-minute speech called the "Final Focus," the first team giving this speech first. In the Final Focus the speaker is given one last chance to explain exactly why his or her team has won the round.

A Public Forum debate follows this timing schedule:

Each team also gets a total of two minutes of preparation time, which they can use before any of their rebuttals.

3 Judging

Debate rounds are typically judged by an adult, often an assistant coach, parent of a competitor, or a member of the community. Inexperienced judges are preferred over experienced judges and coaches, especially those accustomed to Policy Debate and Lincoln-Douglas Debate, as the purpose of Public Forum Debate is to make arguments that the common person would understand. Because of this "flowing" the arguments of the debate (as is done in Policy Debate and Lincoln-Douglas Debate) is not allowed.

In a typical one-day tournament, each team will debate four rounds. Judges decide the rounds based on which team they feel has better convinced them of their side and has made the better arguments.

In NFL sponsored tournaments the winner of a debate round earns 6 NFL points, and the loser of the round earns 3 NFL points. This is the same points given for Policy Debate and Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

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Topics: Public Forum Debate Team Speech Crossfire Speaker Side...

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