DEBATING

Debating

Event Type: Representative
Age Category: U14
Panel Details: All Boys, All Girls, Mixed, Panel of 4 - team to consist of 3. It is at the discretion of the county how the representative team is selected.

Captain and 2 others to speak
The format for debates in the competition is three speakers per team, with two teams in each debate, a moderator and two adjudicators one of whom will act as timekeeper.
Speaking time for speeches: Minimum for all speakers is 1 minute. For Captains opening and closing speeches, 2 min maximum. All remaining teammates have 1½ min maximum. A signal will be given when 30 seconds of the allotted time is left for the speaker to alert them to the time
It is the role of the Captain to inform the adjudicators of the names of their speakers, the order they will be speaking in and the Headings each will be covering.
Speakers may use cue cards to refer to their notes but are not to rely solely upon them.
Captain of Proposing Team speaks first, followed by Captain of Opposing Team.

Second speaker from Team A, then second speaker from Team B and so on until all speakers have concluded. The Captains then make their closing speech.
7. Teams and their supporters should treat their opponents, their peers and the venue with respect. Speakers who resort to sarcasm, personal attacks or criticism will be marked down.
8. Time Penalties: Participants who exceed their allocated time will be penalised.
9. Interruptions –any form of interruption during a speaker's contribution will be penalised.
10. One point of clarification may be sought by the opposing Team Captain on the preceding speech.
11. Marks are to be awarded for content and presentation. Each to be graded out of 5 giving an overall score of 10 per speech. Adjudicators may retire to consult on their decision.
12. The decision of the adjudicators is final.
13. Each team must be accompanied by their team manager
14. Teams will be given the motion for the debate 30 minutes prior to the commencement. The Manager may accompany the team during this time.
15. Marks for CONTENT and presentation based on research, introduction, closing sentence, vocabulary used and rebuttal of opposition points.
16. Marks for PRESENTATION based on role fulfillment, structure of points, voice projection, eye contact, holding their audience, appropriate tone of voice, use of the cue cards.

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Some TOP TIPS (from Debating Matters)

1. Start researching early
Tackle the research head on. Start early and read everything that you can, the Topic Guides are essential. Don't just stick to your side of the argument though, read your opposition's articles and try and anticipate what they will attack you with. If you are already prepared for some responses, then you won't be wrong-footed as easily. However, don't rely on this and remember to work with the flow of the debate. Further reading is great too, read around the subject but be prepared to justify your points and cite your references for statistics.
Chris Wakefield (Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington), alumnus, 2006/07

2. Don’t be deferent!
A lot of your time on the floor will be spent responding to both judges and your opposition, and some participants fall down in retreating from their original assertions when confronted by criticism from the panel of experts. In my experience, confidence in defending your arguments from the criticisms made by the judges is critical in the overall result. Don't be afraid of offending them! Some of the most successful teams pick up a lot of points in criticising the focus of the judges' questions. Answer them directly, but don't let them subvert or change the course of what you're trying to say. Tackle them head on.
Charlie Winstanley (Blackburn Sixth Form College), alumnus, 2006/07

3. Be Bold!
Often, people will try to interpret a debate too narrowly. The debates are carefully selected so that there are good arguments to be made on either side, narrowing the debate could show a lack of understanding or confidence, so grasp the debate fully and be bold in what you say. Often a strong position can bring out the issues at the heart of the debate, allowing you to flourish more visibly with your coherent arguments!
James Metcalfe (Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington), alumnus, 2006/07

4. Don’t back down!
Unfortunately for some of us, during the competition we can often find ourselves arguing for motions with which we disagree. Far too many competitors, in realising this, seek to compromise with their position in order to reach a more balanced, 'neutral' sentiment. It's understandable, but fundamentally not an effective way of winning the argument in Debating Matters. The judges will be looking for your ability to take your argument to its ultimate logical conclusion, and defend the most radical of suggestions with skill. If you see your opposition succumbing to this desire to extend the olive branch, do not hesitate to get stuck in.
Charlie Winstanley (Blackburn Sixth Form College), alumnus, 2006/07

5. Statistics are good but…
Use them to support your points but beware! It is very easy to find statistics from your perspective but be prepared to back them up with multiple sources and always cite your references and sources. It is very easy to become over reliant on them, so don't depend on them. There is a good balance between arguments and evidence, so try and aim for a good mix with statistics only when needed.
Chris Wakefield (Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington), alumnus, 2006/07