Debate Presentations

It is debate day. The prep is done, the rubric is taped to the front of the room, and your INDEX CARD is in your hand. Today you will walk the LIVE FORMAT - the order of speakers, the time blocks, what each phase sounds like, and how the audience earns its own respect score. The debate has FOUR phases per side: OPENING (2 min), EVIDENCE (3 min), REBUTTAL (2 min), and CLOSING (1 min). Watch the clock. Hit each phase. Stay respectful. The rubric scores everything you do at the podium - and everything you do while seated as audience.

The order of speakers

Most debates run in PARALLEL ORDER: Side A speaks first in every phase, then Side B replies. So Side A opens, Side B opens. Side A presents evidence, Side B presents evidence. Side A rebuts, Side B rebuts. Side A closes, Side B closes. The TIMEKEEPER (often a young helper) watches the clock and gently signals when 30 seconds are left. Going OVER your time costs DELIVERY points - and it shows you did not practice. Going UNDER means you left strong evidence on the bench. Aim to fill almost all of your time, then stop on the buzzer.

1. OPENING - 2 min per side. State your claim sharply.
2. EVIDENCE - 3 min per side. Walk through your 2-3 cited facts.
3. REBUTTAL - 2 min per side. Answer their top counter-argument.
4. CLOSING - 1 min per side. Restate why your side wins.

Phase 1: the OPENING

Your OPENING is 2 minutes long. Use the FIRST 15 SECONDS to state your claim in one sentence - sharp, specific, no hedging. Then use the rest of the 2 minutes to PREVIEW your three best reasons, one sentence each, before you sit down. Do not get into the evidence yet - that is Phase 2. Do not attack the other side - that is Phase 3. The opening is your headline: tell the audience what you will prove and in what order. Most debaters who lose on the CLAIM rubric row lose because their opening was vague or buried under fluff.

• First 15 seconds: state the CLAIM in one sentence.
• Next 90 seconds: preview your 3 strongest reasons.
• Last 15 seconds: end with a confident closing line - then sit down.
• Do NOT cite all your evidence here - save the proof for Phase 2.

Phase 2: presenting EVIDENCE

Your EVIDENCE phase is 3 minutes - the longest phase. Walk through your 2-3 facts ONE AT A TIME. For each fact, do three things: (1) STATE the fact in plain English, (2) NAME the source aloud ("According to NASA in 2024..."), and (3) EXPLAIN how this fact supports your claim. The mistake debaters make is reading evidence like a list without explaining WHY it matters. Quality beats quantity: two facts that are clearly explained will score higher than five facts that are rushed. Speak slowly. Make eye contact between facts. Pause for one beat after naming the source.

• STATE - say the fact in plain English first.
• NAME - cite the source aloud (book, site, expert, study).
• EXPLAIN - say why this fact supports your claim.
• TIMING - 2-3 facts in 3 minutes; about 1 minute per fact.

Phase 3: the REBUTTAL

REBUTTAL is the most exciting phase - and the easiest one to lose if you panic. You have 2 minutes to answer the OTHER side’s strongest counter-argument. Use this three-step pattern: (1) REPEAT what they said fairly - "You argued that..." - so the audience sees you listened, (2) ACKNOWLEDGE the part that has merit - this builds trust, (3) EXPLAIN why your side still wins despite that point. NEVER mock, sigh, or roll your eyes. Personal attacks during rebuttal cost you the entire RESPECT row. Attack the ARGUMENT, not the PERSON. If you draw a blank, breathe and use the three-step pattern - it will rescue you.

• REPEAT - state their counter the way they said it.
• ACKNOWLEDGE - admit the part that has merit.
• REBUT - explain why your side still wins.
• TONE - calm voice, no sarcasm, no eye-rolling.

Phase 4: the CLOSING

Your CLOSING is just 1 minute - but it is the LAST thing the judges hear before they score, so it carries weight. Do three things: (1) RESTATE your claim in one sharp sentence (do not introduce new evidence), (2) NAME your strongest reason - the single best fact from Phase 2, (3) THANK the other side and the audience. The thank-you takes three seconds and earns RESPECT row points. End on a confident phrase - "That is why our side wins this debate" - then sit down. Do not trail off. Do not say "um" or "I guess." The closing is your last chance to score.

• RESTATE the claim in one sharp sentence.
• NAME your strongest reason from Phase 2.
• THANK the other side - it earns RESPECT points.
• END confidently - no "um," no trailing off.

AUDIENCE etiquette: you are scored too

In a debate, the AUDIENCE is also being watched. When it is not your turn at the podium, you owe the speaker your attention. That means: NO whispering, NO phones, NO laughing at the other side, NO faces. Keep your eyes on the speaker. Take quiet notes for your own rebuttal. Clap politely at the end of each side’s speech, even the side you disagree with. Many judges give a small AUDIENCE participation score based on how well you listened - and a respectful audience makes the whole debate stronger.

• EYES on the speaker - phones away, no whispering.
• NOTES quietly - jot the counter-arguments you will need.
• CLAP politely after each speech, even the other side.
• NO faces, no sighs, no laughing - those cost respect points for everyone.

VOICE & POSTURE at the podium

How you LOOK and SOUND is the DELIVERY rubric row. Stand up STRAIGHT - shoulders back, both feet planted - and you will sound 30% more confident before you say a word. Speak SLOWLY enough that the back row hears every syllable; nervous speakers rush and become whispery. Look UP from your card every 3-5 seconds to make eye contact with the audience or the judge. Use your hands gently to mark transitions - do not wave them. Pause for one beat after each big point so the audience can absorb it. Practice this exactly the way you will perform it.

• POSTURE - stand straight, both feet planted, shoulders back.
• VOICE - slow and audible at the back of the room.
• EYES UP - look at the audience every 3-5 seconds; do not read the card.
• PAUSE - one beat after each big point lets the room absorb it.

JUDGING: how scores are recorded

A grown-up (and sometimes a guest judge or peer judges) scores each side on the FOUR-ROW rubric: CLAIM, EVIDENCE, DELIVERY, RESPECT - each row 1 to 4, total out of 16. Judges fill in the rubric DURING the debate, not after, so a phase you skipped or a moment of disrespect is recorded in real time. Your job is not to "win" by being loud - your job is to score 3s and 4s on every row. A side that scores 14 with kindness will beat a side that scores 11 with shouting. If a peer judges, their score and reasons should match the rubric language - not personal opinions about who they liked.