For live debaters
Four stages take you from preparation to the final speech. Read, practice, and review each skill before your next live round.
Your route through the guide
Eight selected chapters take about 2 hours to read. Allow another 10–15 minutes for each drill. Read status is saved on this device; the drills are for you to try, not a test the site scores.
Build a fair brief for both sides and know which evidence you still need.
Try it
Choose a resolution for a live round. Write the strongest case for each side, then find two sources for a central claim. Note what each source can and cannot establish.
Check: Could an opponent recognize their best argument in your brief? Can someone else verify your evidence?
Challenge a claim precisely and defend your own without evasion.
Try it
Ask a partner for the strongest objection to your case. Restate it fairly, test one assumption, then give a direct answer that concedes any real limit.
Check: Did you answer the objection they made, rather than an easier version of it?
Choose what deserves your limited speaking time and compare both sides fairly.
Try it
Listen to a short exchange. Give a two-minute response on one decisive issue, comparing both sides by the same criterion.
Check: Could a judge state why your chosen issue matters more than the points you left aside?
Give a focused close without overstating what the round proved.
Try it
Deliver a 60-second closing. Name the main disagreement, weigh the evidence, and state one uncertainty honestly.
Check: Does your close help a judge decide while representing the other side accurately?
