Show up. Take a side. Climb.
Six steps. One evening. You don't have to nail all of it on night one.
Browse upcoming debates in your city or online. Filter by city, date, or topic.
Browse eventsTopics and sides are assigned at the event. No deck. No deep prep. Just bring yourself.
Once your topic drops, you build your case quickly. Some events share topics in advance, so check the listing.
Opening speech → cross-examination → rebuttal → closing. Judges score four core criteria live: arguments, evidence, clarity, persuasion.
Aggregated score plus written notes from each judge. Read the notes: they tell you exactly what to fix.
Wins, losses, and judge scores on your record. Every debate builds your history.
Watch featured debatesJudges score four core criteria: arguments, evidence, clarity, persuasion. The standard scorecard breaks them into six line items for a score out of 30. You don't have to be strong in all six on night one. Pick two and grow.
Strength of claims, evidence, logical reasoning.
How directly you address the other side's strongest points.
Speaking clarity, confidence, eye contact, pace.
Signposted structure. The judge always knows where you are.
Story, emotion, conviction. Why should they care?
Real sources, integrated naturally, varied.
CX is the questioning round after each opening speech. It's where strong debaters compound their lead.
Pro tip: Bring 2–3 rehearsed questions designed to make your opponent contradict themselves or concede.
Free tools to sharpen specific skills, plus stats that tell you where you stand.
