How to Debate: Rules
You can debate in different ways. On this page we will look at the Qatar Debating Championship rules.
For a full explanation, see the QatarDebate Format on the Qatar Debate website.
The Motion
First there must be an idea to argue about. This is called a motion.
The motion starts like this: "This house believes..." or "This house would..."
Example: "This house believes that computers will replace teachers in the future."
The teams are normally told the motion thirty minutes or one hour before the debate. Then they have to prepare their ideas very quickly.
The Teams
Each debate has two teams. Each team has three people.
The Proposition Team - this team argues for the motion. This team will argue that computers will replace teachers.
The Opposition Team - this team argues against the motion. They will argue that computers will not replace teachers in the future.
The Main Debate
The first person from the proposition team will speak for five minutes. Then the first person from the opposition team will speak. Then the second person from the opposition team will speak. This continues until everyone has spoken.
The Floor Debate
Now members of the audience can ask questions. These willl be answered in the summary debate.
The Summary Debate
The opposition team starts first. They give a three minute talk. They can also answer the audience's question. Then the proposition team talk for one minute.
Interruptions
One team can interrupt the other team. They can do this after the first minute and before the last minute of the speech. This is called a point of information.