Debate · Formats · BP, Worlds style
British Parliamentary Debate
Four teams of two in one room, two on each side, debate a motion after fifteen minutes of preparation, and the judges rank the teams first to fourth.
- Who
- Mostly university students; it is the format of the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC). Many high schools and clubs use it too, often with five-minute speeches.
- Teams
- 4 teams of 2
- Length
- About an hour
- Topic
- An impromptu motion for each round, announced fifteen minutes before the debate.
- Prep time
- Fifteen minutes of preparation after the motion is announced, with each team preparing on its own. University championships allow printed materials but not electronic devices during prep; school and club tournaments set their own rules.
Speeches in order
| # | Speech | Side | Time | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PM Prime Minister | Opening Government | 7:00 | Define the motion and give the government's first arguments. |
| 2 | LO Leader of the Opposition | Opening Opposition | 7:00 | Respond to the definition and case and give the opposition's first arguments. |
| 3 | DPM Deputy Prime Minister | Opening Government | 7:00 | Rebuild, rebut, and add to the opening government case. |
| 4 | DLO Deputy Leader of the Opposition | Opening Opposition | 7:00 | Rebuild, rebut, and add to the opening opposition case. |
| 5 | MG Member for the Government | Closing Government | 7:00 | Bring a new line of argument (the "extension") that agrees with the opening government but goes further. |
| 6 | MO Member for the Opposition | Closing Opposition | 7:00 | Bring the closing opposition's extension. |
| 7 | GW Government Whip | Closing Government | 7:00 | Sum up the debate for the government, with emphasis on why the closing government's extension matters. No new arguments. |
| 8 | OW Opposition Whip | Closing Opposition | 7:00 | Sum up the debate for the opposition. No new arguments. |
Total speaking time: 56 minutes.
Members of the other bench may offer points of information during any speech except in its first and last minute. A point lasts up to about 15 seconds, and the speaker may accept or decline.
Protected time: the first 60 seconds and the last 60 seconds of each speech that allows them. A point lasts about 15 seconds at most.
How a round works
The government bench supports the motion and the opposition bench opposes it, but each of the four teams competes against all three others, including the team on its own side. The judges rank the teams first to fourth (in the usual scoring, 3, 2, 1 and 0 points).
A closing team can’t simply repeat its opening team; it must add something new and important (an extension). The whips then sum up the whole debate for their bench.
What it rewards
- Quick thinking: the motion is new every round
- Arguments that are well explained, not just asserted
- For closing teams, a new and important extension
- Engaging with the whole room, including through points of information
How to start
- Learn the four positions and what each speaker’s job is.
- Practice fifteen-minute preparation with a partner and a sheet of paper.
- Read old motions from university tournaments and talk through both sides.
- Watch a WUDC final online and note how the closing teams find new ground.
Varies by league or state
- Speech length: seven minutes at university level; five minutes is common in schools.
- Materials during preparation and the round depend on the tournament.
- Some leagues give first-time speakers protection from points of information.
Always check the rules your tournament publishes; they win over anything here.
Rules and sources
- WUDC Debating & Judging Manual (Ottawa WUDC 2027 edition), the authoritative rules, World Universities Debating Council (2026). Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Debating Tutorial Handouts: British Parliamentary (C. Flynn), University of Vermont Debate. Accessed 2026-10-25.
- British Parliamentary Style, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-25.
Speech times checked against the sources above on 2026-10-25.