Debate · Formats · Policy, CX, Cross-Examination Debate, Team Policy
Policy Debate
Two teams of two argue for a year about whether the government should adopt a specific plan, using a lot of carefully researched evidence.
- Who
- High school and college students, two to a team. In high school it is one of the National Speech & Debate Association's main events; homeschool leagues call it Team Policy. College policy debate runs through the National Debate Tournament (NDT) and the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA).
- Teams
- 2 vs 2
- Length
- About 90 minutes
- Topic
- One policy topic for the whole school year. In high school the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) chooses it and the NSDA publishes it.
- Prep time
- Eight minutes of prep for each team, used in any amounts before its speeches (NSDA). College tournaments usually give more.
Speeches in order
| # | Speech | Side | Time | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1AC First Affirmative Constructive | Affirmative 1A | 8:00 | Read the affirmative case: the problem (harms), why the present system won't fix it (inherency), the plan, and why the plan solves (solvency). |
| 2 | CX Cross-examination of the 1A | Negative asks (2N) | 3:00 | The second negative speaker questions the first affirmative speaker. |
| 3 | 1NC First Negative Constructive | Negative 1N | 8:00 | Present the negative's off-case positions (such as disadvantages, a counterplan or topicality) and answer the case. |
| 4 | CX Cross-examination of the 1N | Affirmative asks (1A) | 3:00 | The first affirmative speaker questions the first negative speaker. |
| 5 | 2AC Second Affirmative Constructive | Affirmative 2A | 8:00 | Answer every negative argument and extend the case. |
| 6 | CX Cross-examination of the 2A | Negative asks (1N) | 3:00 | The first negative speaker questions the second affirmative speaker. |
| 7 | 2NC Second Negative Constructive | Negative 2N | 8:00 | Go deep on some negative positions, often while the 1NR takes the others (the "negative block"). |
| 8 | CX Cross-examination of the 2N | Affirmative asks (2A) | 3:00 | The second affirmative speaker questions the second negative speaker. |
| 9 | 1NR First Negative Rebuttal | Negative 1N | 5:00 | Cover the positions the 2NC didn't take. Together the 2NC and 1NR are thirteen minutes of negative speaking in a row. |
| 10 | 1AR First Affirmative Rebuttal | Affirmative 1A | 5:00 | Answer the whole negative block in five minutes. Efficiency matters most here. |
| 11 | 2NR Second Negative Rebuttal | Negative 2N | 5:00 | Choose the negative's best path to winning, weigh it, and tell the judge why to vote negative. |
| 12 | 2AR Second Affirmative Rebuttal | Affirmative 2A | 5:00 | Answer the 2NR, weigh, and tell the judge why to vote affirmative. No new arguments. |
Total speaking time: 64 minutes, plus up to 16 minutes of prep.
How a round works
The affirmative presents a plan that carries out the resolution. The negative can argue that the problem isn’t real or big, that the plan won’t solve it, that it would cause harms worse than it fixes (a disadvantage), that a different plan is better (a counterplan), or that the plan isn’t really what the resolution calls for (topicality).
Each debater gives one constructive and one rebuttal and is cross-examined once. The negative’s second constructive and first rebuttal come back to back, so the affirmative has to answer a lot in the 1AR.
Words you'll hear
- Status quo: the way things are now, without the plan.
- Stock issues: harms, inherency, plan, solvency (some lists add topicality).
- Disadvantage (DA): a bad result of the plan, with a link, an internal link and an impact.
- Counterplan (CP): a negative alternative that solves without the drawbacks.
- Card: a quoted piece of evidence with its citation.
- Extend: carry an argument forward into a later speech.
What it rewards
- Deep research and careful use of evidence
- Organization: answering every argument in order
- Strategy: choosing which arguments to go for in the last speeches
- Teamwork between partners
How to start
- Read the current NSDA policy topic and its topic analysis.
- Learn the four classic stock issues (harms, inherency, plan, solvency) and topicality.
- Flow a recorded round from start to finish before you debate one.
- Write a short affirmative case with one plan and two advantages, then a two-page answer file to the arguments you expect.
- Start at a novice division or a local league where judges expect slower speaking.
Varies by league or state
- Rebuttal length: most high school leagues use five minutes; some regions use four.
- Prep time: NSDA gives eight minutes per team; other leagues and college tournaments set their own.
- Homeschool leagues (NCFCA, Stoa) use the same 8-3-5 speech times but set their own prep time and topic, and expect speaking a lay judge can follow.
- College policy (NDT and CEDA) uses longer speeches and usually about ten minutes of prep.
- Speed: some circuits allow very fast speaking (“spreading”); local and homeschool leagues usually expect a conversational pace. Ask before the round.
Always check the rules your tournament publishes; they win over anything here.
Topics that suit CX
Rules and sources
- Policy Debate (event page, time limits), National Speech & Debate Association (page current 2026). Accessed 2026-10-25.
- High School Unified Manual (version 2027.1.0, updated August 1, 2026), National Speech & Debate Association (2026-08-01). Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Team Policy Speaking Order and Times, NCFCA (updated 2025-08-01). Accessed 2026-10-25.
- Structure of policy debate, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-25.
Speech times checked against the sources above on 2026-10-25.