All cross-examination periods are three minutes long in high school and in college.
The now-prevailing speech time of 8–5 min in high school and 9-5 in college was introduced in the 1990s.
Some states, such as Missouri, Massachusetts and Colorado, still use the 8–4 min format at the high school level.
Nearly every 1AC includes inherency, advantages, and solvency, as well as a plan text, the textual expression of the affirmative policy option.
Off-case arguments made include topicality, disadvantages, counter plans, and critiques.
If there is time remaining, the 2AC sometimes also includes add-ons, or additional advantage scenarios.
However, some judges consider it abusive to add new off-case arguments, as the affirmative only has five minutes to respond.
It is not inappropriate to ask the judge's view on allowing new arguments in the 2NC; after all it is a constructive speech.
The 1NR can also take arguments which the 2NC did not finish answering or which the 2NC realizes that it accidentally dropped during the cross-examination.
Theoretically, the 1NR could spend a few minutes preparing and then give the speech (subvocally) twice before having to speak.
Although the 1N is the first speaker to be done with speeches in the round, a good 1N will continue to flow the rest of the speeches to protect the 2NR and retain a more accurate flow to have more information for future rounds.
A 1AR may make strategic concessions or undercover certain positions to gain a time trade off to compensate for this apparent inequity.
However, it is often frowned upon when a partner who is not the previous speaker answers cross-examination questions.
NSDA rules call for five minutes of total prep time that can be used, although in practice high school debate tournaments often give eight minutes of prep time.