The winner is determined by a judge who also serves as a referee (timing sections, penalizing incivility, etc).
[8] The debate centers on affirming or rejecting a position, "resolve", or "resolution", which is usually a proposal of a potential solution to a current events issue.
[11] Parliamentary debate is much less structured than PF, and participants are not made aware of their topics until 15–20 minutes before their round, giving them little time to research, gather evidence, and prepare their arguments.
[11] In Public Forum, topics are decided prior the month starting, giving debaters plenty of time to research and prepare.
[12] The first speech, also known as a case, is pre-written and presents the team's "contentions," arguments either supporting or opposing the resolution.
Competitors "weigh" their points in comparison to their opponents to explain why it is more important through the framework of scope, magnitude, prerequisite, etc.)
[14] Though it is not common practice, some national tournaments give teams additional prep time.
Resolution options and official topics are released by the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) on their website.
[16] Competitors are encouraged to focus on the "main issues" of the topic rather than search for obscure arguments.