In Policy Debate, students work in pairs (teams) to address the season’s topic, either from the affirmative side (to propose a plan to solve a problem with the topic), or the negative side (to prove how the affirmative’s plan is flawed).  Arguments are highly-structured (with specific speeches and cross-examination periods for each debater), and based on credible, factual evidence. 

Judges typically decide which team wins based on standards and criteria that must be fulfilled as burdens of argumentation.  
 

Each speaker in the debate shall be responsible for conducting one, and only one, questioning session and each speaker shall be subject to questioning by a member of the opposing team. Thus, either negative debater may question the first affirmative speaker and either affirmative debater may question the first negative speaker. However, the negative debater who does not question the first affirmative speaker must be responsible for the questioning of the second affirmative speaker and the affirmative debater who does not question the first negative speaker must be responsible for the questioning of the second negative speaker.

Order of Speeches	Abbreviation	Maximum Time
First affirmative constructive speech	1AC	8 minutes
Second negative questions first affirmative	CX	3 minutes
First negative constructive speech	1NC	8 minutes
First affirmative questions first negative	CX	3 minutes
Second affirmative constructive speech	2AC	8 minutes
First negative questions second affirmative	CX	3 minutes
Second negative constructive	2NC	8 minutes
Second affirmative questions second negative	CX	3 minutes
First negative rebuttal	1NR	5 minutes
First affirmative rebuttal	1AR	5 minutes
Second negative rebuttal	2NR	5 minutes
Second affirmative rebuttal	2AR	5 minutes

Preparation Time

Each team will have five (5) minutes of preparation time to distribute as it wishes throughout the debate. When the five minutes have been used, any additional time will be deducted from speaking time. The affirmative team shall provide appropriate time cards for each debate.