Public Forum (PF) debate asks debaters to consider questions of public importance in short speeches reminiscent of news channels debate segments. Pro debaters may choose to advocate for a specific policy (The United States Federal Goverment should ...) or simply advocate that the resolution is a true statement. How the con responds is dictated partially by the path the pro takes, and the con will generally present a case of their own in opposition to the resolution, but as with all styles of debate, in PF it is the job of the affirmative to prove the resolution a true statement worth voting for.
PF features a team format where two debaters work in tandem, alternating speeches and questioning in order to deliver an entire position.
Please reference the
sample ballot. This is a blank ballot printed using the software that runs Wyatt tournaments, and is what your ballot will look like on tournament day. The following areas of the ballot will already be filled out when you receive it:
- Your name and school
- Round room and start time
- Teams in the round
The following areas of the ballot will be your responsibility to fill out:
- Speaker order
- Team side (based on coin flip)
- Speaker points
- Winner
- Reason for decision
For more information on judging, please visit the
NSDA website.