Policy Debate
The NSDA Competition Event page states (7/14/2024, here): Policy Debate is a two-on-two debate where an affirmative team proposes a plan and the negative team argues why that plan should not be adopted. The topic for Policy Debate changes annually, so debaters throughout the course of the year will debate the same topic. One member of each team will perform the ‘first’ speeches, the other the ‘second’ speeches. So the person who reads the 1AC will also perform the 1AR, for example. Note that the debate begins with the affirmative speaking first, and then switches midway through the debate where the negative speaks first, thus giving the affirmative the ability to speak last.
The MSDL adds that in this event, the first negative rebuttal (1NR) often includes new evidence as part of the “negative block” - i.e., the second negative constructive (2NC) and the 1NR. For this reason, the first affirmative rebuttal (1AR), which immediately follows the negative block, can read new evidence to address points raised in the negative block. The 1AR should not introduce new arguments, however (what constitutes a new argument, in contrast to a new point necessitated by an opponent’s arguments in the preceding speech, is at the judge’s discretion.). Nor should the affirmative introduce new evidence in the second affirmative rebuttal (2AR), which is the last speech of the round.
Speech times and other details appear on pages 29-30 in the 2023-24 NSDA Unified Manual (here).
The MSDL adds that in this event, the first negative rebuttal (1NR) often includes new evidence as part of the “negative block” - i.e., the second negative constructive (2NC) and the 1NR. For this reason, the first affirmative rebuttal (1AR), which immediately follows the negative block, can read new evidence to address points raised in the negative block. The 1AR should not introduce new arguments, however (what constitutes a new argument, in contrast to a new point necessitated by an opponent’s arguments in the preceding speech, is at the judge’s discretion.). Nor should the affirmative introduce new evidence in the second affirmative rebuttal (2AR), which is the last speech of the round.
Speech times and other details appear on pages 29-30 in the 2023-24 NSDA Unified Manual (here).
