STOA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE RULES
Each debater must have reached age sixteen (16) by January 1st of
the competition year, or have competed for two or more years in
another debate format, or receive consent from her/his coach.
II.) Resolutions
A.) Nature of Resolutions
The topic for each round may be about current affairs or
philosophy. The resolutions will be general enough that a welleducated high school student can debate them. They may be
phrased in literal or metaphorical language and deal with questions
of fact, value or policy.
B.) Preparation Time
A different resolution for each round will be presented to the
debaters at a specified time prior to the beginning of each debate.
The specified time will be determined by adding fifteen minutes to
the amount of time needed to walk to the most distant building in
which debates will occur. The official start of preparation time
shall be announced with the topic. Debaters and judges are
responsible for starting their time at the time of announcement and
should arrive promptly in their event room at the specified time.
III.) Objective of the Debate
The Government team must affirm the resolution by presenting
and defending a sufficient case for
that resolution. The Opposition team must oppose the resolution
and/or the Government team’s case. If, at the end of the debate, the
judge believes that the Government team has supported and
successfully defended the resolution, they will be declared the
winner, otherwise the Opposition will be declared the winner.
A.) Before the Debate
All parliamentary teams will gather in the Parliamentary
Resolution Announcement Room at a specified time before each
round. Once the topic has been announced, each team will have
fifteen (15) minutes to prepare for the debate (plus as much
additional time as the Tournament Director chooses to add for
walking to the rooms). Competitors may prepare using whatever
resources they would like during preparation time, including
electronic devices (unless otherwise banned by the Tournament
Director). However, only information handwritten during
preparation time can be taken into the round.
Stoa Parliamentary Debate Rules © 2011 Stoa Rev 8/11
B.) During the Debate
 Use of Materials: Debaters may refer to any information that is
within the realm of knowledge of educated and informed
citizens. The intent of parliamentary debate is to encourage
an extemporaneous or impromptu argumentation. Reference
to outside materials should be limited; instead, students
should rely on general knowledge, common sense, and
application of logic and analysis. The use of outside
materials is allowed within the following parameters: (1)
No prepared materials may be brought into the debate round
for the debater’s use; (2) Debaters are not permitted to read
published material in the speeches of the debate to support
their argument claims; (3) During the debate, students may
only consult notes they handwrote themselves during the
preparation period; (4) Debaters may take and use notes
during the debate; and (5) Electronic devices may not be
powered on in the debate room. 
 Order of the Debate: The Prime Minister shall repeat the
resolution during her/his first speech. Speeches shall proceed
in the following order with the following maximum speech
times: 
Prime Minister Constructive:
Leader of Opposition Constructive:
Member of Government Constructive: Member of Opposition
Constructive: Leader of Opposition Rebuttal:
Prime Minister
Rebuttal:
•Constructive and Rebuttal Speeches: Introduction of
7 minutes 7 minutes
7 minutes
7 minutes
5 minutes 5 minutes
new arguments is appropriate during all
constructive speeches. However, debaters may not introduce new
arguments in rebuttal speeches
except to refute arguments that were first raised in the constructive
speeches of the other team.
New examples, analysis, analogies, etc. that support previously
introduced arguments are permitted in rebuttal speeches.
 Points of Information and Order: Each speaker may be
interrupted with questions or statements from the opposing
team after the first minute of the speech (which the
Timekeeper signals by rapping loudly on the table) and
before the last minute of the speech. Therefore the first & last
minute of each speech is ‘protected time’ and may not be
interrupted by the opponent. The debater holding the floor
has the discretion to accept or refuse points of information,
but not points of order, which are announced by stating
“Point of Order” when rising. The debater requesting the
point of information or raising the point of order has a
maximum of fifteen seconds to make a statement or ask a
question. Points of Order are solely for identifying rules
violations or gross misrepresentation. The speaking time of
the debater with the floor continues. 
 Judge feedback during the Round: Judges as well as
observers may respond to a speaker’s point (i.e., with
gestures or audible acknowledgement), but
agreement/disagreement indicators must not interrupt the
speaker nor cause undue distraction to the judge. 
Stoa Parliamentary Debate Rules © 2011 Stoa Rev 8/11