Chicago Debate League
Debate Format
Speech Times and Order:
1. 1st Affirmative Constructive (1AC) 8 Minutes
2. Cross-Examination by 2Neg
3 Minutes
st
3. 1 Negative Constructive (1NC)
8 Minutes
4. Cross-Examination by 1Aff
3 Minutes
5. 2nd Affirmative Constructive (2AC) 8 Minutes
6. Cross-Examination by 1Neg
3 Minutes
7. 2nd Negative Constructive (2NC) 8 Minutes
8. Cross-Examination by 2Aff
3 Minutes
st
9. 1 Negative Rebuttal (1NR)
5 Minutes
10. 1st Affirmative Rebuttal (1AR)
5 Minutes
nd
11. 2 Negative Rebuttal (2NR)
5 Minutes
12. 2nd Affirmative Rebuttal (2AR)
5 Minutes
Prep Time Allowed – Aff
8 Minutes
Prep Time Allowed – Neg
8 Minutes
Speech Responsibilities:
1AC: Lays out affirmative case for the topic – presents Harms, Plan, and Solvency.
(Every speech after the 1AC should provide a roadmap, or order of arguments they will discuss in their
speech, to the judge)
1NC: Introduces off-case positions (Disadvantages, Topicality, or Counterplan for Varsity) and on-case
attacks on Harms and Solvency.
2AC: Responds to all arguments in the 1NC, starting with off-case positions and then on-case positions, and
extends the affirmative case and Harms.
2NC/1NR (Negative Block): Split up the remaining issues in the debate and respond to all arguments in
the 2AC on those issues. Note: since there is no affirmative speech in between these two speeches to respond
to arguments, these speeches should not repeat each other or be redundant – instead, the two debaters should
take different “flows” and split up the 1NC arguments to extend them and respond to 2AC. For example, the
2NC might take the Economy DA for 8 minutes while the 1NR would focus on Harms and Solvency on-case
for 5 minutes. This is strategic pressure on the 1AR and can make or break the negative strategy.
1AR: Primary responsibility is to respond to the issues extended from the 1NC into the 2NC/1NR. Since this
is a time-pressured speech, the 1AR should choose and focus on the best few answers per issue rather than
repeating all the 2AC arguments.
2NR: Negative’s closing speech, where the final speaker should choose the best argument(s) to win the
debate and focus on those, as well as exploit any arguments the 1AR did not respond to from the 2NC/1NR.
2AR: Affirmative’s closing speech, where the final speaker should respond to the final arguments made by
the negative and extend/weigh the affirmative case and why the Harms are more important than any
disadvantages the Negative has raised.