Public forum debate is a type of current events debate which is a widespread form of high school debate in the U.S. Individuals give short speeches that are interspersed with 3 minute "crossfire" sections, questions and answers between opposed debaters. The winner is determined by a judge who also serves as a referee. The debate centers around advocating or rejecting a position, or "resolution", which is a proposal of a potential solution to a current events issue. Public forum is designed to be accessible to the average citizen.
History
Public forum debate was invented in 2002. It was initially called "Ted Turner Debate" for CNN founder Ted Turner. The "crossfire" period of PF is modeled after Crossfire, a political debate show on CNN.
Debate Structure
A public forum debate consists of 8 speeches and 3 crossfires, each with a time limit. The first speech is pre-written and presents the team's "contentions," arguments either supporting or opposing the resolution. These contentions are backed up by "cards," quotes or citations from sources. The two speakers from each team who presented cases then participate in a 3-minute crossfire. The first speaker asks the first question in the crossfire, and the rest of the crossfire consists of each speaker asking their opponent questions. The other speaker from each team then gives a 4 minute rebuttal to their opponents case, refuting their opponent's arguments. Parts of this case are also sometimes pre-written and are known as "answers to" or A/2s. That is followed by crossfire between the third and fourth speakers. The 3-minute summary, given by the first and second speakers, is given to both reinforce arguments and to refute their opponents, as well as to try and tell the judge which points the debate should be judged on. The summary is often referred to as the most important speech. The grand crossfire is between all speakers. The final focus, given by the third and fourth speakers, is 2 minutes and is used to explain to the judge why the speaker's team should win the debate...
Prep Time
Each team can take up to 3 minutes of total prep time throughout the debate. This prep time can only be taken in between speeches. Each team may use the other team's prep time for their preparation, however, the time is only taken from the team that decided to take prep time. Though it is not common practice, some national tournaments give teams additional prep time. For example, the Yale Invitational Debate Tournament provides both teams with 4 minutes of prep time.
Speech Name
Time Limit
Speaker
Team
Constructive
4 min
1
A
Constructive
4 min
2
B
Crossfire 1
3 min
1 & 2
A & B
Rebuttal
4 min
3
A
Rebuttal
4 min
4
B
Crossfire 2
3 min
3 & 4
A & B
Summary
3 min
1
A
Summary
3 min
2
B
Grand Crossfire
3 min
All
A & B
Final Focus
2 min
3
A
Final Focus
2 min
4
B
Topics
Topics are presented as resolutions, meaning they advocate for solving a problem by the means of a certain position. Resolution options and official topics are released by the National Speech and Debate Association on their website. Competitors are encouraged to focus on the "main issues" of the topic rather than search for obscure arguments. The resolution changes frequently and focuses on current events. Some topics spread the length of two months, while others rotate monthly. Examples of past topics include:
March 2010 – affirmative action to promote equal opportunity in the United States is justified.
September 2011 – the benefits of post-9/11 security measures outweigh the harms to personal freedom.
