Public Forum Overview

Public Forum Debate

The Forensics Files

​September/October Resolution:
Resolved: The UK should rejoin the EU

Overview

■ Public Forum Debate (PFD) is the newest

form of debate in high school forensics

■ Before it was called “Public Forum”

debate, PFD was called

■ Controversy Debate

■ Ted Turner Debate

■ Crossfire

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Overview

■ Unlike CX and LD debate which are

highly technical and specialized, PFD has
much fewer conventions and “rules”

■ PFD emphasizes presentation, speaking

style, knowledge of the topic and a
general application of arguments

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Overview

■ Prior to each debate, the teams will flip a

coin

■ One team usually flips the coin and the

other team usually calls “heads” or “tails”

■ If the calling team is correct (e.g. calls

“heads” and the coin then lands heads
up) then the calling team gets to make
the first choice

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Overview

■ The first choices is

■ Whether to choose to speak first or to

choose second, or whether to take the Pro
side or the Con side

■ For example, the team winning the flip would

make a choice about whether to speak first
or second OR to take the pro side or the con
side; once the team chooses between either
speaking order or the side to debate,

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Overview

■ Once the team winning the flip has made the

first choice (e.g. chose to speak first OR chose
to take the Con side; chosen to speak second
OR chose to take the Pro side) the team losing
flip gets to make the second choice

■ For example, if the team winning the flip

chooses to take the Pro side, the team losing
the flip gets to choose whether to speak first or
second

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Overview

■ Another example:

■ If the team winning the flip chooses to take

the Pro side, then the negative team is
automatically the Con side and then gets to
chose whether to speak first or second. If
the team losing the flip (the Con side in this
scenario) chooses to speak first, clearly, the
team winning the flip the Pro side, will speak
second

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The Format

• A1 -

4 minutes

• B1 -

4 minutes

• Crossfire -

3 minutes

• A2 -

4 minutes

• B2 -

4 minutes

• Crossfire-

3 minutes

• Summary A1-

3 minutes

• Summary B1-

3 minutes

• Grand Crossfire

3 minutes

• Final A2-

2 minute

• Final B2-

2 minute

• Prep Time

Usually 2 minutes

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