At the Kent Debating Society we use the British Parliamentary Format, which is roughly based on the way debates work in the UK House of Commons.
There are two sides in the debate known as the Proposition/Government and the Opposition. In an 8-person debate each side is made up of four teams, with two teams to a side. A motion is announced in advance (usually prefixed with the phrase ‘This House Would/This House Believes’ e.g. ‘This House Would reintroduce the death penalty’) and it is the proposition’s role to propose this statement and the opposition’s role to oppose it.
Speakers from each side then take turns to make their speech in the following order:
- 1st Prop
- 1st Opp
- 2nd Prop
- 2nd Opp
- 3rd Prop
- 3rd Opp
- 4th Prop
- 4th Opp
Each position on the table has a specific role in the debate.
At the beginning and the end of their speech the speaker has what is known as ‘protected time’. This refers to the periods of time where the speaker is protected from points of information (abbreviated as “PoI”). During this time no other speaker may interrupt their speech. As well as protecting you from the onslaught of PoIs, it is also a useful reminder of the amount of time you have used up/have remaining.
The time that separates these two periods is what is known as ‘unprotected time’. During this period other speakers can offer points of information. The transition of these time periods is usually indicated by the single bang of a table or the ring of a bell. The end of allocated speaking time is indicated by a double bang/ring.
At the Debating Society, the debates are judged to choose a best speaker of the evening and to provide every speaker with individual feedback. The winning side is determined by a vote by the audience!