Public Forum debate, start to finish
Public Forum is a two-on-two debate built for a general audience. The judge might be a coach, but it might also be a parent seeing debate for the first time. Everything about the format rewards being clear and persuasive over being technical.
The basic idea
Each month brings a new resolution about a current issue. One team argues the pro side, the other the con. You and your partner split the speeches: one of you gives the constructive and the summary, the other gives the rebuttal and the final focus.
PF cases are built on a handful of well-explained arguments with evidence, not a long list of them. The team that explains its two or three best points most clearly usually wins.
Speech order and times
| Speech | Length |
|---|---|
| Constructive | 4:00 |
| Rebuttal | 4:00 |
| Crossfire | 3:00 |
| Summary | 2:00 |
| Final Focus | 2:00 |
Prep time: 3:00. Usually 3 minutes per team.
Crossfire is PF's version of questioning: three minutes where both sides ask and answer directly. There is also a grand crossfire later in the round with all four debaters. Some leagues adjust times slightly, so check your tournament's rules.
What the judge is listening for
PF judges weigh the arguments that survive to the end of the round. An argument your opponent never answered carries real weight, but only if you kept bringing it up. The summary speech is where you choose which arguments the round comes down to, and the final focus is where you tell the judge why those arguments mean you win.
Because the audience is general, delivery counts. A debater who speaks at a comfortable pace, signposts clearly, and sounds like a person will beat a faster, more technical debater most of the time.
If you stutter
PF's short speeches and conversational style work in your favor. Two and four minute speeches are easier to prepare thoroughly than long ones, and judges in this format reward a natural delivery. Practice your constructive and final focus until the wording is second nature, and use the timer to make sure you land inside the limit without rushing.
Practice the round
The timer has every PF speech preset, and the practice page drills crossfire questions like the ones you will actually face.