Debate Formats
The major debate formats
Every competitive format tests a different mix of skills. Here's what each one is — and how to drill the component skills it rewards with free 1v1, AI-judged practice. ArguFight doesn't simulate a full room; it gives you reps and rubric feedback between tournaments.
British Parliamentary (BP)
British Parliamentary is the format of the World Universities Debating Championship: four teams, two on each bench, arguing a single motion with almost no prep time.
Learn moreWorld Schools (WSDC)
World Schools is the format of the WSDC and most national schools circuits: three speakers a side, a mix of prepared and impromptu motions, and a reply speech that re-frames the whole debate.
Learn morePublic Forum (PF)
Public Forum is the most accessible competitive format: two-vs-two, a monthly resolution, and the explicit goal of persuading a "lay" judge — someone smart but not a debate specialist.
Learn moreLincoln-Douglas (LD)
Lincoln-Douglas is the one-on-one, values-driven format — a single debater a side arguing the ethics and philosophy behind a resolution, won on a "value" and the "criterion" that upholds it.
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