4 Teams, 8 Speakers

Each round has four teams of two speakers. Two teams argue for the motion (Government bench) and two against (Opposition bench).

Opening vs Closing

Opening teams (OG & OO) establish the debate — they define the motion, set up the core clash, and build the foundational arguments.

Closing teams (CG & CO) must bring an extension — a genuinely new argument or analytical angle that goes beyond what opening teams said.

What Is an Extension?

An extension is the closing team's unique contribution. It must be a new argument, mechanism, stakeholder analysis, or principled framework — not just a new example for an opening argument. A strong extension is the single most important factor for closing teams to rank well.

What Does a Whip Do?

Government Whip and Opposition Whip are the final speakers. They must not introduce new arguments. Instead, they summarize their bench's case, compare all four teams, and explain why their team should be ranked highest. A great whip speech crystallizes the debate.

How Teams Are Ranked

Adjudicators rank all four teams from 1st to 4th. Points: 1st = 3, 2nd = 2, 3rd = 1, 4th = 0. Rankings are based on argument quality, rebuttal effectiveness, extension originality (for closing), and speaker style. Teams accumulate points across rounds.

Points of Information (POIs)

POIs are central to BP. Any speaker may offer a POI during another team's speech (except during the first and last minute). The speaking debater may accept or decline. Good POIs disrupt opponent arguments; accepting them shows confidence. Speakers should accept at least one POI per speech.