By the Equality in Forensics Contributor Team
This page will teach you everything you need to know about World Schools Debate! As the name implies, Worlds is an international event with its own set of norms and standards, placing emphasis on
This is a lesson created by Equality In Forensics. You can view all of our lessons, blog posts, and additional resources on our website (and maybe even sign up to join our staff as well)!
Join the Equality in Forensics Discord Server!
You can also join our Discord community of hundreds of Forensics competitors to receive additional help and even one-on-one coaching!
Non School Specific Extemp Slideshow
Feel free to use the above slideshow to teach this information to others!
World Schools Debate, stylized as Worlds or WS/WSD, is an event that is unique from others on the US debate circuit. Worlds is a 3v3 team-based event that utilizes motions, or topics for each round. Motions vary from round to round and are never the same (in contrast to other debate events where there are monthly resolutions or a certain set of topics that are commonly debated).
The order of speeches in the round are as follows:
| Proposition 1 (Prime Minister) | Building Prop case by introducing framework and then presenting the first two substantives | 8min (POIs permitted in unprotected time) |
|---|---|---|
| Opposition 1 (Leader of the Opposition) | Building Opp case by going over framework quibbles/clashes between Prop and Opp, doing a bit of refutation on Prop case, and then introducing the first two substantives | 8min (POIs permitted in unprotected time) |
| Proposition 2 (Deputy Prime Minister) | Refuting the Opposition’s material, rebuilding the Proposition case/responding to Opposition’s refutation of Proposition, and introducing the third piece of substantive material. | 8min (POIs permitted in unprotected time) |
| Opposition 2 (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) | Refuting the Proposition’s third substantive and case while rebuilding Opposition material, and finally forwarding the Opposition’s third substantive. | 8min (POIs permitted in unprotected time) |
| Proposition 3 (Proposition Whip) | Consolidating the debate to several clashes or questions to show why Proposition has won and also refuting Opposition’s third substantive. | 8min (POIs permitted in unprotected time) |
| Opposition 3 (Opposition Whip) | Consolidating the debate to several clashes or questions to show why Opposition has won. | 8min (POIs permitted in unprotected time) |
| Opposition 4 (Opposition Reply) | 4min (POIs prohibited) | |
| Proposition 4 (Proposition Reply) | 4min (POIs prohibited) |
There are various types of motions- fact, value, and policy. Note that these motions can intertwine with each other and are not limited to being in one category.
| Fact | Is the motion asking for the truth behind a statement? | - THBT extremism is a catalyst for change
That being said, there are multiple motion wordings that exist in World Schools Debate. All motions begin with the same two words: “This House” (TH). This House, unless otherwise specified with the inclusion of a particular actor in the motion, is always a world government- you are not constrained to being a particular parliament or government of a specific country.