In a competitive debate there can be three speakers per team, each with an important role. At the beginning, proposition and opposition speakers can have 6 minutes to present their arguments, while another student might do the reply speech in 3 minutes (he/she has also 3 minutes to decide what to say and how to answer).

When you debate, you want to convince the audience that your side is to be preferred, so you need to have strong arguments and find solid reasons in order to be persuasive.

Respect and listening are two golden rules: debate is about listening to your opponents and respecting what they say even if you do not agree with them. Remember also that your opponents are defending a side they have not chose and that they might not personally support at all.