KHSSL Handbook 67 <strong>2012</strong>-<strong>2013</strong>/<strong>1.1</strong>MODEST NOVICE TOPICEach fall, Novice LD debaters will debate the same topic. This topic lasts from year-to-year, ultimatelyallowing veteran debaters to train novices on a topic they themselves learned on. The <strong>League</strong> will collectsome resources for this project; individual research will still be required.1. The Novice Topic is: Civil Disobedience in a democracy is morally justified.2. Invitational tournaments offering Novice Lincoln Douglas debate before December 31 of eachschool year will use this topic for Novice LD Divisions.3. If possible, the <strong>League</strong> will sponsor a Novice Tournament during the fall of each year, and theNovices will debate the Novice topic.4. After January 1, Novice LD debaters will debate the same topic Varsity debaters use.
KHSSL Handbook 68 <strong>2012</strong>-<strong>2013</strong>/<strong>1.1</strong>POLICY DEBATESenior Division OnlyDebaters work in pairs (teams) to address the school year's topic, either from the affirmative side (topropose a plan to solve a problem with the topic), or the negative side (to prove how the affirmative’s planis flawed). Argumentation includes a constructive case, cross‐examination, and refutation. Skills learnedinclude research, policy analysis, case building, refutation, questioning, organization and communication.1. Resolution: The resolution will be one requiring a policy judgment. It is determined annually by theNational Federation of State <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Associations (NFHS), and is published in Rostrum and atwww.NFLonline.org.2. Order of <strong>Speech</strong>es: Each debater must give one and only one constructive speech, one period ofquestioning, one period of answering, and one rebuttal speech, in the following order:Affirmative Constructive <strong>Speech</strong>8 minutesNegative Cross Examines Affirmative 3 minutesNegative Constructive <strong>Speech</strong>8 minutesAffirmative Cross Examines Negative 3 minutesAffirmative Constructive <strong>Speech</strong>8 minutesNegative Cross Examines Affirmative 3 minutesNegative Constructive <strong>Speech</strong>8 minutesAffirmative Cross Examines Negative 3 minutesNegative Rebuttal5 minutesAffirmative Rebuttal5 minutesNegative Rebuttal5 minutesAffirmative Rebuttal5 minutesPrep time5 minutes per team3. Prompting Philosophy: Oral prompting, except time signals, either by the speaker's colleague or by anyother person while the debater has the floor, is discouraged though not prohibited and may be penalized bysome judges. Debaters may, however, refer to their notes and materials and may consult with theirteammate while they do not have the floor.4. Reading case and/or plan: A team may decide, when asked by the opponent team for a copy of theircase and/or plan, whether or not to provide it; if the team refuses they will not be penalized in any way.5. Timing: Timekeepers are an option but not required. If no timekeeper is used, debaters may time fortheir partners or the judge may keep time. Prep time for each team is five minutes.6. Oral Critiques: No debate ballot may be returned without a reason for decision. Oral commentary is notconsidered a substitute for the written ballot. The NFL strongly discourages judges from disclosingdecisions in the preliminary round of NFL competition. Comments made by a judge (orally or written)should be constructive and professional.Lightly adapted from the NFL’s Competition Events Guide, ver. 2.0.1,http://nflonline.org/uploads/AboutNFL/Competition_Events_Guide.pdf
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