The Debating Glossary

The Debating Glossary June 2020, Version 1 Seonghyun (Sean) Yoon

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Penguin Debate Association

Version 3.1, Written on 2020 June

Glossary Sean Yoon

A list of words that carry meanings different from their normative meanings in a debating context

Adjudicator / Judge / Panel (Noun) An observer that is chiefly responsible for deciding the win and loss of a round. There can be more than one adjudicator in a room, and the group of those adjudicators is referred to as a “adjudication panel.”

Assuming feasibility A phrase included in the motion that allows debaters to assume that a certain scenario is feasible by a fiat.

“Assuming feasibility, This House Would clone superior individuals for the good of humanity.”

Ballot (Noun) A piece of paper used to record the adjudicator’s verdict, RFD (reason for decision), and speaker scores.

Barracking (Verb) To offer points of information too quickly, or cause disruption.

Break (Verb) To advance to the knockout rounds (or elimination rounds) as a debater or a judge

Burden of Proof (Noun) What both sides have to prove in order to win the debate.

Case (Noun) The setup and arguments of a team altogether.

Chair Judge

(Noun) The person who controls a debate and manages the adjudication. The chair judge is often also responsible for delivering the verdict and giving feedback to teams after the debate.

Characterization (Noun) A description of the distinctive nature or features of someone or something, often for a strategic purpose in a debate.

Chief Adjudicator (CA) (Noun) The adjudicator that is chiefly responsible for running the tournament, which includes tasks such as convening, setting the motions, or ranking the judges.

Clash (Noun) When two or more arguments from opposing sides directly contradict each other. Whip speakers are responsible for identifying key clashes in the debate.

Closing Government (Noun) The second team on the government side in a British Parliamentary style debate. They are responsible for extending the government case and summating the debate in favour of the government.

Closing Opposition (Noun) The second team on the opposition side in a British Parliamentary style debate. They are responsible for extending the opposition case and summating the debate in favour of the opposition.

Conflict (Noun) An instance when a judge has personal affiliations with a debater or a team that he or she is judging. Debaters are usually required to submit a conflict form before the tournament begins, which indicates all the judges that they personally know.

Counterfactual (Noun) A depiction of a world where something that has happened in the real world has not happened, or the opposite.

Counterproposal / Alternative

(Noun) An alternative policy to that of the definition advocated by the opposition.

Definition (Noun) The interpretation of a motion created by the first proposing team.

EFL / ESL English as a foreign language / English as a second language.

Both are categories that may or may not exist depending on the tournament.

Engagement (Noun) A response or refutation to any matter given by the opposing team.

Extension (Noun) New material brought by teams in the closing half of a British Parliamentary debate.

Government (Noun) The proposing team. The government usually advocates some way of thought or course of action.

Info Slide (Noun) Additional information about the motion given by the Adjudication Core, often when the motion necessitates additional knowledge.

IR (Abb) An abbreviation for International Relationship motions.

Mechanism (Noun) An explanation for how a certain outcome is more likely to occur.

Model (Noun) The method that the affirmative team proposes to implement the idea put forward in the topic. A model is not necessary in a value debate.

Motion (Noun) The statement or topic of the debate.

Opening Government (Noun) The first team on the government side in a British Parliamentary style debate. They are responsible for defining the motion, presenting arguments in favour of the motion and rebutting opening opposition.

Opening Opposition (Noun) The first team on the opposition side in a British Parliamentary style debate. They are responsible for presenting arguments against the motion and rebutting opening government.

Opposition (Noun) The side against the motion.

Point of Clarification (Noun) A question offered by a debater during other’s speech in order to clarify a certain point.

Point of Information (POI) (Noun) A short, quick point of rebuttal made during a speech by a speaker on the opposing side.

Power Matching / Power Pair (Noun) When teams with similar wins and speaker points are matched against each other in a tournament.

Prep Time (Noun) Time given for debaters to prepare a case prior to an impromptu debate. Mostly debaters are not allowed access to their electronic devices during prep time.

Protected Time / Unprotected Time (Noun) The first and last minute of a speech during which points of information cannot be offered.

Pull Up / Bump Up (Noun) In power matching, when a team is matched against a team with a higher number of wins because there is an odd number of teams with a certain number of wins.

Rebuttal

(Noun) An explanation to disprove the argument of an opponent.

Speaker Points (Noun) Points allocated to individual speakers based on their content, strategy, and style.

Otherwise known as “speaks.”

Squirrel (Verb) To attempt to gain an upper hand in the debate by defining or interpreting the motion in an illegitimate way.

Stance (Noun) Where your team’s opinion falls on a subject matter.

Status Quo Are there any parties or people outside of the company who need to be involved in this business process? Their input might be key for you to deciding aspects of the process. Those people should be referenced here.

Summary Speakers Are there any parties or people outside of the company who need to be involved in this business process? Their input might be key for you to deciding aspects of the process. Those people should be referenced here.

Swing Team (Noun) A reserve team, mostly comprised of judges, to ensure that the number of teams is even (in an Asian Parliamentary tournament) or a multiple of 4 (in a British Parliamentary tournament).

Tab (Noun) The final ranking of speakers and teams in a competition.

Timekeeper (Noun) A person who keeps record of speaking time and clapping.

THBT This House Believes That

THP This House Prefers.

THR This House Regrets.

THS This House Supports.

THW This House Would.

Reference: The Cambridge Union’s dictionary of debating terms

Penguin Debate Association

The Debating Glossary, Created by Sean Seonghyun Yoon Version 1 https://penguindebatearchive.com shyoon22@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr