Fundamentals.

Six concepts that win every debate round, regardless of format. Each one a deep guide. Read these once before you compete; come back when you stall.

• Claim, warrant, impact: the anatomy of a debate argument
  Every debate argument has three parts. The claim is the position. The warrant is the reason it is true. The impact is why it matters. Skip any of them and the argument fails.
  6 min read
• Weighing in debate: magnitude, probability, timeframe, reversibility
  Judges decide debate rounds by weighing impacts. There are four axes. Plant your weighing in the constructive; do not save it for the rebuttal.
  6 min read
• Rebuttal in debate: link, warrant, impact, mitigation, turn
  Five ways to attack any argument, in order of strength. Master the hierarchy and you can dismantle opposition cases without breaking your own structure.
  6 min read
• Signposting in debate: telling the judge where you are
  Judges decide rounds from their flow. If they cannot track which argument you are on, they cannot write the ballot in your favor. Signpost like a wayfinding system.
  5 min read
• Cross-examination and POIs: the shared-time game
  Cross-ex, crossfire, and points of information are not about winning the exchange. They are about planting ammunition for your next speech.
  5 min read
• Debater register: how varsity sounds, how novices sound
  Two debaters can make the same arguments and only one of them sounds like they should win. Register is the difference.
  5 min read