RULES AND REGULATION

GENERAL RULES
1. This tournament follows the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) format.
2. There will be three speakers in one team and there will be two teams (Proposition and Opposition) per debate.
3. The Chairperson will call the House to order at the start of the debate and remind everyone present of the rules. The three speakers on each team will then make their substantive speeches in the following order:
 1st Proposition Speaker
 1st Opposition Speaker
 2nd Proposition Speaker
 2nd Opposition Speaker
 3rd Proposition Speaker
 3rd Opposition Speaker
4. After the 6 substantive speeches (after the 3rd Opposition Speaker’s speech), there will be a 2 minute break for teams to confer with their 2 reserve speakers in preparation for the reply speech. Reply speeches will be delivered by either the first or second speaker for each side. The opposition reply will go first, followed by the proposition reply.
5. The alloted speaking time for speeches is as follows:
 6 minutes for each substantive speech.
 3 minutes for each reply speech.
6. For substantive speeches:
 The timekeeper will ring a bell once at the end of the first minute and at the begnning of the fifth minute.
 During the time in between the two signals, speakers from the other team may offer points of information.
 A double bell will sound at the end of the sixth minute, after which the speaker has 15 seconds to conclude their speech.
7. For reply speeches:
 No points of information are allowed.
 After two minutes, the timekeeper will ring the bell once to indicate that the speaker has one minute left to conclude their speech.
 The bell will be rung twice after three minutes.
8. Note that the Chairperson may stop speeches that extend more than 15 seconds beyond their time.
9. In the event that any member is unable to speak halfway during the tournament, teams are not allowed to replace them. Instead, teams are to utilise their reserve speakers.
10. In the event that a team is unable to participate, it is up to the organising committee’s discretion to choose either one of the following contingency plans:
 A swing team. Note that the swing team may not consist of secondary school debaters.
 Declaring a walkover.
Points of Information
1. A POI should be brief, lasting no longer than 10 seconds.
2. It is up to the discretion of the speaker on the floor which POIs to accept and reject. However, as a general rule, each speaker should accept at least one POI in their speech. Points may be deducted from a speaker who does not accept any POIs during their substantive speeches.
3. It is recommended that each speaker offer 2 to 4 POIs for every speech of the opposite team.
 Debate Etiquette
1. All teams are expected to be in their formal school attire. Do note that blazers are optional.
2. Every motion teams are given is to be debated, regardless of the side that teams have been presented.
3. Debaters and audience members should keep distractions (e.g. use of mobile phones, loud discussions at the table) to a minimum during the debate.
4. When the debate is ensuing, should any member of the audience need to leave or re-enter the room, they should do so only when nobody on the floor is speaking.
5. Members of the audience should set their mobile phones to silent mode or turn them off during the debate.
6. For short preparation debates, debaters are not allowed to communicate with anyone outside the team until the debate has concluded.
7. Coaches are reminded that they are not allowed to communicate with teams through gestures.
8. Any team that violate rules 6 and/or 7 may have a walkover declared against them or disqualified from the competition.
Information regarding Impromptu Debates
1. There will be 1 hour preparation time for teams to craft their substantive speeches for impromptu debates.
2. Only the 5 registered speakers are allowed to participate in the preparation. Group preparation (teaming up and preparing with other teams that were allocated the same side) is strictly not allowed as well.
3. Communication with anyone outside the team (including but not limited to coaches, teachers and other teams) before the round is over is strictly prohibited.
4. Electronic devices that are capable of (but not limited to) storing and/or displaying visual and/or verbal information are strictly prohibited, even if they are turned off. However, teams will be allowed to bring in an almanac and a dictionary if they wish to do so, as long as they are non-electronic.
5. Any team that violates these rules may have a walkover declared against them or disqualified from the competition.

OVERVIEW OF ASIAN PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

In Asian Parliamentary Style, there are 2 teams - Government and Opposition. Each team has 3 members and each team gives 4 speeches. The format is a limited preparation format, meaning that the topic is announced, depending on the tournament, roughly 30 minutes before the debate.
The 3 members of the Government should defend the motion. The 3 members of the team, each of which gives a 7 minute speech, are:
1. Prime Minister
2. Deputy Prime Minister
3. Government Whip
One speaker from the Government team - either the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister - is charged with giving a 4 minute reply speech that clarifies the debate from the Government perspective without bringing forth new arguments.
The 3 members of the Opposition team should negate the motion and refute arguments brought forth by the Government. The 3 members of the team, each of which gives a 7 minute speech, are:
1. Leader of Opposition
2. Deputy Leader of Opposition
3. Opposition Whip
Like the Government team, one speaker from the Opposition team - either the Leader of Opposition or Deputy Leader of Opposition - is charged with giving a 4 minute reply speech that clarifies the debate from the Opposition perspective without bringing forth new arguments.
In the 7 minute speeches, the opposing team can stand up and ask for Points of Information (POI) after the first minute and until the sixth minute. A POI should be a brief question or comment and not a long-winded monologue or back and forth cross examination session.
 Times and Order of Asian Parliamentary Debate Speeches
 Prime Minister - 7 minutes
 Leader of Opposition - 7 minutes
 Deputy Prime Minister - 7 minutes
 Deputy Leader of Opposition - 7 minutes
 Government Whip - 7 minutes
 Opposition Whip - 7 minutes
 Opposition Reply Speech - 4 minutes
 Government Reply Speech - 4 minutes
 Speaker Roles in Asian Parliamentary Debate
A. Government:
1. Prime Minister (PM)
1) Define context and parameters of debate. For example, in an open motion like "This House Would Support Musicians", the debate could be contextualized into whether music should be a commodity for trade
2) Provide concise background or history leading to the issue
3) Give framework of government bench's case. I.e. mechanisms (if any), argumentation flow (what the government's first argument is and what the Deputy Prime Minister will talk about)
4) Introduce 1st argument
5) Assert Government stand
2. Deputy Prime Minister (DPM)
1) Rebut first argument from Leader of Opposition
2) Rebut rebuttals to PM's argument
3) Introduce 2nd and 3rd argument
4) Reassert Government stand and case

3. Government Whip
1) Rebut Deputy Leader of Opposition, and Leader of Opposition
2) Rebut rebuttals to DPM and PM arguments
3) Provide a deeper level of analysis for previous arguments and rebuttals
4) No new arguments, but new angles of arguments should be given
5) Brief summary of entire case of Government
6) Reassert Government stand and case

B. Opposition:
1. Leader of Opposition
1) Agree or disagree with context/ parameters of debate (any definitional challenges, accusations of squirreling, or unfair set up should be made from the LO speech and no later)
2) Rebut Prime Minister's argument
3) Give framework for Opposition case (if Opp agrees to problem, then their case should provide solution, or at least effectively highlight how Government proposal will worsen the situation)
4) Introduce first Opposition argument
5) Assert Opposition stand
2. Deputy Leader of Opposition
1) Rebut DPM and PM arguments
2) Rebut rebuttals to LO arguments
3) Introduce 1st and 2nd (if any) argument
4) Reassert Opposition stand and case
3. Opposition Whip
1) Rebut DPM and PM arguments
2) Rebut rebuttals to LO & DLO arguments
3) Provide a deeper level of analysis for previous arguments and rebuttals
4) No new arguments, but new angles of arguments should be given
5) Reassert Opposition stand and case
Reply Speech:
1) Can only be done by either 1st or 2nd speaker from each bench
2) Provide a biased 'oral adjudication' of why the debate should go to own bench
3) Highlight issues you think your side won, carefully tiptoe around issues you think you lost
4) New examples to expand on discussed examples is usually allowed and makes the reply speech sound fresh as opposed to verbal regurgitation
5) Reassert stand