An Overview of Speaker Roles

Debating is a team sport – you must work together when preparing you case and during the debate. Each speaker within the team has a certain role to play. It is important that each speaker understands and fulfils their role.

In a 3-on-3 debate there are two teams of three speakers. The team that argues for the topic is called the Affirmative Team, and the team arguing against the topic is called the Negative Team. Each speaker speaks once for a defined period. Speakers present in order first to third, alternating between the two teams:

1. First Affirmative
2. First Negative
3. Second Affirmative
4. Second Negative
5. Third Affirmative
6. Third Negative

After all speakers have finished, the adjudicator will compile their notes and then give their own presentation, where they will award a winner and explain why that team won.

First Affirmative

The role of a first speaker is to introduce their team’s arguments and position to the audience. The First Affirmative speaker specifically also has to define the topic. We have a guide on how to do that if you would like more info.

If the Affirmative team wishes to use a model, this is when the first speaker will present it. Models are worth their own article, so you can read about them here.

The next thing a First Affirmative speaker must do is explain to their audience what they and their second speaker will talk about. This is known as a “team split”. A simple team split might sound like “Today I will be explaining the impacts this will have on the community, while my second speaker will be explaining the financial implications of this topic”. You may wish to list your arguments at this point also.

The next thing the First Affirmative speaker does is present their arguments. The arguments presented at first speaker should be the team’s best arguments. This might seem counter intuitive, but if they are strong arguments it is best to have as much time to explain their importance as possible, and you should feel confident to defend them in rebuttal.

The arguments said by the first speaker should be different, and not overlap, with the arguments of the second speaker. The arguments should support your team’s contention (agreeing or disagreeing with the topic).

Finally, every speech should end with a brief (one or two sentence) summary of what was said during that speech.

First Negative

The role of the first negative is similar to the first affirmative. The first negative’s role is to outline their team’s contention, team split, rebut the arguments of the first affirmative, and present arguments.

The main difference between first affirmative and negative is that the first affirmative defines the topic, which the first negative does not (typically) but instead offers rebuttal.

A rebuttal is a counterargument. The speaker should attack the main theme of the affirmative argument, as well as the specific issues raised by the first affirmative speaker. It is important to remember that you are rebutting the arguments the opposing speaker has raised, not the opposing speaker personally. We have an explainer article about rebuttal if you’d like to know more.

If the Negative team wishes to use a counter-model, this is when the first speaker will present it. Models are worth their own article, so you can read about them here.

Like the first affirmative, they should give an outline of the team case and the arguments to be dealt with by each speaker (the team split), before presenting their own arguments for their side of the debate. The arguments said by the first speaker should be different, and not overlap, with the arguments of the second speaker. The arguments should be supporting your team’s contention (agreeing or disagreeing with the topic).

Finally, as above, every speech should end with a brief (one or two sentence) summary of what was said during that speech.

Second Affirmative & Second Negative

The second speakers of both teams have the same speaker role. They both rebut their opposition’s arguments, and present their own arguments.

Each speaker should attack the main arguments of their opponents. The second affirmative should clearly identify the major areas of disagreement with the negative case and attack the specific arguments of the first negative.

The second negative needs to attack the main arguments of the affirmative, covering the specific arguments made by both first and second affirmative.

The second speakers should then present their allocated arguments and end with a brief summary.

Third Affirmative & Negative

The third speakers of both teams have the same role: to rebut their opposition’s arguments, and to summarise their team’s arguments.

Third speakers get to have the final word in the debate, but in exchange they are not allowed to introduce new ideas or new matter. This is for fairness, and is one of the few places where the adjudicator has to deduct marks. Introducing a new piece of evidence that backs an existing argument, or re-explaining an argument of a previous speaker with new words is fine, but it has to be something that has already been said in the debate.

The third speaker should rebut all the arguments raised by their opposition across the debate, not just the arguments raised by the speaker before them. They should present an overview by analysing the main themes of the debate. They should identify the essential issues on which the teams have disagreed, rebut the important arguments of the opposing team and defend any important attacks made against their own team’s case.

Both third speakers should conclude their speech with a brief summary of their teams’ case.

The below may be better in another document but is from the, hopefully imminent, new edition of the AADG