PF 101
Public Forum debate format
Every PF round follows the same speech order. Once you've memorized it, it holds for every topic you'll debate.
A standard Public Forum round has about 45 minutes of speaking time, plus three minutes of prep for each team. The format below matches our free PF round timer.
| Speech | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.Pro Constructive | 4:00 | Prepared case |
| 2.Con Constructive | 4:00 | Prepared case |
| 3.Crossfire (1st speakers) | 3:00 | Question & answer |
| 4.Pro Rebuttal | 4:00 | Clash begins |
| 5.Con Rebuttal | 4:00 | Frontline + clash |
| 6.Crossfire (2nd speakers) | 3:00 | Question & answer |
| 7.Pro Summary | 3:00 | Collapse + weigh |
| 8.Con Summary | 3:00 | Collapse + weigh |
| 9.Grand Crossfire | 3:00 | All four debaters |
| 10.Pro Final Focus | 2:00 | Ballot story |
| 11.Con Final Focus | 2:00 | Ballot story |
Prep time
Each team gets three minutes of prep to use anywhere in the round. Save some for before summary, since that speech decides which arguments you collapse to and how you weigh. See the prep time glossary entry for strategy tips.
Practice the format
Run shortened practice rounds with the timer, then read what each speech needs to do in PF speech types explained.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Public Forum debate format?
A full PF round has constructives, crossfire, rebuttals, summaries and final focus, and runs about 45 minutes plus prep time. Each team gets three minutes of prep to use between speeches.
How long is each PF speech?
Constructives are four minutes, rebuttals four minutes, summaries three minutes and final focus two minutes. A crossfire follows the constructives and another follows the rebuttals.
What is prep time in PF?
Each team has three minutes of prep time to spend however it likes across the round. Good teams save most of it for before summary, since that speech involves the biggest strategic decisions.