3.01 page 4 Format

While the premise of LD debate today is similar to the original debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, the timing is much different.

LD follows a strict format consisting of seven different speeches totaling approximately 45 minutes. Each participant gets a total of 13 minutes of speaking time, plus 3 minutes for cross-examination. Each participant also gets 4 minutes of "prep time" to use at their discretion.