Procedurals
Let me say first that I’m really enjoying the different points of view offered on this site. In anticipation of our SoCal-LD.net LD camp coming up in a week or so, I wanted to post some examples of procedural arguments you can use in the round. These are not groundbreaking, and they’re in .doc format so feel free to save them, edit them, and use them as you wish.
First, three topicalities for this year’s topic. They cover the terms “substantial” (affirmative assistance can’t be conceptual or advisory), “increase” (affirmative can’t create a new program, but must increase a current one, and “greater horn” which checks against planks to help in other countries. The first two are somewhat less compelling then the third, but may help to at least share a model for how topicality arguments can be structured.
Second, three Rules Violations for NFA LD that you can use. The excessive speed is particularly helpful for novices who may not be equipped to handle speed, and is somewhat more effectively structured than the traditional speed kritik. The second covers topical counterplans, and generic counterplans. For more information on counterplans, see my post from last year on Generic Counterplans. Make sure also to see John Boyer’s comments as well to get a feel for how different judges might interpret these guidelines.
So why have procedural briefs in the first place? For two reasons: 1) Without some agreement on rules, no debate can take place. 2) One good place to hash out what those rules mean, and to whom they should apply is the debate round itself.
So, how should you use these procedurals? Early in the first negative speech, and with as much persuasion as you can muster. One of the reasons many judges ignore procedurals like these is that they have seen too many negatives use them as a “time suck”, seeking to force the affirmative to waste time answering them. If you are persuasive and clearly delineate where the violations have occurred, you may get the judge’s ballot.
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