This short guide is intended for University students who already have developed good basic debate skills and are interested in learning about the Parliamentary Debate format. The guide is especially useful for those who have experience with the Karl Popper Format because it focuses on the similarities between the formats and the specific differences you will need to adjust to in order to learn Parliamentary Debate.

...To initiate a squirrel chase, a debater presents a series of bogus arguments that have just a touch of truth and logic. The strategic value of a squirrel case is that you can chase the thing all day long but you"re never be able to catch it. Debaters will probably run into some sort of squirrel case in every debate tournament. Some Affirmative cases are 100% pure squirrel...

...When completing the affirmative analysis, the debater should examine the proposition in its negated form in order to evaluate possible negative attacks on the affirmative position. Additionally, once the affirmative case has been constructed, the affirmative should run several negative cases against their own affirmative in order to discover possible weaknesses and loopholes...

...Cross-examination periods - heart of the debate - are arranged after each constructive speech within 20 minutes keeping with stop watch in a chat mode in the ICQ program. Before each cross-examination period the debaters have a little chat with each other both testing the chat system and learning more about their opponents, telling them about life in their own countries, habits and hobbies...

...The time-space case places the Speaker in the position of a person, group of people, entity, etc. other than his or her true identity as Speaker. The Government team may also place the speaker in a time frame other than the present. The Speaker is to judge the case as if he were actually the person /or persons/ indicated by the Government team -- thinking within the assigned time frame...

...The best parliamentary debaters also do extensive research, but not on a specific topic. Frequently, as a part of their preparation, debate teams are assigned to research and construct arguments on a variety of current events topics...