- 3 vs 3Government and Opposition
- 8 speeches6 main speeches and 2 replies
- 7 mineach main speech (most leagues)
- 4 mineach reply speech
- 30 minprep after the motion is released
Speech order
The sides take turns, Government first. After the six main speeches comes a reply speech from each side, and the order flips: Opposition replies first, so Government has the last word.
- Prime Minister7 minutes
- Leader of the Opposition7 minutes
- Deputy Prime Minister7 minutes
- Deputy Leader of the Opposition7 minutes
- Government Whip7 minutes
- Opposition Whip7 minutes
- Opposition reply4 minutes, by the Leader or Deputy Leader
- Government reply4 minutes, by the Prime Minister or Deputy
Signals: in a 7-minute speech, a single knock at 1:00 and 6:00 marks the window for points of information, and a double knock at 7:00 means time is up. In replies, one knock at 3:00 and two at 4:00. Many rulebooks allow about 20 seconds of grace. Times differ between leagues: some use 6 or 8 minute speeches, older All-Asian rules made break rounds longer, and junior divisions often use 4 minute speeches with 2 minute replies (the timer has a junior setting).
What each speaker does
Prime Minister
- Defines the motion and explains what Government proposes.
- Sets out what Government has to prove.
- Presents the first arguments and says what the Deputy will cover (the team split).
Leader of the Opposition
- Accepts the definition, or challenges it only if it is unfair.
- Rebuts the Prime Minister.
- Sets out Opposition's stance, its first arguments and its team split.
Deputy Prime Minister
- Rebuts the Leader of the Opposition.
- Rebuilds anything that was attacked.
- Adds the rest of Government's arguments.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
- Rebuts Government's case so far.
- Defends Opposition's case and adds the rest of its arguments.
Government Whip
- Mostly rebuttal, organized around the main clashes.
- Shows why Government is winning each clash.
- Most rulebooks discourage new arguments here; new examples and deeper analysis are fine.
Opposition Whip
- Same job as the Government Whip: clash by clash, why Opposition is ahead.
- May not bring new arguments, except to answer something new from the Government Whip.
Reply speeches
- Given by the 1st or 2nd speaker, never the whip.
- A biased but fair look back at the whole debate: the key issues and why your side won them.
- No new arguments and no points of information.
Points of information
A point of information (POI) is a short question or comment offered to the speaker from the other side. The person offering it stands and says "Point of information" or "On that point". The speaker can accept it or decline it with a word or a wave.
- POIs are only allowed in the six main speeches, between the first and last minute (1:00 to 6:00 in a 7-minute speech).
- There are no POIs in reply speeches.
- Keep a POI short, about 15 seconds or two sentences.
- Speakers are expected to take one or two. Judges count how you offer and answer POIs, under matter and method.
Reply speeches
The reply is what makes Asian Parliamentary different from formats like British Parliamentary. It is shorter than a main speech and has a different job: not more rebuttal, but a summary of the whole debate from your side's point of view.
- Pick two or three key issues, or "clashes", that decided the debate.
- For each one, say what both sides argued and why your side came out ahead.
- Focus on the issues you won. Do not spend your time on the ones you lost.
- Opposition's reply comes straight after its own whip speech, so Opposition speaks twice in a row. Use it to step back, not to repeat the whip.
Motions, vetoes and prep
Teams get 30 minutes from the moment the motion is released. They prepare without coaches or the internet, and most rulebooks ban phones and laptops during prep. Some allow printed material.
Many Asian Parliamentary tournaments release three motions per round. Each team privately ranks them, any motion a team ranks last is vetoed, and the teams debate one that is left. Rules for settling a tie vary. Real motions from the United Asian Debating Championship include "THBT the human obligation to alleviate suffering extends equally to wild animals as it does to pets" (2025) and "THR the stigmatization against being chronically online" (2026). Find more in the Motion Bank.
How judges score
Judges score each speaker in three parts, then add them up. The team with the higher total wins; there are no draws. The weights below are the classic Asian Parliamentary scale, and many tournaments use it or something close.
| Category | Weight | What it covers | Average main speech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matter | 40% | What is said: arguments, examples, rebuttal, POI content | 30 out of 40 |
| Manner | 40% | How it is said: voice, eye contact, confidence, persuasion | 30 out of 40 |
| Method | 20% | Structure, role fulfilment, teamwork, timing, POI strategy | 15 out of 20 |
| Total | 100% | Scores usually run from about 69 to 81, with 75 as average | 75 out of 100 |
Reply speeches are marked out of 50, with 37.5 as average. Many tournaments also record a margin: a close win (a few points), a clear win, or a "thrashing" (up to about 12 points). In elimination rounds a panel decides by majority.
Tips and common mistakes
- Use the whole 30 minutes well. Agree on the definition and split first, then build arguments and predict the other side.
- Whips: organize by clash. Two or three big questions beat a list of everything that was said.
- Reply speakers: don't give a second whip speech. Step back, compare both sides and stay calm.
- Take POIs. Refusing them all looks like you are afraid of the question.
- Manner is 40%. Look up from your notes and talk to the judges, not to your paper.
Key terms
- Matter, manner, method
- The three parts of a speaker's score: content, delivery and structure.
- Team split
- How a team divides its arguments between its first two speakers.
- Reply speech
- A short closing summary by the 1st or 2nd speaker, Opposition first.
- Veto
- Striking out one of the three motions offered in a round.
- Clash
- A point where the two sides directly disagree.
- Margin
- How clearly a team won: close, clear or a thrashing.
- Protected time
- The first and last minute of a main speech, when no POIs are allowed.
- Squirreling
- Defining a motion in an unfair way to avoid the real debate.
Where it is used
The United Asian Debating Championship (UADC) has used the format since 2010, when it replaced two older regional university championships, and it now hosts teams from across Asia and beyond. Asian Parliamentary is also common at university and high school tournaments in Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East, and in national school competitions. Many of the same debaters also compete in British Parliamentary, which is used at the World Universities Debating Championship.