A quick guide to debate terminology
Debaters use a lot of fancy words that can be confusing to newcomers. If that's you, start here
✉️ Motion
Essentially, it’s the topic that will be debated. Motions typically start with TH (This House) will/ believes that/ supports/ regrets/ anything really.
EXAMPLE: TH believes that the media should show the full horror of war (WUDC 2010 Finals)
✅ Proposition
The proposition (often called ‘prop’) team/ bench has to argue in favour of the motion. Basically it’s the team that supports whatever the motion is proposing.
Prop = For
❌ Opposition
The opposition (often called ‘opp’) team/ bench has to argue against whatever the motion is trying to propose.
Opp = Against
📝 Adjudicator
The adjudicator (typically called the ‘adj’) refers to the judge(s) during the debate. Their job is to evaluate and rank the teams during the round. You will either love or hate them.
🪑 Chair
The chairperson (or just the ‘chair’) is the main adjudicator during the debate. They have to lead the deliberation after the round, and will announce the rankings/ winner, and give a rundown of the debate.
📑 Panel
The panel refers to all the adjudicators who are judging the debate.
👏 Here Here
You can’t clap or cheer during a debate - that’s rude - so instead if you agree with what a speaker is saying, debaters will often say “here here” and gesture with jazz hands - it looks goofy, we know.
About the author
Ernst is the is the current media manager of the DU. He has represented UCT at WUDC 2023 in Vietnam, as an adjudicator, and recently won Cape Town Open 2024. Ernst has been debating since high school, and loves dinosaurs, journalism and international relations. He is doing his postgraduate degree in Media Theory (which sadly has nothing to do with dinosaurs).