Alejandres Gannon
UC Berkeley
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What does this team usually read
What are common strategies against your affirmative
What coaches are they speaking to
What do their cards look like
• Short politics cards
• Multi-colored cards
• Un-highlighted cards
• Are they scrambling or “business as usual”
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Hats, Headers, and Foldies
Alphabetical vs frequency of use
Avoid unnecessary cards
Duplicate where necessary
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Let the 2A prepare
Backflow the 2AC
Cards from non-core aff files
Thoughts on cp texts
• Prep during the 1NC as the 1NC is making arguments
• If you fall behind, leave that aside and get caught up, don’t let
a backlog develop
• Don’t stand up until you understand every argument you’re
answering
• Always flow every single card and analytic argument on case
• Upsets happen when the 2AC doesn’t fully understand a 1NC
argument
• Upsets happen when the 2AC doesn’t read offense
Classic
• Topicality
• Case
• Counterplans/kritiks
• Disadvantages in descending threat
Advanced
• Topicality
• Case
• Counterplans/kritik
• DAs in Nike Swoosh order
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Know your time allocation before you give the order
Call out predictable teams
Do not base it off of 1NC time allocation
Stick with your pre-speech time allocation
Places to save time
• Topicality
• Case
• Bad arguments
• First arguments on each page should be part of a winning
strategy
• Longest and best cards
• Establish credibility early with the judge
• Phrase every argument offensively
• Make every argument count
• Time sucks suck
• Make all relevant (winnable) theory arguments
• Always perm
• Specify solvency deficits
• Differentiate each advantage and each mechanism
• Quantify each solvency deficit so it can be weighed against the net-benny
• Identify and challenge the net-benefits
• Don’t read two cards that make the same argument EVER
• Differentiate your tags
• Negative block has a 2:1 or 3:1 time ratio based off of the
2AC
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Pre-empt 2NC cheating and nonsense
1NC kritik will never be the 2NR kritik
Leave nothing unchallenged
Defend the house
• Don’t forget about your 1AC
• Identify and research the theories the 1AC defends/relies on
• Keep your mouth shut
• Anything you want asked, write it down for the 1A to ask it
• Let the 1A make a list of evidence indicts to tell you during
prep or to bring up with you during your speech
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Start prepping out answers to the best possible 2NR
Write out impact overview using the context of the debate
2NR won’t make many new arguments there
Circle the arguments that the 2NR has to answer to win the
debate
• Start with the 2AR moment
• Take a step back and evaluate the big picture
• Look over your flow after you’ve written your 2AR out so you
remember what you’re saying
• Have the 1A get evidence cards for you
• Give the 1A 30-45 seconds at the beginning of prep to share
their thoughts
• Have the 1A look over your overview to make it more efficient
• What is the nexus question
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Argument that will decide the debate
Where are you winning
Where are you losing
What argument will decide every other
Tie everything other argument back to the 2AR moment
• Find it early, find it often
• First words of the 2AR are first words of RFD
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Go for 3 arguments
Don’t extend every argument you have
Keep track of the 2AR moment and don’t stray too far from it
Better to win 100% of 3 arguments than 49% of 7 arguments
Apply the arguments you’re soundly winning to everything else
on the flow
• You will not 100% of the arguments in the debate
• Making concessions to the negative on arguments you are losing
will gain trust with the judge and give credibility to other claims
you are making
• Keep track of the big picture
• Only answer the arguments that matter/are relevant
• Tell the judge why you’re ignoring certain arguments or why
they’re answered elsewhere
• Beauty of the 2AR
• Justify them
• Tie them back to 1AR language
• 2NR didn’t compare two arguments or explain why a particular argument
was wrong which puts the burden on the 2AR to now make that
comparison
• Arguments are not new if they are based off of 2NR mistakes that the
2AR should have the right to capitalize on
• 2AR is all about saying why your arguments matter
• Choose your strongest point and make it more important or
relevant to the judges decision than your opponents strongest
point
• Be confident in your ability and after the debate
• Be passionate