Try IPDA Debate
IPDA (International Public Debate Association) is an accessible debate format for high schoolers, college students, and adults. You and your opponent are given five topics and assigned affirmative or negative sides. You have 30 minutes to eliminate your least favorite topics until you have one left, research your side, and be ready to debate and cross-examine your opponent for around another 30 minutes.
Here’s an example of me debating in 2024.
I think IPDA is my favorite form of debate. It keeps me humble and sharp.
Humble
In 2024, I set the all-time record for most wins in the professional division of a single IPDA season. I always got a ‘top speaker’ award. I never lost before the semifinal round of any contest.
But I still lost, on average, one out of every six rounds.
IPDA doesn’t let you believe your own hype. Anybody can lose to anybody else.
IPDA is the only debate format where literally anyone can enter and anyone can judge. No pre-set paradigms. No theory blocks. No assurance your judge even likes debate. You win by making a stranger care.
In popular formats like Public Forum or Lincoln-Douglas, you tailor your presentations to judge philosophies. You prep blocks (anticipated responses to your opponents). There is a lot of merit to this, of course, but IPDA is a different game.
In IPDA, your judge might be a professor, a pastor, a poet, a plumber. You don't adapt to a paradigm/judges’ preferences because they’re never published. You just guess.
You go too fast, you lose. You go too slow, you lose. You’re too cute? Too harsh? Too technical? Too silly? You lose. Misread your judge’s body language? You lose.
And that’s okay. In fact, it’s awesome.
Every round is feedback from the real world. Every loss is a lesson in communication. Every win is a reminder that clarity is key.
During my record-breaking run, I was nauseous before nearly every round. I put a lot of pressure on myself. Every ballot felt like a referendum on whether I deserved to be listed next to past greats. I read a lot of James Norbury and reminded myself: nobody’s going to remember who won what in 50 years. But they’ll remember how you made them feel.
Did you remember any of this? Michael Jordan lost 60 times in the playoffs. Tom Brady lost 84 regular season games. Tiger Woods lost three playoffs and 949 tournaments. Serena Williams ended her career on a loss.
Every time I judge or compete now, I focus on creating an environment that’ll help me, my judge, and my opponent feel good (even when it involves admitting that I misunderstood arguments or missed evidence).
Sharp
In 30 minutes, you prep 11 minutes of content. No internet. No teammate. No prep file.
The topics range from Taylor Swift to universal basic income. From metaethics to Megan Thee Stallion. You need background knowledge. You need curious. And you need to be open to discussing a little about everything.
I’ve debated grad students with law degrees, undergrads with economics research under their belts, and 50-year-old professionals with ten lifetimes of lived experience. And I’ve lost (at least once) to all sorts of people. I love it.
More People Should Try This!
The Pro division is still concentrated in the Deep South. It deserves more reach. More students. More city kids. More community college champions. More unconventional voices.
Debate is one of the last spaces where strangers get to connect for an hour at a time. In a world of bots and scraping and doomscrolling, that matters. Have you heard that over 51% of all internet traffic is bot-generated now? Give me meaningful interactions with people, please.
I keep learning. Because I keep losing. But I also am more confident than I’ve ever been—because, under the right conditions, I can convince anyone of anything.
Do this next:
Try one IPDA round. Do it with a friend. Have a third one judge. It’ll just take an hour. Resources are linked here.
Ask your judge what they felt, not just what they wrote down or who won.
Record your rebuttal and watch it back without sound. Did your body language sell it?
