The National Parliamentary Debate Association is the largest national intercollegiate debate organization in the United States, with between 200-250 schools attending at least one tournament during the course of the year. The NPDA is about encouraging extemporaneous two-on-two debate. The styles of debate vary across the country, from traditional public-centered debate to more policy-oriented debate. We believe that no matter where a debate occurs, students need to be prepared to debate about a variety of topics. We also believe that parliamentary debate fosters more knowledgeable and engaged citizens.
Enter the world of parliamentary debate
The NPDA has a listserv where updates and tournament invitations are regularly sent. It's one of the easiest ways to stay up to date.
You can also visit Net Benefits, a forum for discussion of parliamentary debate. Tournament invites and updates are frequently posted there first.
The NPDA maintains season-long school rankings based on performance at its sanctioned tournaments. Schools earn points for their top four performing teams at each tournament, and are ranked based on the aggregation of their top four tournaments.
You can view rankings for the current (2020 - 2021) season here.
NPDA-sanctioned tournaments are held around the country each academic year. You can check out the list here to find one near you.
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