Official Rules and Regulations

Article I: Administration and Organization

Section 1.1: Required Staff
The following administrative staff shall be present at all official Duel of Concepts debates:
- One (1) Debate Moderator
- One (1) Timekeeper
- Two (2) Fact Checkers
- Three (3) Judges

Article II: Debate Formats

Section 2.1: Authorized Formats
Debates shall be conducted in one of the following formats:
1. One-on-One Format: Individual debaters
2. Three-on-Three Format: Team-based debate
3. Handicapped Format: Only permitted when:
   - A team member becomes unavailable due to emergency
   - The opposing team explicitly agrees to proceed
   - Otherwise, the debate shall be postponed or rescheduled

Article III: Debate Structure and Time Allocations

Section 3.1: Opening Statements
- Maximum duration: Five (5) minutes per debater or team
- Must be delivered at the commencement of the debate

Section 3.2: Main Rounds
- Three (3) rounds total
- Duration options:
  - Six (6) minutes per round, or
  - Seven (7) minutes per round
  - Final duration to be determined during pre-debate meeting

Section 3.3: Rebuttal and Counter Rounds
- Three (3) rebuttal rounds: Four (4) minutes each
- Three (3) counter rounds: Four (4) minutes each

Section 3.4: Grace Period
- One (1) minute grace period allowed per debater if necessary

Article IV: Scoring and Judging

Section 4.1: Scoring Protocol
- Judges must withhold all scoring until the completion of all rounds
- Each judge may award between zero (0) and six (6) points per round
- Audience participation: One (1) additional point available per round via viewer's choice

Section 4.2: Judging Criteria
Rounds shall be evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. Direct address of the topic
2. Clarity of position
3. Persuasiveness of argumentation
4. Presentation of specific evidence
5. Identification of opposing arguments' weaknesses
6. Effectiveness of counter-arguments and responses

Article V: Fact-Checking Procedures

Section 5.1: Request Protocol
- Fact checks may only be requested at the beginning of a rebuttal round
- Each side receives one minute and thirty seconds (1:30) to respond to fact checks
- Time used for fact-checking does not count against debate time

Section 5.2: Scoring Impact
- If information is proven incorrect: One (1) point deduction for the presenting party
- If information is proven correct: No penalty for the requesting party

Article VI: General Provisions

Section 6.1: Pre-Debate Meeting
A pre-debate meeting must be held to:
- Confirm round durations
- Review rules and procedures
- Address any questions or concerns

Section 6.2: Modifications
Any modifications to these rules must be:
- Agreed upon by all participating parties
- Documented in writing
- Approved by the Debate Moderator

Article VII: Code of Conduct

Section 7.1: Professional Conduct
All participants shall:
- Maintain professional decorum
- Show respect to opponents and staff
- Adhere to time limitations
- Accept judicial decisions as final

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These rules and regulations are binding for all official Duel of Concepts debates. Violation may result in point deduction or disqualification at the discretion of the Debate Moderator.