Cross-Examination Debate, also known as Policy Debate, is the oldest, most prestigious, and rigorous format of American academic debate. In the past decade or so, the amount of high school debate programs that have abandoned Policy Debate has been staggering and consequently had omitted some of the most important intellectual development opportunities to students. Many programs mention the feeling of lacking resources, coaching, opportunities to compete in Policy Debate, and also the struggle to find quality judging in the northeast. 

The Tri-State Debate League is the only local circuit in the New York City metropolitan area that not only offers Cross-Examination Debate at its tournaments, but also provides instruction, materials, and tiered divisions to lower the bar to entry and provide access to the most impactful activity available to young people. In addition to multiple divisions with distinct conditions to foster development, the Tri-State Debate League collaborates with evidence, lesson plans, and even tutorials and sessions at tournaments for debaters and coaches alike.

If you're a New York City area coach looking to start a new team, or run an existing program and would like to add Policy Debate to your listed events for your students, please reach out if you need any assistance! 

We're here to help! Be it finding consultant coaches, judges, materials, lesson plans, lectures, evidence or anything else - we're more than willing to aid any school that's interested in enabling their students with the most powerful academic activity available to young people!