Tricks

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Overview

Tricks, broadly speaking, are debate arguments that are abusive and difficult to respond to. Tricky arguments are usually abusive either because they are hidden and intended for you to concede or because they are logically difficult to rebut. Tricky arguments are usually intended to provide a short and easy path to the ballot for the debater reading them, which is to say they are especially dangerous when conceded. Tricks can be strategic if you have a judge willing to evaluate such arguments, if you are more technically proficient than your opponent, or if you know your opponent is inexperienced at responding to tricks. When running tricks, however, you run the risk of heaving theory or kritiks read against you that criticize your practice.

Substantive Tricks

Substantive tricks attempt to win the substantive layer of debate. Many substantive tricks apply to the philosophical framework in round.


Truth Testing and a Prioris are two arguments that when combined together show why the resolution is inherently true or false. These are perhaps the most common substantive tricks.

Permissibility Triggers are arguments that prove one debater's framework triggers permissibility, which is equivalent to proving that their framework fails to generate moral obligations. These arguments often take the form of a calc indict, a philosophical reason why a framework fails.

Hijacks are arguments that show why the justifications for one debater's framework actually justify a different framework. Hijacks are typically combined with offense that shows why that other framework affirms or negates.

Skepticism Triggers are arguments that prove one debater's framework is necessary to avoid moral skepticism. That is, if that debater's framework were proven false, then moral skepticism would be true.

Moral Skepticism is a position ran often by the negative that claims that attaining morality is meaningless or impossible. Naturally, this would answer the affirmative's framework.

Determinism is a position ran often by the negative that claims all of our actions have been predetermined since the beginning of the universe, which means agents do not have free will and are not responsible for their actions. Similar to skepticism, this denies the existence of moral obligations.

Theory Tricks

[Insert brief description of theory tricks with links to Frivolous Theory, Long Underviews, and Theory Heavy 1NCs.

Responding to Tricks

[Brief description to give people confidence in responding to tricks (you can do it!) with links to Uplayering Tricks with Theory and Uplayering Tricks with Ks.]