A Special Type of Rebuttal: Overview

This rebuttal groups two or more arguments together based on a similar flaw. An overview identifies a systemic flaw that occurs throughout the case. This rebuttal is effective because it condenses responses. Moreover, Overview allows you to paint a picture of a big flaw in your opponents’ case more than argument based responses. Overview can use any of the aforementioned types of rebuttal. Overview tends to be most effective for the following types of rebuttal. Josh Zoffer also discusses this area in his Framework lecture.


Evidence (Biased approach? All partisan sources? Not a holistic view of resolution? Only one type of evidence? Only short term? Only long term? Anecdotal or isolated examples? etc.)

Impacts (outside scope of resolution, extremely low probability, all rely on the same link that doesn’t work)

Logic (a logical flaw runs throughout the case, a problematic assumption is required to believe arguments, all are theoretical not realistic, arguments rely on correlation and not causation etc.) (Zoffer).

If you use an Overview, place it at the beginning of the Rebuttal. An Overview should occur before LBL analysis because it spans the entire case or at least two arguments. Also, it is more time efficient to state the Overview argument once rather than apply it to each argument. Don’t waste your time reiterating the Overview in your LBL analysis. You do want to repeat the Overview in your Summary and Final Focus speeches.