Prep time is one of the most misunderstood timing elements in competitive debate. Most mobile timer apps handle it incorrectly — they treat it as a per-speech countdown rather than a shared pool. This guide explains exactly how prep time works in LD, Policy, and Public Forum, and why the shared pool model matters.
A prep time pool is a shared bank of time that a debater or team draws from before any of their speeches. The pool is not reset between speeches — it is consumed cumulatively across the entire round. Once it runs out, it is gone.
This is fundamentally different from a per-speech timer. A per-speech timer gives a debater, say, 2 minutes before each speech independently. A pool gives them 4 minutes total to use however they choose across all their speeches.
| Format | Pool size | Shared between |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln-Douglas | 4 minutes | Each debater has their own pool |
| Policy (CX) | 8 minutes | Both partners on a team share one pool |
| Public Forum | 3 minutes | Both partners on a team share one pool |
| Parliamentary / WSDC / BP | None | No prep pool — speeches run back-to-back |
When a debater or team wants to use prep time, they call "prep" and the judge starts their pool clock. When they are ready to speak, they say "ready" and the judge stops the clock. The remaining time is noted and carries forward to their next prep call.
In LD, each debater manages their own pool independently. In Policy and PF, the two partners share a single pool — either partner can call prep, and the time counts against the shared pool regardless of which partner uses it.
Most mobile debate timer apps treat prep time as a simple countdown that resets each speech. When a debater calls prep, the app starts a 4-minute countdown. When they stop it, the app records nothing — the next time they call prep, they get another 4 minutes.
This is incorrect. In a real round, a debater who uses 3 minutes before the 1AR has only 1 minute left for the rest of the round. An app that resets the countdown each time will give them 4 full minutes before the 2AR, which is wrong.
DebateClock uses a proper shared pool model — the pool counts down cumulatively and the remaining time carries forward exactly as the rules require.
As a judge, your job is to track each debater's (or team's) remaining prep accurately. Here is the correct procedure:
DebateClock automates all of this. The pool for each side counts down when you tap "Start Prep" and stops when you tap again. The remaining time is visible throughout the round and carries forward automatically.
LD, Policy, PF — all formats with correct prep pool logic. Two-device sync. No signup.
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