How can I become a member of the YDA?
Shortly before classes begin in the fall, the YDA hosts a short tryout process. Prospective members are given five minutes to argue in favor of a prompt, then five minutes to prepare a five-minute speech opposing a prompt. After delivering that speech in front of the team's Executive Board, the Board briefly asks questions and then deliberates. 

I have no debate experience. Can I still join the YDA?
Absolutely! Many of our most successful debaters have no debate experience prior to joining the team. In fact, the YDA has had national champions and world finalists who came to Yale with little to no debate experience before. If you have any questions, please reach out!

How many members does the YDA accept annually?
This number varies from year to year, depending on the strength of the tryouts and the openings on the team. We try to keep the team's total membership between 40 and 50, so we accept roughly 15-20 students a year.

I missed tryouts my freshman year. Can I still join the YDA?
Absolutely. The YDA accepts several sophomores each fall, and exceptional juniors may be considered. 

What tournaments does the YDA host?
The YDA hosts four tournaments annually:
The Yale IV is an international competition conducted in the British Parliamentary style of the World Universities Debating Championships. Yale APDA, an American Parliamentary Debate Association tournament.
The Yale Invitational is a national-circuit high school competition. The Osterweis Tournament is a free-entry tournament for Connecticut high school students.

Where and in what style does the YDA compete?
The YDA competes exclusively in parliamentary debate, emphasizing extemporaneous creativity over exhaustive research. We are a member of the American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA), a league including the rest of the Ivy League, most universities on the East Coast, Stanford, and the University of Chicago. As a result, we regularly compete in the American Parliamentary format. The YDA also travels internationally to Canada, the UK, and elsewhere (including Mexico, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Thailand, in past years) to prepare for and compete in the World Universities Debating Championships, conducted in the British Parliamentary format.