Dropped argument

A dropped argument occurs when one team has an opportunity to respond to a point and does not do so. The argument is then considered "dropped"; the opponent wins the point, and the team that dropped it is obligated not to attempt a response later. The phrase "omission is admission" is frequently used to describe this concept.

This concept arises from the limited time available in-round. If a team were allowed to postpone their response, they could hold off until the last possible speech, when their opponents could no longer respond to their rebuttal. The round flows much more smoothly and arguments are developed in much more detail when teams are required to respond at the earliest available opportunity.

There is controversy about whether all drops cause the opposing team to win the point. For example, many argue that if the dropped point had already been refuted in a prior speech and the opponent was merely repeating himself, the drop does not suddenly make the point valid. Others feel that all drops should be treated as a concession, regardless of the argument's prior history.

The concept of a dropped argument is a theoretical construct, not a rule of debate. Neither the NCFCA nor Stoa has an official rule stating that dropped arguments may not be picked up at a later time. However, the concept is so universally acknowledged to improve the quality of debate that it is rarely, if ever, questioned.