Competitive Debate is a large and growing activity both at the high school and college level. Nearly every high school and college in America has a debate club and/or a debate team. There literally hundreds of competitions at the county and state level, culminating in heated national competitions held by the American Debate Association, the Cross Examination Debate Association, and the National Debate Tournament. First and second places at these competitions are hard-won and highly prized by college admission and scholarship committees. Yet, at many high schools and colleges, coaches are drawn from the history or English departments with little or no experience in the highly structured procedures of this popular discipline. And, while competitive debate has been growing each year as a prime academic activity, there is no popular handbook to help students and coaches alike prepare for contests effectively and efficiently. Until now.  Dr. Richard Edwards - award winning debate coach, professor, former competitive debate judge, and author - fills this gap with Competitive Debate: The Official Guide. In a clear, concise, jargon-free, and informal manner, Dr. Edwards leads the reader through the three popular formats of competitive debate: Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Public Forum Debate. He is practical and authoritative in his approach, including not only tips and guidelines for effective preparation and delivery, but full length, actual transcripts of successful competitions in each format. Endorsed by the two national governing bodies for competitive debate - the National Federation of State High School Associations and the National Forensic League - and priced for the budget-conscious student and high school teacher alike. Competitive Debate: The Official Guide is set to be become the instructional 'bible' for tens of thousands of present and future debaters and their coaches.