While constructive arguments establish the foundation for debate, the heart and soul of a debate lies in the rebuttal. While technically refutation and rebuttal are two different processes, in practice they are interchangeable.
Refutation is the process of finding flaws in the opponent s arguments, reasoning and evidence.
Rebuttal refers to the process of re-establishing your own arguments or case, responding to the opponents arguments, or extending an argument already in play. Reasoning is the process by which we make logical connections between ideas and evidence. Skilled debaters learn to understand how these three processes interplay during a debate. Instruct the judge as to where you are on the flow. Indicate specific arguments, including new ones.