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My times
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An audio file up to 1 MB. It stays in this browser and appears as "My sound" in the Sound list.
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Read next: Debate speech times by format: BP, World Schools, Lincoln-Douglas and Model UNAll 8 timers
Debate timer with format presets
Pick the format and the speech times are already right, including the protected minutes at each end when points of information cannot be offered.
The short answer
In British Parliamentary, speeches are seven minutes, with the first and last minute protected — no points of information may be offered during them. World Schools uses eight-minute substantive speeches and four-minute replies. Pick a format below and those points are set for you.
Three steps to a timer on the wall
Step 1: Choose a time
Pick a preset or set your own. The timer remembers what you used last on this device.
Step 2: Press start
Start the timer, then press F or the fullscreen button to fill the screen.
Step 3: Run the room
Space pauses, the up arrow adds a minute, R resets. Fullscreen shows the timer alone, with no ads and no navigation.
Four things worth knowing
Green marks the end of protected time
In BP and Worlds the first minute is protected. Green here means points of information may now be offered, which is exactly when the room needs to know.
Amber is the one-minute warning
Amber falls a minute before the end, which in BP and Worlds is also when protected time resumes and offers must stop.
Let it run past red
The clock keeps counting so you can record the overrun. Most formats allow a short grace period, after which material is discounted rather than the speech being stopped.
Put it where the speaker can see it
A laptop on the table facing the floor does the job. Timing signals only work if the person speaking can act on them.
No ads on your big screen
Ads pay for this page, and they stay on this page. The moment the timer goes fullscreen there is nothing on screen but the time — no banners, no navigation, no surprises in front of a room.
- Fullscreen shows the timer alone
- Ad sounds can never clash with the alarm
- Saved times stay on your device — no account
- Works with an ad blocker, and offline once loaded
Questions people ask
Anything we've missed?
How long is a British Parliamentary speech?
Seven minutes. The first and last minute are protected, meaning points of information may not be offered during them — so the window for offering runs from the one-minute mark to the six-minute mark.
What are the World Schools times?
Substantive speeches are eight minutes and reply speeches are four. As in BP, the first and last minute of substantive speeches are protected; no points of information are offered during reply speeches at all.
What about Lincoln-Douglas?
The standard structure is a six-minute affirmative constructive, three minutes of cross-examination, a seven-minute negative constructive, three more of cross-examination, then a four-minute first affirmative rebuttal, a six-minute negative rebuttal and a three-minute second affirmative rebuttal.
How much overrun is allowed?
It varies by format and tournament, but a grace period of around fifteen to twenty seconds is common, after which judges are told to disregard further material. Check your tournament's own rules.
Can I set custom times?
Yes. Every preset can be adjusted, and the three signal points can be set to whatever your league uses.
Does it work without internet?
Once the page has loaded, yes. It runs entirely in your browser, which matters in school halls with unreliable wifi.
Time something specific
Guides worth reading
- Debate
Debate speech times by format: BP, World Schools, Lincoln-Douglas and Model UN
Speech lengths, protected time and points of information for British Parliamentary, World Schools, Lincoln-Douglas and Model UN, with how to time each one.
7 min read - Toastmasters
Toastmasters timing rules: green, amber and red for every speech type
What the timing lights mean, the exact times for every speech type, and the 30-second rule that disqualifies contestants. Plus how to run the timer role.
6 min read
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