Two Books. One Product. A Guide for the 2026-27 NCFCA Season… Elements of Lincoln-Douglas: A Debate Handbook for Students & Coaches
Over the years, Lincoln-Douglas debaters have had casebooks, sourcebooks, handbooks, and research briefs. Years ago, Lasting Impact! introduced something different: our very first LD Guide.
It was a huge success!!
Since then, we’ve been flattered to see the idea of an LD “Guide” catch on. But debate keeps changing, students keep growing, and after more than a dozen years of working with thousands of competitors – including an abundance of speech and debate champions – we keep learning too. Along the way, we’ve also had the privilege of working with countless coaches, parents, and judges, all looking for resources to help them navigate the challenges of LD debate. This new two-book series equips Lincoln-Douglas students and coaches with the SKILLS to debate well and the TOOLS to tackle this year’s resolution.
So this year, we’ve taken the idea of the LD Guide even further. We’re excited to introduce a brand-new resource from Lasting Impact! for Lincoln-Douglas students, parents, and coaches:
Elements of Lincoln-Douglas: A Debate Handbook for Students & Coaches
And this year, your purchase includes two complete books for the price of one… Click HERE to purchase or read on….
BOOK ONE: Elements of Lincoln-Douglas: A Debate Handbook for Students & Coaches
From first-round fundamentals to advanced strategy, Elements of Lincoln-Douglas helps students understand not just WHAT to do in a debate round, but WHY and HOW it works.
This 125-page handbook covers LD essentials including case construction, values and criteria, argumentation and refutation, cross-examination, flowing, and affirmative and negative strategy. But good Lincoln-Douglas debate requires more than knowing the mechanics.
Elements of Lincoln-Douglas also helps students develop persuasion, narrative, ethical reasoning, worldview analysis, and the ability to weigh arguments well. Practical exercises and worksheets throughout the book help students put those concepts into action.
- For new students, it’s a foundation.
- For experienced debaters, it’s a resource for sharpening and expanding their skills.
- And for parents and coaches, it’s a handbook you can use throughout this season—and return to year after year.
BOOK TWO: The Lincoln-Douglas Content Guide: A Resolution-Specific Toolkit for Students & Coaches
Your purchase also includes our 90-page guide devoted entirely to the 2026–27 NCFCA Lincoln-Douglas resolution:
Resolved: It is just for a criminal justice system to value retribution over rehabilitation.
The Lincoln-Douglas Content Guide provides the background, key ideas, research, questions, applications, and possible lines of argument students need to truly understand this year’s topic and begin developing strong cases of their own.
This isn’t a collection of pre-packaged cases.
It’s a guide.
It is designed to help students wrestle with the resolution, explore different perspectives, ask better questions, research more effectively, and ultimately build arguments they understand and can defend themselves.
Created by People Who Are Still in the Trenches
One of the things we’re especially excited about with this year’s resources is the experience behind them.
Lead author Hillary Kolssak isn’t writing about LD from the sidelines. She is actively coaching debaters and judging rounds—online, in person, and at Nationals. She sees what students are doing, where they struggle, what judges are hearing, and how Lincoln-Douglas debate continues to evolve. She is coaching one of the larger Speech and Debate Clubs in the Nation.
Her co-author, Nathanael Kolssak, brings the perspective of someone who has competed at both the high school and collegiate levels. And these aren’t simply materials Hillary and Nathanael wrote—they are resources they use themselves in clubs, coaching, and camps each year.
Together, they bring years of first-hand competitor, coach, and judge experience to these resources. They know today’s debate world because they are actively part of it!! Both books are shaped by their first-hand experience and were written specifically with debaters, families, and coaches in mind.
Two Books. One Product. One Goal.
Helping students think well, prepare well, argue well, and become better debaters.
Together, these two books provide more than 200 pages of instruction, exercises, resolution analysis, research direction, and practical tools.
Our goal isn’t simply to help students win more rounds. It’s to help them develop clear thinking, strong communication, thoughtful research, ethical reasoning, and the ability to engage difficult ideas well… skills that matter long after the final ballot is turned in.
Get Both Books for the Price of One (On SALE now!)
$45 for members / $55 for non-members
For club pricing, please contact Lasting Impact!
Looking for Ready-to-Use Sample Cases?
That’s where our NCFCA LD Casebook comes in.
While The Elements of LD Handbook product helps students understand LD, the resolution, explore arguments and build cases of their own, our LD Casebook provides sample cases for students who want to see how arguments work together in a complete case.
Check out this year’s Casebook for NCFCA LD: