 Running between November and February, it operates on a knockout basis, with the initial entrants (usually between 150-170 teams) being whittled down over successive rounds, culminating in a Grand Final with four teams and four individuals competing for team honours (The Demosthenes Trophy) and an individual prize (The Christina Murphy Memorial Trophy).The format of the competition is now unique in third-level debating, combining team and individual roles.The first round consists solely of team entrants, from which both teams and individuals progress, thus creating subsequent rounds featuring both.