The Last Word

Enter Your Access Code

Submit Your Video Link

Paste the link to your Instagram video. Make sure you added @oozezicc as a collaborator on the post before submitting.

Once your match is decided, you can read the judges' feedback on your arguments here with the same code.

Register to Debate

Used to reach you if you win, keep it accurate.

Tell us why you want to be part of The Last Word and what you think about debating. 20 seconds to 1 minute, not longer or shorter. This is how we check you can hold a thought before a slot gets spent on you, not after. Post it wherever's easiest (Instagram, YouTube, Drive) and paste the link here.

Google Drive links only work for reviewers if sharing is set to "Anyone with the link" (Drive defaults to Restricted). Right-click the file in Drive → Share → change "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link", or your submission can't be reviewed.

Submission Received

Your video is under review. If it checks out, you'll receive your access code by email, that's your real confirmation you're in, not this message.

How The Last Word Works

The Last Word is a knockout style debate tournament where every argument is spoken and filmed, not written. Debaters register, get paired against each other, and are assigned a motion to argue. One debater argues for the motion and the other argues against it. Each match runs on a fixed 3-day schedule, ending with judges scoring both debaters as a whole. Whoever scores higher advances to the next round, and the tournament continues until only one debater remains.

How to register

1. Look for the registration button above. It will only be available once registration has officially opened for the current season.
2. Enter your name, Instagram handle and email, plus a link to a short video (20 seconds to 1 minute) telling us why you want to be part of The Last Word and what you think about debating.
3. An editor watches your video. If it checks out, you'll get your personal access code by email. Keep it safe and don't share it, you'll need it later to submit your arguments.
4. If a slot limit has been set, you will also see how many spots remain. Registration closes automatically once all spots are filled.

Once you are paired

When the bracket is set up, you will be paired against another debater and assigned a motion to argue, along with which side you are on, for the motion or against it. Both details will be visible on your card in the bracket. Each match then runs on the same 3-day schedule, all times West Africa Time (WAT):

1. Day 1: one debater posts their opening argument by 5pm WAT.
2. Day 2: the other debater posts their opening argument by 5pm WAT.
3. Day 3: both debaters post a final argument by 5pm WAT, responding to what's already been said.

Submitting stays open the whole way through, right up until judging begins, a slow connection or a late upload on your assigned day won't cost you your case. It closes the moment judging opens on Day 3.

Filming and submitting your argument

1. Film yourself making your argument for or against the motion you were assigned. Aim for 2-3 minutes per video.
2. Post the video to Instagram and tag Oozezi Creative Collective as a collaborator on the post.
3. Return to this page, find your card in the bracket, and click it. Enter your personal access code when prompted.
4. Paste the link to your Instagram post into the matching box (opening or final argument) and submit it. You can submit either one whenever it's ready, they don't have to go in at the same time.

Judging and scoring

Judges don't score anything until every argument is in, they review a debater's opening and final argument together before giving one holistic score, rather than judging each video in isolation. Judging is normally due to open at 5pm WAT on Day 3, but if both debaters finish everything earlier than that, judging opens immediately, there's no reason to make anyone wait once there's nothing left to submit. If anything is still missing once Day 3 arrives, judging runs in a 5pm-11pm WAT window each evening, reopening the next day at 5pm if it isn't finished by 11pm. Once every judge has scored both debaters, the match closes and the higher scoring debater advances automatically. Anyone visiting this page can see current scores and follow along.

What happens if it's a tie?

If the scores end up exactly tied, the match moves into One More Word, a sudden-death round. Both debaters get a single day to film and post one rebuttal each, directly answering the other's arguments, by 5pm WAT, keep it to 60 seconds or less. Judges then vote 5pm-11pm WAT that day on just the rebuttals to settle it. If that also ties, the match is put to the audience, both rebuttals are shared for a public vote, and the outcome decides who advances.

Judge feedback

Judges can leave written feedback along with each score. It's private: only you can read the feedback about you, and judges appear anonymously as Judge 1, Judge 2 and so on, next to the score each one gave you. Feedback is released once your match is decided. To read it, tap your name on the bracket, choose View Your Judge Feedback, and enter your debater code.

Watching arguments

Every submitted video can be watched directly from this page. Look for the Watch buttons on any debater's card, opening argument, final argument, and rebuttal (if the match reaches One More Word) each have their own. If a debater has not submitted a video yet, the card will say so instead.

Following the bracket

The bracket is shown as a tree with the final match in the center and every earlier round spreading outward from it. Lines connect each match to the one it feeds into, so you can trace how any debater's path to the final unfolds, or how far a particular debater made it before being eliminated. Eliminated debaters are greyed out and clearly marked.

Rules & Disqualification