A contention is a main argument within a debate case. Where a full case is the entire set of arguments a team presents, a contention is one of the individual building blocks. Most debate cases are built around 2-4 distinct contentions, each with its own internal claim, warrant, and impact.
How Many Contentions Should a Case Have?
Most strong debate cases have between two and four main contentions. Fewer than two feels thin; more than four spreads speaking time too thin for each contention to receive proper warranting. Three is often considered the sweet spot - enough to cover the motion from multiple angles while leaving time to develop each one properly.
Independent Contentions
Good contentions are independent - the judge should be able to accept one even if they reject the others. That way, if the opposing team successfully rebuts your first contention, your case does not collapse. This is sometimes called making your case robust to attack.