debate?

Anyone here been on debate team ever? What is permissable? I'm specifically trying to figure out if name-calling and cursing are considered "debate". This comes from some trashtalking people on parrot_lovers were doing of me in the name of debate. To me it's a flame war, not a debate. Debate includes civil rational discussion with the presentation of facts and arguments, and the criticism of said facts/arguments, without ad hominem attacks. Flame wars consist primarily of personal attacks.