How dance competition scoring works
A routine's result is built in four steps: each judge gives a score, the scores are averaged, the average is matched to an award level, and the routine is ranked against the others in its category.
1. Each judge enters one score
Every judge on the panel enters a single score for the routine, from 0 to 99.99, to two decimal places. A judge may only hold one score per routine, so a correction replaces the earlier entry rather than adding a second one.
A competition can set a floor, the lowest score a judge is allowed to submit. Scores under the floor are refused at entry. Some panels also include awards-only judges, who hand out special awards and do not score.
2. The scores are averaged
The routine's score is the average of the judges' final scores, rounded to two decimals (half up, so 88.915 becomes 88.92). There is no fixed panel size: whatever number of judges scored the routine is what gets averaged.
| Score | |
|---|---|
| Judge 1 | 87.50 |
| Judge 2 | 89.00 |
| Judge 3 | 90.25 |
| Average | 88.92 |
One optional rule changes this: on a panel of exactly four judges, a competition can choose to drop the lowest score and average the other three.
3. The average sets the award level
Award levels (also called adjudication tiers) are score bands, each with a name and a range. The routine's rounded average is matched to the band it falls in. The bands are defined by the competition, so the names and cut-offs differ from one event to the next. How award levels work.
4. The routine is ranked in its category
Routines are grouped by category (size, classification, genre and age), and each category is sorted by average score, highest first. That order is the category placement. Overall awards are chosen separately, from the top scores across a wider group. Placements and overalls.
When two routines land on the same average, the competition's tie setting decides whether they share a place or are separated by a tie-break order. How ties are handled.
This is how CompSync tabulates.
Judges score on tablets, the averages, award levels, placements and overalls are worked out live, and the awards roll straight to the venue screens. Every rule on this page is a setting in your competition.
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