How scoring works
Judges give you a score from 0 to 10, but your placement isn't decided by adding those points. It's decided by how many judges placed you ahead of the others. This system is called relative placement (the “skating system”), and it's the standard at the biggest Jack & Jill competitions in the world. Here's why, and exactly how it works.
Fair to every judge
Every judge uses the scale differently. One judge's 7 is another judge's 9: same opinion, different numbers. If we simply add points, the judge with the biggest numbers quietly gets the biggest vote. Watch what happens to the same two dancers:
| Judge A | Judge B | Judge C | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You | 7.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 19.0 |
| Rival | 6.5 | 5.5 | 10 | 22.0 |
Rival wins by 3 points, even though two of the three judges thought you danced better. Judge C's love of big numbers single-handedly decided the result.
| Judge A | Judge B | Judge C | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You | #1 | #1 | #2 | 2 of 3 say #1 |
| Rival | #2 | #2 | #1 | 1 of 3 |
Each judge's scores are turned into their personal ranking first. Now the question is simply: who does the majority put on top? You do: 2 judges out of 3. You win. A “10” and a “6.0” count exactly the same when they mean the same thing: “this judge's favourite”.
Step by step
01
Nothing changes on the floor. Every judge watches every dancer and gives a score from 0 to 10. Strict judges stay strict, generous judges stay generous. It won't matter.
02
Inside each judge's scorecard, the highest score becomes that judge's #1, the next becomes #2, and so on. This puts every judge on the same scale: their own order of preference. A strict judge's 7.0 and a generous judge's 9.5 can both mean the same thing: “my favourite”.
03
For 1st place we ask: “does a majority of judges (e.g. 2 of 3, or 4 of 7) have someone at #1?” If not, we widen the question: “…at #2 or better? #3 or better?” The first dancer to convince a majority takes the place. That's the “Top N” you see on the leaderboard. Then we repeat for 2nd, 3rd…
04
If two dancers reach a majority at the same level, they're separated in a fixed order, and if they're truly inseparable, the placement is shared (T-4, T-4). The full order is at the bottom of this page.
Interactive
These are real-looking scores from 3 judges for 6 dancers. Edit any score and watch the placements, the judges' personal rankings (the small #2 under each score) and the step-by-step explanation update live.
| Dancer | Judge 1scores strictly | Judge 2scores generously | Judge 3scores mid-range | Total(not used for ranking) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valentina Rojas🇨🇴 Colombia | their #2 | their #4 | their #2 | 23.5 |
| Mateusz Kowalski🇵🇱 Poland | their #3 | their #1 | their #3 | 24.0 |
| Aisha Benali🇫🇷 France | their #1 | their #5 | their #4 | 22.5 |
| Diego Martín🇪🇸 Spain | their #4 | their #2 | their #5 | 22.0 |
| Chiara Esposito🇮🇹 Italy | their #5 | their #3 | their #1 | 23.0 |
| Yudelka Santos🇩🇴 Dom. Republic | their #6 | their #6 | their #6 | 18.5 |
Try the judges' score dial
This is how judges score on their phone. Pick a dancer, then swipe the ruler or tap a mark to change Judge 1's score. The orange tags show where the other dancers sit.
| Rank | Dancer | Advances | Confirmed at | Judge 1 | Judge 2 | Judge 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valentina Rojas🇨🇴 Colombia | ✓ Advances | Top 2 | #2 | #4 | #2 |
| 2 | Mateusz Kowalski🇵🇱 Poland | ✓ Advances | Top 3 | #3 | #1 | #3 |
| 3 | Chiara Esposito🇮🇹 Italy | ✓ Advances | Top 3 | #5 | #3 | #1 |
| 4 | Aisha Benali🇫🇷 France | — | Top 4 | #1 | #5 | #4 |
| 5 | Diego Martín🇪🇸 Spain | — | Top 4 | #4 | #2 | #5 |
| 6 | Yudelka Santos🇩🇴 Dom. Republic | — | Top 6 | #6 | #6 | #6 |
2 dancers placed differently under the two systems (highlighted). Every difference is a case where one judge's scoring style, not the judges' opinions, would have changed the result.
When dancers are close
The majority needed is always a strict majority of the judges who scored you: 2 of 3, 3 of 5, 4 of 7, 6 of 10. Relative placement is the standard at WSDC events, NASDE and the World Latin Dance Cup.
Used in some rounds
The judges decide. The dancers settle the close calls.
01
With skating, same as always.
02
Everyone picks their top 3 of the other role. Most points = 1st.
03
10 judges + the vote counts like 2 judges: judges 83%, dancers 17%. Each event shows its own number.
04
Judges' place x 10, because there are 10 judges. Dancers' place x 2, because the vote counts like 2 judges.
Bea: 7th x 10 + 1st x 272
Ana: 6th x 10 + 10th x 280
Bea goes ahead and takes the last place in the final.
Who picked whom is public once the results are published, like each judge's marks.
See it in action
Every qualifier publishes its results round by round, with each placement and the majority behind it.
