Explanation of scoring prelims/semis and finals.

Number of Judges Needed

• An even or odd number of judges may be used for callbacks in preliminary and semifinal rounds. Half the judges selects leaders and half selects followers.

• An odd number of judges will be used in all final rounds to minimize the possibility of ties.
  A minimum of 5 judges is required; 7 or 9 judges are even better.

Preliminary and Semifinal Rounds

• In the preliminary and semifinal rounds, a callback system is used. In this system, each judge selects individuals for callback to the next round but does not rank them in any particular order.

• The Scorer converts each judge’s selections into points. 10 points for all selected individual, 5 thru 1 points for any alternates 1 thru 5, and 0 points for all not selected. Contestants are then ranked according to the total points sum.

• After the judges’ scores have been tallied, the Chief Judge determines how many individuals, or couples will be promoted to the next round.

• The Chief Judge’s scores are used only to break ties.

Tallying the Final Placements

• In the finals, each judge must place every couple in rank or order (1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, etc.). In a final with a large field of couples, the judges will concentrate on placing the top twelve couples.
  

• Duplicate placements are not permitted. If a judge mistakenly provides duplicate placements, the Chief Judge will request that the judge provide unique placements for each couple.
  

• A couple must have a majority of judges’ votes to be awarded a final placement.
  

• If no couple has a majority of votes, then the next placement is added to the previous placements (1st through 2nd, 1st through 3rd, etc.) until a majority is reached.
  

• If there is a tie, a larger majority beats a lower majority (for example, 5 votes beat 4 votes).
  

• If two or more couples have an equal majority (such as 4 votes each), then the next placement is added to the previous placements for those tied couples only.
  

• If two couples remain tied through all placements, then each judge’s placements for only those two couples are compared. The couple with a majority of higher placements wins.
  

• The Chief Judge’s scores are used only to break any remaining ties.