Scoring
Scoring
Official Bachata Dance Council scoring system for BDC recognised Bachata Jack & Jill competitions.
Head Scorer
Michael Tan
Head Scorer, Bachata Dance Council
BDC Scoring System
BDC uses the Relative Placement System to determine final placements in BDC recognised competitions.
Relative Placement is a scoring methodology commonly used in Jack & Jill partner dance competitions, including West Coast Swing.
Instead of simply adding or averaging numerical scores, each judge independently ranks the finalists.
Those individual rankings are then processed through the Relative Placement calculation to determine the final competition result.
The scoring system processes the judging panel's placements to determine the final competition result.
How Relative Placement Works
During a final, each judge independently places the competing couples from highest to lowest.
For example, where five couples compete in a final, each judge normally assigns placements from 1st through 5th.
| Judge Placement | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Judge's 1st place couple |
| 2 | Judge's 2nd place couple |
| 3 | Judge's 3rd place couple |
| 4 | Judge's 4th place couple |
| 5 | Judge's 5th place couple |
Relative Placement examines how many judges placed each couple at or above each placement position.
A majority of the judging panel determines the placement whenever possible.
Majority of Judges
Relative Placement is based on the collective decision of the judging panel.
The system first looks for a majority of judges who placed a couple at or above a particular position.
With five judges, a majority requires at least three judges.
If three or more judges place a couple 1st, that couple has a majority for 1st place.
If no couple has a majority for the position being calculated, Relative Placement progressively considers the next placement until a majority is established.
Why BDC Uses Relative Placement
Relative Placement allows judges to evaluate the competition independently while using the collective opinion of the judging panel to determine the result.
It also reduces the influence of an unusually high or unusually low placement from a single judge.
Heats & Qualifying Rounds
In heats and qualifying rounds, Leaders and Followers are evaluated individually.
Judges evaluate competitors according to the applicable BDC Judging Criteria and determine which competitors should advance to the next round.
Competitors receiving sufficient support from the judging panel are called back to the next round.
Final rounds evaluate the randomly formed Jack & Jill couples.
Final Round
Finalists dance with their assigned Jack & Jill partner according to the competition format.
Each judge independently ranks the finalist couples from highest to lowest.
The judges' placements are entered into the scoring system and the Relative Placement calculation determines the final ranking.
BDC uses the Relative Placement methodology to determine the result.
Different Judge Placements
It is normal for different judges to rank the same couple differently.
For example, one judge may place a couple 1st while another judge places the same couple 3rd or 4th.
This does not automatically mean there is a judging or scoring error.
Relative Placement combines the independent opinions of the judging panel to determine the overall result.
Scoring Responsibility
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Judges | Evaluate competitors using the applicable BDC Judging Criteria and submit their individual decisions. |
| Head Scorer | Verify scoring information and ensure the Relative Placement calculation is applied correctly. |
| Scoring System | Process the judges' submitted placements and calculate the competition result. |
Relative Placement Reference
Read the Relative Placement scoring reference directly below. The document explains the methodology used to calculate final placements.
Relative Placement Scoring Guide
Read the full scoring reference directly on the BDC website.