Judgeasy
How to Use Judgeasy
Complete guide to scoring your dance competition using the Relative Placement (RP) system
Quick Start
Choose contest type (Finals/Prelims)
Add judges and dancers
Enter scores/votes
Calculate & download results
Contest Types
Finals
- • For final rounds with complete rankings
- • Each judge ranks dancers from 1 to N
- • Uses full Relative Placement calculation
- • Determines exact placement order
- • Perfect for finals, semi-finals, or small rounds
Prelims/Call-backs
- • For preliminary rounds with many dancers
- • Judges vote Yes/Alt/No for each dancer
- • Select specific number to advance
- • Handles ties by including all tied dancers
- • Ideal for large fields needing reduction
Finals Mode
Step 1: Set Up Judges
- Click "Add" button in the Judges section
- Enter judge names (e.g., "Judge Smith", "Ms. Johnson")
- Remove judges using the trash icon if needed
Head Judge System (Optional)
- • Check "Use Head Judge System" to enable
- • Select which judge is the head judge using radio button
- • Choose head judge mode:
- Included in vote: Head judge votes count toward majority with extra weight (1.5-5 votes)
- Tiebreaker only: Head judge scores used only to break ties, not counted in majority
- • Set head judge vote weight if using "Included in vote" mode
Step 2: Add Dancers/Couples
- Click "Add" button in the Dancers section
- Enter dancer/couple names or numbers
- Common formats: "Couple #101", "John & Jane", "Dancer 23"
- Add all competing dancers/couples
Step 3: Enter Rankings
- Each judge ranks dancers from 1 to N (N = number of dancers)
- 1 = Best, higher numbers = lower placement
- No ties allowed - each judge must use unique rankings
- Use keyboard shortcuts for faster entry:
- ↑↓←→ Arrow keys to navigate
- Tab to move right
- Enter to move down
- Type number to replace current value
Note: If using "Tiebreaker only" head judge mode, you can skip entering head judge scores initially. They'll only be used if needed to break ties.
Step 4: Calculate & Review Results
- Click "Calculate Results" button
- System validates all entries and shows errors if any
- Results display includes:
- Final Placement: Official ranking with trophy icons for top 3
- Majority at: Column where dancer achieved majority
- Sum Total: Tiebreaker calculation
- Tiebreaker Used: Shows which rule determined placement if tied
- Detailed Calculation: Full breakdown showing:
- Each judge's ranking for each dancer
- Vote accumulation at each column
- Majority achievement (highlighted in yellow)
- Sum totals in parentheses
Prelims/Call-backs Mode
Step 1: Configure Selection
- Set "Dancers to advance" - how many should proceed to next round
- System will select top X dancers, including all ties
- Set "Alt vote weight" (default 0.5):
- 0 = Alt votes have no value
- 0.5 = Alt votes worth half a Yes vote
- 1 = Alt votes equal to Yes votes
- View recommended minimum Yes votes per judge
Step 2: Enter Votes
- For each dancer, judges vote:
- Y (Yes): Dancer should advance
- A (Alt): Alternate/maybe
- - (No): Should not advance
- Use keyboard shortcuts:
- Press Y for Yes
- Press A for Alt
- Press - or N for No
- Arrow keys to navigate
- Colors indicate vote type:
- Green = Yes vote
- Yellow = Alt vote
- Gray = No vote
Step 3: Review Prelim Results
- Results sorted by:
- 1. Yes vote count (highest first)
- 2. Total score (Yes + Alt × weight)
- Visual indicators:
- Gray lines = Natural breaks between different scores
- Red line = Selection cutoff
- Green "ADVANCE" = Selected dancers
- Selection Summary shows:
- Target vs actual selected count
- If ties caused extra selections
- Natural break positions
Understanding the Scoring Systems
Finals: Relative Placement (RP)
RP determines winners by finding which dancer first achieves a majority of votesat each placement level.
- • Majority = More than half of total votes
- • Count votes at 1st, then 1st-2nd combined, then 1st-3rd, etc.
- • First to reach majority wins that placement
- • Tiebreakers: vote count → sum total → next scores → head-to-head
Prelims: Target Selection
Prelims advance a specific number of dancers to the next round.
- • Dancers ranked by Yes votes, then total score
- • Top X dancers advance (X = your target)
- • Natural breaks respected - tied dancers all advance
- • Alt votes provide flexibility for borderline dancers
Example: Target 6 dancers to advance. If dancers ranked 6 and 7 have identical scores (same Yes votes and total score), both advance to maintain fairness.
Control Buttons
Calculate Results
Validates entries and calculates final placements
Recalculate
Returns to scoring view to make changes
Clear Scores
Removes all scores but keeps judges/dancers
Clear All
Resets everything to start fresh
Download Excel
Exports complete results with:
- • Final rankings and placements
- • Detailed calculation breakdown
- • Raw scores from all judges
- • Vote system summary
- • Timestamp and contest type
Pro Tips
For Finals
- • Double-check no duplicate rankings per judge
- • Use consistent dancer numbering system
- • Consider head judge for experienced officials
- • Review detailed calculation to verify results
For Prelims
- • Set realistic advancement targets
- • Brief judges on Yes/Alt/No criteria
- • Use Alt votes for borderline dancers
- • Check natural breaks before finalizing
General Tips
- • Test first: Practice with sample data before live events
- • Save results: Always download Excel file for records
- • Clear naming: Use consistent format for all dancers
- • Keyboard navigation: Much faster than clicking
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I use Finals vs Prelims mode?
Use Finals for final rounds, semi-finals, or any round where you need exact placements (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). Use Prelims for large fields where you're selecting a specific number to advance to the next round.
What's the difference between head judge modes?
"Included in vote" means the head judge's extra votes count toward reaching majority. "Tiebreaker only" means their score is only consulted if regular judges produce a tie. Most competitions use "Included in vote" mode.
Can judges give tied rankings in Finals?
No, the RP system requires each judge to give unique rankings (1 through N) with no ties. This ensures clear mathematical calculations.
What happens to tied dancers in Prelims?
If dancers are tied at the cutoff point (same Yes votes and total score), all tied dancers advance. This is why you might select 25 dancers when your target was 24.
How should judges use Alt votes?
Alt votes are for dancers on the borderline - not quite Yes, but better than No. They help with close decisions and provide flexibility in the selection process.
Is my competition data saved?
Data is temporarily stored in your browser only. Always download the Excel file for permanent records. Refreshing the page will clear all data.
Can I edit scores after calculating?
Yes! Click "Recalculate" to return to the scoring view, make changes, then calculate again. Your previous entries remain until you explicitly clear them.