Type judge A's places down the column, then judge B's. Paste from a spreadsheet works too.
How the skating system works
Each judge places every couple in each dance, 1st to last, with no ties. The skating system then works dance by dance on majorities of judges, not on averages.
In one dance, a couple placed 1st by a majority of judges (3 of 5, 4 of 7) wins it. If nobody has that, count 1st and 2nd places together and look again, then 1st to 3rd, and so on. When several couples reach a majority in the same column, the bigger majority goes first (Rule 6); the same majority goes to the lower total of those marks, then to the next column (Rule 7).
With several dances, each couple's places are added (Rule 9) and the lowest total wins. Equal totals go to the couple with more places as good as the place being decided, then to the lower sum of those places (Rule 10). If that still ties, all marks from all dances are worked as one big dance (Rule 11).
Try the final that the WDSF uses to explain the rules: 8 couples, 5 judges, Foxtrot and Tango, three Rule 11 ties.
Callback rounds
In heats, quarter-finals and semi-finals each judge marks the couples they want to see again. The couples with the most marks go through. When couples tie at the cut, the desk shows both choices, for example 4 or 7 couples instead of 6, and the chairperson picks one.
Questions
What is the skating system in ballroom dancing?
It is the standard way to score ballroom and Latin finals, approved by Britain's Official Board of Ballroom Dancing in 1947. Each judge places every couple, and results come from majorities of judges in each dance, then from adding places across dances.
How many judges make a majority?
More than half the panel: 2 of 3, 3 of 5, 4 of 7, 5 of 9. An even panel still needs more than half, so 4 of 6. Odd panels make ties less likely.
How can a couple win without winning a dance?
The overall result adds each couple's places across the dances. A couple placed 2nd in all five dances has a total of 10 and beats a couple that won two dances but came 5th in the other three, a total of 17.
What does 3½ mean on a marks sheet?
Two couples who stay tied for 3rd and 4th in a dance through the last column share the mean, 3½. It is added as 3½ in the final summary, and Rule 10 counts it as a 4th-or-better place. It is announced as a tie for 3rd.
What happens if couples are still tied after Rule 11?
There is no Rule 12. The Chairman of Adjudicators decides: usually a dance-off for 1st, and a shared place lower down. The calculator shows the tie as a shared place until you decide.
Why does another program show a tie that this one breaks?
In Rule 11, if no couple has a majority at the place being decided, or two couples have the same majority and sum, the WDSF and DanceSport Australia texts carry on to the next column, then the next. Some programs stop at the first column and report a tie. The marks sheet shows which column decided.
Does it work for American Smooth, Rhythm or a single dance?
Yes. Pick any dances, or just one. A one-dance final uses Rules 5 to 8 only, so there is no final summary.
Is this official scrutineering software?
No. It follows the published rules and was checked against the WDSF worked examples, the DanceSport Australia study guide and 57 real published finals. If your federation requires approved software, use that; this is for club, studio and college comps, and for checking a result.
Rules as written in WDSF, The Skating System, the DanceSport Australia Skating System Study Guide and Xavier Mora, The Skating System. Swing finals: relative placement calculator.