Set a Head Judge
Pick which judge is the head judge, and decide whether they score normally or only break ties.
The head judge is the judge whose placement carries extra weight when the app has to break a tie. At many balboa events one judge (often the rules expert) holds this role.
The two modes
| Mode | What happens |
|---|---|
| Normal vote (default) | The head judge's votes count like everyone else's, and their relative placement of each participant is used as a tie-break before the order falls to the participant number. |
| Tie-break only | The head judge's normal votes are excluded from the main ranking. Their placement is used only to break a tie between two participants. Their name still appears on the scoresheet as the head judge. |
The Exclude head judge from normal scoring and use only for tie-breaks checkbox next to the head judge control turns on tie-break-only mode.
Steps
- Open the competition: Manage → → Prelim Configuration.
- In the Head Judge box, pick the judge's name (the dropdown lists judges by name).
- Optionally check Exclude head judge from normal scoring and use only for tie-breaks to switch to tie-break-only.
- Click Save.
When to use tie-break-only
If the head judge is a well-known figure or a guest and you want their yes/maybe votes to carry the same weight as everyone else's, leave tie-break-only off. If you want their placement to be the decider when two dancers are otherwise equal, turn it on.
How the head judge tie-break applies per system
With tie-break-only on, the head judge's placement is compared and their vote is excluded from the main ranking. In Regular, Ranked maybes, and Weighted points, that placement is compared as a plain number — there is no extra weighting or bonus applied. You do not have to do anything for it to apply.
Removing the head judge
Select None in the head judge dropdown and Save. No judge then has tie-break authority, and the ranking falls through the scoring system's normal tie-breaks.
Common mistakes
- Expecting the head judge to override the ranking. They do not. They only break ties, in the order the scoring system defines (see Understanding prelim results).
- Setting the head judge after votes are in. You can do it and it is safe (the ranking is recomputed on the next Calculate), but it is much easier to set before scoring starts.