The definitions below help us improve communication when discussing various aspects of competitions.
Please let us know if anything is missing or if you'd like further clarification on any subject.
- Category - indicates the way in which competitors will dance e.g. Freestyle, DWAS, Steals, Battle of the Sexes.
- Championship - often just another term for competition or it can refer to a number of competitions held over a particular period.
- Competition - a process by which competitors compete against each other and a winner is found by using judges to rank entries according to specific criteria.
- Event - a specific instance of a round taking place on the dance floor. The competition schedule will compromise many events with each one other having a number assigned to it so that events run from 1 through to the number of events running. The term is also often used interchangable with category. Event can also refer to the whole competition.
- Event No - a unique identifier used for a round within the Running Order, usually in numerical order starting from 1.
- Final - the last round of a category that decides the final placings.
- Floor - a marked area on the dance floor where a heat will take place. Two floors allow for two heats to run simultaneously with each heat having its own set of judges.
- Heat - a group of competitors that compete against each other within a given round. Each heat has a set of judges to rank the competitors.
- Heats - the first round of any event, the first of the Preliminary Rounds.
- Preliminary Rounds - any round that is not a final.
- Programme - an overall list of what's happening with general times as a guide, not as detailed as the Running Order
- Round - a category is split into rounds finishing with a final, the greater the number of entries in a category the greater the number of rounds needed to whittle the entries down to a final. The order from the final is: Round 1, [Round 2,] Pre-Quarter-Final, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final, Final. Each round comprises one or more heats.
- Running Order - a detailed list of Events with their Event No and start time.
- Baby Aerial - a move intended to take one partner off the floor and support the majority of their weight at or below chest height of the supporting partner.
- Follow - a dancer who generally takes the direction of the dance from their partner (the lead)
- Full Aerial - a move intended to take one partner off the floor and support the majority of their weight above chest height of the supporting partner.
- Lead - a dancer who generally initiates the direction of the dance for their partner (the follow)
- Lead Quotient - a measure of the amount time a dancer is leading in a single dance. 0 = no leading i.e. only following, 1 = only leading i.e. no following, 0.5 = equally alternating between leading and following
- Primary Role - a dancer's preferred / most accomplished role, if a dancer normally follows then their primary role is following
- Secondary Role - not the dancer's preferred / most accomplished role, if a dancer normally follows then their secondary role is leading
- Borda Count - Summing rankings to workout an overall ranking. Borda Count is not a Condorcet Method.
- Condorcet Method - "any election method that elects the candidate that would win by majority rule in all pairings against the other candidates, whenever one of the candidates has that property"
- Judging Criteria - refers to an ordered list of criteria that are used by the judges to rank the competitors before them. The judges rank according to the criteria required by the event director not to their own personal criteria.
- Ranking Algorithm - a method used to come up with an overall order using data supplied by a number of judges. Examples include: Relative Placement, Schulze Method.
- Raw Scores - giving competitors absolute scores instead of a ranking. Using raw scores does not satisfy the requirements of a Condorcet Method.
- Relative Placement - an algorithm that describes how to convert judges' rankings into a final order. Based on the same principles as the Skating System and as such is not a Condorcet Method.
- Scoring System - the software used to help run a competition by implement a ranking algorithm to process judges' rank and to produce marshalling data and final results.
- Schulze Method - a Condorcet Method that is based on ranked pairs, officially it is a "monotonic, clone-independent, reversal symmetric, and Condorcet-consistent single-winner election method"
- Skating System - an algorithm that describes how to convert judges' rankings into a final order. It has been in use since 1937 primarily at Dancesport competitions. It is not a Condorcet Method and fails to produce the 'best couple' in approximately 2% of results.
- Strong Ranking - a ranking without ties.
- Weak Ranking - a ranking with ties allowed.
- Yes / No (Selected or Not Selected) - a form of weak ranking equivalent to ranking competitors between 1 and 2 with ties allowed (used for scoring preliminary rounds as part of the Skating System.
- Yes / Maybe / No (Selected, Alternate or Not Selected) - a form of weak ranking with ties allowed for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place where Yes is 1st place, Maybe is 2nd and No is 3rd place. 4th place is not allowed. This is equivalent to ranking competitors between 1 and 3.
- Door Support - help competitors with collecting their numbers and process registrations and admittance for spectators.
- DJ - the person responsible for playing (and sometimes selecting) the music that is played throughout the competition.
- Event Director - the person responsible for the organisation and running of the event.
- Floor Manager - they manage the all aspects of getting competitors and judges on and off the floors and any seating arrangements required for each event.
- Judge - a person assigned to rank competitors within a heat (or round) according to judging criteria specified by the event director.
- MC - Master of Ceremonies - they are the voice of the competition keeping competitors and spectators informed of anything and everything. This role is sometimes shared.
- Runner - someone who collects judging sheets from the judges at the end of a heat or round.
- Scrutineer - a person who oversees the entering of the ranking data provided by the judges.
