G2092

How to Score Placing Classes For Livestock Judging

This NebGuide explains how to properly calculate scores for placing classes associated with livestock judging contests.

• Introduction
• Official Placing and Cuts
• How to Score Pair Switches
• How to Score a Bust
• Scoring Livestock Keep-Cull Classes

Introduction

While in today’s world the vast majority of livestock judging competitions will be scored using various computer programs, it is still important for the competitive livestock judge to understand how the scores are calculated.

Official Placing and Cuts

For each placing class within a contest, the designated official or committee of officials will determine an official placing to which all contestant placings are compared. For each class of four animals, 24 different potential placings exist. Each placing of four animals may be further subdivided into a top pair, middle pair, and bottom pair. For example, given the official placing of 1-2-3-4, 1 over 2 represents the top pair, 2 over 3 represents the middle pair, and 3 over 4 represents the bottom pair of animals. If the contestant’s placing matches the official placing, they will receive a perfect score (50 points). However, points are lost when the placings do not match. To determine the number of points lost, the designated officials will assign “cuts” (Table I) to each of the three pairs (top, middle, bottom) in a placing class. A cut represents the number of points that will be lost by the contestant if that particular pair is switched in comparison to the official placing. The smaller the cut value assigned by officials, the more difficult the placing. Larger numerical cut values represent easier decisions. The sum value of the three cuts may not exceed 15 points, and no individual cut may exceed eight points.

How to Score Pair Switches

For single- or double-pair switches from the official, determination of the placing score is relatively straightforward. Simply subtract the cut value associated with that particular pair from the 50 points possible for the class. For example, if the official placing is 1-2-3-4 with cuts of 2-5-3 (1₂2₅3₃4) and the contestant placing is 2-1-3-4, the score equals 48. This individual switched one difficult pair from that of the official placing and lost two points (50 – 2 = 48). If the contestant had switched the top and bottom pairs (2-1-4-3), the score would be 45. That individual lost two points for switching the top pair and three more points for switching the bottom pair.

How to Score a Bust

What if the contestant more severely scrambled or “busted” the class? To determine the score in this situation, a series of questions designed to compare the contestant placing to the official placing will be asked. If the answer to a particular question is “yes,” no points will be deducted. If the answer to a particular question is “no,” points will be deducted. Additionally, if an animal is out of place by more than one position compared to the official, the appropriate cut values will be added together. This is more easily explained using the following examples (Tables II and III).

Scoring Livestock Keep-Cull Classes

Some livestock judging competitions also have “keep/cull” classes. The keep/cull class generally consists of eight animals, and the contestant will usually be asked to identify the four best animals to “keep.” For scoring purposes, order is not important. Each of the eight animals will be assigned a set of points that commonly range from 0 to 20. The more desirable animals, as determined by the officials, will receive larger point allocations compared to less desirable animals. Table IV provides a general descriptive guideline for assigning points to a keep/cull class. The point allocations given to the top four animals in the class must equal 50 when added together. To calculate scores, simply add together the point allocations for each of the four animals designated by the contestant as “keeps.”

Example Scoring of Keep/Cull Class

This publication has been peer reviewed.