How to Read (and Understand) a Protocol

The protocol is available after each segment of the competition and will tell you how each judge scored each element and aspect of the program. Each element will appear in the left column with the level the technical panel has assigned to it. The Base Value that has been decided upon in the Handbook forTechnical Panels appears under “Base” followed by the GOE awarded by each judge. For the pattern dance element, the key points are indicated with “Y” (for a key point achieved) and “N” (for a key point missed) and “T” (for a key point achieved but with one or more steps/edges not being held for the required number of beats).

So what do all those strange combinations of letters mean? 

NtMiSt=Not Touching Midline Step Sequence

NtDiSt=Not Touching Diagonal Step Sequence

NtCiSt=Not Touching Circular Step Sequence

MiSt=Midline Step Sequence

DiSt= Diagonal Step Sequence

CiSt=Circular Step Sequence

SeSt= Serpentine Step Sequence

StaLi=Stationary Lift

SlLi=Straight Line Lift

CuLi=Curve Lift

SeLi=Serpentine Lift

RoLi=Rotational Lift

RRoLi=Reverse Rotational Lift

Combination Lifts will include both lifts with a ‘+’ in between

ChLi=Choreographic Lift          Note: This lift is always assessed at level 1

Sp=Spin

CoSp=Combination Spin

STw=Synchronized Twizzles

1FS=Finnstep Section 1

2FS= Finnstep Section 2

How to Calculate TES

Here is an example from Skate Canada International 2013. In the first segment of the Finnstep, this team received credit for the first and third key points. A completed pattern with two key points translates to a level 3 for this element. All three key points were achieved on the second segment of the pattern, translating to a level 4 for this element.

So how do we get from a Base Value of 29.00 points to a total of 35.34 points? First, remove the highest and lowest score for each element (we have highlighted the highest in green and the lowest in yellow).

Element	Base	J1	J2	J3	J4	J5	J6	J7	J8	GOE	TOTAL
NtMiSt4	8.00	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	3	3.00	11.00
1FS3+YNY	6.00	2	2	2	2	3	2	2	2	1.00	7.00
2FS4+YYY	7.00	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	1.00	8.00
STw2	4.00	0	-1	1	1	1	0	2	-1	.17	4.17
RoLi4	4.00	2	2	2	3	2	2	3	3	1.17	5.17
TOTAL	29.00									6.34	35.34

Next take each judge’s GOE score and match it up to the corresponding value from the Scale of Values. Average these numbers and round to 2 decimals. Then add this average GOE to the Base Value, and you have the total value for that element.

Example #1: Let's look at the synchronized twizzles (STw) which was assessed a level 2. The Base Value is therefore 4.0 and the GOEs range from -1 to +2. The corresponding values from the SoV are listed in the right column. J# GOE SoV 1 0 0 2 -1 -0.5 3 1 0.5 4 1 0.5 5 1 0.5 6 0 0 AVE 0.17

Example #2:  Let's look at the rotational lift (RoLi4) which was assessed a level 4. The Base Value is therefore 4.0 and the GOEs range from +2 to +3. The corresponding values from the SoV are listed in the right column. J# GOE SoV 1 2 1 2 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 1.5 6 2 1 7 3 1.5 AVE 1.17

Adding this average GOE to the Base Value                    Adding this average GOE to the Base Value
we get: 4.00+0.17=4.17                                                 we get: 4.00+1.17=5.17                          
Thus, the element is worth 4.17 points.                           Thus, the element is worth 5.17 points.

                                       How to Calculate PCS

First remove the highest and lowest score for each category (we have highlighted the low in green and the high in yellow) and then average the scores for each category. This column of numbers is what you will always see on the protocol sheet but they are not the actual numbers that are used in calculating the PCS. For this, you need the factored scores.

To get those, you would next multiply the average for each category by its factor to get the factored score. The total PCS is the sum of all factored scores.

Category	Factor	J1	J2	J3	J4	J5	J6	J7	J8	Average  of Scores	Factored Scores
SS	0.8	9.50	9.50	9.50	9.25	9.50	9.00	9.25	8.75	9.33	7.46
TR	0.7	9.25	9.50	9.50	9.50	9.50	9.25	9.50	9.50	9.46	6.62
PE	0.7	9.50	9.25	9.50	9.75	9.25	9.00	9.25	9.75	9.42	6.59
CH	0.8	9.50	9.50	9.75	9.50	9.75	9.25	9.50	9.25	9.50	7.60
IN	1.0	9.50	9.50	9.75	9.75	9.50	9.00	9.50	9.50	9.54	9.54
TOTAL	4.0									47.25	37.82

For example, for the scores for SS you would toss out the scores from J3 and J8. Then average the rest of the scores, which will give you 9.33 (which IS displayed on the protocol sheet). Multiply that by a factor of 0.80 for a score 7.46 which is used in calculating the final PCS but is NOT displayed on the protocol.

Any additional deductions will be indicated below these sections on the protocol.