YMCA of the USA Competitive Swimming and Diving Fo: Modified Ballot System

With the proliferation of electronic judging and timing systems, the guidance on using the modified ballot system has been left out of the rulebooks for a number of years, but we still need to use it at times, as you have found out.

The Level I and Level II Swim Officials' Clinic Designs contain materials on how the system is used and when it must be used. You might talk with your local Swim Officials' Trainer and get a copy of the materials.

Basically, when semi-automatic (buttons) or manual (watches) timing is the primary timing system, then the observations of the finish judges determine the order of finish. If the two judges agree, that is the order of finish.

If the judges disagree, then you must use the modified ballot system to determine the order of finish. In the modified ballot system, and only for purposes of the determination of the order of finish, each judge's order of finish and the order of finish determined by the times are assigned points, with 1 point assigned to a lane for a first place finish, 2 points for a second place finish, 3 points for a third place finish and so forth. For example, if Judge 1 had Lane 3 finishing first and Lane 4 finishing second, Lane 3 would be assigned one point for that judge's first place finish and Lane 4 would be assigned 2 points for a second place finish. If Judge 2 had Lane 4 finishing first and Lane 3 finishing second, then Lane 4 would be assigned one point and Lane 3 would be assigned 2 points. If based on the times, Lane 3 finished first and Lane 4 finished second, Lane 3 would be assigned 1 point and Lane 4 would be assigned 2 points. You would then add up the points from the two judges and the times and the lowest point total would be the winner, in this case Lane 3. That was a simple example with only two lanes, but if you had swimmers in eight lanes, you would do the same way for all eight lanes.

Once you determined the order of finish, then the points would be awarded for each place finish for scoring purposes. For example, if you were running a dual meet using 5-3-1 scoring (with 5 points for first place, 3 points for second place and 1 point for third place), then in our example above, Lane 3 would be awarded 5 points for scoring purposes and Lane 4 would be awarded 3 points, with no points awarded for third place because there were only two swimmers.

Hope that helps.

Ed Miller

National Officials' Committee Chairman

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If application of the modified ballot stystem results in a tie, the points for the two places in contention are added together and split, just as they would be in any tie resulting from the use of automatic timing systems.

Ed Miller, National Officials' Committee Chair

IP Logged

Author	Message
mtbahs Active Member Joined: Dec/06/2007 Location: United States Posts: 12	Topic: Modified Ballot System Posted: Dec/06/2007 at 3:37pm
	The rules reference a modified ballot system for determining places however, I can't find any place that explains how this is used and how the places are calculated. Any ideas??? Thanks!

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Ed Miller Moderator Group Moderator - Officials Joined: Apr/29/2006 Location: United States Posts: 131	Posted: Dec/13/2007 at 4:10pm
	With the proliferation of electronic judging and timing systems, the guidance on using the modified ballot system has been left out of the rulebooks for a number of years, but we still need to use it at times, as you have found out. The Level I and Level II Swim Officials' Clinic Designs contain materials on how the system is used and when it must be used. You might talk with your local Swim Officials' Trainer and get a copy of the materials. Basically, when semi-automatic (buttons) or manual (watches) timing is the primary timing system, then the observations of the finish judges determine the order of finish. If the two judges agree, that is the order of finish. If the judges disagree, then you must use the modified ballot system to determine the order of finish. In the modified ballot system, and only for purposes of the determination of the order of finish, each judge's order of finish and the order of finish determined by the times are assigned points, with 1 point assigned to a lane for a first place finish, 2 points for a second place finish, 3 points for a third place finish and so forth. For example, if Judge 1 had Lane 3 finishing first and Lane 4 finishing second, Lane 3 would be assigned one point for that judge's first place finish and Lane 4 would be assigned 2 points for a second place finish. If Judge 2 had Lane 4 finishing first and Lane 3 finishing second, then Lane 4 would be assigned one point and Lane 3 would be assigned 2 points. If based on the times, Lane 3 finished first and Lane 4 finished second, Lane 3 would be assigned 1 point and Lane 4 would be assigned 2 points. You would then add up the points from the two judges and the times and the lowest point total would be the winner, in this case Lane 3. That was a simple example with only two lanes, but if you had swimmers in eight lanes, you would do the same way for all eight lanes. Once you determined the order of finish, then the points would be awarded for each place finish for scoring purposes. For example, if you were running a dual meet using 5-3-1 scoring (with 5 points for first place, 3 points for second place and 1 point for third place), then in our example above, Lane 3 would be awarded 5 points for scoring purposes and Lane 4 would be awarded 3 points, with no points awarded for third place because there were only two swimmers. Hope that helps. Ed Miller National Officials' Committee Chairman
	IP Logged

jackieparts New Member Joined: Nov/07/2009 Location: United States Posts: 1	Posted: Nov/07/2009 at 10:18pm
	What happens in the event of a tie, do the points for the two places get added together and divided between the places similar to what is done in scoring with points?
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Ed Miller Moderator Group Moderator - Officials Joined: Apr/29/2006 Location: United States Posts: 131	Posted: Nov/24/2009 at 1:55pm
	If application of the modified ballot stystem results in a tie, the points for the two places in contention are added together and split, just as they would be in any tie resulting from the use of automatic timing systems. Ed Miller, National Officials' Committee Chair
	IP Logged

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