Question about scoring

[guardparents]

I have a rookie parent question that I'm hoping someone wil be able to answer. When the corps compete in the quarterfinals on Thursday, I know that the show order is based on the averages of scores for the season. However, is that the only impact those averages have? Does each corps start at 0 and have the full potential to create their own destiny in that one show on Thursday thus enabling a 19th place corps to bypass 2 others to make it to the Semis??

Thanks!
Lucy

[GuardMom]

Yup, they have destiny in their own hands on Thursday.

[drumom2]

But what adds to the complexity ot the scoring process is that the judges have to be conservative when scoring those corps who perform early. They can't score them too high, because they need to leave roon for those corps who are ranked higher. It would almost seem fairer if corps performed in random order. Wouldn't it be interesting if the Cavies & Cadets went on earlier rather than later? That would probably really make the judging more difficult.
Betty Lou

[dbressler]

Betty Lou,

I tend to agree with you; random order would be nice.

The other reason is that they know the lowest go first. I thought it was interesting in Pittsburgh that Magic went on before Pioneer and Seattle (and had been ahead of both). Seattle's score was significantly higher.

In San Antonio, almost every corp - afternoon and evening - ended up in the exact same order as when they had started with just one or two exceptions. Either that is because the judging is incredibly accurate and each corp gets better/worse to the exact same degree, or a judge doesn't feel one corp should jump two or three positions (whether they deserve it or not.)

I don't have a clue. But I've been to four of their competitions and several times the crowd has been shocked at the outcome. (of course, they aren't the judges!). Someone mentioned it was like the caste system in India!!

Let's keep our fingers crossed that it will be a totally unbiased clean slate and the kids will crank it up and hit 17th. I know all of them are really trying to get there so their buddies can see them in the theaters.

[drumom2]

Another aspect of the scoring is the inconsistencies of some of the judging. Since my son plays snare, I pay particular attention to the percussion recaps. Earlier this week percussion scored a 13.8, yet a week earlier they scored a 16.0. Many of the shows had them between 14.5-15.5. I can't believe they deserved a 13.8 (especially knowing how much practice time they put in).Either there was an error in the tabulation, or this judge wasn't sure of what he was looking at. Anyway, drum corps judging is what it is, and the rewards are those felt by the achievements of each corps member.
Betty Lou

[katybelle]

I'm definitely right there with those of you who don't understand judging. It seems to me that if the Magic put on the BD uniforms and played the BD music and then put on the Magic uniforms and played the Magic music they would score higher as BD than as the Magic! I firmly believe that the performance order has everything to do with it and that if they would determine performance order by a random drawing, scores would be very different. I echo Betty Lou in both her notice of the discrepancies of percussion scores from Houston to current (my son plays tenors) and in her comment that judging is what it is and the rewards are those felt by the achievements of each corps member, but it seems tome that it would be very disheartening to practice like they do and play their hearts out and get the scores they get...

[dbressler]

The one issue with the scores is that these kids are really trying to make it to 17th - and semi-finals. Their friends and relatives can then see them perform at the many theaters around the country that show the semis.