Challenges Explained

Introduction:

One of the most informative, entertaining and engaging parts about Birth Photographer of the Year live judging is when a “Challenge” takes place i.e. when one judge “challenges” the score, and “challenges” the other judges to change their scores based on listening to their opinion.

Who, When and How do Challenges Happen?

The challenge process has been developed and refined over the years to a point where we now have some parameters that guide when and how a challenge takes place. This document will explain the parameters and the process, so that you will all get a better understanding, and more benefit from the challenge process.

An Explanation About the Difference Between an “Average” score and a score “By Majority”.

The awards score ranges are:
78 –79 Commended (Not an award but commended!)
80 – 84 Silver Award range
85 – 89 Silver Distinction award range
90- 94 Gold Award range
95 – 100 Gold Distinction award range

Most of the time, an image will receive the average of the scores given by the 5 judges. That is, add up all 5 judges’ individual scores and divide by 5.
However, the final score needs to also represent the majority opinion of the judging panel. So it may be changed from the average score, to a score that reflects the majority scores given by the majority of judges, if that majority is within a different awards score range.

For example, to receive a silver award, a minimum of 3 judges must score an image in the range of 80-84.
But, It may also happen that three judges have indeed given a score in the silver range, but the average score is 79, such as in this example:
Judge 1 scores 77
Judge 2 scores 76
Judge 3 scores 81
Judge 4 scores 81
Judge 5 scores 81
The “average” score for this entry is commended at 79.

In this example, we would invoke the majority rule; where the image is awarded the closest score within the awards score range given by the majority of the judges. Since three judges have awarded in the silver range, the 79 will be changed to be 80; the closest silver award score to the average.

Consider another example with the opposite situation…
Judge 1 scores 77
Judge 2 scores 76
Judge 3 scores 77
Judge 4 scores 81
Judge 5 scores 89
The “average” score for this entry is 80.

However, the majority of judges have scored this image in the “Professional Standard” range (i.e. 70 to 77). In this instance because the average score would take this image into a different score range, the Silver award range (80 to 84), the actual score awarded to the image is the majority, not the average, and the image would actually be awarded a 79.

Automatic Challenges:

An Automatic Challenge…When a judge scores higher than the average/majority
Once an image has been scored, the system automatically calculates the “Average” or “majority” score, and usually, this is the score awarded to an image.

But consider for a moment a scenario where an image receives an average or majority score and one judge give the image a score which is 10 points or more different to the final score.

For example, an image receives the following scores:
Judge 1 scores 78
Judge 2 scores 76
Judge 3 scores 75
Judge 4 scores 79
Judge 5 scores 89

The average score for this entry is 79, and in fact the “majority” rule as described above would also cause this image to be awarded a 79.
But judge 5 clearly has a different opinion of this image than their peers, and therefore we need to understand why they think the image is worth more points than the other judges have awarded. We want them to try to persuade the other judges to increase their scores by listening to what they have to say about the merits of the image.

Over the years, the system has been refined and we now have a parameter which says that if any judge scores an image with a 10 point difference from the average/majority, that judge is automatically obliged to “Challenge” the other judges and potentially persuade them to change their scores.

When is an Automatic Challenge Not Automatic?

If the score of an image is 67 points or less, the judge with the challenge entitlement does not have to make the challenge. If, however, the score is 74 or more than the automatic challenge is…automatic, and must take place.

How Does the Judge make an Automatic Challenge?

The judging system will flag to a judge that an automatic challenge is available to them and whether it is mandatory or optional. Equally, the panel chair will have this information presented to them on their panel chair console. The panel chair will invite the judge with the automatic challenge right to make the challenge and start the debating process. Only if the score is less than 74 points can the judge decline to make the challenge.

Once she has finished her challenge, the challenger judge can say nothing further. At this stage the panel chair will ask one or more of the other 4 judges to verbally respond, either agreeing or disagreeing with the challenging judge.
Once the panel chair is satisfied with the debate, he will ask all 5 judges to rescore, at which point the entry may well have a new score.
An Automatic Challenge…When a judge scores lower than the average/majority

Consider for a moment an alternative scenario where an image receives the following scores:
Judge 1 scores 88
Judge 2 scores 89
Judge 3 scores 89
Judge 4 scores 88
Judge 5 scores 74
The average score for this entry is 86

But once again, judge 5 has a different view to the others and has scored the image 10 points LESS than the average. Once again, an automatic challenge is available and mandatory for judge 5. In this instance judge 5 will say why he thought the image was not worth the scores given by the other judges…or as a consequence of the debate that ensues, he may see something in the image which he had previously missed.

Either way, at the end of the debate the panel chair will ask all 5 x judges to rescore, at which point the entry may well have an new score, which may well be a higher score than the original average of 86.

Elective Challenges:

An Elective Challenge…When a judge scores 5 points away from the average/majority

Once an image has been scored, just like with an automatic challenge, the system automatically calculates the “Average” or majority score, and usually, this is the score awarded to an image.
Any judge whose score is 5 points away from the initial score announced (higher or lower) may challenge

So consider for a moment a scenario where an image receives the following scores:
Judge 1 scores 78
Judge 2 scores 76
Judge 3 scores 75
Judge 4 scores 79
Judge 5 scores 83
The average score for this entry is 78

Whilst the scores are closer than in the examples of an automatic challenge, judge 5 still has a different opinion of the worth of this image than the other judges, and therefore we need to understand why she thinks the image is worth more points than all the other judges. We want her to try to persuade the other judges to increase their scores by listening to what she has to say about the merits of the image.
Now the “Elective Challenge” process comes into play.

How Does the Judge make an Elective Challenge?

The judging system will flag to a judge that an elective challenge is available to them. Equally, the panel chair will have this information presented to them on their panel chair console. The panel chair will invite the judge with the elective challenge right to decide whether they will make the challenge and start the debating process.
If judge 5 declines the elective challenge opportunity, the initial score of 78 is accepted.
If however judge 5 decides to take up the challenge opportunity, the panel chair allows the judge to debate the image.
The panel chair will also invite one or more of the other judges to contribute to the debate.
The debate with an elective challenge is different to that with an automatic challenge, in that the challenging judge is allowed a “Right of Reply”, in other words having argued their case, and listened to the other judges, the challenging judge has a further opportunity to respond in the debate.
The reason for this additional opportunity is that when the panel chair invites the judges to rescore, only the 4 x non-challenging judges can re score. The judge who instigated the challenge cannot re score.
Once the rescore has taken place the entry will be awarded the average of the rescore.

The GOLD Challenge:

If any single judge scores an image in the Gold range (90 points and above) they can make an elective challenge in which case the same elective challenge procedures outlined above apply.

So Why Do We Do All Of This?

Quite simply, because we want to do our best to ensure that every image is given every opportunity to achieve a score which takes account of the considered and reconsidered opinions of the judges.
Even our judges are not always right first time, every time, and the challenge system recognises this and facilitates this.