Understanding the Irish Point System

The Irish Point System is a unique method used to rank dancers during Irish dance competitions. It can be confusing at first, but once you understand how the scoring and rankings are calculated, it makes following results much easier. Understanding the Irish Point System takes time, and even seasoned dancers can find it confusing. Use your score sheets to reflect on your performance, not just your final placement. And remember—just being part of these competitions is already a big achievement.

Below is a breakdown of how the system works across different levels and formats of competition.

Special thanks to Joan Ruane for helping to compile this information.

Three-Judge Calculations

Preliminary and Open Levels

How Preliminary Rounds Are Scored

Each judge assigns raw scores to dancers (typically between 60–85). These raw scores are then ranked, and each placement is converted to Irish Points using a standardized chart:

1st place = 100 points
2nd = 75
3rd = 65
4th = 60
... down to 50th = 1 point

Computers now handle the ranking and point conversion automatically.

Example — Judge A, Round 1:

Myth Buster: Raw scores are subjective and vary by judge. It’s better to track your progress by placements than by raw scores.

Example — Judge A, Round 2:

Overall Score for Judge A

Raw scores from both rounds are added and ranked to determine overall Irish Points:

Combining Scores From All Three Judges

Each judge’s final Irish Points are totaled to determine overall placement. A perfect score is 300 (100 from each judge).

Additional Info

Open Dancers and Recalls. Tiebreaking. Major Competitions.

Open Level and Recalls (Three Rounds)

Open dancers as well as major competition dancers who recall, perform a third round. The raw scores across all three rounds are summed per judge and converted into Irish Points. These points from each judge are then totaled.

Tiebreaking

Ties are rare but possible. When two dancers tie, their point values for those placements are averaged. For example, if two dancers tie for 2nd place:

2nd = 75 points
3rd = 65 points
(75 + 65) / 2 = 70 points each

No third place is awarded in this case.

Oireachtas and Major Competitions

Solo competitions at the Oireachtas typically use five judges. The highest and lowest scores are dropped before the final score is calculated (still out of a maximum of 300 points).

Traditional Sets: These use a three-judge panel with only one round. Each judge can award up to 100 points. Maximum score = 300.

Myth Buster: If your marks sheet shows no points, you may have placed 51st or lower. Only the top 50 receive Irish Points.

Rounds Awards

Local feiseanna often award Round placements by pulling a single judge’s sheet (commonly the first two rounds only). These awards go to roughly the top 50% of dancers and rotate across judges per competition.

Myth Buster: All three judges have equal weight. One judge’s sheet may be used for round awards, but this does not mean their scores carry more influence.

Myth Buster: Winning both rounds doesn’t guarantee first place. Each of the three judges scores both rounds, so the final outcome is influenced by six scoring opportunities total.