Competition setup

This page is your execution workflow after Event setup. You will configure classes, rounds, teams, judges, and publishing readiness in the order that prevents rework.

Before you start

Confirm these prerequisites:

  • You can open Manager and access your event
  • Event basics are complete (name, date, venue, visibility)
  • Federation rules are known (license requirements, class structure)
  • You have at least one backup admin in the event

If not, complete Event setup first.

Where to go

  1. Sign in to Vote4Dance
  2. Open Manager
  3. Select your event
  4. Open Competitions section

You will usually see tabs or menu items for:

  • Classes
  • Rounds
  • Teams
  • Judges
  • Data

Use this order to avoid broken links between sections:

  1. Create classes
  2. Create round trees
  3. Add/import teams
  4. Assign start numbers and class entries
  5. Add judges and build panels
  6. Rehearse one full round
  7. Move rounds from Open to Ready

Step 1: Create classes

Go to Competitions -> Classes.

Create every class participants can enter.

Common fields:

Field What it means Example
Class Name Public display name Junior Solo - Contemporary
Class Code Short internal ID JS-CONT
Discipline Category style Contemporary
Age Group Allowed age range U13-U15
Team Size Number of dancers Solo
Status Active or hidden Active

Tips:

  • Keep names human-readable for registrations and printouts
  • Use stable codes for exports/integrations
  • Prefer federation naming if federation-governed

If your system has Round guide, use it after classes are finalized.

Step 2: Build rounds from classes

Go to Competitions -> Rounds or open a class and click Create Round.

For each class, define:

Setting group Key settings Example
Basic Round label, method, through count Quarterfinal, 24 through
Heat setup Heat count and timing 4 heats, 90 seconds each
Schedule Day, floor, time block Day 1, Floor A, 10:00
Results Qualifier and placement behavior Top 12 to semifinal

Typical round tree:

Class: Junior Solo - Contemporary
	Round 1: Quarterfinal (24 through)
	Round 2: Semifinal (12 through)
	Round 3: Final (6 through)

Step 3: Add or import teams

Go to Competitions -> Teams.

You can:

  • Add teams manually
  • Import via CSV
  • Create random test teams for rehearsals

Typical team fields:

Field Example
Team Name Aurora Dance Team
Club/School Lincoln High School
Participants 8
License status Active
Contact coach@lincolndance.org

If importing CSV:

  1. Click Import CSV
  2. Map columns carefully
  3. Run preview validation
  4. Apply import

Do not bulk delete teams once judging is underway.

Step 4: Assign start numbers and class entries

Still in Teams:

  1. Use Assign Start Numbers (manual or auto)
  2. Register each team into the correct class
  3. Verify no team is missing a class assignment

Quick validation:

  • Every active team has at least one class
  • No duplicate start numbers in same competition scope
  • Team size and class eligibility align with class rules

Step 5: Add judges and build panels

Go to Competitions -> Judges.

Process:

  1. Add judge profiles
  2. Assign judge letters (A, B, C…)
  3. Create panels (Panel 1, Panel 2)
  4. Add judges to panels with role/type
  5. Assign default panel to each class

Example panel:

Panel 1
- Judge A: Technique
- Judge B: Artistry
- Judge C: Execution

Once results exist, panel/class changes may be locked.

Step 6: Run one rehearsal round

Before event day, execute one full dry run:

  1. Pick a test class
  2. Open the first round
  3. Move round to Ready
  4. Simulate judging input
  5. Close, confirm, and publish test results
  6. Verify printouts (heat list, judging sheet, results)

If anything fails, fix before opening real rounds.

Round lifecycle you should enforce

Use this exact sequence:

  1. Open: Setup stage, editable
  2. Ready: Locked enough to run
  3. Closed: Input ended
  4. Confirmed: Results validated
  5. Published: Results visible externally

Do not skip statuses unless your federation explicitly allows it.

Data tools

Go to Competitions -> Data only when needed.

Use cases:

  • Import/update class/team data by CSV
  • Export archived result data
  • Reset test-only competitions

High risk actions:

  • Reset and delete are destructive
  • Never reset active competition data without backup

Troubleshooting

“Rounds cannot be set to Ready”

Usually caused by missing judges, missing schedule block, or unassigned teams.

Fix:

  1. Open round validation
  2. Resolve all blocking errors
  3. Retry status change

“Teams are not appearing in a class”

  1. Check team is active
  2. Confirm class registration was saved
  3. Confirm eligibility filters (age, size, federation)

“Judge assignment is locked”

This often happens after results started.

  1. Check round status
  2. If Closed/Confirmed, use approved correction workflow
  3. Log reason for any panel change

“CSV import created wrong mappings”

  1. Stop further imports
  2. Export current state for audit
  3. Correct mapping template
  4. Re-import only corrected rows

Competition setup done checklist

  • All classes exist with validated names/codes
  • All rounds exist with timing and status plan
  • Teams are loaded, numbered, and assigned
  • Judges and panels are assigned for every active class
  • One full rehearsal round completed successfully
  • Blocking validation issues resolved

Next step

Continue to Rounds for live execution and operations.