Dunk Scoring System

The Dunk Scoring System is the first system to use data to score dunks accurately. The WDA is helping dunk contests organisers to establish a standard in any dunk tournaments.
The goal of the Dunk Scoring System is to be fair, fast, and precise to avoid false notations. We are able to rate a dunk in less than 45 seconds.
Our database and criteria will guide the judges to evaluate every dunk.
The system gives anyone a chance to be top ranked.
The system is formula based on the best practices applied in dunk contests since 1984.


Criteria Grid (competition)

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This grid is used for official competitions.

Criteria Grid (entertainment)

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It's the same grid as competition but excluding the entertainment and public factor (too subjective).

Difficulty

The A to F sub-criteria are taken directly from the database. Each dunk has many tags with various difficulty ranges. The judge only has to check that every tag was done correctly. Depending if the tag is easy, medium, or hard, the dunker will score different points. If the dunk is missed after 3 tries, the judge can attribute maximum 1 point per sub-criteria.

Execution

The A to F sub-criteria have 3 levels of score depending the quality of the execution. The judge of execution will give points regarding his/her appreciation. If the dunk is missed after 3 tries, the execution score is 0.

Creativity

A - Wishlist: The dunker can improvise a dunk at the last minute by indicating to the judges the tags is going to execute. The requirement is to have all tags before the dunk contest. Never filmed before. Never done before.

B - A Speciality Dunk is one of the best dunk of the dunker. A Dunker can have a maximum of 5 speciality dunks. It's not related to the origin of the dunk or who created the dunk. It's a dunk the dunker masters.

Entertainment

A - This criteria is evaluating the capacity of the dunker to create the show and be artistic.
The judge will look for: Artistic approach, impact the crowd, communication with the public, celebrations with the public, ability to push the crowed reaction by asking for clap, dancing, hanging the rim, smiling, body language, attitude, "wow effect", trigger emotion, share the history behind the dunk, communicate a message, sense of humour, comedy celebration before, during and after the dunk, historical references, concept of a character, costume
B - We evaluate the ability of the dunker to respond with a similar dunk, an upgraded version, or a totally new dunk. Can be scored only when the dunker is the second one to dunk.

Public

The public will be able to vote for each criterium online. The fans have access to a dedicated page per contest to share their notation. The public vote counts for 25% of the final notation.

Rules & Tools

  • 4 judges need to be assigned to the 4 criteria (Difficulty, Execution, Creativity, and Entertainment)
  • Each dunker annonces the dunk they want to perform, picked from their dunker profile.
  • Only the judges and staff have access to this list.
  • Each dunk in the list is already tagged by difficulty: hard, medium, or easy (used to evaluate the Difficulty criterium).
  • Each dunk in the list is already tagged with a rareness score. (used to evaluate the Creativity criterium)
  • Judges have an centralise online interface to vote: phone, tablet, or computer (decision made in less than 45 seconds per dunk).
  • 75 seconds and 3 tries maximum for each round.

Example

Judges Vote

Public Online Vote

Example of a Round 1x1

  1. The 2 dunkers are called for the round.

  2. Dunker 1 does dunk #1.
  3. Judges rate: Execution, Difficulty and Creativity.
    (45 seconds)
  4. Dunker 2 does his dunk #1.
  5. Judges rate: Execution, Difficulty and Creativity.
    (45 seconds)
  6. If entertainment is included: Entertainment and Public attribute the point for dunk #1. (45 seconds)
  7. Dunk #1 Scores are displayed.

  8. Dunker 1 does dunk #2.
  9. Judges rate: Execution, Difficulty and Creativity.
    (45 seconds)
  10. Dunker 2 does his dunk #1.
  11. Judges rate: Execution, Difficulty and Creativity.
    (45 seconds)
  12. If entertainment is included: Entertainment and Public attribute the point for dunk #1. (45 seconds)
  13. Dunk #2 Scores are displayed.

  14. Winner is announced.

  15. If tie in the 2 dunks, a 3rd dunk is required with only 40 seconds (but keeping 3 tries).
  16. If there is another tie in the 3rd dunk, we take:
    1. The average points scored in Execution during dunk #1, #2 and #3. Best average wins.
    2. The average points scored in Difficulty during dunk #1, #2 and #3. Best average wins.
    3. The average points scored in Creativity during dunk #1, #2 and #3. Best average wins.
  17. If we still have a tie, even if this case is rare because of low probability, the 3 judges responsible for Difficulty, Execution and Creativity will determine the winner by rating the dunk #3 with only these 3 sub-criteria called "The Foundamentals": Tries, Altitude, Impact On Rim. Each sub-criterium is given to one of the two dunkers. Because we rate on 3 sub-criteria, we avoid a final tie. We will use a sensor to evaluate the altitude and we will use a wristband sensor to evaluate the impact on rim.

Ready for the future

We are planing to integrate small sensors on dunkers during official dunk contests to rate the altitude (small electronic clip on the short to have the precise vertical) and the impact on the rim (thin electronic wristband to evaluate the arm speed during the dunk).

Regulated by a Commission

The WDA is creating a commission of experts to update our database and re-evaluate the dunk difficulties each time we have a new dunk.
We will communicate the list of the first members in the upcoming weeks.
It will be composed by former NBA dunkers, former Pro dunkers, and dunk experts.