Poetry slam score sheet
A score sheet for five judges: drop the high and low, subtract time penalties and keep a running total across rounds. Print it blank for your scorekeeper, or use the auto-calculator below.
| # | Poet | J1 | J2 | J3 | J4 | J5 | High (drop) | Low (drop) | Middle 3 total | Time | Time penalty | Round score | Previous total | Running total |
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Middle 3 total = the five scores minus the highest and lowest. Round score = middle 3 total − time penalty. Running total = previous total + round score.Free score sheet from micsheet.com/tools
Auto-calculating score sheet
Enter the five judges' scores and each poem's time. The high and low are struck out automatically. Nothing you type leaves your browser, and it is cleared when you close the page.
| # | Poet | J1 | J2 | J3 | J4 | J5 | Middle 3 | Time | Penalty | Round | Previous total | Running total | Place |
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Ctrl+P (⌘P on a Mac) also prints this sheet with your scores once you have entered any. Use "Print blank score sheet" at the top for an empty one.
How to score a poetry slam
Most slams pick five judges at random from the audience. After each poem, every judge holds up a score from 0 to 10, usually with one decimal place (for example 8.7). The scorekeeper then works out the poem's score like this:
- Drop the high and the low. Cross out the single highest and single lowest of the five scores. If two judges give the same top score, drop only one of them.
- Add the middle three. The remaining three scores are added together, so a round score can be anywhere from 0 to 30.
- Apply time penalties. A common rule is a three-minute limit with a ten-second grace period, then half a point off for every ten seconds over. Under that rule a poem that runs 3:15 loses 0.5 and one that runs 3:25 loses 1.0. Your slam may use different numbers, so the calculator lets you change them.
- Keep a running total. In multi-round slams, add each round score to the poet's previous total. Fill in the previous total column from the last round's sheet.
Use one sheet per round. Have your timekeeper call out each poem's time so the scorekeeper can write it down before the judges' scores come in. Announce scores in the same order every time, and read the running totals between rounds so the room can follow along.
Run the sign-up side of your slam from one link
MicSheet gives you a live sign-up page for each slam night, so poets can claim a slot from their phone. A waitlist fills in when the list is full, and on the night you can check poets in, add walk-ins and reorder the lineup from your phone. Every sign-up goes into your performer list.
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