How are breakers ranked, and what happens when a battle is level?
I · Intermediate · Judging and penalties · 8 of 8By rounds won first and votes received second. A group in the round robin is ranked that way, and so are the final placings below fourth. In a knock-out battle with equal rounds and votes, a deciding round is danced. The top four places come from the final and the battle for third place.
How it works
- In a group: rounds won, then votes received, then pre-selection ranking, then initial ranking, then a draw.
- In a two-round pre-qualifier battle: if it is one round each, the votes decide. If the votes are level, a third round is danced.
- In the knock-out: equal rounds and votes mean a deciding round.
- Places 1 to 4: the winner and loser of the final, then the winner and loser of the battle for third.
- Other places: by total rounds won, then total votes, then rounds and votes in the round robin, then the higher place on the world ranking list.
- Still level: the breakers share the place.
- Initial ranking: the order of the entrants on the world ranking list on the last Monday before the event. Unranked breakers follow in order of registration.
- Disqualified: placed last, with rounds and votes deleted.
The glossary has the votes, the round robin and Breaking for Gold.
Tricky cases
Two breakers in a group each won three rounds. Who is ahead?
The one with more votes received across the group battles.
A round robin battle finishes one round each. Is there a third round?
No. Round robin battles have two rounds, and both breakers take a round and their votes into the group table.
Does the result of the battle between two tied breakers decide the tie?
No. Head-to-head is not in the list. The order is rounds, votes, earlier rankings and then a draw.
Who is fifth?
It depends on rounds and votes among the four who lost in the top 8, unless the organisers hold the optional battles for fifth and seventh place.
Why the rule exists
Two-round battles often finish one round each, so rounds alone would leave groups full of ties. Votes are the finer measure: winning a round by nine judges to none is worth more in the table than winning it five to four.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-selection | Ranked by the sum of the judges' ranking positions | BRRM 5.1.1; BRRM 5.1.5 |
| Pre-qualifier and round robin | Rounds, votes, earlier rankings, draw | BRRM 5.1.2; BRRM 5.1.3 |
| Final result | The priorities above | BRRM 5.1.5 |
| Shared places | Ranking points are given as for the highest of the shared places | BRRM 5.1.5 |
From the rule book
World DanceSport Federation, Breaking Rules and Regulations Manual, version 4 (January 2023), sections 4.5.3, 5.1.1 to 5.1.5. Checked 14 October 2026. This version has been superseded; check the current manual. Official document: WDSF Breaking Rules and Regulations Manual (PDF).