How is surfing scored?
B · Beginner · The heat and the score · 2 of 3Five judges give each ride a mark out of 10. The highest and lowest marks are dropped and the other three are averaged, which is the wave score. A surfer's two best wave scores are added for a heat total out of 20. A ride of 8.0 or more is rated excellent.
How it works
- Five judges: "The judge with the higher score and the judge with the lower score for each wave will be deleted."
- The average: "The average of the other three judge's scores (in a 5 judge panel) will be the 'wave score average'."
- The heat total: the wave score averages of "the two best scoring waves of each surfer".
- Places: "Highest Heat Total is first place".
- The scale: 0.1 to 1.9 poor, 2.0 to 3.9 fair, 4.0 to 5.9 average, 6.0 to 7.9 good and 8.0 to 10.0 excellent.
- Two decimal places: the computer's rounding to two places is the official score.
- Scaling waves: the head judge works with the panel to set the scale from the first waves of a heat.
- Independent: the head judge "may not influence any judge on the panel to alter a score".
- A missed wave: a judge who did not see a ride marks it as missed, and the head judge supplies a score from the replay or the other judges' marks.
- No shared country: no more than one scoring judge from a country may be on the panel for a heat.
- Live scores: the announcer gives the surfers their scores and what they need during the heat.
The glossary has the score, the judges, the head judge, the ride, the combo entry and the heat.
Tricky cases
A surfer's waves score 7.5, 6.0, 5.5 and 2.0. What is the heat total?
13.5, the sum of the best two.
What does it mean when a surfer "needs a 6.34"?
That a wave of that score, replacing their second-best, would put them ahead. The scoring computer works it out.
Is a 10 possible?
Yes. The scale runs to 10.0, in the excellent band.
Can the head judge overrule a judge's score?
No. The head judge coaches and supervises but may not tell judges what to score or influence them to change a decision.
Why the rule exists
A mark out of 10 for each wave, compared within the heat, lets judges rank rides without pretending that waves at different beaches are alike. Dropping the top and bottom marks removes an outlier. Announcing live scores turns the last minutes of a heat into a visible chase, since each surfer knows the exact score they need.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Five-judge panel | Top and bottom dropped, three averaged | ISA, tabulation by computer (i) |
| Manual tabulation | Judges' placings are added, lowest total wins | ISA, Tabulator duties |
| Tandem | Three criteria of 10 points each | ISA, Judging Criteria iv |
| Interference | The offender's counted scores are cut | ISA, Interference Penalties |
From the rule book
International Surfing Association, Rulebook and Contest Administration Manual (30 July 2026), the Tabulator's duties, Judging (introduction) and Judging Criteria. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: ISA Rule Book, July 2026 (PDF).