← Back to Rules Overview
Countback System
Should there be a tie in any ploughing class or plough-off final at the British National Ploughing Championships or at any National Vintage Area Final, the ‘countback’ system will be used by the scrutineers, as follows:
Conventional Ploughing
The competitor to qualify will have the highest number of points in one aspect, taken in the following order:
a) General Appearance
b) Straightness
c) Uniformity
d) Seed Bed
e) Firmness
f) Finish
g) Start
h) Ins & Outs
i) Opening
Reversible Ploughing
The competitor to qualify will have the highest number of points in one aspect, taken in the following order:
a) General Appearance
b) Straightness
c) Uniformity
d) Seed Bed
e) Firmness
f) Finish
g) Start
h) Accuracy of Final Furrow
i) Joining Furrow & Butts
j) Ins & Outs
k) Opening
Summary
If two competitors finish with the same overall score:
• Judges first compare General Appearance scores.
• If still tied, they compare Straightness.
• Then Uniformity, and so on down the list.
• The first category where one competitor has a higher score determines the winner.
The reversible classes add two extra tie-break categories:
1. Accuracy of Final Furrow
2. Joining Furrow & Butts
before comparing Ins & Outs and Opening.