Points and scoring systems by Doug Laing

Scoring systems in shearing, woolhandling and pressing competitions are based on combinations of time, job and quality penalties. The lowest score wins.

In shearing time is calculated at a point for every 20 seconds, and job and quality points an average per sheep shorn, based on performance penalties recorded by judges on the board as the sheep are shorn, and quality penalties by judges in the pens after each the sheep have been shorn.

In woolhandling the time penalty is a point for every five seconds, and pressing it is a point for every 10 seconds, with judges, as they do in the shearing, noting penalties for faults or omissions which could detract from the value of the wool at sale.
While results at many shows are still calculated with pen, counter and calculator in hand, there are two electronic scoring systems for shearing.
Golden Shears is one of nine shows using the North Island system, operated by Lance Waddell, and 11 shows benefit from the duplicate South Island system, operated by John Lawton. Mr Waddell and assistant Marie Clarke took the North Island system to Australia for the World Championships in Toowoomba in 2005.
During all shearing heats at Golden Shears, the public see each shearer'    s time and board points amassed as the sheep are being shorn, the board points sent to the system by remote hand-held counters. When the numbers on the display above each stand change from black to red moments after the last sheep is dispatched, it s the total score, including pen points.
In finals, pen points are withheld from the display in finals to maintain an element of suspense in prizegiving ceremonies.