Paper and Offline Ballots

Not every scorer scores online. A tournament can use paper (offline) ballots, where a judge scores on a printed sheet and an organizer enters the scores into MockScores afterward. This page explains the paper workflow for scorers and for the organizers who transcribe their ballots.

When paper ballots are used

An organizer may create a paper scorer when a judge will not score from a device — for example, when internet access is limited or a judge prefers paper. Paper scorers do not receive an email link and do not use the online scorecard.

If you were given an emailed link instead, follow the online instructions in the Scorer Guide and Completing a Ballot.

For paper scorers

Before the trial

You will receive a printed ballot from tournament staff. Confirm that it shows:

• Your name
• The courtroom
• The two team codes
• The tournament and case name

The ballot uses team codes rather than school names. If you recognize a conflict of interest with either team, tell tournament staff before the trial begins and do not score it.

Scoring on paper

• Enter a score for every scored row that applies to each side.
• Keep each score within the printed minimum and maximum for that field.
• If the ballot includes award nominations, follow the printed instructions for how many students to nominate and how to rank them.
• If you are the presider and the ballot asks for a tiebreaker, mark which team should win if the trial is tied.

Write legibly. An organizer will transcribe your ballot exactly as written, and unclear marks slow down scoring.

After the trial

Return the completed paper ballot to tournament staff promptly. Scores are not recorded until an organizer enters them, so the standings do not update until your ballot is handed in and transcribed.

For organizers entering paper scores

Paper scoring has two parts: creating the paper assignment and entering the scores after the trial. Both happen on the pairing. See Managing Ballots and Results for the full ballot workflow.

Create a paper scorer

1. Open the round and find the pairing.
2. On the pairing card, select Add Scorer.
3. Type the judge’s name and select Create offline scorer to create a Paper assignment.

The first scorer added to a pairing becomes the presider automatically. Use Change presider if a different scorer should preside.

Print the ballot

Open the round and select Download ballot for the pairing to produce a printable scoresheet. Hand each paper judge a printed copy before the trial.

Enter the scores

After the trial, transcribe the paper ballot:

1. Lock the round if it is not already locked.
2. On the paper scorer’s row, select Input scores.
3. Enter each score exactly as written, within the field’s allowed range.
4. Complete any award nominations and the presider tiebreaker if the ballot includes them.
5. Review the values and submit.

A submitted ballot is final from the scoring form. Confirm the paper values before submitting.

Note

Entering scores for an online scorer who did not submit is different: use Manually enter on that scorer’s row. MockScores warns that doing so invalidates the scorer’s original link, so use it only when an organizer is taking over the assignment.

Track outstanding paper ballots

The tournament Overview highlights paper ballots still awaiting input. A round cannot publish results until every expected ballot — paper and online — has been entered.

Troubleshooting

A paper judge’s scores are not in the standings

Scores from a paper ballot count only after an organizer enters them. Confirm the ballot was handed in and transcribed on the pairing.

I cannot find Input scores

The round must be locked before scores can be entered. Lock the correct round, then use Input scores on the paper scorer’s row.

A field will not accept a written score

The score is outside the field’s allowed minimum or maximum. Confirm the printed range; if the paper value is genuinely out of range, follow your tournament’s policy for correcting the ballot before entering it.