A Crushing Decision : How Electronic Scoring Works

Although three of the five judges scored Fernando Vargas higher than Marian Simion in their 147-pound bout Thursday, under the electronic scoring system Simion was an 8-7 winner.

In electronic scoring, first used at the Barcelona Games in ‘92, five judges each have one second to record a scoring punch by hitting a red or blue button corresponding to the color of the boxer’s trunks. At least three judges must validate a punch for it to count as one point. The rectangular buttons record fouls.

Had Vargas been credited with one more point, the tiebreaker could have gone into effect. Under that formula, the judges individual scores count, the cards with the highest combines point total and the lowest total thrown out. In that case case, Vargas would have won, 50-42.

*

The individual round-by-round scoring (NOT the official computer score) by the five judges for the Fernando Vargas-Marian Simion fight:

* First Round:

Ryozo Sakai of Japan: 10-8, for Vargas.

Gordon Henry of Scotland: 10-7, for Vargas.

Ramon Navero of Puerto Rico: 6-3, for Vargas.

Mahmoud Mokretal of Algeria: 6-4, for Vargas.

Allan Walker of New Zealand: 9-4, for Vargas.

* Second Round:

Sakai: 7-3, for Simion.

Henry: 6-5, for Simion.

Navero: 6-0, for Simion.

Mokretal: 3-2, for Simion.

Walker: 6-3, for Simion.

* Third Round

Sakai: 5-4, for Vargas.

Henry: 8-7, for Simion.

Navero: 4-2, for Vargas.

Mokretal: 4-3, for Vargas.

Walker: 8-3, for Vargas.

* Totals:

Sakai: 19-18, for Simion.

Henry: 22-21, for Vargas.

Navero: 11-10, for Simion.

Mokretal: 12-10, for Vargas.

Walker: 20-13, for Vargas.