Judging Categories

1. Interview with Judges (150 points)
   1. Questions should be directed to both the Master and the slave. A single judge does not have to ask both the Master and slave a question, but the judging panel as a whole should endeavor to insure that both contestants are being asked and are answering questions.
   2. Given the nature of this title, questions are likely to focus on Master/slave relationships and issues in these relationships. However, questions addressing broader leather/BDSM topics or history are also appropriate.
   3. Remember: a good answer is not necessarily an answer you agree with.
   4. Suggested criteria for judging include:
      1. Are the contestants able to think on their feet and give a responsive answer to the question asked?
      2. Are the answers clear and understandable?
      3. Are the answers factually correct? (If applicable.)
      4. Does the body language of the contestants reinforce the answer or does it detract from the message?
      5. Do the contestants seem reasonably relaxed and engaged in responding to the questions?
      6. Do the contestants’ answers evidence passion and enthusiasm about the possibility of representing the Master/slave community as titleholders?
      7. Do the contestants’ answers demonstrate that they self-identify as a Master or a slave?
   5. The Judges’ Interviews are open to all persons registered for South Plains Leatherfest.
2. Speech (100 points)
   1. Both the Master and the slave are required to give a short speech (with each speech being 2 minutes or less) on the topic(s) of their choice during the Saturday night contest.
   2. If a contestant’s speech exceeds 2 minutes, the producers of the contest will kill the contestant’s microphone, and the contestant will not be allowed to finish his or her speech. No “penalty” will be assessed by the judges, but in awarding a joint score for the Master/slave contestant pair in this category, a judge may deduct however many points he or she feels are appropriate in light of the fact that a contestant failed to conclude the speech within the time limit allowed by these rules.
   3. Suggested criteria for judging include:
      1. Do the contestants speak clearly?
      2. Do the contestants use appropriate gestures and body language that help communicate the message of their speeches?
      3. Are the speeches well organized and understandable?
      4. Do the contestants demonstrate through their speeches passion and enthusiasm about the possibility of representing the Master/slave community as titleholders?
3. Presentation (100 points)
   1. The presentation category is designed to judge the contestants’ ability to speak in a seminar or panel discussion type format on Master/slave relationships. The contestants are required to make a brief (5-10 minute) presentation on any topic relating to Master/slave relationships. Both the Master and the slave must speak during the presentation.
   2. Contestants are permitted to use handouts or visual aids in their presentations, but are not required to do so.
   3. If time permits, at the end of all contestant presentations, the Head Judge will announce that the contestants will take questions from the audience. The Head Judge will serve as the “moderator,” recognizing audience members to ask their questions. Judges will not ask questions of the contestants in this judging category unless there are no questions from the audience.
   4. The purpose of allowing audience questions during the Presentation Category is to allow the judges to evaluate the contestants’ ability to think on their feet and respond to the kind of questions likely to be asked of the titleholders when they speak on Master/slave relationships to community leather/BDSM groups. It is not intended as an opportunity for the audience to “sandbag” any contestant pair or to attempt to help out one contestant pair at the expense of another.
   5. Suggested criteria for judging include:
      1. Is the presentation organized and understandable?
      2. Do the contestants speak clearly and use appropriate gestures and body language to communicate their message?
      3. Does the content of the presentation demonstrate that the contestants have given some thought to the message they are trying to communicate?
      4. Are the contestants comfortable with answering audience questions and do they give organized and understandable responses?
   6. The Presentation session is open to all persons registered for South Plains Leatherfest
4. On-stage (“Pop”) Question (75 points)
   1. Both the Master and the slave will be asked an on-stage or “pop” question, which they must answer during the Saturday night contest. These kinds of questions often tend to evoke humorous responses from contestants.
   2. The questions will be written and provided by the producers of the International Master/slave Contest.
   3. Suggested criteria for judging include:
      1. Do the contestants speak clearly?
      2. Do the contestants look comfortable being asked to respond to a question without time to prepare?
      3. Do the answers given demonstrate a quality or characteristic that would be an asset to the titleholders, such as humor, logical thinking, knowledge in a particular subject area, etc.
5. Master/slave Dynamic (75 points)
   1. Contestants will be observed by the judges throughout the weekend, both in and out of formal contest events, and will be judged on how they interact and present themselves as Master and slave to the public. The judging sheet for this category will be turned in at the end of the contest on Saturday night, to be tallied with the scores for the other categories.
   2. No particular protocol or form of dress is considered to be “correct.”
   3. Suggested criteria for judging include:
      1. Do the contestants appear to be comfortable interacting with each other and the public as Master and slave?
      2. Does the dynamic appear to be natural for the contestants, or does it appear to be something created for the contest?