Just to add to the comments about "criteria"===a better term than rules--it has to be admitted that all judging ---be it here, be it ice-skating, be it gymnastics, etc; is subjective. That being the case when any organization---be it USFSA (skating), NERFA, or others has judges of a certain bent---say, nationalism in Olympic figure skating,styles in gymnastics, or tastes in music at NERFA you entertain certain preferences---I don't say prejudices---that influence a decision. In sports such as tennis, basketball, baseball,etc; the score is determined objectively. You got the point---you didn't score a goal.

All the above being said it seems to me that you can not really ever have a fair judging in an area where things are open to taste and subjectivity unless you constantly change panels to allow differing opinions to enter into the decisions.   Even then you deal with subjectivity but you allow for varying winners at different times given the different points of view.

Bill Hahn