# Positive HADDOCK score

**URL:** <https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/positive-haddock-score/2793>\
**Category:** HADDOCK\
**Created:** [January 26, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/positive-haddock-score/2793 "2021-01-26T23:48:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nurzabidi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@nurzabidi](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/nurzabidi)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/positive-haddock-score/2793/1 "2021-01-26T23:48:36Z")

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Hi, in choosing the best structure to analyze, I’m choosing the cluster with the lowest z-score (most negative). However, the HADDOCK score is positive with a high restraint energy. I ran my complexes using the Easy and Prediction interface after retrieving active/passive residues from CPORT.

I read that to deduce the score, 10% of the restraint energy should be subtracted from it. Why is that so?

Is there a way I can improve the score?

Thank you.

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**Author:** ![amjjbonvin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/ask.bioexcel.eu/amjjbonvin/32/23_2.png) [@amjjbonvin](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/amjjbonvin)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 7:38am UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/positive-haddock-score/2793/2 "2021-01-27T07:38:37Z")

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The restraint energy is part of the score.

Substracting it is only if you want to get a score without it.

And if your restraint energy is very high, it means your restraints are not satisfied… Bioinformatics predictions are far from perfect.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nurzabidi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@nurzabidi](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/nurzabidi)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 8:08am UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/positive-haddock-score/2793/3 "2021-01-27T08:08:51Z")

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Thank you for your reply! Is there a certain cutt-off point to labeling a restraint energy as being high?

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**Author:** ![honoratorv](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/ask.bioexcel.eu/honoratorv/32/672_2.png) [@honoratorv](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/honoratorv)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 10:31am UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/positive-haddock-score/2793/4 "2021-01-27T10:31:06Z")

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Its tricky to establish a cutoff since these values are relative and not an absolute measure.

Try reviewing your restraints and looking for information in the literature. 🙂

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**Author:** ![amjjbonvin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/ask.bioexcel.eu/amjjbonvin/32/23_2.png) [@amjjbonvin](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/u/amjjbonvin)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 12:02pm UTC](https://ask.bioexcel.eu/t/positive-haddock-score/2793/5 "2021-01-27T12:02:12Z")

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As already said, it is indeed tricky - you will have to analyse your models and see which data/restraints are satisfied and which not.

Giving a hard cutoff is not really doable as there might be many scenarios possible, e.g.

- only very little violations, but of all restraints
- most restraints satisfied but large violations of a few

Those two example might lead to the same restraint energy, but would be very different in the way they satisfy (or not) the restraints.