Conciseness

The body is dense and assumes competence — the 19-row hierarchy table carries information in every cell, the 4 rules are each one to two sentences, and nothing explains concepts Claude already knows. The one trimmable block is the opening quote ("Load this skill when: ... when about to write `.squad/decisions.md`, when reviewing whether an agent broke the append-only rule ..."), which largely restates the frontmatter description, though it adds routing context about `squad.agent.md`. This matches 'efficient; minor instances of over-explanation that could be trimmed' rather than the level-5 'every token earns its place' anchor.

Actionability

For an instruction/reference skill the guidance is fully concrete: exact file paths (`.squad/decisions.md`, `.squad/agents/{name}/history.md`), per-file write/read assignments, explicit precedence ("If `squad.agent.md` and any other file conflict, `squad.agent.md` wins"), a concrete correction procedure ("Corrections go in a new entry that references the prior one"), and named runtime tools (`squad_state_read`, `squad_state_append`, ...). A coordinator can resolve any ownership or write-permission question directly from this content with no gaps; per the rubric's code-vs-instruction note, the absence of code is not penalized.

Workflow Clarity

This is a single-task lookup/ adjudication skill with no multi-step build or destructive batch process, so the simple-skill exception applies: the single action (locate the file in the hierarchy table, apply the precedence and permission rules) is unambiguous. Conflicts have an explicit resolution rule (squad.agent.md wins; append-only files never retro-edited; violations are contract bugs refused by non-local backends). Not level 4 because there are no gaps — the rules section fully covers the conflict, correction, and enforcement cases the skill exists for.

Progressive Disclosure

No bundle files exist (references/, scripts/, assets/ are absent), so there are no broken or nested references to check. The body is ~35 lines — under the 50-line threshold — and is organized into well-labeled sections ('State backend note', 'File hierarchy', 'Rules') with the state-backend distinction clearly flagged up front. Per the rubric's under-50-lines guideline, well-organized sections with no need for external references score 5.

Specificity

Quotes: "which files are authoritative, which are derived/append-only, who may write each one, who may read each one, and the precedence rules when they conflict" — this enumerates the full capability set of a reference hierarchy (classify, permissions, precedence) plus "resolve a write conflict", "decide where a piece of state belongs", "answer a 'who owns this file' question". Multiple specific concrete actions with comprehensive coverage within the skill's stated scope; not level 4 because no meaningful coverage gaps remain for this kind of lookup skill.

Completeness

Explicit 'what': "The complete file-by-file source-of-truth hierarchy for Squad... who may write each one, who may read each one, and the precedence rules when they conflict." Explicit 'when' with concrete trigger phrases: "when it needs to resolve a write conflict, decide where a piece of state belongs, or answer a 'who owns this file' question". Both what and when are clearly and concretely answered; nothing is merely implied.

Trigger Term Quality

Quotes: "resolve a write conflict", "who owns this file", "where a piece of state belongs", "source-of-truth hierarchy". These are natural phrases a Squad agent/user would say, giving good coverage; however a few natural variations are missing (e.g., "file ownership", "permissions", or specific paths like `.squad/decisions.md`). Not level 5 because it lacks the synonym/file-extension breadth of the anchor, and not level 3 because the present keywords go well beyond merely 'some relevant keywords'.

Distinctiveness Conflict Risk

The description is scoped to a clear niche — "source-of-truth hierarchy for Squad", "Squad coordinator" — with distinct triggers ("who owns this file", "write conflict") that would not plausibly route to a different skill. Minimal overlap risk with generic file-management or documentation skills; it matches the 'clear niche with distinct triggers' anchor rather than the level-4 'minor overlap risk with closely related skills' anchor.