NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GYMNASTICS JUDGES ASSOCIATION
Table of Contents
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GYMNASTIC JUDGES
There are many requirements for being a good judge. Among them are a close involvement in the sport, a knowledge of the technical as well as the artistic aspect of the sport, and a fair and consistent approach to gymnastics competition.
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR GYMNASTIC JUDGES
CERTIFICATION: Judges must complete a judging course and successfully pass an exam in order to be certified. There are three levels of certification: Junior Olympic, National card, and FIG brevet. The courses are usually given in the fall, prior to the competition season. Certification for JO and National cards is good for one year. FIG courses are given every four years in conjunction with the new Code of Points. It is highly recommended that you take the National test even if you are planning on judging JO only, since many JO. competitions have optional level gymnasts in them.
J.O. Certification: This level is required to judge Junior Olympic meets both compulsory and optional levels from invitational meets up to the State Championships.
National Card: This level is required to judge Junior Olympic and NCAA competitions up to the National level. A strong knowledge of the FIG Code of points is necessary for obtaining this level.
FIG Brevet: This level is required to judge international competitions. The course is held every four years in conjunction with the new code of points. There are no requirements for taking the course, however it is recommended that you have several years of experience at the national level before obtaining your brevet.
USA Professional Membership: All judges must have a USA Professional membership in order to judge any USAG sanctioned event. In order to obtain a professional membership you must be at least 16 years old and have your Safety Certification.
Safety Certification: It is required that you have a current safety certification to obtain a professional membership. These courses are held several times during the year in various locations.
For more information on obtaining your professional membership contact USA Gymnastics at:
RESPONSIBILITIES OF GYMNASTIC JUDGES
It is imperative that judges have a good understanding of the Code of Points and have in their possession the current FIG and NGJA interpretations. It is also important for judges to accept assignments. The junior program is very important to the development of top level gymnasts in this country and it is essential that we have the best evaluation of the routines. The coaches and athletes work hard and are entitled to the best evaluation we can give them. All judges will be assigned at the beginning of the season. It is important that you know your schedule and are aware of the start times of each session. If you have any questions feel free to contact the meet director or the Assigning Secretary. See the Assignments page for any updated information on all competitions during the season.
Judges are expected to arrive at the competition site 30 minutes prior to the start of the competition. The purpose of this is to assure the meet director that he has judges for the meet and for the judge to take the time to observe warm-ups and note any unusual skills or combinations the gymnasts are doing.
Be fair, be consistent, and strive for accuracy. It is important to remember that it is our job to evaluate the routines and rank the gymnasts. It is not our job to teach lessons or coach the gymnasts. We need to evaluate the routines as accurately as possible and any specific comment a judge has for the gymnast or coach should be directed to them after the competition. A coach should not approach a judge during the competition and after the meet judges do not have to talk to any coach about scores. However, common courtesy would dictate that a judge take the time to discuss their evaluation so that the gymnast can improve his score at the next meet. Any problems you may have with a coach during the competition should be directed to the Meet Director.
At each sanctioned event judges must sign the sanction form and include their USA Professional Number. Judges cannot put "pending" on the sanction form. At NCAA meets each judge must sign the score sheet at the end of the competition.
Uniform: Judges must be in the proper attire when on the floor of a gymnastics competition. . The correct uniform is a dark blue jacket, tie, and gray slacks.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MEET REFEREE
At all competitions there will be one judge that is designated as the meet referee. It will be the job of the meet referee to coordinate the judges at the meet and to work with the meet director. At the competition the meet referee will handle any problems that may arise and will sign the meet referee section on the sanction form.
At J. O. meets each judge will fill out an invoice, which will include payments for each session, mileage, meals, rooms, or any other expense, which the judge might incur. This invoice must be filled out and submitted to the meet director who will then pay you accordingly. Judges will be given an invoice at the beginning of the season. Please make copies of this form for future use.
You must fill out a form at each meet to get paid: Payment Voucher
| Session Fees: | Based on 72 competitors maximum. |
| Add $1.00 per competitor over maximum, add $25.00 for one touch warm-up. |
| Cert: | J.O. | NATIONAL | FIG or SAL | |||||
| Yrs Judge: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0-2 | 3-6 | 7 - 10 | 10+ | Add |
| Fee: | $40 | $45 | $50 | $55 | $60 | $65 | $70 | $5 |
Time between sessions: $10.00 per 1/2 hour after 2 hours.
Mileage: $0.33 per mile roundtrip Passenger at: $5.00 / Hour Tolls: paid in full
Per Diem: (Dinner: $1200, Lunch: $10.00, Breakfast: $8.00) Unless provided.
Airport Parking: $10.00 per day
Lodging: If lodging is necessary, the host club will reimburse the cost of a hotel room. There is no standard distance a judge must travel before a room is necessary, however if you must travel a long distance or if it is a two day meet then it would be appropriate to ask the host club to provide a hotel room.
NCAA meets will be paid by the N.C.G.J.A. The current rate for judging an NCAA meet is $100.00 per session. The Executive Secretary will submit a bill to each University for the judges and will then pay each judge when payment is received from the University. This is usually done at the end of the season in order to have an accurate record of each assignment.
Once you are certified as a judge and have a USA Professional membership, you qualify for meet assignments. At the judging course each judge will fill out an availability schedule which will contain all the competitions during the season. Judges will be asked to indicate if they are available to judge specific meets. This schedule should be completed and returned to the Assigning Secretary. Based on this schedule judges will be assigned to various competitions during the season.
The schedule will be distributed at the beginning of the season. It is the responsibility of each judge to know their schedule.
The meet directors will receive a copy of the schedule with your name and pertinent information. The meet director will be responsible for contacting each judge and informing them of the number of sessions and the start times for each. If you do not receive this information two weeks prior to the competition, feel free to contact the meet director or the Assigning Secretary of the N.C.G.J.A.
One week prior to the competition the meet referee will contact you to verify that you will be at the competition. If for some reason you can not fulfill an assignment please contact the assigning secretary ASAP so that a substitute can be found.
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