Guide To Judging

How do you get started in Judging? ... Read on.....

This page outlines the pre-requisites to become a Judge in Great Britain, and an insight into some of the basic areas of judging.

This is a service offered by Ministry Of Air.   The author, Terry Williams from Ministry Of Air, is a very active National Judge in Great Britain, and one of the most successful Judge tutors.

The summary (below) reflects the rules applicable in Great Britain in 2006.   Some of the rules have been simplified, and some omitted, in this extract from Terry's B.G. CLUB Judge course.

General     [see also Code Of Practice   -   Juries   -   Duties   -   Deductions ]

CLUB JUDGE

Overview
The Club Judge Award is the entry level into the B.G. (Trampoline) Judging scheme and is open to any member of B.G. who is interested in judging and competitions.

Regulations
Minimum Age 15
B.G. Associate Membership is required, Full Membership is also valid.
Course duration (minimum): 12 hours, includes 2 short examinations.
Course costs £35.00, this is £25.00 for course plus £10.00 for examination.
Associate Membership for 2006 costs £15.00.   (January to December).
Club Members (competitors) can be registered as Associate members by their Club secretary at no cost (notify B.G. of transfer from form M3 to form M1).   The transfer doesn't invalidate their competitive status in any way.

Syllabus
Competition Structure &Procedures
Recording of Individual &Team competitions
Form Judging
Relevant Competition Rules

Examination
Theory Paper: 10 Questions covering the syllabus. Duration 30 minutes. Pass mark 60%.
Practical Examination Form Judge 5 routines below 3.0 difficulty. Pass mark 60%.

Successful Completion
Qualified as Execution Judge at Grade 4 competitions in Great Britain.
Can be selected for Execution Judge at Grade 3 as part of development.

Code Of Practice     [see also General   -   Juries   -   Duties   -   Deductions ]

Overview
Judges are representatives of British Gymnastics and are therefore expected to maintain high standards.

Expectations
Judges are expected to:
Arrive prepared and in good time.
Advise the competition organiser if they are unable to fulfil any of their commitments.
Behave courteously at all times.
Refrain from alcohol abuse both before and during the competition.
Be in place at the specified time(s).
Judge impartially.
Concentrate on the task they have been assigned.
Complete the Judge attendance form.
Be supportive of British Gymnastics.

Uniform
Navy Blue Blazer
White Blouse / Shirt &B.G. tie
Navy Skirt / Trousers
Black Shoes

Juries     [see also General   -   Code Of Practice   -   Duties   -   Deductions ]

COMPETITION JURY

Chair of Judges panel
Execution Judges
Difficulty Judges
Synchronisation Judges
Assistant Judges

If a Judge fails to carry out his duties in a satisfactory manner he must be replaced. This decision is made by the Chair of Judges panel.

Duties     [see also General   -   Code Of Practice   -   Juries   -   Deductions ]

EXECUTION (or FORM) JUDGE

Overview
Evaluate the execution in the range 0.0 to 1.0 points and write down their deductions on the deduction sheets.
Subtract their deductions from the maximum mark indicated by the Chair of Judges panel.
When instructed display the resultant mark simultaneously with the other Execution Judges.

Execution Deductions:
Deductions for execution (lack of form, consistency of height and control in each skill) are in the range 0.0 to 0.5 points for each move considered part of the routine.

Required Positions:
Depending on the requirements of the movement, the body should be tucked, piked or straight.
The arms should be straight and/or held close to the body whenever possible.
In all positions (except straddle jumps), the feet and legs should be kept together and the feet and toes pointed.
[During the straddle jump, the feet must be at least shoulder width apart.]
In the tucked position the hands should touch the legs below the knees (except in the twisting phase of multiple somersaults).
In the tucked and piked positions the thighs should be close to the upper body (except in the twisting phase of multiple somersaults).

Deductions for lack of stability on or after the last skill:
EITHER landing on both feet but lacking stability and not standing still for aproximately 3 seconds, in the range 0.1 to 0.2 points
OR in the range of 0.3 to 1.0 points on the instruction of the Chair of Judges panel
Additional deductions for infringement of other rules (also on the instruction of the Chair of Judges panel) in the range 0.1 to 1.0 points.

Deductions     [see also General   -   Code Of Practice   -   Juries   -   Duties ]

We need more Judges!
At Ministry Of Air we value Judges on our staff. Judges provide essential support to the Club at competitions and can provide invaluable help to our performers in the training environment.
If you are a parent, or have a parent, who would like to become qualified as a British Gymnastics Trampoline Judge then please see Terry, who can arrange a suitable course (2-day duration). Terry tutors Judge courses across southern England and has an outstanding 'pass' rate record.