JUDGES FAQS
Thinking about judging at our regional competition?
Maybe your questions can be answered on this page! We appreciate our volunteer judges tremendously. Without judges, our regional competition just wouldn’t happen! Thanks to our judges, our SF Bay teams have a great tournament experience!
How old must judges be?
All scoring judges must be at least 18 years of age.
How much time will judging take?
Judging at our regional competition is an all-day event. Judges are expected to arrive about one hour before the first team’s performance and stay until about one hour after the last team competes. 7:30 am – 4:00 pm is probably the maximum tournament day for our judges. Judges' training is conducted via online video training and a webinar. Please check our event schedule for exact dates and times.
Do I have to attend judges' training?
Yes. Each year the problems change and the judging team needs to be consistent. Even if you’ve judged before, attendance at judges training is mandatory to ensure all judges are on the same page and fully understand the problem. If the scheduled judge's training dates do not work into your schedule, we will allow judges to be trained by other regions or on an individual basis with the problem captain. This must be arranged in advance and we must receive confirmation that you were successfully trained.
As a judge, will I be able to see my child perform?
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that a judge will be able to see their child perform. In order to keep on schedule, judges will need to be at their specific judging site the vast majority of the day. While it is possible that a scheduled judging break may fortuitously align with the performance time for a judge’s child, it is quite unlikely, and judges will need to be back on site before the next scheduled performance time. If you choose to judge Primary, you may be able to see your child’s team perform.
What happens if a judge leaves early?
We sincerely hope this doesn’t happen! In the case of a true emergency requiring a judge to leave, all of the scores that the judge has entered for a given problem/division must be canceled. This is to maintain scoring consistency and fairness for all teams. If you have time constraints that may prevent you from being present at the competition all day, please inform your Problem Captain immediately as well as your Judges Coordinator (Cameran Haire) so alternate arrangements can be made.
Adapted from Redwood Region. Revised August 2019.