Judges Responsibility & Compensation

Please go to GymJas.com and fill out as much information as you can.

Florida NAWGJ uses an on-line assigning system to assign judges to competitions. Each judge needs a user name and password to enter the site.  This information may be obtained from the NAWGJ Florida State Judging Director.

After you have obtained all required memberships and are safety certified, you may enter your availability in the on-line assigning system. It is the responsibility of all judges to update their personal information including membership status each season. 

Once a contract has been issued, you will receive an automatic email generated by the assigning system. Enter the system and accept or decline the contract.

Specific information about the meet will be sent out by email about 1-2 weeks prior to the competition. Please read it carefully. Your event assignment and hotel arrangements will be listed. 

Obtain directions to the meet site from the web by using a service such as Map Quest. Know where you are going and the approximate driving time. Allow time for unforeseen circumstances.

If you will not be using the hotel room it is your responsibility to notify either the assigner or the meet director. You will be financially responsible for a room that is not used and not cancelled properly.

By accepting an assignment and signing a contract, judges agree to comply with all NAWGJ policies and to adhere to professional standards.

A judge is eligible to be assigned to meets if copies of all current membership, safety certification, and background check forms are on file with the NAWGJ Florida Secretary and if all CPE requirements have been fulfilled. 

Assignments are typically made using the following criteria:

• Identification of judges holding the appropriate ratings
• Meet director requests/preferences
• Location of the meet
• Experience

One set of judges is assigned to each meet in Florida. Although you may be assigned for only part of a meet, you will be typically be assigned for both days of a two-day meet and three days of a three-day meet. Therefore, you should only enter your availability if you can judge the entire weekend.

Most fall meets are assigned in the early summer. Most spring meets are assigned in the early fall. Depending on when you passed your test, it may not be possible to receive contracts until the next season.

Your assigner can tell you the possibilities.

Once a contract is accepted, judges are expected to honor the contractual agreement to judge the meet. 

In the event of an emergency or illness, you must contact the assigner immediately.

In the case of all USAG state meets, you must contact the State Judging Director and the USAG State chair. The USAG State Board must approve state meet assignments.  Judges may not replace themselves on a meet under any circumstances. 

Approximately 7 - 10 days prior to the meet, the assigner will send  information regarding location, report time, event(s) you will be judging, hotel arrangements, meals, etc. Please read this information carefully and make certain you understand it.

If you are assigned to a hotel room and do not show up for the room as specified on your contract, you will be charged for your portion of the room cost. If you do not need the hotel room for the night(s) specified on the meet information sheet, contact the Meet Director and Assigner immediately to avoid getting charged for the room.

Once you know the event you will be judging, take the time to prepare properly for the meet. Review and study the relevant rules and updates, practice judge in a local gym or on video, and prepare the forms you use to judge.

It is your responsibility to provide your own supplies.

The Meet Referee assigned to your meet will determine the number of hours for which you will receive payment.

An explanation of the USA Gymnastics Judge's Compensation package may be found in the USAG Women's Program Rules & Policies. 

Affiliation of an official at a specific meet refers to:

• An immediate family member of a competing gymnast or of the gymnast’s coach(s), or of the club owner whose team is competing. An immediate family member is defined as a parent/step-parent, grandparent, or sibling. In addition, it could include any other person living in the household.
• A person on the payroll of a competing Club.
• A team member or parent of a Women’s Artistic team member of a competing club. A parent of a men’s or rhythmic team member of a competing club is not considered affiliated. A parent of any child enrolled in a recreational class of a competing club is not considered affiliated.
• A coach of a club that has gymnasts competing in the meet.
• A club owner whose club has a gymnast who is competing in the meet.
• Any sports science professional paid for ongoing services for a competing gymnast.

The regulations regarding affiliation are NOT meant to prevent officials from judging, but to prevent the perception of potentially unfair situations for gymnasts.

Affiliated judges may be assigned to meets with the following stipulations. 
In USAG qualifying competitions with panels of 2 or 4 judges:

• An affiliated judge may be assigned as a Panel Judge or as the Meet Referee.
• No more than 1 judge with the same affiliation may be assigned per panel.
• An affiliated judge may not be assigned as a Chief Judge, regardless of their rating.

In non-qualifying Open Invitational meets with panels of 2 or 4 judges:

• Affiliated judges may be assigned as a Chief or Panel judge.
• If any of the Chief Judges are affiliated, the Meet Director must list the judges (and their affiliation) on the pre-meet information.

In meets using one-judge panels, an affiliated judge may be assigned only when there are not enough non-affiliated judges available and only with the approval of the RTCC (contact the State Judging Director first).

If the club with which a judge is affiliated is not participating in the meet to which the judge has been assigned, the judge is not considered affiliated at that meet.

If a judge has family members or a team competing in a meet, the judge has a responsibility to maintain a high standard of behavior that demonstrates fair and impartial activity. 

Affiliated judges may not acknowledge that they have a child or team in the meet. This should be clearly explained to the gymnast prior to the meet. If the children are too young to understand the difference in roles between “Mom” and “Judge” or “Coach” and “Judge,” it may be wise for the judge to decline the meet assignment.

Parents of affiliated athletes competing in the meet should ask themselves a series of questions when deciding to accept a contract: Is it more important for me to watch the meet as a spectator and provide emotional and social support for my child or is it more important to judge the meet? Am I willing to forego the celebration of her successes during and after the meet when I am required to be in the Judges Room? If my child is injured in a meet while I am judging, will I be able to give judging my full attention? What would I do if my daughter needed to go to the hospital for treatment while the meet was still going on?

• When accepting a contract for a meet at which a judge will be affiliated, the affiliated judge must agree to act in such a way as to avoid the appearance of partiality by participants, coaches, parents, and spectators.
• While wearing the NAWGJ uniform, judges should not be seen showing partiality to athletes such as hugging athletes, arranging cards for the competition order, or attending to the personal needs of athletes such as attending to their hair, pinning on competition numbers.
• Remember that what is said on the competition floor or in the judging room should not be repeated to parents, gymnasts, or staff at your gym. Do not provide coaches or parents with information about the judging at a particular meet or event. The discussion that occurs during conferences should not be shared with others.
• Affiliated judges who coach athletes should not leave their judging station to talk to fellow coaches or their athletes during the competition.
• Affiliated judges who coach athletes should keep their eye contact on their event and should not try to watch the performance of their athletes.
• Affiliated judges should not ask to see the scores of their athletes while the competition is in progress.
• Parents or coaches who are affiliated judges should not ask other judges at the competition for feedback to improve their athlete’s routine. This information should be given to the coach of the athlete, not the parent.
• Affiliated judges should carefully review their scores after every meet to assure a lack of bias in scoring of their own athletes/child.
• Affiliated judges who coach athletes or who are parents should not attend the awards ceremony in their NAWGJ uniform and cheer for their athletes who receive awards.
  
• Affiliated judges should not go out on the floor during warm-ups to coach or conduct related behaviors at an assigned meet even if they are not in their NAWGJ uniform.

Judges may choose to carpool, or drive solo.

Judges that elect to carpool, must set up the carpool on their own with the other judges on the meet.  Drivers will receive full mileage as per R&P. 

All judges that carpool will be required to indicate on their vouchers the names of every judge they carpooled with.  Drivers and riders must include this information on their voucher.

Judges who choose to drive solo will receive mileage with the following stipulations:

• Mileage will be capped for solo drivers (based on current IRS rates as approved and used by USAG). Click HERE to review the USA Gymnastics Women's Rules & Policies and the  Gymnastics Judges Guidelines; TRAVEL AND MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT.

Mapquest showing mileage is required to receive any compensation.  The mileage must be from your HOME to the meet site.  Solo drivers and carpool drivers may not receive mileage if they drive with a spouse, children, family, friends, coaches or anyone else that is not judging the competition.

Florida USAG requires an availability form for State meets be completed each year and sent to the Florida USAG State Chair with a copy to the NAWGJ SJD.  The form is due by September 1st of each year.

Judges who do not file this form will not be considered for any state meet assignments.

The selection of judges for state meets occurs in October of each year. In addition to the availability form, judges must complete an in-gym form showing at least six hours of in-gym work with athletes at the level or higher that you wish to be assigned.

Judges who complete a Regional In-Gym card do not need to complete another form for the State meets). Judging panels for state meets are made by the USAG Board based on the following factors:

• Availability of Judge
• Chief Judge Availability; most experienced judges assigned first
• Rating of Judge
• Active judging of USAG meets during current season at appropriate level
• Professional development activities of judges (clinics attended, training camps attended)
• Geography
• Affiliation (not assigned as Chief Judge if affiliated)
• Contributions to State Associations (USAG; NAWGJ)

No single factor determines whether a judge will be selected for a state meet or not. The USAG Board looks at the entire portfolio the judge presents. 

Regional Meet Judges who wish to be considered for a regional assignment must submit three items to the Regional Technical Director and the Regional Judging Director, typically by May 15th of each year:

• Availability form
• In-Gym Form with 9 hours of in-gym time
• Form showing the number of athletes you judged at each level that season

In order to be eligible to judge a regional meet in Region 8, a judge must have in-gym experience in addition to meeting all other CPE requirements. Each experience must be a minimum of two hours. The level of gymnasts must be equal to or greater than the meet level for which the judge wishes to be considered. 

A Training Camp may only count for either in-gym experience or clinic experience but not both.

The in-gym experience must be an interactive experience; it is not sufficient to sit in the stands and watch workout. 

Judges must call ahead to schedule gym time. 

National Meets Level 10 Nationals and Level 9 Eastern National assignments are based on recommendations from the USAG Regional Board and selected by the USAG National Office. 

A rotation system is used to assign judges.  The list consists of Brevet judges in the region and selected National-level judge.