National Association of Women’s Gymnastics Judges

Whether you are already a new judge, or just "window shopping," this page will answer some basic questions about gymnastics officiating.

The National Association of Women’s Gymnastics Judges (NAWGJ) works at the local, state, regional and national levels of the United States, servicing the gymnastics community and its judges. The goals of the NAWGJ are:

Teaching and training its members thereby promoting judging excellence.
Functioning as a service organization to the entire gymnastics community.
Disseminating judging information.
Assigning officials to competitions.
Promoting interest in the sport of gymnastics.

For additional information, contact the State Judging Director for your state. He or she is listed on the Regional/State NAWGJ page of this web site.

Judging Accreditation

USA Gymnastics (USAG) has taken over the testing and certification of judges from Judges Certification, Inc. Some of the rules and procedures have changed but the testing process is very similar. A network of Test Administrators (TA) is located throughout the United States. The TA administers the examination locally. A master test schedule list is available on the USAG website. A prospective judge may also contact the Regional Judging Director (RJD) or State Judging Director (SJD) to find out when and where tests will be given. Exam is administered at various levels (Rating)

Level 5/6 - Compulsory, written test only
Level 7/8 - Optional, written and practical (film) tests
Level 9 - Optional, written and practical (film) tests
Level 10 - Optional, written and practical (film) tests
Level 5 & 6 and/or Level 8 are entry levels.
Level 9 and 10 judges are not required to have a Level 5 & 6 rating.

Testing

The certification year is August 1 to the following July 30.
You may take each part of the exam up to four times in a certification year.
You must hold a rating for 12 months before taking a higher-level test.
Practice judging is not required to test at a higher level.
The written test has 50 questions.
The practical test has one practice routine and 5 routines to be judged per event.

Registration

You can register for the test on-line at USAG at least a week before the test. No walk-ins allowed.
You may register for a test by mail or fax but you must register two weeks prior to the exam.

Study materials for the exams and rule books for judging

USA Gymnastics Jr. Olympic Compulsory Routines for Women’s Gymnastics. Cost $45.
USA Gymnastics Jr. Olympic Code of Points. Cost $45.

All materials are available through USA Gymnastics.

Organizations to Join

Once you have successfully attained your judges rating, you need to join the following organizations:

National Association of Women’s Gymnastics Judges (NAWGJ)
Betty Sroufe, National Treasurer
2096 Rolling Hills Blvd
Fairfield, Ohio 45015
(513) 829-5671

Click here for the printable Membership Application Form

NAWGJ offers three different memberships:
--Professional membership for $55 per year (includes insurance)
--New judge’s membership $45 for the first year (includes insurance)
--Associate membership $35 per year (Non-judge, coach, parent)

USA Gymnastics (USAG)
201 South Capital, Suite 300
Indianapolis, Indiana 46225
(800) 345-4719
http://www.usa-gymnastics.org

USAG offers a Professional memberships for judges which is available online and by fax/mail. They also offer Safety Certification. See the USAG Membership page for more information.

Both organizations will keep you abreast of current information through a state and national newsletter and a national magazine, along with their web sites.

Continuing Professional Education Requirements (CPE)

Annual continuing education credits (CPE's) are required to test up to the next level and to be assigned to USA Gymnastics sanctioned events. The following link will provide additional information from USA Gymnastics: http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Women/Judges/cpeforweb.pdf

Professionalism

As officials, we need to pay attention to the following:

1. Preparation. Review your rules and event assignments before each meet. Carefully pack your bag or briefcase to include all the sheets, books, and supplies you need.

2. Appearance. The NAWGJ uniform consists of a navy jacket, navy skirt or pants and white blouse.

3. Behavior at Meets. Do not speak excessively to coaches during the competition. Keep conferences brief, and speak well of all gymnasts, coaches and other judges. Stay at your event until the session is completed. Eat or drink discreetly.

4. Responsibilities. You are responsible for your own judging career - you must keep your required memberships and ratings current and take care of any required financial reporting. (Taxes etc.) Be a responsible judge: Return contracts promptly, carpool when you can, be prepared for your assignments, and be on time!