Becoming a judge
Have you ever thought about becoming a gymnastics judge?
Active and retired gymnasts, parents, coaches and anyone passionate about the sport are all encouraged to get involved as a Gymnastics judge. Interest in gymnastics continues to grow every year and judges are needed for invitational meets, trial competitions, provincial/territorial championships and Canadian Championships. Judges can progress from beginning levels, to national, to FIG (international) levels. Judges at the FIG level may represent Canada at international events.
Requirements of a judge
To become a judge you must be a least 15 years of age, take a certification course, pass the written exam, and take part in shadow judging.
How to get started
- Register with your provincial/territorial gymnastics organization (PTO). All judges must be registered with their PTO to take part in association sanctioned competitions and courses. If you are already registered with a full member clubs as an athlete or coach, you are covered, just ask them to update your registration to include judging. Otherwise, complete the independent member registration form available on your PSOs website and submit with your registration fee. Click here for contact information for each province/territory.
- Choose your discipline. You can choose from women’s artistic gymnastics, men’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline gymnastics.
- Choose the course. Course offerings vary by province/territory. Beginner courses are generally held in the late summer and throughout the fall. Check out your PSOs website for more information.
- Complete the course. In most cases, the course will require some pre-course reading, attending the course, and writing the exam.
Each discipline has detailed requirements. See the judge’s handbooks for more details on becoming a judge.