Judge's Guide to Alberta Gymnastics Women's Artistic Judges 2025-26

The uniform for all levels (CCP 1-10 and Xcel) is:

• dark blue dress pants or knee-length skirt (solid colour, no stripes or logos)
• white top
• classic shoes or sneakers in solid black, blue or white
• plain, neutral or navy blue non-decorative hosiery, if wearing hosiery

A navy or white cardigan or a navy suit jacket is allowed but not required. The Alberta Gymnastics soft shell jacket is permitted.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

Xcel Bronze/Silver/Gold (the mandatory entry point):

• Be at least 15 as of January 1 of the competitive year.
• No judging experience is required.
• Take a Bronze/Silver/Gold Xcel judging course and pass the exam (minimum 70%).
• Shadow judge at least 1 session at your first competition before going on a panel.
• This level makes you eligible to judge Bronze, Silver and Gold in the Xcel program.

Levels 1-3 (can be added on to Bronze/Silver/Gold): be at least 15 as of January 1, have completed a Bronze/Silver/Gold course, and pass the CCP 1-3 course exam (minimum 70%).

Levels 4-5: be at least 16 as of January 1, have a minimum of one year of experience and 60 routines at Levels 1-3, and pass the CCP 4-5 course exam (minimum 70%).

A judge cannot head judge an event unless they have completed the Apparatus Head Judge course.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

Xcel Bronze/Silver/Gold

• Take an Xcel judging course and pass the exam (minimum 70%) every four years or at the start of a new code.
• Judge at least 50 routines from 3 different competitions.
• Complete at least 5 CPE hours, at least 1 of them course hours.
• Complete at least 2 observation hours, unless you qualify for an exemption.
• Be assessed at least once in a quad (4 years).

Levels 1-3: the same, with a compulsory judging course and exam (minimum 70%) every four years or at the start of a new code, and the 50 routines can be any level from 1-3.

Levels 4-5: the same, with a Level 4/5 course and exam (minimum 70%), and a minimum of 30 of the 50 routines must be Levels 4-5.

An Xcel or compulsory judge is expected to be a panel member, submit a full score, justify execution deductions if the Apparatus Head Judge asks, and use judging scripting for all routines.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

Level 6/7 (and Platinum): be at least 15 as of January 1 of the competitive year, complete a minimum 2 years as an active Xcel Bronze/Silver/Gold judge and a successful assessment as an Xcel judge, or submit the Judging Level Petition Form and supporting documents three weeks before the course registration deadline. Then pass the Level 6/7 exam (minimum 70%) every four years or at the start of a new code.

Level 8 (and Diamond): be at least 16, complete a minimum 2 years as an active Level 6/7 judge and a successful assessment as a Level 7 judge (or petition as above). Pass the Level 8 exam (minimum 70%) and take the Apparatus Head Judge course.

Level 9 (and Sapphire): be at least 18, complete a minimum 2 years as an active Level 8 judge and a successful assessment as a Level 8 judge in an Apparatus Head Judge position. Pass the Level 9 exam (minimum 70%).

Level 9 National Prep (odd-year seasons): be at least 20, have a minimum 1 successful year at Level 9 and a minimum 4 years of judging (2 in the optional levels), pass the Level 9 exam with at least 75% in both practical and theory, complete the National Prep forms and submit your intent by November 15.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

Apparatus Head Judge: you must be at least 18 years old as of January 1 of the competitive year, have judged at least two successful years at the program you will head judge, and take the Head Judge course. You can then be Apparatus Head Judge for your level and below. The Apparatus Head Judge:

• decides the competition order, greets athletes and addresses coaches' inquiries for the event
• with judge 2, determines the start value for each routine
• submits the final score for each routine
• makes sure the panel works together to rank the athletes correctly, and coordinates the volunteers for the table

Competition Head Judge: the same age and two-successful-years requirements apply, and you must take the Competition Head Judge course.

The Competition Chief Judge supervises all judging at a competition, chairs the judges' meetings, coordinates with competition directors and handles inquiries not resolved between coaches and the Apparatus Head Judge.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) minimums per year of active judging:

Activities that count include attending or instructing a clinic or judging course, coaching within the Women's Development Program system, congress judging sessions, shadow judging, observation hours (alongside at least one other judge), attending Women's Judging Assembly meetings, line judging, video study with at least 2 judges, mock meets, mentor sessions, self-learning modules and CPE mini sessions or webinars. The WJC can approve other activities.

If you do not complete the minimum hours (and the minimum number of categories), you have not met the requirements for your level. For example, a Level 8 judge with a 15-hour Level 8 course, 2 hours at the Women's Judging Assembly and 2 hours of gym observation meets the requirement because the hours come from 3 categories.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

• Each Provincial judge keeps their own Record Keeping Form and CPE Hours Form and submits them to the Women's Program Manager and the Information and Resources Representative.
• Each National judge also keeps the National Points Chart and Professional Development Form and submits them to the Women's Program Manager and the WJC Chair.
• If you do not submit the Record Keeping and CPE Hours forms, you have not met your requirements and the WJC reviews your judging level status.
• The fine for late submission of the Record Keeping Form is $25.00.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

Sanctioned events include Trials to Western Canadian Championships (Levels 8-10), the Alberta Xcel Championships (Xcel Silver and up), the Alberta Compulsory Championships (Levels 3-5), Provincial Championships (Levels 6-10) and Trials to Canadian Championships (Levels 9-10), plus the Alberta, Arctic and Canada Winter Games trials and Games in their cycles.

Eligibility:

• All active, registered Provincial, National and Brevet judges are considered for panel assignments.
• For Provincials, the Compulsory Championships, the Xcel Championships, Levels 8-10 Provincials and Trials to Canadians, only judges in their 2nd year of judging who have judged at least 2 competitions before the event are eligible (exceptions may be made if necessary).
• To be an Apparatus Head Judge at a sanctioned event, you must be a National level judge or have taken the Apparatus Head Judge course.

Restrictions:

• Parents, grandparents, siblings and guardians should not judge sessions in which their child, grandchild or sibling is competing.
• A judge with a club affiliation (owner, coach, administrator, parent or athlete) cannot be Apparatus Head Judge for a session in which their club is competing.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

• Judges assigned to provincial activities must be on time for all judges' meetings, before and after the competition, and for the sessions where they are needed.
• A judge who has not arrived at the judges' meeting twenty (20) minutes before the competition starts will be replaced if a suitable replacement is readily available.
• If the Competition Chief Judge has not arrived before General Warm-up, the Assistant Competition Chief Judge or the next highest ranked judge takes over.
• If an Apparatus Head Judge has not arrived at the start of the judges' meeting, the 2nd panel judge becomes the event head judge and the named head judge becomes a panel judge on that apparatus.
• A judge who is late for the judges' meeting cannot claim that time on the expense claim form.
• A judge who is consistently late may have their name submitted to the Judging Excellence Working Group (JEX).
• Use of personal cell phones or other electronic devices during the competition is not allowed.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

• To re-write an exam, ask through your Course Conductor. The conductor contacts the WJC Chair to set a re-write date.
• If you do not pass the first exam, choose not to re-write, or do not pass the re-write, you stay at your previous level, provided you successfully write the exam for that level.
• If you do not successfully attend the entire course, you cannot upgrade to the next level until you have successfully completed another course.

Courses are generally scheduled between September and December so judges are certified before most sanctioned competitions start.

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

A provincial judge who wants to officiate outside Alberta must first get permission from the Alberta WJC Chair, as per Gymnastics Canada policy. The WJC Chair then seeks permission from the other province or territory's chair. You can judge outside Alberta only after you have permission from both chairs.

For out-of-province travel assignments on behalf of Alberta Gymnastics, the WJC and the Women's Program Manager consider:

• whether you meet the minimum exam score to travel (set by Gymnastics Canada)
• the National Judges Points Chart
• whether the competition benefits your professional development
• whether you have the required courses and judging experience
• the competitions you are available for
• your CPE hours in the province or from the previous season

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.

A judge can ask in writing for an approved year of absence, for example for parental leave, studying abroad or health issues. With Women's Judging Committee (WJC) approval:

• the year is not counted as unsuccessful and is recorded as an approved year of absence on your record form
• it does not add seniority on the judges' roster, so it does not increase your honorarium
• if the absence goes beyond one year, you must take a course at the level you held before the absence when you return

Source: Alberta Gymnastics Women's Judges Handbook 2025-2026.