I think that judging is really an art form and a good judge can turn any tournament into a pleasant experience. With the better judges, it’s almost like their movements are choreographed and they have a rhythm and the tournament flows smoothly. On the other hand, there are the judges that stutter step throughout the entire tournament and never get into a rhythm, and this can make for a long tournament.
Pet Peeves
Before I talk about any pet peeves that I have I want to say that I respect all of our judges for the tough job that they have. I know that I could not do it and really would not want the job. I’ve attended well over a 100 tournament weekends over the last 7 years and have played under many judges from almost every area of the country. Here is a list of my pet peeves in no particular order please feel free to add your own:
- Not keeping track of the race – Some judges just stand there in the middle of the lanes and don’t keep track of what’s going on and need to ask the line judges what heat it is or how many wins or loses each team has. I know that it must get monotonous after a while and I can understand loosing track sometimes but when it becomes a habit…. The better judges tell you the standing of the race before each heat.
- Not telling everyone when the race if over – This kind of goes along with not keeping track of the race. I’ve been boxloading many time and when the race is over we (both boxloaders) are just standing there saying was that 5 (or however many heats we are running). The judge just walks over to the side and does not say anything while everyone is just standing there wondering, is it over. The better judges will tell everyone when the race is over and it help speed things along.
- Spending too much time with the table – Sometimes the judge will spend too much time at the table while both teams are just standing there waiting. The dogs are all pumped up after going in the ring and the judge is still at the table talking about the last race or goofing off with the table workers.
- Being over critical – Some judges take the training in the ring rule to the extreme. It seems like they will focus in on one handler at times and hound them about little things.
How Can they Improve
We all praise the judge(s) after the tournament in our post to the flyball list and other forums, but what if we could actually critique them after the tournament. I think that even the more experienced judges would benefit. They should be made to pass out a critique forms at the captains meeting to each of the teams. It would be up to the team whether they turned them or not but it would be a way to let the judges know how they are doing and what they could do to improve.
I have attended many technical training courses and almost every instructor passes out critique forms. In some instances, the forms are sealed by the students in an envelope and the instructor has to turn the envelope in to his or her employer. Honest and candied feedback can and would help improve all judges and the training of new judges.
Larry
8 comments ↓
Great topic. Hopefully there will be some good feedback for us to read.
Your first two pet peeves humored me. You are annoyed with a judge that looses track of race numbers/stats. And then you are annoyed when a judge doesn’t communicate clearly to you that your race is over because you lost track of your own 5 races. Perhaps you should ask the line judge.
Elizabeth
Great topic Larry!
I definitely agree with your first 3 points. My team has *luckily* avoided being the target of an over critical judge thus far… and I’m hoping it stays that way so I can’t really comment on the 4th issue.
On not keeping track of the heat count… I can understand it when it happens and have on occasion while line judging had to tell the judge the race count. My peeve is the judges that seem to NEVER know the race count. If I have to tell the same judge 8 out of 10 races what the heat count is, it annoys me.
Not telling people the race is over is my #1 peeve!! When you are back there with your dog (especially us big dog owners who spend our time tugging after our dogs run or boxloaders who can’t always see the judge call the finish of the race) you don’t alway know how the race finished. Especially if there are re-runs, multiple fouls, etc. It only takes a second for the judge to turn around and say “That’s three!” instead of just walking to the table leaving us all there wondering.
Spending too much time at the table is annoying to me primarily when you are running in a HUGE tournament and you really want to get back to your hotel on Saturday or on the road Sunday night before the coyotes start howling at the moon!
This actually leads me into one of my own pet peeves of WAY too much warm up time! I am totally fine with it if both or one of the teams ‘wants’ to use the warm up time. But for a lot of the seasoned teams (especially on say late Saturday afternoon or on Sunday) the dogs don’t need the warm up time and I’ve been to several events where both teams are in the ring waiting to go and the judge doesn’t take the initiative to move things along.
Maybe I’m spoiled in that my particular Region has some excellent judges. The judges we see on a regular monthly basis when playing in Region have the ‘rhythm’ Larry speaks about and the events move right along and no one is ever left wondering if they should be putting the leash on their dog… or setting the dog back up to run.
I think the idea of critique forms is actually an interesting one! Of course… I would hope they are annonymous… and the judge doesn’t know your hand writing… or your could soon be the target of the ‘over critical’ judge! *LOL* But seriously, I think most judges would be interested in knowing where they need improvement, as well as praise for the things they do well!
“…you are annoyed when a judge doesn’t communicate clearly to you that your race is over because you lost track of your own 5 races.”
Most of the time if I’m boxloading I do keep track but it’s really not my job. The problem is that a lot of the boxloaders don’t keep track and I may be waiting to enter the ring. I, like most people waiting to enter the ring, may not be paying attention to the race in the ring and then everyone is just standing there and no one knows if the race is over.
The only point I would add: it helps me as a volunteer line/box judge for the head judge to be in a good rythm. Some always check box judges, boxes, line judges, prompt the team captain and start the next heat. Others leave it to the volunteers to keep up.
My point is, as a volunteer and new to the scene (less than three years), the judge is the only official in the ring that ensures that all participants are on the same sheet of music. When they do not do that, things start getting left out (and I resolve to ask someone with more experience to interpret something I just saw).
Everyone else is a participant, with varying levels of experience.
And do let’s keep it moving along…
Having said that, Tuff-Spun or not, it is a long day out there between the lanes. I respect the judges for committing the resources to becoming a judge and maintaining an active status.
Maybe the committee on putting together a judge training program will consider the “tournament critique sheet” as a tool in developing their program? Good idea, Larry.
Hi Larry
Love your blog, it always gets me thinking about the wider impact of our hobby and the fun and enjoyment that we all strive to achieve for ourselves and other participants, (lets not forget the dogs).
I have been judging for a short time here in Australia and always welcome constructive criticism and feedback. My aim is to ensure that every one has a good time in a fair and equitable environment.
Here we have a pegboard system so we can ,mark of the race progress during each heat, it is a system that has been in place since I have been racing and assist both judges and competitors as to the current race status.
i think flow is very important to the fun of the day, a judge that spends a lot of time at the table is the thing I find most annoying, when competing
The suggestion of feedback and ongoing training has been discussed previously in assisting judges as part of an ongoing improvement and education process, but been rejected. Our asscociation has preferred to work on the system that judges who do not come up to standard will not be asked to judge anymore. This has proved true, they are not asked, their education and training is not improved and they drift away as expected.
I am sure instead that a majority of judges would welcome feedback, they are after all there to help people have a great day.
Maybe not go as far as a critique to each team or club. If it isn’t on the paperwork sent in at the end of a tournament by the host club it should be. I know it is in the paperwork that the USDAA agility clubs send back in. Since I have sent in several I know they are not always favorable and one of the questions is “Would you invite the judge back?” Then there are some questions on a 1 to 10 scale. Don’t know what USDAA does with it once they get it. I would assume in NAFA it should be forwarded to the judging comittee. Kind of like an employee review.
There is such a form. It’s the C.15 and is optional for the tournament director to fill out. It’s a good idea to fill this out for judges. I can’t speak for all judges, but I know I want feedback on my performance because I want to improve. After this last tournament I judged I have about three things in my mind that I hope to be better prepared for the next time I’m in the center of the ring.
Remember that a tournaments success is a two way street between judges and participants. We can’t keep a good pace without responsible participants doing there part. For instance the score table holds a crucial part of moving a race forward in their hand and it’s the clear time button. A reliable and attentive score table is in some ways the most essential center to a well paced tournament in my opinion.
An interesting post for your next entry might be the “Art of being a Participant”
It does sounds like a great idea for a post perhaps you could write it. After all, what better way for everyone to know than straight from a judge? It would be nice to know how judges see things from their side of the fence, so to speak.
Leave a Comment