Judging
From WCA
Here is a simple guide to quality judging, based on Gilles van den Peereboom early works. This guide is based on the official WCA regulations. It is designed to help judges in Official WCA competitions that do not know the regulations extensively. This short guide should help you in your task.
Contents |
Who does what in a competition ?
In a competition, there are 5 types of people:
- Competitors: People who solve puzzles
- Judges: People judging competitors (you)
- The main judge: the person you have to go to when you have a question or a problem
- Scramblers: People who scramble puzzles
- Score takers : People who encode times in a computer
What you have to have with you at all time
As a judge, you need some material. Here is what you have to have to judge :
- a pen (to write the competitor’s time and sign his sheet)
- a stopwatch (or a device that measures seconds)
Usually stopwatches are left on tables, so you should find them there. But for pens, it’s usually a mess (people leave them on the table; some take them with them...). So the best thing is to have one with you at all time.
Vocabulary
DNF = Did not finish (a competitor has that when he stops the timer and the puzzle is not solved)
DNS = Did not start (a competitor has that when he doesn’t start, this happens usually when he gives up)
Penalty = 2 extra seconds added to the solve time
POP = 1 or several pieces of the puzzle are not attached to the puzzle any more
A normal solve
This paragraph will describe how things should work.
You go to the scramblers’ table. You pick one of the scrambled puzzles with its cover on it (so that nobody can look at it) and the score sheet. You look at the score sheet, go to the competitor area, read the competitor’s name and call him (her). The competitor should be nearby so there shouldn’t be any problem to find him (from now on I’ll only use ‘him’ or ‘he’). If you do not find him, ask someone. If you still cannot find him, just put his puzzle, the cover and the score sheet back on the scramblers’ table and take another one.
When you get hold of your competitor, ask him to choose where he wants to compete (some competitors have preferences, but you shouldn’t allow the competitor to wait for a special place when there are other places available) and go there together without disturbing other competitors.
The competitor will choose if he wants to sit or stand (when the choice is possible depending in the competition) and will prepare himself. You have to put the puzzle at the middle of the stackmat with the cover on it so that he cannot look at it.
Take your stopwatch (or any device measuring seconds) and ask the competitor if he is ready for pre-inspection. If he says yes, remove the cover and start your stopwatch.
After 8 seconds, say “8 seconds”.
After 12 seconds, say “GO”. The Competitor have to put the puzzle down and start the timer before 15 seconds.
The competitor is now solving. You do not have anything special to do except check that some specific rules are followed in special events but we will talk about that later.
In case of a POP, you are not allowed to help the competitor (nor anybody else). So if a POP happens, you can help him by getting out of the competitor’s way but do not go and get the pieces of his puzzle.
The competitor has finished solving the puzzle, has put it back on the table and has stopped the timer.
When the competitor stops, the competitor is allowed to stop the timer with his fingers OR his palms but NOT with his wrists.
After stopping the timer, he is not allowed to touch the puzzle anymore.
Check if the puzzle is solved. If yes, write the time on the score sheet and sign it (make sure the competitor checks the time you wrote).
Take the puzzle, the cover and the score sheet back to the scramblers’ table. (Please put the puzzle in the cover, it will prevent another judge from taking a non-scrambled puzzle.)
Take another puzzle with its cover and the score sheet, and start all over again.
Exceptions
You think there is a problem
Sometimes, the puzzle is nearly solved. That’s when you have to ask yourself if there is a penalty or not. (All penalties are 2 seconds added to the competitor’s time.)
Depending on the puzzle, there are different rules (even though they are quite similar).
Here are the rules (Source: WCA regulations (http://www.speedcubing.com/regulations/) :
- 10b) Only the resting state of a puzzle is considered, when the timer has stopped.
- 10c) Puzzles may be in any orientation at the end of the solve.
- 10d) All pieces of a puzzle must be fully attached to the puzzle, and in their required positions. Exceptions: see Article 5 Puzzle defects.
- 10e) A puzzle is solved when all face colours are reconstructed and all the parts are aligned within certain limits.
- 10e1) For each two adjacent parts (for example two parallel adjacent slices of a cube) of the puzzle that are misaligned more than the limit described in Article 10f, these two parts are considered to need one move to be solved (Half Turn Metric).
- 10e2) If no move is needed to bring the puzzle to solved state, the puzzle is considered solved without a penalty.
- 10e3) If one move is needed, the puzzle is considered solved with a penalty of 2 seconds.
- 10e4) If more than one move is needed, the solve is ruled DNF.
- 10f) Limits of misalignment for puzzles:
- cube shaped puzzles: 45 degrees
- Megaminx: 36 degrees
- Pyraminx: 60 degrees
Examples Solved, no penalty. Misalignment < 45°
Solved, with penalty. Only 2 adjacent parts misaligned > 45°
Not solved. 2 misalignments > 45°
Solved, with penalty. 1 misalignment > 45°
Solved, no penalty. All misalignments < 45°
Solved, no penalty. Misalignment < 45°
Not solved. 2 misalignments > 45°
Solved, no penalty. All misalignments < 45°
Solved, with penalty. 1 misalignment > 45°
- 10g) For Magic (and similar puzzles) the puzzle must be flat on the surface. The maximum elevation of the bottom side of the puzzle at the end of a solve is two tiles higher than flat.
- 10g1) If one tile or two adjacent tiles are elevated too high or folded, and the puzzle is otherwise solved, then the puzzle is considered solved, with a penalty of 2 seconds. In all other cases the result is DNF.
- 10h) Other puzzles are solved according to the solved state as defined in the generally accepted goal of the puzzle, with the regulations of the cube solved state applied when applicable.
The competitor has done all his attempts
In each round, every competitor has a limited amount of attempts. Before each event, you should check the number of attempts a competitor will have. (A time schedule should be available in the room.)
When the competitor has finished all his attempts, write down his time and then give him his puzzle back.
Take the cover back to the scramblers’ table and give the results sheet to the score takers.
Then go for another puzzle at the scrambler’s table.
Specific rules
All events are not the same and some have different rules. Here is a quick summary:
- One-Handed: The competitor is allowed to solve using only one hand and he may not change hand during the same solve. (Therefore the other hand should NOT touch the puzzle at any time.) If you have a doubt, just ask before he starts which hand he is going to use. In case of a POP, the competitor must fix the puzzle with only one hand.
- Blindfolded: In this category, there is no pre-inspection time. The competitor will put his hands on the pads of the stackmat, then remove himself the cover and start memorizing. During memorization time, the competitor is allowed to touch the puzzle but he may NOT turn any faces or change anything on it. When he has put his blindfold, then he is allowed to start solving it. During all the solve, you have to put a sheet of paper between his eyes and the puzzle, try not to touch the cube. When he has removed the blindfold, he is not allowed to turn the cube anymore.
Other
Full regulations can be found here : http://www.speedcubing.com/regulations/
