How to Judge at WCA Competitions! (In Depth Tutorial)

Hopefully this video helps with people who want to judge at competitions!
Quick correction: If the timer shows .06 seconds, the time is a DNF, unless there was a timer malfunction. Also, E1s should be given only by delegates, not the judge.

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00
Pre-solve: 0:24
Inspection: 0:51
Solve: 2:45
Post-solve: 3:11
Clock: 5:31
OH & Feet: 6:13
Blind: 6:37

[CubeMasterYT]

This comment will just cover a few things I could have made more clear in this video:

E1/E2s should be granted by only the delegate.
M slice moves count as two outer block moves. This means a cube off by M will not be a +2, but rather a DNF.
Sometimes for Square-1, cards are put in the cube to avoid misalignment. The competitor is allowed to take it out during inspection.
If you write E1 in the box, it is not necessary to sign the attempt. Rather, the actual E1 attempt should be signed.
If the competitor lifts their hand from the timer before it starts and touch the cube, this is completely fine as long as the timer didn't start yet, they don't turn the cube and their inspection hasn't reached beyond 15/17 seconds.
If a single piece with only one sticker is not fully attached to the cube when the cube is set down after the timer stop, and the cube is solved other than that single piece, the cube is still considered solved without that piece in it. More than one colored piece not attached makes the attempt a DNF. Pieces with no stickers are allowed to not be attached to the puzzle and still have the attempt be good, but if any piece with more than one sticker is not attached, the solve is automatically a DNF.

[kitstopher_]

Some corrections/suggestions:


I wouldn't generally suggest competitors to solve if they think they have a duplicate scramble or misscramble. It depends on the situation.
0.05 or less is a re-solve, not 0.06 or less.
I always suggest to have judges write all decimal places and let data entry handle it. This is because some judges may interpret other times that are to 2 decimal places as rounded rather than truncated.
Judges should never be writing E1/E2 on a scorecard, this should only be done by a delegate and should not be suggested in this video.
Judges for blindfolded (or any event, really) should start a stopwatch if a cumulative limit over 10 minutes is used. Cumulative limits over 10 minutes are not typically used for non-BLD events though due to there typically only being one stopwatch per station.

[ThatCubeKidd]

Note for new competitors:
5:38 Pins may now be moved during inspection, this was changed in the 2024 regulations.
You can be less careful when judging clock now.

[RareEpicness]

I've done it at my first competition last year and it wasn't as hard as I thought but I was definitely very nervous because I had to judge mats Valk lol. I live in the Netherlands so he was there too

[helmerewert]

very important video, thanks for this, hopefully many people will see it!

[MinutemenSyndrome]

Shout out to my judge who thought one handed table abuse is illegal.

[AWSMcube]

a lot of people need to watch this video, thanks for making it <3

[whatdoiputhere]

all wr references (others too)

0:44 mitchell lane
1:26 feliks zemdegs, erik akkersdijk
1:34 maciej czapiewski
2:18 maciej czapiewski, rami sbahi, christian kaserer

[rqvage]

I just went to the luzon championship and i had a lot of fun solving and judging! Thank you so much man, i didn’t realize judging was fun!

[leo]

1:05 imagine you're inspecting and someone tells you from behind "4 MOVER!!!!" like com on

[insertkahootname]

Instructions unclear


Choked on the ceiling fan

[some_random_dude]

At 1:50 this depends on the delegate, some thinks you shouldn't solve to make sure that you didnt get the wrong scramble, while others say solve it in case of the competitor trying to exploit the system. So that one is upp to the delegate

[genericcuber]

im not judging but im going to my first comp soon and this helped me know how its gonna work :)

[mv_cuber]

I am going to compete in my first comp on April 02... So excited...😁

[sevginvatansever]

3:53
Maybe it is the most important when I am referee I see that before checked or signed competitors touch puzzle.

[madzkobu]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!😀😁Happy New Year!!!😁👍

[fantiscious]

Question: If the competitor gets a time like 17.547 seconds, should I round it to 17.55 seconds or write 17.54 seconds? Some competitions make the competitors judge other cubers as well and last time I was a judge, let’s just say I got confused for a bit :v

[RZCuber]

For 3x3 blindfolded, do you have to use a stopwatch to keep track? I heard that for 4x4 band 5x5 blindfolded, the judges must use a stopwatch in case the timer goes above 10 minutes, and I am wondering if it is the same situation in 3x3 blindfolded.

[Taozilin]

wait, do u stop inspection time when they start solving or when they finished inspecting?

[ntexpungedyt]

(2+(time)+2) means the first numbers are penalties before the solve and the 2nd numbers are the penalties during and after the solve? And what if i forgot how many penalties they got?