Only judges on the current approved Judge’s List are eligible to judge NADAC sanctioned trials. All judges must successfully pass a NADAC sponsored course design clinic.
Before an individual applies to become a NADAC approved judge, they should have extensive experience in the sport of agility. It is recommended that individuals have been successfully competing at the Elite level for several years prior to applying to become a judge. It is felt that several years of competition at all levels of agility will give individuals the experience and knowledge necessary to meet the requirements and skills to perform the duties of judging. Individuals should have experience setting courses at classes, and/or fun matches, and served as a chief course builder at several sanctioned trials. Before applying to become a judge, an individual must become a NADAC Associate and remain in good standing during their term as a NADAC judge. Persons applying to become a judge should have computer access, and adequate software knowledge to be able to send and receive courses and communications via email.
Individuals must complete an Application to Become a NADAC Judge form. This form can be downloaded from the NADAC web site at http://nadac.com/JudgeApplication.pdf or can be requested via the NADAC Office, NADACBecky@aol.com or NADACSharon@aol.com.
Applicants must have a “sponsor” who will validate that the applicant has sufficient course building skills and knowledge of NADAC philosophy to become a NADAC judge. The sponsor must be a NADAC judge, who is not under supervision. Applicants must attend and successfully complete a course design clinic before being added to the Judge’s List. Course design clinics are held 3-4 times a year in different geographical locations. Applicants must be able to demonstrate their knowledge of all aspects of the sport of agility. They must show their abilities to time accurately, scribe efficiently, record scores correctly, and manage dogs and handlers as a gate steward during a trial. Applicants must also show their abilities to correctly set courses, calculate accurate course distances, establish standard course times, and evaluate and set safe start/finish areas. Judging applicants must effectively demonstrate the ability to make correct judging calls, establish correct judging positions, and demonstrate the ability to efficiently manage a class while judging. Judging applicants must show that they have adequate people skills to take on the responsibilities of interacting with show committee members, exhibitors, and other individuals, and remain professional and above reproach, regardless of the circumstances.
Individuals are encouraged to attend several evaluation trials before accepting the responsibilities of becoming a judge.
By applying to become a judge, an individual has determined that they have
the physical and mental stamina to perform judging duties during the entire
duration of a trial. A judge must be physically fit enough to easily maneuver
themselves from one judging position to another for an entire day; the flexibility
to bend for a period of time to measure dogs; and the stamina to stay alert
from the first course building session in the morning until the last dogs crosses
the finish line at the end of a one to three day trial.
Upon successfully passing a NADAC Course Design Clinic and being added to the
Judge's List, an individual shall remain under supervision for at least one
year, or four judging assignments, whichever is longer. The individual may
remain under supervision for a longer period of time if there are any judging
areas that need more supervision. At the completion of one year
or 4 assignments a judge under supervision may apply for a change in status
by making the request prior to their next course design clinic evaluation.
When a club hires a judge, they do so under the current status of the judge at the time they are hired. An assignment will not be cleared based on an assumption that a status may change prior to the date of the assignment.
If a judge under supervision accepts an assignment, they will do so according to their current status.
The main focus, and an absolute requirement for moving from an SP-2 to an SP-1, is for a judge to be able to set and tweak courses to meet NADAC's philosophy in course design. A judge must be able to identify problem areas, set appropriate angles, curves and spacing required to make a course flow. Judges must also be able to interpret and apply NADAC’s rules by making correct calls while in the ring.
To move from an Sp-1 to requiring no supervision, a judge must also be able to determine distances, set times, make calls and effectively brief and work with volunteers, ring help and exhibitors. The difference between an SP-1 and being released from supervision is the ability to completely and independently conduct a ring, while displaying the necessary people skills to interact with all show personnel and exhibitors.
Active judges (those with at least three assignments per year) must be re-certified every twenty-four (24) months, attending and successfully completing a course design clinic.
If a judge has not had a full (350 run) judging assignment for more than one (1) year, that judge must judge under supervision until they attend and successfully pass a course design clinic. If the judge is already listed as being under supervision and has not had a full (350 run) assignment in a year, then they will be removed from the judges list until they can be recertified at a course design clinic.
Any judge who has not attended a judging clinic or course design clinic within twenty-four (24) months, regardless of the number of trials they have officiated at, will be temporarily placed under supervision until they successfully complete a course design clinic. Any person who is not in good standing with NADAC will be removed from the Approved Judges List
With the ever increasing number of sanctioned shows and the growth of entries, judges will be in more demand than ever. NADAC wants to be sure judges stay current with requirements for remaining on the NADAC Approved Judges’ List. Judges must always remember that common sense and logic is their greatest asset.
Please note: Judges are not at any time, to use their
status as a NADAC approved judge to promote themselves as authorities in
the sport of agility. Nor are they to otherwise promote themselves as a NADAC
judge in any personal endeavors. This includes soliciting judging assignments
verbally, via cards, letters, brochures or any other literature.
Judges should always conduct themselves in a manner above reproach.
This is to say that judges are representatives of the sport even when they
are not judging an event. When judges attend an event as an exhibitor or in
any other capacity, they should continue to reflect an attitude of professionalism
that would be expected from an individual in a position of respect and status.
Judges must immediately notify the NADAC office if they have accepted an assignment from a club. The trial date must already have been listed on the NADAC web site.
Judges are not allowed to judge within three months of any assignment that is within 200 miles of a previous assignment, nor are they allowed to take an assignment for the same club more than once during any one-year period.
The trial dates MUST be listed on the NADAC web site as either “pending” or “confirmed” before
judges can be contacted. Once you have accepted an assignment, you are to confirm
them with the NADAC office. An e-mail to nadacbecky@aol.com will
suffice.
At the time a judge accepts an assignment, they must clearly list to the club
representative their expected expenses and any special arrangements that they
might need to ask for. If a judge has specific air travel arrival and/or departure
times, then the host group must know this at the time the assignment is accepted.
The judge must notify the host group if they desire specific hotel/car arrangements.
The host group needs to know if there are any extra expenses such as babysitting, dog boarding, house sitting, etc. that they will be responsible for if they contract with that judge for the trial.
Judges should understand that when they accept an assignment, they have made a commitment to the host group for the entire day or entire weekend. Groups should not have to arrange classes so the judge can arrive late or leave early for traveling, unless special prior arrangements have been agreed upon by both parties. Please notify the NADAC Office of any out of the ordinary arrangements.
The host group should know of any and all expenses that will be incurred by the hiring of a particular judge. If the host group knows of these expenses when the invitation is being made, then uncomfortable situations may be avoided when expenses are paid to the judge on the day of the trial. If a judge does not inform a club of the expenses to be incurred, then they should not expect to be reimbursed for extra expenses.
Judges will select courses for assignments from sets of courses sent to them via the NADAC office. Judges will receive 2-3 sets of courses that meet the criteria for their upcoming assignment. The judge will select which set of courses they choose to use for that assignment.
If judges want to use courses designed by themselves, then they must submit courses to the NADAC office at least three months prior to an upcoming assignment.
Please Note: Even though a set of courses may have been previously approved, it does not mean they will automatically be approved again. As this sport continues to evolve, it is possible that courses used at a previous event might not meet the criteria or standards for current course design.
The judge is not responsible to make individual copies of courses for distribution
to exhibitor. The judge must take a set of copies to keep for themselves,
one set to give to the host group, one set that could be used for posting,
and at least two sets for the course builders. The host group must be aware
that there is always a possibility that course changes may have to be made
at the trial site and that the course designs, even if posted, might not always
be able to be followed. The courses, as designed on paper, shall be used as
a guideline. If the course builder/judge determines that the course will not
fit the current trial setting, then the course might be built differently than
the course design picture indicates. Judges should all keep in mind that following
NADAC course design philosophy is of the utmost importance and that philosophy
shall override a design on paper that the judge may experience difficulty setting.
All changes to the original course design shall be noted on the course and
submitted with the judge’s report.
At all levels, the judge is responsible for setting a course that is appropriate
for the level that is to be judged. The main focus is that of safety, flow
and fun. The judge shall design courses that meet the criteria for each level
while providing an environment of safety, flow, and fun for the dog and handler.
At all levels, the judge shall design or use a course that meets the following
criteria:
The course shall be comprised of the appropriate number of obstacles for the
level to be judged.
The judge shall only use obstacles that are approved by the current guidelines of NADAC.
The judge shall not design a course that uses more obstacles than the host group has listed on their Application to Host a Trial.
Judges should always keep in mind that it is NADAC’s philosophy that course designs be followed as closely as possible to the original design submitted and approved. However, it is MORE important that the course works properly at the trial. If the judge finds they must make a choice between making a change in the course design at a trial because the course isn’t setting well, or following the course design on paper exactly, even though it doesn’t flow as nicely as the judge wanted, the judge should always choose to make a change in the course design so that it is fast, fun and safe in the ring. Many times changes in the surface of the field demand that changes be made on the spot in order to make a course work properly.
The judge must make note of any course changes and submit them with their Judge’s Report upon completion of the assignment.
Course design for these classes shall have an inviting opening sequence using two to three obstacles. There should be a good balance between course segments requiring control versus course segments requiring speed. The course should have good flow throughout its entirety. All courses should have segments that encourage the handler to work the dog from both sides of the handler. The closing sequence should consist of 2-3 obstacles that highlight a fast, successful finish.
It is important for the judge to remember courses that nest together (build from each other) will greatly reduce course building time at the event, thereby aiding in a time-efficient trial that will end earlier in the day. It is ideal when course changes take 10 minutes or less between levels, and 30 minutes or less between classes.
The judge should use courses that require a minimum of movement from the judge. The focus for the spectator should be on the dog, which should be moving more than the judge or the handler. The judge should be able to reasonably get to all judging positions without needing to run or interfere with the path of the dog or handler.
For Regular Agility and Jumpers, at the Novice level the goal is to test the dog’s ability to perform the obstacles safely and correctly. The dog shall be asked to perform the obstacles at a moderate pace. The course should offer challenges that will prepare the dog for the next level of competition. Any dog that performs an obstacle in an unsafe manner should not be awarded a qualifying score.
At the Open level for Regular Agility and Jumpers, the goal is to test the handler’s and dog’s ability to perform the obstacles at a faster pace, while performing the obstacles with more directional and distance control and exhibit obstacle discrimination at a higher level. The course design should encourage the handler to work the dog from both sides of the handler. The course should offer challenges that will prepare the dog for the next level of competition.
At the Elite level for Regular Agility and Jumpers, more complex handler
strategies are tested, while the dog is moving at a brisk pace
for the Regular Agility class, and a rapid pace for
the Jumpers class. The dog should have to work comfortably from both
sides of the handler, and be able to discriminate between obstacles.
The dog should be able to work freely away from the handler while demonstrating
greater directional and distance control.
The courses for the above classes shall also include the following guidelines:
Course challenges could include several of the following, if appropriate for
that class: