My Kuk Sool

How to Be a Good Judge (KickFEST Standard)

1) Be Fair and Impartial

  • Judge the performance in front of you, not the person you know.
  • Don’t “carry over” opinions from a prior event (good or bad).
  • Do not coach, correct, or “help” a competitor during their performance (Tiny Tigers are the only exception—if you help, be consistent and score accordingly).

2) Be Consistent (Same Standard for Everyone)

  • Decide what you value before the event starts and apply it evenly:
    • Forms/Weapons: effort + expression + control + flow/unified motion
    • Techniques: textbook + flow (You-Won-Hwa)
  • Don’t score one kid on “flow” and another kid on “hands” and another on “power.” Consistency of criteria is what makes judging feel fair.

3) Safety First, Always

  • Your #1 job is a safe, controlled ring.
  • Stop unsafe behavior early (especially in sparring): wild techniques, excessive contact, escalating emotion, uncontrolled kids drifting into danger.
  • Use warnings confidently. Friendly sparring is not fighting.

4) Run the Ring Efficiently (Keep It Moving)

  • The goal is momentum: minimal dead time, clear direction.
  • Talk less, act more. Short commands. Quick restarts.
  • Coordinate with your Timekeeper and Scorekeeper so the ring never “waits on the judges.”

5) Communicate Clearly (Strong Voice, Simple Scripts)

  • Be loud, calm, and predictable.
  • Use the same phrases each match/event so kids know what to do.
  • Your confidence lowers competitor anxiety and reduces chaos.

6) Professional Demeanor

  • No slouching, bored posture, side conversations, or watching another ring.
  • No phones.
  • Be upbeat. Kids remember how you made them feel as much as what medal they got.

7) Protect Accuracy and Paperwork

  • Make sure the Scorekeeper is recording the correct competitor and correct scores.
  • Double check their scores
  • Side Judge – keep score keepers moving and watch for mistakes – head off problems

Center Judge must review results, handle ties, and sign the sheet before it leaves the ring.

Juniors/Youth

Tiny Tigers & Lil’Dragons/ASC

KickFEST Judge Rule List (Quick Reference)

A) General Ring Rules

  • Only judges/helpers/competitors inside ring area.
  • Forms/Weapons: no boundary deductions for stepping outside tape. (Boundary is for sparring only.)
  • Judging begins at the bow-in: etiquette and attitude matter.

B) Forms Scoring Guidelines

  • 9.0 = forgot form / very poor etiquette / major breakdown, weapon drop.
  • 9.1-9.2 = left out parts, big mistakes, poor movements
  • 9.3–9.4 = shows knowlege of form – needs a lot of work (might/might not pass testing
  • 9.5 = Basically correct – would pass testing, but still some small errors or missing things like great stances, kihaps and good precision
  • 9.6-9.7 = excellent form with one or two good points: strong stances, power, control, great flow, strong kihaps, and/or minimal mistakes
  • 9.8+ = Strong athletic form, with no real mistakes. Kihap, flow, control, power are all there.
  • General weighting:
    • ~50% physical effort + expression (stances, power, presence)
    • ~50% unified motion / control / timing / flow
    • A powerful, exciting performance with minor mistakes should generally beat a “technically correct” performance with weak stances/energy.

C) Weapons Deductions / No-Score Rules

  • Weapon drop: automatic “no score” per traditional rule set
    • (For KickFEST Julbohng training divisions you noted a “9.0 / last place” approach—use one standard for the event and brief judges before starting.)
  • Hit floor or body WITH disruption: each judge deduct 0.1 per occurrence (reasonable max)
  • No deduction if belt/uniform is struck without breaking flow

D) Techniques (Partner) Judging

  • Score on:
    • Textbook (correct technique, control, positions, finish)
    • Flow / You-Won-Hwa (timing, connection, confidence, continuous motion)
  • Partner safety and realism matter; no reckless throws.

E) Tie Break Rules

  • Tie #1: Center Judge score breaks
  • Tie #2: highest side judge score breaks
  • repeat if all scores the same e.g. all 9.0

Sparring Judge Protocol + Rules (Center Judge)

Pre-match

  • Confirm bracket/bye sheet is correct (and approved).
  • Gear check: headgear (optional face shield), hand/foot pads, mouthpiece (required), groin cup for males (required).

Start script

  • “Bow to judges. Bow to each other. Touch gloves
  • ” Toe on the line, not over.”
  • “Timer ready? Scorekeeper ready? Side judges ready?”
  • “SHEJAHK!”

During match

  • “Break!” → return to starting marks.
  • “Judges call!” → judges signal without looking at each other.
  • Call clearly: “One point Red/Blue” / “Two points Red/Blue” / “No point” / “Illegal” / “Warning Red/Blue.”
  • Train scorekeeper to repeat it back to you
  • Restart fast: “Sparrers ready… SHEJAHK!”

Targets / Non-targets

  • Legal: front/side body, front/side helmet area
  • No points / illegal: eyes, nose, mouth, top/back of head, back of body, below belt

Scoring

  • 1 point: verified hand strike or body kick
  • 2 points: controlled head kick
  • Medieval sparring variants: all strikes 1 point (per your note)

Penalties

  • Out of bounds (both feet out) = foul unless pushed
  • 3 fouls = 1 point to opponent (additional fouls escalate)
  • No sweeps, throws, takedowns, locks, or dangerous contact

Warnings / DQ

  • 1st warning = caution
  • 2nd warning = opponent gains 1 point
  • 3rd warning = disqualification
  • Immediate DQ for malicious conduct, profanity, blood, hard strikes, or extreme excessive contact

End

  • End signal (beanbag/horn) → verify with Scorekeeper → announce winner
  • 1st point wins in sudden death – if scores are tied
  • Confirm with SCORE KEEPER – make sure it makes sense
  • Bow to each other, bow to judges, shake hands
  • Raise winner’s hand