Judging and officials
Judging decisions made in good faith under the Judging Standards are final on matters of in-competition scoring. Judges are independent of every team, league, manufacturer or entity with a competitive interest in the event.
Who officiates a sanctioned event
Every official must hold a current IACSF certification appropriate to the role. Organizers name their officials on the Sanctioning Application; provisional appointments are subject to IACSF approval.
Chief Judge
Maintains the Judges Panel roster and certification records, runs the certification and training program, assigns judges to events, presides over scoring disputes where present, issues rulings on the Standards, appoints an Event Head Judge for every sanctioned event, and reports annually to the Board.
Event Head Judge
The senior judging authority on site. Organizes the panel, conducts pre-event judge briefings, makes final in-event rulings on scoring disputes, ensures records are accurate, and submits judging records to the Chief Judge within seven days. No team official, organizer or IACSF officer other than the Chief Judge may override an Event Head Judge ruling during active competition.
Panel judges
Score each session from assigned positions with a clear, safe view of the competition zone. Individual scores are averaged arithmetically; the highest and lowest are not dropped unless the format rules say so.
Timing and Scoring Director
Operates timing and data capture systems, enters scores and generates official result sheets under the direction of the Event Head Judge. May not simultaneously serve as a scoring judge.
Technical Inspector
Inspects every competing aircraft under the Technical Code before competition, re-inspects as directed, may impound any aircraft for safety evaluation, and keeps inspection records for five years.
Event Safety Officer
Holds independent authority to halt any activity posing an unacceptable risk. May not concurrently be a competitor, team official or judge at the same event and must be on site for the entire event. See Safety.
Event Director
Overall accountability for the event: ensures the Safety Officer is empowered, coordinates with the venue operator and local authorities, and manages emergency communications.
Judge certification grades
Three grades reflect experience and scope of authorization. All certified judges complete the Annual Judging Refresher each calendar year as a condition of renewal. A lapsed judge re-qualifies at the grade immediately below.
| Grade 1, Provisional Judge | Grade 2, Certified Judge | Grade 3, Senior Certified Judge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authorized events | Club and local events only, under supervision of a Grade 2 or 3 judge. | All sanctioned events up to National level. May serve as Event Head Judge at Regional and below. | All events including Championships. Eligible as Event Head Judge at any level. |
| Prerequisites | Age 18 or over. Written assessment on the Competition Rules and Standards, minimum 75%. | Current Grade 1. At least 6 events judged in 24 months, 3 as lead judge. | Current Grade 2 for at least 3 years. At least 12 events judged in 36 months, 4 as Event Head Judge. |
| Training and examination | Judging Orientation Course, at least 6 hours online. | Judging Written Examination, closed book, minimum 80%. | Senior Judging Examination, closed book, minimum 85%. |
| Practical | At least 3 events observed under a Grade 2 or 3 judge before judging independently. | Scored live-event assessment by the Chief Judge or a Senior Certified Judge; rating Satisfactory. | Assessment by the Chief Judge at a Championship or National event; rating Proficient. Approval by the Chief Judge and a Competition Rules Committee member. |
| Term and renewal | 1 year. Upgrade expected within 2 years or the certification lapses. | 2 years. Renewal needs 4 events judged in 24 months and an open-book renewal assessment. | 2 years. Renewal needs 4 events in 24 months, the annual refresher and continued good standing. |
Protests
A judge's subjective assessment of quality, execution or effectiveness cannot be protested. A competitor or designated team official may protest only where there was a calculation or data entry error; a judge scored with a declared or undisclosed conflict of interest; a penalty was applied for a violation not witnessed by a qualified judge or confirmed by an authorized system; the wrong scoring criteria were used; or an equipment malfunction affecting scoring was not properly handled.
| Who | The competing pilot or operator, or their designated team official. One protest per team per session. |
| When | Within 15 minutes of provisional results being posted. None accepted after results are official. |
| How | In writing on the IACSF Protest Form, signed, with the protest fee, to the Event Head Judge at the protest desk. |
| Ruling | Written ruling within 30 minutes during active competition. Fee refunded if upheld, forfeited if dismissed. |
| Afterwards | Post-event review only for serious procedural irregularity, to the Chief Judge within 72 hours. Further appeal on procedural grounds to the Appeals Committee. |
Independence and conduct
Before each event and each session, a judge must disclose anything that could reasonably be perceived as affecting impartiality: membership, employment or sponsorship of a competing team; a close personal relationship with a competing pilot or official; a financial interest in the outcome; or an unresolved documented dispute with a competitor. A conflicted judge recuses from every session involving that competitor and may not observe from a judging position.
Failing to disclose a known conflict brings immediate suspension by the Chief Judge and referral to the Judicial and Disciplinary Committee. Where an undisclosed conflict materially affected scoring, the affected scores are excluded and recalculated, or the session is declared void and re-run.
Judges keep deliberations and score sheets confidential until results are official, do not discuss scores with competitors, teams or media during a session, decline any benefit from a competing team beyond nominal event hospitality, and report immediately any attempt to influence their scoring.
Certification of other officials
Under Article XV of the Bylaws the Federation maintains certification programs for technical inspectors, safety officers, event directors and other categories the Board establishes. Each program includes a training curriculum, an examination and a practical evaluation, with continuing education to maintain certification. The IACSF also maintains a public register of certified Examiners who conduct Tier 3 and Tier 4 licensing assessments; an assessment by an unregistered or expired Examiner is invalid.
Certification enquiries: licensing@iacsf.org