Judges Training & Certification
Officials Course Pathway
Level 1:
- Two day course for those new to artistic swimming. No experience necessary!
- FREE to attend. Registrants receive a free FINA manual.
- Participants can choose to become judge or referee, or both, once course is completed.
- Mandatory practice judging required following course.
Level 2:
- Moving to level 2 is based on expressed interest of official and experience judging for MAS.
- Chief Official or Officials Committee to make determination.
Level 3 and beyond:
Officials Grant
Manitoba Artistic Swimming has introduced a grant for post-secondary students that give back to the sport by officiating. The deadline for this grant is May 15 of every calendar year.
Judges Training and Certification
Judging Courses – Observation is the key element to being an artistic swimming judge.
Judging courses provide the ideals of performance for artistic swimming skills, or what to look for while a swimmer is completing a skill. Once the course is finished, practical experience, or shadow judging is completed in order for candidates to become used to looking for these ideals in a swimmer’s performance.
In Level One, judges concentrate on learning the body positions, transitions (or design of the basic figures) and routine skills in Stars 1-8 of the Canada Artistic Swimming’s Star program, and the 9-10 and 11-12 age groups of the competitive program. The marking scale for figures and routines is introduced and discussed. At the end of this course, candidates will shadow judge, with qualified judges until they are comfortable recognizing the marking scale in swimmer’s performance for both figures and routines in these levels.
Candidates who complete this level will also become eligible to take on the role of technical monitor for routine events. There is no prerequisite for this course.
In Level Two, judges will build on the knowledge of Level One to include more advanced figures and routine skills. The skills from the 13-15 and 16-20 age group from the provincial stream and the 13-15, Junior and Senior in the national stream are introduced and discussed in terms of the marking scale.
After each course is completed, shadow judging is required until the candidate feels comfortable judging at these levels. Level One is a prerequisite to the level 2 course.
Certified judges must keep their skills current by attending professional development sessions held throughout the competitive season.