United States Karate Alliance Judge s Exam Mail to Headquarters with a $25 payment USKA certification will be mailed back within 2-3 weeks Name: Date: DOB: Rank: School: Instructor: Have you previously attended and passed the USKA Judge s Certification Seminar? Mailing Address: Phone # City: State: Zip: Email USKA membership# The candidate for Judge must be a current USKA member, must have obtained a minimum rank of Brown Belt, be at least eighteen (18) years old, have attended one (1) Alliance-sanctioned Rules & Referee seminar. Note: Exams are the property of the United States Karate Alliance and will be kept on file at headquarters. This form is not to be duplicated without special permission from USKA Headquarters. Exam #J2007 (Please circle your answer.) 1. Anyone, including parents and coaches, may stand behind you to view the scores as they are being tallied. 2. When judging forms, when someone performs one you know, you should compare it to how you do the form. 3. The person writing the scores should repeat the score back to the person calling them out loud in order to verify that the number written down is the same as what was held up by the judge. 4. The same person that calls the score out loud should be writing them down and calculating them. 5. When tabulating the scores for forms or weapons you should always add them all together. 6. Hard style forms should be scored on focus, power, phrasing, coordination, balance, fluidity, and flexibility. 7. There is no difference in judging between soft style forms and hard style forms. 1
8. If a competitor performs a form which is different than the named division (such as a modified form in a traditional division, or a hard style form in a soft style division) that competitor cannot receive a score higher than any competitor who performs a form of the named division. 9. When there is a tie in a beginning forms division, the tie is broken by adding back in the high and low scores. 10. When there is a tie in an intermediate or advanced forms division, the tie is broken by asking the competitors to perform their most basic form. 11. When judging weapons divisions, the form board shall inspect each weapon for safety and USKA requirements. 12. All judges and the referee must score at the same time. 13. Hard plastic shin and forearm guards are prohibited in sparring. 14. A youth sparring competitor does not need to wear a mouthpiece since they may not touch the face in their division. 15. Competitor s coaches may stand by the ring to advise them while they are sparring. 16. How long is a sparring match? A. Two minutes, stopping time whenever the referee stops the competitors, bringing them back to the line, calling for score, etc. B. Two minutes for under black belts, and three minutes for black belts. C. Two minutes, stopping time only when the center referee says stop time. D. Three minutes, running time. 17. Should you always throw out the high and low scores when tabulating scores for forms? A. Yes. B. No, only when there are five or seven judges. C. Yes, unless there is a tie. D. No, only when told by the center referee 2
18. How many points constitute a match? A. 3 points for all competitors B. 3 points for children and adult kyu s and 5 points for adult black belts C. 3 points for children, and 5 points for adults D. 5 points for all competitors 19. When does the time keeper stop the timer? A. Whenever the referee breaks the competitors and calls them back to the line. B. When a competitor s belt is untied, or their gear has come loose, or you think someone is hurt. C. When any of the judges say point. D. Only when the center referee calls time or stop time. 20. Sparring competitors from the same school who are paired together may be switched in the bracket A. Anytime. B. Only in the first round. C. Anytime except for the matches for first and second place, or for third and fourth place. D. Only if the coach asks that they be switched. 21. When the timer beeps that time is up A. The center referee will hear it and stop the match automatically. B. The time keeper will tell the score keeper. C. The time keeper will jump up and say times up! D. The time keeper will throw the bean bag (or equivalent) in the ring and yell time. 22. The time keeper does not need to flip the sparring score cards the center referee will do that. 23. The score keeper only needs to write the winners first names in the places they took at the top of the bracketing sheet to show who placed. 24. If a fighter runs into a technique causing swelling, redness or bleeding, there is no penalty. 25. A blind or out of control technique does not need to make contact to be considered a penalty. 26. When there are only three competitors in a sparring bracket, the winner is forwarded in the bracket to fight the competitor who received the bye. 27. The center referee will write down all penalties and record any disqualifications. 28. A competitor who is disqualified may not compete further in that fighting division. 3
30. All competitors are entitled to an Arbitrator. 31. Any competitor who has been awarded a match because their opponent was disqualified for excessive contact may not be allowed to compete further without the approval of the tournament medical personnel. 32. During forms, the time keeper will assist the score keeper and announce in a clear and loud voice all scores for the score keeper to write down. The score keeper will repeat the scores back to the time keeper after each score to verify. 33. When the center referee announces which will be the red and which will be white, the score keeper will note which one is red by the person s name on the bracketing sheet. 29. A hammer fist strike to the top of a competitor s head is not a scoring technique. 34. When the division has ended A. The score keeper will give the bracketing sheet to the center referee for verification before taking it up to the announcer. B. The score keeper will immediately take the bracketing sheet up to the announcer. C. The score keeper will pass the bracketing sheet to each judge. D. The trophy runner will look at the bracketing sheet and then take it to the announcer. 35. When a judge sees a point, he/she should A. Raise the flag of the competitor who scored, immediately. B. Yell stop and raise their flag. C. Yell point and hold out their flags on a horizontal position. D. Wait till the center referee stops the action and raise their flag. 36. To score a point, a competitor must A. Hit or come close to a target area. B. Execute a controlled and focused technique to a target area. C. Hit a target area with any type of technique. D. Hit their opponent and raise their glove to show they scored. 37. When a judge sees a penalty, he/she should A. Yell stop and point at the offending competitor. B. Wait till the center referee stops to call for score, then waive their flag in a circular motion. C. The next time the center calls for score, raise the flag of the offending competitor. D. Immediately yell point and raise their flag in a circular motion. 38. An individual may judge a relative A. Only if no other qualified judges are available. B. Anytime. C. Only if they are in an under black belt division. 4
D. Only if the other judges on the panel are not from your same school. 39. If the red competitor scores a clean, controlled point, then the white competitor scores a clearly stronger point, the proper call is A. Clash, no points awarded. B. White point for the stronger technique. C. Red point for the first technique. D. To yell red was first! 40. If a competitor steps on the out of bounds line without being propelled or without fighting out A. Yell, point, if it is the first infraction and give the other opponent one point. B. Yell out and tap the line with your flag. C. Do nothing, and wait for the center referee to call the competitors back to their lines. D. Tell the competitor they stepped on the line. Please note: All licensed Alliance tournament officials should wear a martial arts uniform or a white shirt (long or short sleeves), light gray trousers, a single-breasted navy blue blazer with the Alliance patch displayed on the breast pocket (the blazer may be removed if the situation so dictates), a plain red tie, and dark slip-on shoes for use when not officiating. Mail to Headquarters with a $25 payment P.O. Box 20609 Albuquerque, NM 87154 USKA certification will be mailed back within 2-3 weeks We appreciate your eagerness to learn more about Alliance rules and judging. Thank you for sharing your time and expertise to help us out at our tournaments. Your dedication and support are very much appreciated. Sincerely, Dr. David Jordan USKA National Director 5