Judge Training /Contest Scoring

[Bill Glaze]

Dave came up with something here that really tweaked my conscience.  I 
do believe that I'm going to download some score sheets and use them at 
practice sessions.  I'm fortunate enough to live where some really good 
flyers practice FAI and Masters.  I could sit back while having a cold 
drink and actually get used to scoring them.  They wouldn't have to know 
it was going on, but, guess what?  I'll bet that, if they knew, they'd 
come over and ask how the flight looked, and probably want to see the 
scores for their own knowledge.  And, as a judge, I wouldn't be under 
the gun, as at a contest.  We'd all be more relaxed, and could work out 
the bugs.  Does it sound practical?  I'm giving it a try.  It'll be a 
few weeks before I can manage it, (contests and things going on) but it 
seems as if it could be beneficial.  Has it been done before?  Comments?

Bill Glaze

Tony Stillman wrote:

> Dave:
>
> Well stated....  GOOD judging is something you have to work at!  I 
> know from my work on the judging statistics that I am not as good as 
> some others.....Time to put more effort into it!
>  
> Tony Stillman
> Radio South
> 3702 N. Pace Blvd.
> Pensacola, FL 32505
> 1-800-962-7802
> www.radiosouthrc.com <http://www.radiosouthrc.com>
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     From: David Lockhart <mailto:DaveL322 at comcast.net>
>     To: discussion at nsrca.org <mailto:discussion at nsrca.org>
>     Sent: Friday, April 16, 2004 10:14 AM
>     Subject: Re: Judge Training /Contest Scoring
>
>     Whether flashcards, fingers, scoring paddles (with or without
>     clothespins), verbal communication, writing on a piece of paper,
>     or an electronic assistant are used - I think an issue that still
>     remains is that no one will be proficient with a system they have
>     not practiced with.  It is a very rare judge that is capable of
>     communicating a score to a scribe or documenting a score by other
>     means without missing a single second of the flight - especially
>     with no practice to develop proficiency.  Just watch the judges at
>     the next contest - no matter what system is being used.
>      
>     Judging is a very complex task requiring -
>     - substantial knowledge of the basic elements of all maneuvers and
>     the specific downgrades for some specific maneuvers and the
>     application for that knowledge needs to be real time,
>     - documenting the score without missing any of the flight,
>     - knowing the schedule and the elements of the maneuvers being
>     flown so that wrong maneuvers don't get scored (scored zero,
>     actually) and maneuvers with elements missing are appropriately
>     downgraded (including zero if needed).
>      
>     For the first item, judging seminars help by forcing use to read
>     the rules and study maneuvers and downgrades.  For the second
>     item, I can't remember the last time I saw a seasoned judge or
>     flier practice judging with a scribe (outside of warmup flights at
>     NATS/TS) - same the times a seasoned pattern guy sits down with a
>     pattern newbie to work them through the judging process.  For the
>     third item, I spend a lot of time coaching/critiquing flights
>     every year - I think it helps with judging as I usually know every
>     schedule by heart by mid-season.  But none of these are the same
>     as real practice judging or contest judging.
>      
>     We all put in many practice flights to improve our flying every
>     year.  And we spend substantial time flying in contests.  Only a
>     fraction of the time we spend flying in contests do we spend
>     judging (3 rounds average at each of maybe an average of 5
>     contests?) - and how many of us practice judging outside of a
>     contest (including the scoring/documentation system)?    I've been
>     regularly judging at contests for almost 20 years - and that
>     experience helps, but in a given year, I might spend about 5-10%
>     of my time on judging and the rest is flying (I do fly a lot).  I
>     tend to think my flying would not look too good if I only burnt
>     10% of the fuel.
>      
>     Regards,
>      
>     Dave Lockhart
>     DaveL322 at comcast.net <mailto:DaveL322 at comcast.net>
>      
>
>         ----- Original Message -----
>         From: Patternrules at aol.com <mailto:Patternrules at aol.com>
>         To: discussion at nsrca.org <mailto:discussion at nsrca.org>
>         Sent: Friday, April 16, 2004 9:30 AM
>         Subject: Re: Judge Training /Contest Scoring
>
>          Tony & Dean maybe your closer than you think, really if you
>         think about it you only need a 2 button system as AMA uses 1/2
>         point increments say the right button every time you push it
>         deducts 1/2 point the left button would be as an "enter" which
>         would then go to the next maneuver, could even be programed to
>         input the contestant # by the same method say push enter
>         button 3 times for a new contestant, for FAI the program would
>         detect that the pilot # is FAI and would use 1 point increments.
>          
>          
>         Steve Maxwell
>
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