Exam Focus
- Differentiate the authority of the organizer, judge director, head judge, judge, and steward.
- Route bottle, eligibility, category, and rules questions through the head judge to the responsible competition official.
- Recognize actions judges and stewards must not take, including unilateral disqualification, reclassification, or sensory influence.
Core concept
The organizer owns the event, the judge director coordinates judging, the head judge guides the panel and paperwork, judges evaluate entries, and stewards manage samples and materials. Judges do not unilaterally disqualify or reclassify entries.
Judging and study application
Escalate bottle, eligibility, category, or rule questions through the head judge to competition staff. Role boundaries prevent one person's assumption from becoming an unauthorized decision.
Why It Matters
- When a judge exceeds role authority, a sensory opinion can become an unauthorized eligibility or placement ruling.
- Clear escalation keeps the panel evaluating while the organizer protects consistent competition procedure.
Practical Sensory Exercises
Route four competition problems
Assign each situation—damaged bottle, missing declaration, suspected conflict, and disputed final paperwork—to the first role that should act and the role with final authority.
Key Terms
- Head judge
- Panel lead responsible for calibration, consensus, and paperwork.
- Steward
- Volunteer who manages entries, supplies, and completed materials.
- Organizer
- Person with overall competition authority.