CHAPTER VIII

GATE JUDGES -THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE

OVERVIEW

From the moment a competitor leaves the Start Gate until they cross the Finish Line, the most important Officials on the hill are the Gate Judges!

Gate Judges are similar to the baseball officials that call “ball” or “strike” or the football officials that call “offside”. How are they similar? Because each must make an instantaneous decision on a particular situation without time to think about it. Gate Judges must make instantaneous decisions as to the “legality” of the competitor’s passage through the assigned gates. The decision, in each case, must be prompt and properly documented.

When a Gate Judge arrives at the site on race day the Race Organizers should provide some form of training. The USSA video, “The Most Important Person on the Hill”, is a good way of achieving this training. Supplies should be distributed at this time and the Gate Judges should be made aware of local instructions. Gate Judges should be in position well before the start of the race.

After the race, Gate Judges must report to the Chief Gate Judge. Each Gate Judge that has a fault to report or who has been witness to an incident leading to a rerun (or fault) must be available to the Jury until after the settlement of any Protest. If necessary, the Gate Judge can then give further details concerning the fault(s) to the Referee and/or the Jury. Juries work as efficiently as possible in settling Protests, but Gate Judges may be delayed in leaving the race site while further inquiries are being made. The Technical Delegate releases gate Judges.

Regardless of the level of competition, every race is important. The competitor may have trained for weeks, months or even years for this day. A Gate Judge’s time, interest and dedication in giving the competitor the best and fairest opportunity is appreciated.

RULES FOR GATE JUDGES

The Chief Gate Judge is responsible for communicating the current rules to the Gate Judges. There is no set way in which this must be done but it must be done.

Please refer to the current editions of the USSA Alpine Competition Regulations and the International Ski Competition Rules (ICR), and its Precisions for sections that refer to the following:

• The Chief Gate Judge
• The Gate Judges
• Control of Passage (Explanation)
• Marking the card
• Diagram requirement
• Outside assistance
• Correct passage
• Importance of the Task of the Gate Judge
• Make your own decisions
• Communicating with the competitors
• Immediate Announcement of Disqualifying Faults
• Duties at end of 1st run and 2nd run
• Duties at the end of the race
• Supplemental duties of the Gate Judge
• Location of the Gate Judge
• Quantity of Gate Judges
• Support of the Gate Judges

COMMON PROBLEMS

1. Gate Judges not in position or in position too late to properly observe and control the passage of the competitors through the gates. The Gate Judges, or at least a sufficient number for adequate control, must be at their stations well before the start of the race.
2. Indecision! Usually the result of failing to anticipate the possible decisions a Gate Judge may need to make. At difficult “combinations” of gates, the Chief Gate Judge should take the time to point out the types of situations that might be encountered at this position.
3. Inadequate preparation. Before the race starts, a diagram of assigned gates should be drawn in each box provided on the card. A diagram of the fault committed is critical; missing or unclear diagrams make a Gate Judge card useless to the Jury.
4. USSA is currently supplying a smaller size “fault only” Gate Judge card which requires Bib #, an “F” indicating a fault and a diagram of the fault. If the full-size “fault/no fault” Gate Judge cards are being used, it is necessary that the Gate Judge make a notation of some sort for each and every competitor’s bib number that passes their position. It is strongly recommended that this type card NOT BE PRE-NUMBERED. Whichever card is used, the same diagram, IF properly noted, can be used to indicate competitors committing the same fault.
5. Delay in the collection of the scorecards. This delay is usually then passed on to the Jury proceedings and the preparation of the Second Run Start List or the Official Results. The Chief Gate Judge is responsible for the rapid and efficient retrieval of the Gate Judge cards.
6. Missing Gate Judge cards. In the event that the person picking up cards after a run overlooked a Gate Judge, the Gate Judge should make every attempt to deliver their card to the Jury as soon as possible, preferably the Referee.
7. Missing Gate Judge cards with documented faults. A Gate Judge is responsible for reporting to the Finish to provide needed information in regards to a recorded fault.
8. Inadequately trained Gate Judges. As mentioned, “The Most Important Person on the Hill”, can serve as a refresher for experienced Gate Judges and a training session for the inexperienced ones.
9. Inadequate clothing for extreme weather conditions. Gate Judges must be prepared for all kinds of weather.

A Gate Judge’s job is not finished when the last competitor has crossed the Finish Line. The Gate Judge must be willing to serve as a witness, if needed, when a Protest of a disqualification is under consideration by the Jury. The Chief Gate Judge should be present to introduce the Gate Judge and present their qualifications to the Jury.

If, at the end of the Protest period (15 minutes after posting the Report by the Referee), there is no Protest to the Disqualification, the Gate Judge will be dismissed from duty by the Technical Delegate.

Each race site will have their own preferred method of instruction of the Gate Judges as well as variations in procedures. However, the following guidelines should still be followed in order to achieve a fair race for all.

GATE JUDGE’S RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Be at your assigned location on time - ready to officiate.
2. Wear your bib or other identification provided. Competitors and Jury members will then more easily identify you.
3. Always be alert to what is going on around you.
4. Be prepared to stand on the course do not rely on ski equipment.
5. Take a position above your gates so you can move down to make repairs or to check a competitor’s tracks.
6. Observe and properly record legal passages in your assigned gates. Be alert to faults above and below your assigned gates; check to see that the proper Gate Judge has seen and recorded them.
7. Observe, record AND DIAGRAM faults you observe through your assigned gates.
8. Observe and record any interference in your gate area (if this occurs, the competitor must immediately leave the course in order to request a valid rerun).
9. Prepare your card in advance including sample diagrams.
10. Reply promptly, properly, and clearly to a competitor’s requests with “GO” or “BACK”.
11. Maintain your gates between each competitor.
12. Do not interfere with other officials or ski through gates (including the Finish Line) when going to and from your assigned position.

GATE JUDGE’S RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE ICR

1. Record a fault on the card WITH a clear diagram of the competitor’s path.
2. Personally review each fault with the Chief Gate Judge.
3. Remain available for Jury meetings if you have marked any faults on your card.
4. Make sure gate poles are promptly reset in their original vertical position whenever they are dislodged. (Gate positions are dyed at the discretion of the Jury.)
5. Properly replace broken gate poles and torn flags.
6. Maintain the competitors’ track through your gates.
7. Do not discuss faults with coaches, competitors, or spectators.

LEGAL PASSAGE

1. Competitors must pass through every gate on the course. Both feet and ski tips must cross the gate line - an imaginary line connecting the bases of the innermost poles of each gate.
2. Gates may be taken in any direction and in any order as long as both feet and both ski tips cross the gate line.
3. Feet and ski tips may be off the snow, but in this case both feet and ski tips must pass through the plane defined by the gate line and the gate poles in their vertical position.
4. If gate poles have been deflected from the vertical before the competitor’s feet have passed, then the feet and ski tips must pass where the gate pole(s) had been when they were vertical.
5. Competitors may legally enter and exit a gate from the same side, as long as both feet and ski tips cross the gate line.

OTHER FAULTS

1. Competitor must not receive outside assistance.
2. Competitor may not use the gate poles for aid or move them in any manner except when passing through the gate in normal ski racing action.
3. Slow or fallen competitors must yield to overtaking competitors.
4. Competitors may not obstruct or interfere with other competitors or with officials performing their duties.
5. Competitors must respect the directions of officials (e.g. “move back from the course”).
6. Competitors must respect the rules for course inspection.

GATE JUDGE’S CONTROL CARD

1. Date, race, run number, men or women, etc.
2. Numbers of the gates assigned.
3. Name of Gate Judge, relief and/or assistant’s name.
4. (Replacement Gate Judges should indicate the change on the Gate Judge card.)
5. Sample diagrams of assigned gates drawn in advance that can later be used to document faults.

GATE JUDGE’S ROLE AS A CRITICAL OBSERVER

Although a Gate Judge has no immediate responsibility for any gates other than those assigned, they should observe activity above and below their gates in the normal passage of the competitor, noting any evidence that may be corroborated in later discussions with the Jury.

In Slalom and Giant Slalom, a Gate Judge’s responsibility begins with the approach of the competitor to the first gate they control and ends when the competitor has passed through the last gate under their jurisdiction.

In Downhill and Super G, the Gate Judge watches the entire stretch visible both above and below their assigned gates.

COMMUNICATIONS

Gate Judges play an integral part in an efficiently run race by being on time, working quickly, and by being fair to all competitors.

Bib numbers for those competitors abandoning the course - DNF’s, should be communicated to the Finish immediately. If known, the status of fallen competitors should also be relayed, e.g. fallen, but will continue, hiking, injured and needs assistance, etc.

RESPONSES TO THE COMPETITORS

1. The only communications a Gate Judge may have with competitors is if the competitor has doubt about correct gate passage and asks for assistance.
2. Acceptable replies:
3. • “Back” if the gate has been missed, OR
   • “Go” if the gate in question has been correctly passed
4. The Gate Judge must respond quickly, accurately, and loudly.
5. Any reasonable doubt? - Rule in favor of competitor and reply “Go”.

1. Gate Judge Cards (Chapter VI – Working Papers)
2. Gate Judge Instruction sheets (1 per Gate Judge)
3. Waterproof protection for the cards
4. Clipboards for with waterproof protection and strings attached
5. Pencils - 2 for each Gate Judge and a small pencil sharpener
6. Gate Judge bibs