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Chief Judges Requirements

Effective July 1, 2025, a prospective applicant who does not meet the requirements or anyone desiring to enter the Chief Judge Certification process may take the CCJ Training Course. They will not be eligible for certification until they meet the minimum experience requirements of a Bronze Level. The application fee is $100.

This certification ensures that the Chief Judge has demonstrated a thorough knowledge and understanding of the WSDC rules by participating in the training program and passing a final exam.

If an event director has hired a WSDC Certified Chief Judge, the Event will not receive a violation for WSDC Rules errors that were the responsibility of the Chief Judge to enforce. The Chief Judge Committee will determine any action and/or penalty that may be warranted against the Chief Judge’s error (e.g., they may drop from “Excellent Standing” to “Good Standing,” which may result in a designation drop). For this document, “Event” shall mean a WSDC Registry Event or Trial Event.

All Trial Events must have a Certified Chief Judge.

It is the responsibility of the Chief Judge to provide documentation to the Chief Judge Committee when they meet all of the requirements for a given designation.

Chief Judge Certification Application

Platinum Chief Judge

  • Chief Judge – Minimum of 10 years of experience as a Chief Judge and/or Secondary Chief Judge
  • Chief Judge – Minimum of 20 Events as a Chief Judge and/or Secondary Chief Judge
  • To maintain designation, must be a Chief Judge or Secondary Chief Judge at 3 Events or more per year
  • Passed WSDC Certification Program
  • Signed Certified Chief Judge Code of Conduct
  • Has maintained certification through ongoing WSDC Certification Training

Gold Certified Chief Judge

  • Chief Judge - Minimum of 15 Events as a Chief Judge or Secondary Chief Judge
  • To maintain designation, must be a Chief Judge or Secondary Chief Judge at 3 Events or more per year
  • Passed WSDC Certification Program
  • Signed Certified Chief Judge Code of Conduct
  • Has maintained certification through ongoing WSDC Certification Training

Silver Certified Chief Judge

  • Chief Judge – Minimum of 10 Events as a Chief Judge or Secondary Chief Judge
  • To maintain designation, must be a Chief Judge or Secondary Chief Judge at 3 Events or more per year
  • Passed WSDC Certification Training Program
  • Signed Certified Chief Judge Code of Conduct
  • Has maintained certification through ongoing WSDC Certification Training

Bronze Certified Chief Judge

  • Chief Judge–Minimum of five events: Five events as a Chief Judge or a minimum of three (3) Events as a Chief Judge and two events as a Secondary Chief Judge
  • Passed WSDC Certification Training Program
  • Signed Certified Chief Judge Code of Conduct
  • To maintain designation, must be a Chief Judge or Secondary Chief Judge at 1 Event or more per year
  • Has maintained certification through ongoing WSDC Certification Training

SUBJECT TO CHANGE 

July 1, 2025

It is the responsibility of the Chief Judge to provide documentation to the Chief Judge Committee when they meet the experience requirements for a given designation.

The definitions below are effective June 1 until December 31, 2024. Definitions may change effective January 2025.

(1) In “Excellent Standing” with the WSDC. No penalties were given to any Events due to Chief Judge error/issues in the past two (2) years.

(2) In “Good Standing” with the WSDC. In the past two (2) years, an Event received a minimum Penalty due to the Chief Judge not following WSDC rules.”

Loss of Designation

If a Chief Judge causes  2 or more Events to receive a minimum Penalty Level 2, within a 12 month period, the Chief Judge will lose Certified Chief Judge status for a minimum of two years.

Important Note #1:

Any Chief Judge that did not follow WSDC rules in the past two (2) years, and an Event received a minimum Penalty Level 2, (probation and/or a penalty fine) by the WSDC, may take the CCJ training and/or continuing education program. However, they will not be certified.

    • The applicant must submit a new application to the Chief Judge Committee and be approved, to retake the full CCJ Training Course.
    • After two (2) years from the date of their last violation, they must retake and pass the full CCJ Training Course. They may then move to their appropriate level based on their experience.

Important Note #2:

Effective 2025, a prospective applicant who does not meet the requirements, or anyone desiring to enter the Chief Judge Certification process, may take the CCJ Training Course. They will not be eligible for certification until they meet the minimum experience requirements of a Bronze Level. The cost will be $100.

 Applicants who have completed the CCJ Training Course and passed the final exam, but are not yet certified, will be tracked by the CJC for verification purposes as the Applicant acquires the other requirements and experience towards Certification.