This document provides guidance for judges on how to effectively judge CrossFit workouts. It discusses key responsibilities of judges such as watching movements closely, listening, and communicating clearly. It emphasizes the importance of positioning yourself to have a clear view, sticking to decisions on reps and no-reps, and answering athlete questions beforehand. The document also suggests exercises to help judges improve their reaction time and ability to count reps quickly and accurately.

1. How To Count Reps
Functional Fitness Judgement Guide For Beginners
Nima Taraghi
Flavia Leticia
Sergey Nezbudey
Guillaume Aubry
2020

2. Dedicated to those who love CrossFit

3. Lesson 1
Be a judge not a cheerleader
1

4. As a judge, we must be good at:
Watching
Don't lose even a single frame of the workout.
Listening
Listen to anything during the workout and
process it, You have to listen to head judge,
athletes and games area.
Speaking
Speak to the athletes and give them good tips
the conversation must be quick and useful.
Reaction Time
To act and reply as fast as possible.
2

5. The judge should not be afraid of the athlete
Even if he or she is the leader of the competition
Sergey Nezbudey
3

6. There are 3 major parts for any judgments:
Before workout
The judge should talk to the athlete about the rules and NoReps and
perform a single movement to make sure about if that is possible.
During workout
Just focus on the workout, submit reps and times, don’t speak to anyone
but the athletes and tell them about the movements which can cause a
NoRep.
(you can also try to help the athlete by reminding him or her reps left)
After workout
Submit the time or Reps and prepare the area for next ones.
1
2
3
4

7. Lesson 2
Give clear concise commands
5

8. Safety
The place must be safe and not
in athlete’s line you have to
check your back maybe
something is on the ground or
someone is passing.
Positioning
The place where you want to
stand and judge must be safe,
have a clear view and also
relax!
Have a Clear view
The best place to stand is in
the 45-degree angle of profile
view where you can assess any
movement.
6

9. No hesitation, if you hesitate that is surely a NoRep
Guillaume Aubry
7

10. Try to be in front of athletes
Sometimes judges can not move as fast as athletes so they have to judge them from behind
and that would cause trouble because they can not see you!
8

11. Lesson 3
Stick to your decisions
9

12. Talking to athletes
You have to tell them every thing
about workouts and NoReps
before the game begins.
If it is possible, Do some correct
reps to make sure.
During the workout, you have to
tell them quick and short tips
like:
knees
lower
upper
and …
10

13. When to count
Every movement has a start
position and finish position the
judge must count every rep exactly
when athlete reaches finish
position, for example in box jump
overs judge must count every rep
after athletes landing another side
of the box with two feet not
reaching top of the Box.
In fast counting movements like
jumping rope, the judge must count
every rep when the rope
completely pass the heels not on
every Jump.
11

14. If you think this is a NoRep
be sure this is absolutely NoRep!
How to count NoReps
Every NoRep must tell loud and
clear without any doubts use
your hands to show it after each
NoRep, you should tell the
athlete a short and quick tip
that is why it happened and
prevent for next NoReps
For example:
lock arms
knees
touch
and ...
12

15. Try to show every NoRep by your hands
It shows your authority
Nima Taraghi
13

16. Lesson 4
Answer questions before
workout begins
14

17. Fast counting tips
There are some tips which can
help us to count Reps as fast as
possible:
submit every 10 reps, You can do
it by using a notebook or just
your fingers!
Tell every 10 counted reps To
avoid making a mistake.
15

18. I have made a mistake what should I do?
The occurrence of the mistakes is
inevitable especially in some movements
like jumping rope
Lunge, wall ball, push up and ….
The important thing is when we made a
mistake try to not repeat it and try not to
compensate it in other movements.
for example, athletes do some reps and we
accept them after that we must not
compensate by changing his or her correct
performance to NoRep or manipulate the
time!
16

19. Lesson 5
Do not argue
17

20. Write the Details on every stop
Imagine the athlete perform 7 wall
ball or other movements then
stop for a while for example take a
breath and start again, at this
moment you must count the reps
from 7 but sometimes the stops
make trouble and we forget how
many reps they did if we didn't
write them.
Useful tips
Giving short clues
When you want to give a clue for NoReps it
must be very short and quick for example in
The Clean when the athlete doesn’t reach full
extension you should say :
Norep
lock the knees or knees
not saying:
NoRep
Don’t forget to lock your knees on full
extension!
18

21. Workouts for judges
(E.Brown,Lee & others,Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness:2005)
There are some workouts for judges to improve their reaction time
19

22. Back pedal and cut on command
Improve mental processing speed,
quickness of movement time and ability
to change direction.
How to do
1-Start in a two-point stance.
2-Back pedal on command cut sharply
and sprint in the instruct direction.
20

23. Ball release
Improve mental processing speed, upper
body reaction time to visual stimulation
and quickness.
How to do
1-Hold two tennis balls out in front of
you at shoulder height.
2-A partner stand in front of you in a
ready position.
3-Release of the two tennis balls without
advance notice, your partner reacts and
attempts to catch it in mid-air.
21

24. Card-snatching
Improve upper-body quickness and
reaction ability to visual stimulation.
How to do
1-Hold a playing card at shoulder
height.
2-A partner stand in front of you in a
ready position.
3-Your partner initiates the drill by
attempting to snatch the card out of
your hand.
4-React by attempting to move the card
so as to prevent your partner from
snatching it.
22

25. Directional foot movement
Improve mental processing speed and
first-step movement time.
How to do
1-move your foot in the direction of a
stimulus, for example, a hand signal,
foot signal, shoulder signal or ball toss.
2-work only your first-step reaction.
23

26. Directional hand movement
Improve mental processing speed and
upper-body movement time.
How to do
1-move your hand in the direction of a
stimulus, for example, a hand signal,
shoulder signal or ball toss.
2-work only with your hand reaction.
24

27. Four-point popup
Improve mental processing speed, total
body agility, kinesthetic awareness, and
quickness.
How to do
1-start on the ground on your hands and
knees and wait for a signal.
2-explode as fast as possible as you
stand up.
25

28. Hot hands
Improve mental processing speed,
upper body reaction time to visual
stimulation, and quickness.
How to do
1-put your hand together(palm to
palm) in front of you.
2-a partner stand in front of you with
the hands at his or her side.
3-your partner tries to quickly
touch(that is too lightly slap) your
hands while you try to react and avoid
being touched.
26

29. Be cool and have fun
It is only a sport!

30. Adrian Bozman
Stephan Mallen
Flavia Leticia
Sergey Nezbudey
Guillaume Aubry
Special thanks to
Any use of contents is allowed without permission!
Contact me nimataraghi@gmail.com
nimataraghi