How to Judge a Speedcubing Solve at a WCA Competition

Judging is one of the ways a WCA competition keeps moving, and it can feel intimidating the first time someone hands you a score sheet. The useful mindset is simple: you are not there to improvise a ruling or to rush a competitor. You are there to run the standard attempt procedure carefully, preserve what happened, and bring in the WCA Delegate whenever the situation is uncertain. This guide covers regular speedsolving attempts such as 3x3, not the additional procedures used for blindfolded events.

Before your assignment begins, ask the organizer or Delegate which judging system the round uses. A seated judge stays at one station while runners bring puzzles and competitors; a running judge also collects the puzzle, calls the competitor, and returns the puzzle afterward. The station logistics can differ, but the attempt procedure and the need to ask for help when unsure do not. If you have not judged that event before, say so early and request a quick walkthrough.

Know what the judge owns—and what the Delegate owns

The WCA Regulations describe a judge as the person responsible for carrying out the event procedure. In practice, that means setting up the station, timing inspection, observing the attempt, checking whether the puzzle is solved, announcing the result or penalty, and recording the score sheet. A judge does not need to be the final authority on every edge case. The Competition Tutorial is emphatic that official decisions belong to the WCA Delegate, so uncertainty is a reason to call the Delegate, not a reason to choose the penalty that sounds closest.

That boundary helps both people at the station. Do not touch a misaligned puzzle after the timer stops, do not reset a timer before the result is recorded and signed, and do not let a discussion turn into a puzzle adjustment. Preserve the state, explain briefly that you are calling the Delegate, and wait. A calm pause is faster than correcting a result after the score sheet has gone to the score taker.

Set up the station before the competitor is ready

Place the scrambled puzzle on the mat and keep it covered. Reset the Stackmat timer and the inspection stopwatch. The WCA Judging Tutorial also calls out a practical Gen 5 check: its timer should be in two-pad mode, with the yellow light rather than blue. These small checks belong before the competitor sits down, because a timer setup mistake should not become the competitor's problem after the puzzle is uncovered.

When the competitor arrives, make eye contact and ask whether they are ready. Do not uncover the puzzle because they are sitting down or because the next group is waiting. Once they confirm, uncover the puzzle and start the stopwatch at the same time. The current tutorial says a competitor has one minute to indicate readiness after arriving at the station. If the timing or setup feels unusual, involve the Delegate before starting the attempt.

Run inspection and watch the timer start

During inspection, call “8 seconds” when eight seconds have elapsed and “12 seconds” when twelve seconds have elapsed. Stop making calls once the competitor starts the timer. The competitor may inspect the puzzle but may not make moves, other than permitted minor alignment corrections. Your job is to give the time calls clearly and observe; avoid side conversation, coaching, or prompting a plan.

Watch the actual start, not just the competitor's hands reaching the timer. For a Stackmat start, they place their fingers on the sensors, wait for the green light, and lift their hands to begin. Stop the inspection stopwatch when their hands lift and the speed timer starts. The WCA tutorial identifies an inspection start after 15 seconds but before 17 seconds as a +2, and failure to start within 17 seconds as DNF. Those are common examples, but any incident you cannot confidently evaluate should go to the Delegate.

Finish the attempt, inspect, and record the result

At the end, the competitor must release the puzzle and then stop the timer. Look at the solved state without touching the puzzle—except for the Clock exception stated in the judging tutorial—and announce the displayed time and any penalty that you can confidently apply. A puzzle that has been touched or is visibly misaligned is exactly where patience matters: preserve its state and call the Delegate if you are unsure. Never twist it into alignment to get a better look.

Write the result exactly as displayed rather than rounding it. If there is a +2, record the original time, the penalty, and the final time; for example, the WCA tutorial shows the form 17.65 + 2 = 19.65. Record any final result on the score sheet first, then sign it, then have the competitor check and sign it. The competitor's signature acknowledges that the result is correct, complete, properly formatted, and readable. Do not reset the timer before those signatures are complete.

Build confidence without pretending to know every ruling

Read the current WCA Judging Tutorial before a competition, then ask the organizer whether they offer an in-person tutorial. The repeatable sequence is more valuable than trying to memorize every possible penalty: covered puzzle, ready check, inspection calls, observed start, observed finish, solved-state check, accurate score sheet, signatures. Practice saying the two inspection calls out loud and recording a sample time so the routine feels ordinary before a real competitor is waiting.

For your first assignment, accuracy and communication matter more than speed. Tell the competitor when you are checking the solved state, keep the score sheet readable, and ask a Delegate as soon as doubt appears. That protects the competitor, preserves the competition record, and helps you become a dependable volunteer for later rounds. If you are preparing for your first event overall, pair this guide with the first-competition checklist and the inspection-rules guide below.