Judging is a hugely important part of Marching. Without Judges our teams wouldn't be able to compete!

MNZ provides training for all Judges, who are trained for the appropriate section they are adjudicating. Accreditation levels are Trainee, Qualified, National Qualified and International.

The Judging system is based on Awarding and judges adjudicate in an objective and unbiased manner and in compliance with the criteria stipulated.

Judges wishing to return to the sport after 2 years can sit a Refresher Exam and continue at their previous status.

If you are interested in becoming a Marching Judge, have a chat with one of our Committee members at a local competition or speak with the Chief Judge or Association Secretary via email: [email protected]z

Information regarding Judging, from beginner to advanced qualifications, can be found on the Marching New Zealand website, under the Judging tab.    

Technical Drill Judge A

The Review & Inspection Judge or the Technical A position. This is what you see occurring at the left end of the field before a Team starts its marching aspect.  If you have a quick eye, a sharp mind and attention for detail this is something that might interest you. The Review is judged over a very short space of time. The Judge is required to judge the Leader and Team on how well they complete a set routine and hold their formation structure.  This is assessed by what is called a caliper check, where you will see the Judge walking around the Team checking a set distance between feet, using a set measure.  The Judge is also looking for how well the Leader commands the Team, marching action of the Team, posture and also checking for uniform cleanliness.The Judge, as with all Judges, is given a score sheet on which to make awards and comments, as to the Team’s performance in conjunction with the set criteria.

Technical Drill Judge B

This Judge sits at the rear of the field and will Judge the Leader and team members for all aspects of head turns, salutes, posture, arm-swing, handgrip, hand positions, arm drop, arm-swing out and discipline, both before and during every movement.  Commonly referred to as judging “the top half”.  Again, if you have an eye for detail, this may interest you.

Technical Drill Judge C

This Judge sits at the rear of the field and will Judge the Leader and team members for all aspects of leg and foot requirements during movements, commencing on completion of the whistle signal and ceasing after the step out pace has been taken. Tempo will also be judged both during and between movements. This position is a little “more technical” to judge and is often taken on by an ex or current marcher. If you want a challenge this could be for you.

​​​​​​​Technical Drill Judge D

This Judge sits at the rear of the field and will Judge the Leader and team members throughout the Technical Drill Movements Phase, for all aspects of Dressing, Covering, Spacing, Position and Formation Completion, both between and during the movements.If you have an eye for precision structure, lines, angles and blocks, this may be the position for you.

​​​​​​​Display Judges

There are two Display Judges who sit at the front of the field and will Judge the Leader and team members for all aspects of the Display. Although each Judge has slightly different aspects to judge, a Display Judge must be capable of Judging in both positions. The Display Judge A will judge the Team for the requirements of the criteria, I including Presentation, Formations, Formation precision, boundary and circle.The Display Judge B will judge the Team for the requirements of the criteria, including Presentation, Musical interpretation, Drills both variety and precision, Salute and Time Compliance.If you like music and the creative freestyle movement adopted to show creativity, co-ordination and versatility this could well be your niche in our Sport.