DNZ Judges Pathway Information
Level 1
Judges may become level 1 judges when they have attended a DNZ level 1 introductory judges’ workshop (workshop to be delivered by a DNZ approved World Aquatics accredited judge) and scored 75% or more in both their theory and practical evaluation at this workshop.
Level 1 judges should remain familiar with the current WORLD AQUATICS diving rules (it would be sensible to review these regularly, particularly before judging a competition).They should also be actively judging in club and regional competitions in which they are qualified to judge. A Level 1 judge is able to be considered for Level 2 when:
- they are 18 years or older;
- they have been a Level 1 judge for a minimum period of 2 years and have judged at a minimum of three events per year, and
- they achieve a score of over 75% in both a practical and theoretical assessment
Failure to do so will result in their being removed from the DNZ Register of Diving Judges if they remain inactive for more than 1 year. A Level 1 judge so removed must re-sit both the theoretical and practical examinations to regain registration at this level.
Once an individual has fulfilled the first two points above and feels adequately prepared to proceed to Level 2, they must undertake a practical and theoretical assessment. If the individual passes the assessment they may commence as a Level 2 judge. If the individual fails the assessment, they must repeat the assessment at a later date in order to achieve
Note - Level 1 judges may attend a WORLD AQUATICS Introductory Level Judging School with permission from DNZ. If a level 1 judge attends a World Aquatics Introductory Judging School, and passes both the theory and practical tests, and has been a level 1 judge for more than a year, they may progress to level 2 before the two year mark.
Note - Individuals who have competed or coached at the New Zealand Open and AgeGroup Championships in the past two years and who are 18 years or older, are eligible to move from Level 1 to Level 2 after one year rather than the full two-year term. However, these individuals still need to pass the practical and theoretical assessments to progress
Level 2
Level 2 judges should remain familiar with the current WORLD AQUATICS rules and are expected to play an important role in club and regional competitions, judging both proficiently and regularly. It is also recommended that Level 2 judges who wish to progress further at a later date take additional active responsibilities at club and regional competitions from time to time, including refereeing and assistant refereeing duties.
Level 2 judges should try to attend National events and New Zealand Championships meetings annually and be prepared to judge both age group and open competitions should they be placed on these panels. Level 2 judges should also take the opportunity to “shadow judge” where an assessment is taking place. A Level 2 judge is able to be considered forLevel 3 when:
- they have been a Level 2 judge for a minimum period of 3 years and judged at a minimum of 3 events per year, and
- they achieve a score of over 80% in both a practical and theoretical assessment
Failure to do so will result in their being removed from the DNZ Register of Diving Judges if they remain inactive for more than 1 year. A Level 2 judge so removed must re-sit both the theoretical and practical examinations to regain registration at this level.
Once an individual has fulfilled the first point above and feels adequately prepared to proceed to Level 3, they may undertake a practical and theoretical assessment. If the individual passes the assessment they may commence as a Level 3 judge. If the individual fails the assessment, they are required to repeat the assessment at a later date in order to achieve Level 3 status
Note - Level 2 judges may attend a WORLD AQUATICS Introductory Level Judging School with permission from DNZ (see the note at the conclusion of this document for further information). If a level 2 judge has been active and fulfilling the requirements stated above for 2 years or more, and passes a World AquaticsIntroductory course, they may become level 3 before the three-year time frame has been completed.
Level 3 Status
judges should play an active role in competitions at both their club and regional levels. By this stage they should have experience at being a referee or an assistant referee at lower-level competitions. As noted in the DNZ Rules and Regulations, Level 3 judges must officiate at a New Zealand Championships Meet or an international meeting at least once every year. Failure to do so will result in their being removed from the DNZ Register of Diving Judges if they remain inactive for more than 1 year. A Level 3 judge so removed must re-sit both the theoretical and practical examinations to regain registration at this level. Any Level 3 judge is eligible to be appointed by the DNZ Board as Chief Referee, and may apply to do so when nominations are called for. A Level 3 judge is the highest internal qualification available for judges who do not seek to gain WORLD AQUATICS accreditation.
If a Level 3 judge intends to seek WORLD AQUATICS accreditation they must:
- have been a level 3 judge for at least a year and met the above stated requirements
- attend a WORLD AQUATICS Introductory Level Judging School
- have attended a WORLD AQUATICS Judges Certification Course and passed both a theoretical and practical test and gained a World Aquatics Judges Diploma
- have had recent experience as the Chief Referee at New Zealand Championships meetings.
- be under 65 years of age in the year they wish to officiate at a WORLD AQUATICS competition