Minnesota Odyssey of the Mind is completely run by volunteers. Judges and volunteers are needed to provide a tournament for the teams who have been working so hard on their solutions. Please consider helping out at this year’s event — it’s a very exciting and satisfying experience!
There are two different categories for positions, either a “Volunteer” or a “Judge”.
The “Volunteer” positions are non-judging, need no prior training, and can work partial days to take time off to watch teams of interest. These positions involve things like working in sales, at the registration desk, as door/hall helpers, and helping with set-up and take-down.
Judges are particularly needed. Judges will be provided training before the tournament and must be available to judge all day at the tournament.
Each team is required to provide either one full-day judge or two part-day volunteers to help at the tournament. These must be signed up online by March 1, 2025. Contact information (including email and phone number) MUST be provided.
BEFORE REGISTERING PLEASE NOTE & KEEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS HANDY:
- To be credited to a team, you will be asked to provide the team’s membership name, number, problem and division. This information is available from the team’s coach or membership contact.
- There is a drop down box next to “I am registering as a” (located in the upper right). If you are registering in a “Volunteer” category, you MUST select “Volunteer” from the drop down box. If you are registering as “Judge”, select “Judge”.
- Next, you will need to select a specific type of position from the drop down box located next to “Job preference”. If you are interested in a specific type of position, request it from the drop down box. If you will accept any position or are unfamiliar with the positions, just select “No Preference” or leave “Pick one” in the drop down boxes.
Click here to sign up as either a judge or a volunteer!
Thank you! These OMERs have worked hard to create their solutions and you have a very important role in helping us have a tournament for them. You are in for a wonderful experience!
Questions? Need information? Contact Sheryl Kasella, our Association Director.
DESCRIPTION OF JUDGING POSITIONS
Head Judge (one per long-term judging team and one per spontaneous judging team)
The Head Judge for Long-Term or Spontaneous is the leader of the judging team. The Head Judge must keep the judging team on time and on task.
Long-Term: The Head Judge reviews scoresheets. He/she presents the scores to the team coaches and answers questions regarding the teams’ long-term scores. Should a coach raise an issue that the Head Judge cannot settle, the Head Judge then contacts the Problem Captain and has the Problem Captain take over. The Head Judge must be thoroughly familiar with the long-term problem and have the ability to handle people in a friendly, but firm, manner. The long-term Head Judge sometimes doubles as a Problem or Style Judge, but this does not allow very much time to return scores and talk with coaches, so in this event you may wish to schedule teams a little farther apart or allow longer breaks.
Spontaneous: The Head Judge reviews the scoresheets to make sure the judges have filled them out correctly and, in verbal problems, that all the judges have recorded the same number of responses. The Head Judge designates who reads the problem to the teams, who checks that the correct team entered the room, and who “chats” with the team. The spontaneous Head Judge always scores the teams as well.
Problem Judge: (generally two or three per long-term judging team and one per spontaneous judging team)
Long-Term: The Problem Judge scores the team’s long-term solution. In a performance problem this is generally a subjective opinion and the Problem Judge generally scores all aspects of the solution except Style. In a technical problem theProblem Judge is usually assigned a specific area or task to observe and scores only that portion of the team’s solution.
Spontaneous: In verbal problems, the Problem Judge evaluates the team’s answers. In a hands-on problem, the Problem Judge generally scores some specific aspect of the problem.
Scorechecker (one per long-term judging team and possibly one for every 4-5 spontaneous rooms)
A scorechecker collects scoresheets from the scoring judges and inputs them into the scoring spreadsheets that calculate the scores.
Staging Area Judge (one or possibly two per long-term judging team)
The Staging Area Judge is the first official to greet the team in long-term. He/she puts the team at ease while reviewing the team’s paperwork. The Staging Area Judge forwards the paperwork to the appropriate long-term judges and inspects the team’s props, membership sign, etc. He/she evaluates the cost, the legality of the solution (if there are specific parameters), and whether items were made by the team members. The Staging Area Judge may ask the team members some basic questions in this regard but should pass along any concerns he/she has to the other judges for questioning after the team finishes its performance. The Staging Area Judge introduces the team to the Timekeeper. Sometimes the Staging Area Judge also serves as Timekeeper. If you are fortunate to have enough judges to have two Staging Area Judges, one can handle the paperwork while the other talks with the team, answers questions, and generally makes certain the team is at ease. This is helpful if your tournament is on a tight schedule.
Style Judge (two or three per long-term judging team)
Style Judges receive the teams’ Style Forms from the Staging Area Judge and review them for accuracy and to learn which areas they are to score. The Style Judge scores these areas. Style Judges do not confer with each other to determine scores. Style Judges sometimes also serve as Problem Judges.
Timekeeper (one per long-term judging team and one per spontaneous team)
The Timekeeper is responsible for giving each team the exact amount of time allowed for the problem. It is critical that the Timekeeper be precise and exact in this regard.
Long-Term: The Timekeeper completes the Timekeeper’s Checklist (found in the problem materials) then introduces the team to the judges and the audience. In problems where a penalty for overtime is given, he/she keeps exact time of the presentation and assesses a penalty for teams that go overtime. In other problems he/she stops the team at the end of the 8 minutes.
Spontaneous: The Timekeeper reviews the various times that will be given, e.g. think time, practice time, response time, and clearly tells each team when to begin and end each timed portion. The spontaneous Timekeeper often serves as a Spontaneous Problem Judge as well.
Weigh-In Judge (one or two for the long-term structure problem)
Weigh-In Judges check that structures meet the height and weight requirements and fulfill any other requirements for the problem. If a separate weigh-in site is used, once the Weigh-In Judges finalize their check of the structures. In a small competition, the Weigh-In Judge may also serve as a Problem Judge.
Doorkeeper (Non-Judging Position) (one per long-term problem site, unless the space is open with no entrance or exit door)
Doorkeepers make certain that audience members do not enter during a team’s performance. They also make certain that spectators give right-of-way to teams entering and exiting, help with crowd control, answers questions outside the door (such as “which problem is this?” or “where are the restrooms?” or “is this site on schedule?”)