Judging the CrossFit Open: Standards, No-Reps and Video Submissions
By Dai Manuel (Coach Moose) · Last updated
Every Open score is either judged at an affiliate or filmed for review. Knowing what a judge looks for makes you a better athlete and a calmer one. This guide covers both sides of the clipboard.
Part of CrossFit BC's guide to the CrossFit Open.
What a judge checks
A judge has three jobs: make sure the workout is set up as written, count every rep that meets the standard and record the score. That means checking loads, equipment and the floor plan before the clock starts, then watching each rep.
At an affiliate, the judge confirms the score and the athlete submits it online. Under CrossFit's current rules, the affiliate's manager can reject a score entered incorrectly, and scores that are not rejected are validated automatically on the Wednesday after the deadline.
Reading a movement standard
CrossFit publishes standards with each workout. Each one describes where a rep starts, where it finishes and what has to happen in between, such as hips below the knee in a squat or arms locked out overhead.
Read the standard as a checklist of positions. The judge looks for those positions on every rep, not a general impression of effort. If you can't reach the range of motion an Rx'd movement requires, the rules say you can't swap in another movement. Submit in Scaled or Foundations instead.
Before the workout, judge and athlete should agree on what the standard looks like. Do a couple of practice reps together during the warm-up.
The no-rep conversation
Judges: call it early, once, in a calm voice: "No rep." The athlete fixes it and goes again. Don't explain mid-workout. Explain between rounds or afterwards.
Athletes: don't argue while the clock runs. Listen, fix the position and keep moving. Talk it through when you're done.
In that moment the judge isn't the coach, they're the standard. That protects every athlete's score, including yours.
Video submission checklist
If you can't get to an affiliate, you can film your workout and submit a public YouTube link through your CrossFit account. CrossFit's review team can accept, change or invalidate a video score. This list follows the current rulebook. The 2027 rulebook is still to come, and CrossFit publishes video standards with each workout; follow those if anything differs.
- Set the camera so a judge can see whether every rep meets the standard. Angle, distance and lighting all count, and fisheye lenses are not allowed.
- Keep your whole body and the equipment in frame for the entire workout, with nothing blocking the view.
- Show the weights and the clock clearly before you start, and keep the clock in view.
- Film one unedited single take, from before the start to your final rep.
- Upload the video to YouTube, set it to public and check that the link works.
- Submit your score and the link in your CrossFit account before Monday at 5pm Pacific. Late submissions are not accepted.
Judging at Friday Night Lights
At Friday Night Lights every athlete has a judge. Judging a heat is the fastest way to learn the standards, and you can still do the workout in another heat.
Want to judge? Ask a coach. CrossFit's rules require online review judges to hold the current year's Judges Course certificate. Check games.crossfit.com for the 2027 Judges Course.
Doing the workout? Take a minute with your judge before your heat to walk through the standard. Then go and enjoy it.
Quick answers
- What does a CrossFit Open judge check?
- A judge makes sure the workout is set up as written, counts every rep that meets the standard and records the score. That means checking loads, equipment and the floor plan before the clock starts, then watching each rep.
- How do I film a CrossFit Open video submission?
- Set the camera so a judge can see every rep, keep your whole body and the equipment in frame, show the weights and the clock, film one unedited take and submit a public YouTube link before Monday at 5pm Pacific. Follow each workout's published video standards if anything differs.
- Can I judge at Friday Night Lights?
- Ask a coach. Judging a heat is the fastest way to learn the standards, and you can still do the workout in another heat.
Official sources: Open overview · Competition rules
Go deeper
What is the CrossFit Open?: A first-timer's guide to how Open weeks, judging and versions work.
2027 dates and registration: Registration on January 7, the three release dates and how to submit a score.
Rx'd, Scaled and Foundations: How to pick the right version of each workout, week by week.
How to prepare: Your runway to February, plus six-week plans for every version.
The road to the CrossFit Games: Every stage of the 2027 season, from your first class to the Games, with no jargon.
Masters and age groups: Age groups from 35-39 to 70+, and how to train for the Open in midlife.
Teens in the Open: Teen age groups 14-15, 16-17 and the new 18-19, with answers for parents.
The Adaptive Open: How the Adaptive Open works with WheelWOD and how our coaches can help.
Pairs division: Divisions, age groups and fees for the new partner competition.
Open prep checklist: A printable checklist from first class to workout day.
Movement library: Common Open movements and how they change across versions.
CrossFit Open FAQ: 32 answers on registration, fees, scoring, Pairs and Friday Night Lights.
Back to CrossFit BC's guide to the CrossFit Open