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Throwing the axe…
Throwing the axe…
The other player every tournament needs.
Fair calls. Clean pace.
Give every thrower the conditions to throw their best.
The A.LEAGUE Certified Judge program raises the level of AXE THROWING through certification, judge ranks, and structured feedback.
What is a Judge
Judges make the competition work and let throwers push their limits. They are at the center of it.
Principle I
Treat every thrower the same, and call each situation on what actually happened.
Principle II
Keep matches moving and hold the schedule together across the tournament.
Principle III
Build a setting where throwers, staff, and spectators all enjoy the competition.
Benefits
Officiate A.LEAGUE official tournaments
Move up the judge ranks
Judge-only perks
Get an ATH profile card
S rank certification
Join tournament operations
Understand the sport more deeply
Earn trust in the community
Be part of AXE THROWING not only as a thrower, but as someone who holds the sport up.
Certification Flow
Core competition certification
Step 01
Written exam
Step 02
Practical exam
Step 03
Certified
Step 04
Start officiating
Once you pass, you are registered as a judge on ATH and can officiate official tournaments.
Retaking the exam after dropping out of C rank is free.
Judge Career & Value
Officiating gives you a deeper read on the sport, tournament experience, and a place in the community — growth you carry back into your own throwing. Higher ranks open up bigger tournaments and more ways to shape the sport.
C rank judges get a 30-minute free pass for every tournament. Keep showing up, build your experience, and take on officiating as you go.
The highest rank, holding the sport up
A highly rated senior judge
A mid-tier judge building a record
Where a judging career starts
Rank System
Everyone starts at C. Four ranks, and you move up on results and feedback.
Score 3 or above in feedback at 3 tournaments
Note: 6 or more games officiated counts as one tournament
Feedback System
The post-tournament survey is how we raise tournament quality and keep things fair. It collects what participants saw and feeds it into judge scores.
Anyone who took part can submit one. We collect feedback from throwers, staff, and judges on how the tournament ran.
An optional survey, to raise quality and keep the sport fair.
If you officiated, you must submit the feedback form from ATH after the tournament.
Judges must submit the form so the feedback system stays fair and tournament quality keeps improving.
Slow match pace: Deducted when the judge is the cause.
Post-tournament survey: Throwers, staff, and judges give feedback on how the tournament ran.
POST TOURNAMENT FEEDBACK
If you officiated, send your post-tournament feedback from this form.
Note: due within 1 week of the tournament.
Open the formS RANK EXAMINATION
Annual Renewal
Who
What
Written examFee
3,000JPYS rank judges sit the S rank exam once a year to renew their certification.
Demotion: a feedback score of 2 or below drops you to A rank
Point System
Same-day officiating that adds up as points
If you are asked to judge on the day of a tournament and step in, you earn JUDGE POINT for the games you officiate. JUDGE POINT recognizes judges who were not booked in advance. You earn 1 point per game, and every 30 points you receive a reward based on your judge rank at that moment (C, B, A, or S). If you were booked in advance and are paid the normal judge fee, JUDGE POINT does not apply.
Eligible
You were asked on the day and stepped in to judge
Points are awarded when all of the above are true
Not Eligible
You were booked in advance and paid the normal fee
Any one of these and no points are awarded
Current Judge Point
0/ 30pt
Asked to judge on the day
Officiate games
Earn 1pt per game
Reach 30pt
Get the reward for your rank
Points keep building after a reward, so you can earn one every time you reach 30pt.
Note: the progress bar shows sample values. Points are applied from the post-tournament survey tally.
Rewards
The higher the rank, the more it opens up. Keep officiating and it comes back to you.
Note: the free pass is always given
Note: other perks vary by venue
Official Gear
JUDGE
Official Referee Wear
Digital Credential
A profile card issued on ATH for certified judges only.
ATH JUDGE
AXE THROW HUB · A.LEAGUE
Note: sample values. Your real figures update automatically on ATH from your officiating record.
FAQ
Yes. You can compete as a thrower and support tournaments as a judge.
A.LEAGUE official tournaments.
Meet the feedback criteria — a score of 3 or above at 3 tournaments.
S rank renews every year. The other ranks move up and down on feedback.
You retake the certification exam. Retaking is free.
Yes. If you officiated, you must submit it within 1 week of the tournament.
We are looking for people to build the future of AXE THROWING as A.LEAGUE Certified Judges.