TAGB

Tournament Officials



All TAGB Officials are at least 1st Degree Black Belts and have attended a training course which covers the rules and regulations of TAGB tournaments.

Umpires

Wearing a black t-shirt with red stitching which states ‘TAGB Official’. These officials will support Referees ring side as score recorders, timekeepers, mirror or line judges and corner judges. They may also perform other duties such as assisting in marshalling spectators, working on the trophy table, entry correction and competitor query table or performing ticketing duties.

Referees

After completion of a further Umpire course and 2 separate Referee courses (which must be passed) an Umpire can become a referee. Referees wear black t-shirts with yellow stitching which states ‘TAGB Referee’. Referees may undertake any duty that an Umpire has in addition to now being able to take control of a ring as the Referee.

Area Managers

Wearing red t-shirts; Area Managers are chosen from the pool of referees due to their experience and competence. Many of the Area Managers have officiated at World, European and International Level. Area Managers provide support and advice to Referees and are responsible for ensuring the overall levels of control and quality of officiating for one or more areas during a tournament. This is an appointed position and grade is irrelevant in the selection.

Chief Umpire/Referee

The Chief Umpire (or Refereee) is responsible for the management of the tournament (primarily running order and draw allocation/results collection). The Chief Umpire operates from the Top Table with a small team of officials for administration and more senior officials who assist with competitor problem resolution. The current Chief Umpire prefers to wear the black ‘TAGB Referee’ t-shirt.

Child Welfare

Wearing yellow t-shirts; the Child Welfare Officials are there to assist our younger competitors. All Child Welfare Officials are at least Umpires and all are registered TAGB Members. They work ring-side in conjunction with Tournament Officials in providing additional care and support as required. They have all undergone a briefing on Child Protection at a level suitable for the purposes of a Tournament. Once the younger members have finished competing the Child Welfare Officials will revert to their other roles if required.

TAGB and National Team Coaches

Sporting a variety of national colours the TAGB and UK National Team coaches attend most of the major tournaments and will in particular be seen around the Black Belt divisions and Team Events. Should you wish to speak to one of the coaches, you need to contact your Instructor or Area Representative to arrange to speak to one of them as Tournaments are busy days.

TAGB Committee Members

Wearing white t-shirts; TAGB Committee Members attend all tournaments to assist in the operation of the tournaments. The National tournament Chief Umpire is a TAGB Committee Member.

First Aid

Mandatory at any public event the TAGB uses either a team of Paramedics and Emergency Responders from within the membership or will use a 3rd party provider. All First Aid and Emergency Responders will be in green t-shirts or tunics. Occasionally, a Doctor may be present and may wear slightly different clothing (just to confuse).

It is worth noting that medical staff have the final say in the continuation of a bout should an injury occur and a Referee will respect that decision before withdrawing the injured party. The medical staff however do not determine the outcome of the bout.

Social Media and Photographers

Wearing either dark blue or bright orange t-shirts the Social Media and Photography team provide official photographs free to TAGB members and provide live feeds to Twitter and Facebook during tournaments.

Technical Support

Wearing blue t-shirts the Technical Support team provide a range of electrical and computer based services to the Tournament Officials. They are also responsible for electrical power, public address, music (if required), LCD screens and networking support.