U.S. Steinholding Association Judging Certification Program

Spring of 2024 marked the launch of the U.S. Steinholding Association Judging Certification program and we have been continuing to build and improve it for the new 2025 season. Masskrugstemmen enthusiasts and competition venues have been asking us for years what it takes to be a great Steinholding judge, so we created the USSA Certification Program to build a formal body of knowledge and give you the resources you need! Whether you're brand new to the sport or you've been judging matches for years, everyone can always improve their skills and consistency!

We take the sport of Steinholding seriously and we expect that you will too, so review the requirements carefully before you commit to becoming a certified Judge. The Certification is composed of 5 parts which must be completed in order:

1. Review of our Judging Manual and demonstration video resources, which describe the official rules in specific detail and show the proper form in action to ensure that judges have a strong understanding of the underlying concepts and Steinholding form.
2. Commitment to our Judging Code of Conduct and affirmation that, as a certified judge, you recognize and commit to uphold the highest standard of fairness when judging, and to recuse yourself from judging any events where there is a potential for a conflict of interest.
3. Completion of a two-part online exam with a passing score. Part one tests the trainee judge's knowledge of the judging manual, the official USSA rules, judging philosophy, and the duties expected of a certified judge.
4. After passing the first part of the exam, part two tests the judge's ability to properly identify lapses of proper Steinholding form through a series of competition photos.
5. After passing the second part of the exam, the final component is a physical demonstration of the judge's ability to USE proper Steinholding form. This is to ensure a personal knowledge of how proper form feels, how form deteriorates as fatigue builds over time, and to build a connection with the competitors you will be judging. Each judge will submit video evidence of themselves Steinholding for a minimum total time of 10 minutes total for men, and 4 minutes total for women. This time can be split up over multiple attempts, as long as the total time is met and proper Steinholding form is used. In very limited circumstances, USSA may allow this requirement to be waived for medical purposes.

If you fail any of the steps you can try again as many times as you need, but you won't be granted your certification until you have successfully completed them all. Our goal is to improve the quality of all Steinholding matches and build a better experience for everyone involved with the sport, so we are also making our USSA Judging Manual available to everyone for free here: Download via Google Drive

But for anyone who wants to challenge themselves with the Certification exam and be formally recognized for their commitment to Steinholding Judging excellence, we are offering two tiers of Certification:

• Our Standard Certification ($19.99) includes access to all judging body of knowledge resources and one exam entry. Upon passing the exam, you will be classified as a USSA certified judge for 2 years, and we will provide you with an electronic copy of your certificate of completion, with your unique USSA judging certification number.
• Our Premium Certification package ($54.99) includes everything listed above, as well as our exclusive logo-embroidered trucker cap that's only available to certified judges, plus a set of 25 reusable USSA "Strike" coasters for use as visual indicators when issuing strikes during competitions. Note: these items are not shipped until the certification is completed, so make sure you complete your certification in advance if you want your hat/coasters in time for a special event!

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Participation in this program is subject to the USSA Judging Code of Conduct and Judging Program terms of use, so review that information before registering, available here. If you have any questions about the Certification before jumping in, email the U.S. Steinholding Association Commissioner's office at jbanko@ussteinholding.com. Otherwise, you can register below and get started today!