Judges – Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct for California North Odyssey of the Mind Officials

By choosing to be an Odyssey official in California North, you are agreeing to abide by the “Code of Conduct for California North Odyssey of the Mind (NorCal) Officials” as shown below.

Code of Conduct for California North Odyssey of the Mind Officials

By choosing to be an Odyssey official in California, you are agreeing to abide by the “Code of Conduct for California North Odyssey of the Mind (NorCal OotM) Officials” as shown below.

Overview

California North Odyssey of the Mind (NorCal OotM) requires that all tournament officials observe the highest standards of professional ethics. One of NorCal’s goals is to have a fair competition conducted by the judging team. Ethical conduct is not a passive process, but requires people to make conscious choices and decisions.

Basic Standard of Conduct

As a NorCal OotM official, you are expected to observe the highest standards of ethical conduct, consistent with the values of integrity and impartiality. You should strive to avoid even the appearance of impropriety in your conduct.

• Integrity: You are expected to act with integrity in all your official activities, avoiding any behavior that would reflect adversely on you or on NorCal OotM. Always treat others in a courteous and professional manner regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or cultural background.
• Impartiality: You are expected to act with impartiality. You should take care that your expression of personal views and convictions does not compromise or appear to compromise the performance of your official duties or the interests of NorCal OotM. Your official conduct must at all times be characterized by objectivity and professionalism. You should not allow personal relationships or considerations, including bias or favoritism, to influence the performance of your official duties and you should avoid situations that create a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Conduct Within NorCal Odyssey of the Mind

The basic values of impartiality and integrity should govern all aspects of your judging.

• Courtesy and Respect: You should treat all officials, problem captains, tournament directors, volunteers, coaches, and team members with courtesy and respect, without harassment or abuse. You should at all times avoid behavior that may create an atmosphere of hostility or intimidation.
• Accountability: You must act within the guidelines of your training at all times.
• Conflict Resolution: Head Judges, Problem Captains, and tournament directors have a responsibility to make themselves available to officials who may wish to raise concerns in confidence and to deal with such situations in an impartial and sensitive manner. Officials may only raise their concerns by following the “chain of command” – Head Judge, Problem Captain, then Tournament Director. It may not be appropriate to discuss these issues with the judging team, any competing teams, or coaches.
• Problem Judging: Officials are to judge their problem to the best of their ability following the judging procedures laid out by their Problem Captain. Any questions regarding judging procedures are to be directed only to their Problem Captain. It is imperative that judging teams are consistent in their understanding and application of problem procedures.

Conflicts of Interest

As an official, you should avoid any situation involving a conflict, or the appearance of a conflict, between your personal interests and performance of your official duties.

• If a potential conflict exists, you should make prompt and full disclosure to your Problem Captain and seek his or her views as to whether you should excuse yourself from the situation that is creating the conflict or the appearance of conflict.
• Although positive feedback is always encouraged, please refrain from providing problem-specific solutions to teams or coaches, such as “helpful hints” or judging guidelines, even after the tournament has been completed.

I have read this “Code of Conduct for NorCal OotM Officials” and agree to abide by it while serving at this year’s Regional, State, and World competitions.

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02/2023 version