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The Complete Guide — From First Idea to Awards Ceremony
Last updated: February 28, 2026
To organize a bouldering competition you need a venue with sufficient wall space, experienced route setters, a reliable scoring system, and clearly defined categories. The two main format choices are scramble (200+ climbers, self-reporting via app, 2-4 hour open session) or circuit (smaller field, judges stationed at each problem, timed rotations). Digital platforms like JudgeMate eliminate paper scorecards, enable real-time self-reporting, and deliver instant live leaderboards — reducing your staffing needs and giving climbers a seamless competition experience from registration through awards.
Organizing a bouldering competition is a project with many moving parts, but every successful event starts with the same core checklist. Work through these items roughly 8-12 weeks before your event date — the further ahead you start, the fewer last-minute emergencies you will face.
Your format choice is the single most consequential decision in competition planning. It determines how many staff you need, how many problems to set, how long the event runs, and what scoring system to use.
Best for: Open events, gym festivals, community competitions, 50-400+ climbers.
All problems are open simultaneously for a 2-4 hour session. Climbers attempt any problem in any order and log their own results via a digital platform like JudgeMate. Scoring uses a points system (typically Flash 15 pts / Top 10 pts / Zone 5 pts). No per-problem judges are required.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Best for: Youth championships, national qualifiers, structured gym leagues, 10-60 climbers per wave.
Climbers rotate through numbered problems in sequence, with a timed window per problem (typically 4-5 minutes). A judge is stationed at each problem to count attempts and validate tops/zones. Problems are attempted onsight — no prior viewing.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Best for: Elite selection events, national championships, events with TV/streaming coverage.
Full isolation zone, 4-5 problems, strict timed windows, multi-round progression (qualification, semi-final, final). The most logistically demanding format.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
| Event Type | Recommended Format | Problem Count | Staff Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual gym comp / festival | Scramble | 20-30 | 3-5 |
| Monthly gym league round | Scramble or open circuit | 15-25 | 3-8 |
| Youth championship | Strict onsight circuit | 4-6 per round | 8-15 |
| National qualifier / elite event | IFSC isolation | 4-5 per round | 15-25 |
For a comprehensive breakdown of how each format works in practice, see our Bouldering Competition Formats guide.
Route setting is the backbone of any bouldering competition. Even with perfect logistics, poor route setting will leave participants disappointed. Invest the time and budget to get this right.
The number of problems depends directly on your format:
| Format | Problems | Setting Time (2-3 setters) |
|---|---|---|
| Scramble / Festival | 20-30 | 1-2 full days |
| Circuit (per round) | 4-6 | Half day per round |
| IFSC-style (per round) | 4-5 | Half day per round |
For a scramble event, 25 problems is a strong target — enough variety that climbers never feel idle, but not so many that some problems go unattempted.
A well-distributed set ensures every participant has meaningful problems to attempt, from first-time competitors to elite climbers:
Safety is non-negotiable. Every problem must be evaluated for:
Every problem must be tested by climbers who were not involved in setting it. Testing confirms:
Recruit 3-5 testers of varying ability levels and have each climber attempt every problem. Adjust holds, positions, or grades based on feedback before the event.
One of the earliest decisions you will make as an organiser is whether your event requires dedicated judges or can operate on athlete self-reporting. This decision is tightly coupled with your format choice.
Circuit and IFSC formats always require judges. In these formats, accuracy of attempt counts and validation of tops/zones are critical to the ranking system. A judge is stationed at each problem and records every attempt for every athlete. Without judges, the tops/zones/attempts hierarchy is unreliable.
Typical judging requirements:
Judges need to be briefed before the event starts. At minimum, every judge must know: which hold is the zone, which hold is the top, what constitutes a controlled hold, and when an attempt begins (feet leave the ground). For a complete guide to judging procedures, see our Bouldering Judging guide.
Scramble and festival formats are designed for self-reporting. With 100-400 climbers on 20-30 problems simultaneously, stationing a judge at every problem is logistically impossible. Instead, climbers report their own results.
Self-reporting works because:
JudgeMate provides a streamlined self-reporting workflow that balances trust with verification:
Some organisers use a hybrid model: self-reporting for the main scramble session, but stationing judges at the 2-3 hardest problems where the competitive outcome is most likely to be decided. This concentrates judging resources where accuracy matters most while keeping staffing manageable.
A well-structured registration system ensures smooth event-day logistics and fair competition across all participant groups.
The standard IFSC-derived age categories used in most bouldering competitions are:
| Category | Age Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| U14 (Youth D) | Under 14 years | Emphasis on participation and fun; consider limiting problem difficulty |
| U16 (Youth C) | 14-15 years | First exposure to structured competition formats |
| U18 (Youth B) | 16-17 years | Full competition rules apply at national-level events |
| U20 (Junior) | 18-19 years | Eligible for IFSC Junior championships |
| Senior | 20+ years | The standard adult category |
| Masters | 40+ years (varies) | Growing in popularity; some events split into Masters 40+ and Masters 50+ |
Age is determined by the athlete's age on December 31st of the competition year (following IFSC convention). This means all athletes born in the same calendar year compete in the same age category, regardless of which month the competition falls in.
For local gym events, you have flexibility to simplify. Many casual competitions use just three categories: Youth (under 18), Adult (18-39), and Masters (40+). Choose the granularity that matches your expected field size — there is no value in having a category with only one or two competitors.
Most competitions maintain separate male and female rankings within each age category. Some events also offer an Open category — a combined ranking across all genders — for climbers who prefer to compete against the widest possible field.
For gym-level events, skill-based divisions can be more meaningful than age categories alone. Common approaches:
Your registration platform should collect:
JudgeMate integrates registration with scoring — athletes who register through the platform are automatically assigned to the correct category and appear in the scoring system on event day with no manual data entry.
| Strategy | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard entry fee | $15-40 per person | Covers costs; adjust based on local market |
| Early bird discount | 15-25% off | Incentivises early registration; helps with planning |
| Youth discount | 30-50% off adult price | Encourages youth participation |
| Team/group discount | 10-15% off per person | For groups of 4+ registering together |
| Season pass (leagues) | 20-30% off per-round price | Locks in committed participants for the full season |
Set registration caps based on your venue capacity. A sold-out event with a waitlist creates demand for your next competition; an overcrowded event creates safety hazards and a poor experience.
The difference between a smooth event and a chaotic one is almost always the quality of your day-of planning. Build a detailed timeline and assign every task to a named person.
| Time | Activity | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Venue access — set up registration desk, test PA system, verify crash pad placement | Event Director |
| 10:30 AM | Route setters complete final checks — brush all holds, verify tape/markers, confirm QR codes at each problem | Head Route Setter |
| 11:00 AM | Staff briefing — review roles, emergency procedures, communication channels | Event Director |
| 11:30 AM | Registration opens — check-in athletes, distribute wristbands or bibs, confirm waiver completion | Registration Team |
| 12:00 PM | Warm-up period — walls open for casual climbing, no scoring | Safety Officer |
| 12:30 PM | Opening announcement — welcome climbers, explain format, scoring, rules, demonstrate self-reporting (JudgeMate QR scan) | Event Director / MC |
| 12:45 PM | Competition window opens — 2.5-hour scramble session begins | All Staff |
| 3:15 PM | Competition window closes — scoring locked, final results processing begins | Scoring Manager |
| 3:15-3:30 PM | Results verification — review leaderboard, resolve any flagged scores, confirm category winners | Chief Judge / Scoring Manager |
| 3:30 PM | Awards ceremony — announce winners, distribute prizes, thank sponsors | Event Director / MC |
| 4:00 PM | Venue cleanup — remove markers, tape, QR codes; reset gym for normal operations | All Staff |
For a scramble event with 100-200 climbers, you need a minimum of 5-8 people:
Establish a communication channel (group chat, walkie-talkies for larger events) so that all staff can reach the Event Director immediately. Common situations that require rapid coordination:
Before the event starts, brief all staff on:
Digital scoring transforms competition management from a spreadsheet headache into a streamlined workflow. Here is how to set up your bouldering competition in JudgeMate, step by step.
Log into your JudgeMate organiser account and create a new event. Enter the event name, date, venue, and a brief description. Set the event type to Bouldering and choose your format (scramble, circuit, or IFSC-style).
Add each boulder problem to the event. For a scramble with 25 problems, create entries for Boulder 1 through Boulder 25. You can assign names, numbers, or colour codes to each problem — whatever system your route setters use.
Set the scoring structure for your event. The standard scramble configuration:
| Achievement | Points |
|---|---|
| Flash (Top on 1st attempt) | 15 |
| Top (Top in 2+ attempts) | 10 |
| Zone (reaching the midpoint hold) | 5 |
JudgeMate allows custom point values, so you can adjust these if your event uses a different structure (e.g., higher flash bonuses, or bonus points for the hardest problems).
Create your competition categories — age groups, gender divisions, skill levels, or any combination. JudgeMate automatically assigns registered athletes to the correct category based on their profile data (date of birth, gender). Configure separate leaderboards for each category.
For scramble events, enable the self-reporting feature. This generates a unique QR code for each boulder problem. Print these QR codes and place them visibly at each problem station. When a climber scans the code, the JudgeMate app opens directly to that problem's scoring input — they tap Flash, Top, or Zone, and the result is recorded.
Decide what participants and spectators can see during the competition:
This is the most important step. At least one day before the event:
The competition does not end when the last award is handed out. Post-event operations are what separate a one-off event from the foundation of a thriving climbing community.
Within 24 hours of your event, publish the final results in multiple formats:
JudgeMate supports exporting full results in PDF and Excel formats. These exports are essential for:
Send a short post-event survey (5-10 questions) within 48 hours while the experience is fresh. Key questions to include:
This feedback directly informs your planning for the next event and demonstrates to participants that their experience matters.
A single event is a project. A recurring league is a community. To transition from one-off events to a sustained league:
Before your next season begins, map out the full calendar:
For a detailed breakdown of how the scoring systems used in competitions work, see our Bouldering Scoring guide.
Let's follow a fictional gym — ClimbHouse — as they plan, execute, and learn from their very first bouldering competition. ClimbHouse is a mid-sized gym with 120 metres of bouldering wall, a regular membership base of 400 climbers, and zero competition experience.
Week 1-2: Core Decisions
The gym manager, Sara, decides on the following:
Week 3-4: Budget and Logistics
Sara builds a budget:
| Line Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Route setters (2 setters, 1.5 days) | $1,200 |
| Prizes (gift vouchers, chalk, merch) | $600 |
| Insurance (event liability rider) | $350 |
| JudgeMate event licence | $150 |
| Marketing (social media ads, flyers) | $200 |
| Staff meals and drinks | $150 |
| Miscellaneous (tape, markers, printing) | $100 |
| Total Estimated Cost | $2,750 |
Break-even calculation: At $25 per entry, ClimbHouse needs 110 registrations to break even. With early bird pricing, the actual break-even is closer to 120 participants. Sara sets a registration cap of 150.
Week 5-6: Registration and Marketing
Sara opens registration on JudgeMate, posts the event on the gym's social media, and sends an email to all members. Within two weeks, 65 climbers have registered (40 at the early bird rate). She also contacts two local climbing gear shops for sponsorship — one agrees to donate $300 in prizes in exchange for a banner and social media mentions.
Monday: Setting Day
Two experienced setters arrive and spend a full day setting 25 problems across the gym. They follow the grade distribution plan:
Each problem has a clearly marked zone hold (orange tape) and top hold (red tape).
Wednesday: Testing
Sara recruits 4 regular members of varying abilities (one beginner, two intermediates, one advanced) to test every problem. Testing reveals:
Friday: Digital Setup
Sara configures the event in JudgeMate:
11:00 AM — Setup
Sara and 5 volunteers arrive. They place QR code cards at each problem station, set up the registration desk, test the PA system, and project the JudgeMate live leaderboard onto a screen near the spectator area. A test scan confirms the system is live.
11:30 AM — Registration Opens
112 climbers have registered online. Walk-up registration adds another 14, bringing the total to 126 participants. Each climber checks in, receives a wristband, and is reminded to download the JudgeMate app if they have not already.
12:15 PM — Warm-Up
The walls open for 30 minutes of casual climbing. No scoring.
12:45 PM — Competition Briefing
Sara uses the PA system to welcome everyone, explain the format (2.5-hour open session, self-report via QR scan, Flash/Top/Zone scoring), and demonstrate the QR scan process live on the projector.
1:00 PM — Competition Window Opens
Climbers spread across the gym. The live leaderboard begins updating within minutes as results pour in. By 2:00 PM, the scoring manager notices one athlete has reported Flashes on 22 of 25 problems including both elite-grade boulders. She flags the results and asks a staff member to observe the climber — the reports turn out to be legitimate; the climber is a nationally-ranked competitor.
3:30 PM — Competition Window Closes
Scoring is locked. The final leaderboard is verified within 10 minutes. No disputes are filed.
3:45 PM — Awards Ceremony
Category winners receive prizes. Sara announces that ClimbHouse will run a monthly league starting in April — the crowd cheers.
Within 48 hours, Sara:
Key learnings from feedback:
Financial result: 126 registrations generated $2,930 in entry fees. With $300 in sponsorship, total revenue was $3,230 against $2,750 in costs — a $480 surplus that Sara reinvests into prizes for the next round.