Competitive · guide

Updated September 5, 2026

Judge's Guide

This is a training manual for people who volunteer to referee at WBO-listed Beyblade tournaments, rather than a rulebook for any one Beyblade format itself. It walks a judge through the roles on a judging team, the step-by-step flow of calling a set from arrival through launch and result, and the equipment checks used to catch fakes, worn or cracked parts, and out-of-spec launchers. It leans on the judge's own common sense and discretion for edge cases and always defers point values and finish definitions to whichever format rulebook is being played.

The numbers

Attendance grace period before a no-show forfeit: 1 to 2 minutes (extendable if the blader gave advance notice)
Secret Bey selection time limit: about 1 minute
Launcher rotation tolerance before it may be pulled from play: ±0.5 rotations from the listed figure
Winder Launcher / Winder Launcher L / Hold Launcher — Entry Launcher Winder: 6.75 rotations
Winder Launcher / Winder Launcher L / Hold Launcher — Winder: 8 rotations
Winder Launcher / Winder Launcher L / Hold Launcher — Long Winder: 9 rotations
Entry Launcher — Entry Launcher Winder: 5 rotations
Entry Launcher — Winder: 6 rotations
Entry Launcher — Long Winder: 6.75 rotations
String Launcher / String Launcher L: 11 to 12 rotations

Match types

Type	How it works	First to
3on3	A sequence of three Beys is presented per blader in a fixed order; the judge checks that the presented order matches what each opponent was shown and watches for a swapped sequence outside the permitted reshuffle window after the third Bey Battle.	—
WBO Deck	A presentation format in which Beys are shown to the opponent under this match type's own presentation rule rather than the standard top-and-bottom show.	—
P3C1	A presentation format, grouped with WBO Deck in the guide, that also departs from the standard top-and-bottom Bey presentation.	—
Best-of-3 set	A multi-set match where the loser of the previous set gets to choose their launch position for the next set, unless an Optional Rule changes when positions may be reselected.	2

Equipment checks

Beyblades and parts

After both Beys are presented, a blader may re-orient or change the mode of parts already on their Bey, including via disassembly, but cannot swap in different parts once presentation has happened.
A Bey handed over for post-battle inspection must still contain the exact parts it battled with; a judge who suspects a mid-match swap can stop the battle and inspect on the spot.
Full disassembly during pre-battle inspection is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged as the more thorough way to confirm legality.
A part that is dented or shows plate/edge wear consistent with ordinary play is not treated as cracked or broken and does not need to be swapped out.
A part showing damage severe enough to change its in-battle behavior (the guide's 'extreme wear' standard) can be ordered replaced by the judge even though it isn't technically cracked or broken.

Launchers

Beyblade X winder-style launchers are expected to produce a set number of rotations per full pull, and a launcher that misses its listed figure by more than 0.5 rotations may be pulled from play as modified or damaged.
The rotation chart in this guide applies only to Beyblade X launchers; earlier generations are checked against their own format rulebooks instead.
Winder Launcher, Winder Launcher L and Hold Launcher are rated at 6.75 rotations with an Entry Launcher Winder, 8 with a standard Winder, and 9 with a Long Winder.
The Entry Launcher is rated at 5 rotations with an Entry Launcher Winder, 6 with a standard Winder, and 6.75 with a Long Winder.
String Launcher and String Launcher L are rated at 11 to 12 rotations per pull, with some variance expected from manufacturing differences in string length.
Cosmetic launcher accessories are allowed as self-expression as long as they don't eat into launch space, endanger anyone nearby, or distract from the match; a judge can require one removed at their discretion.
A launcher behaving oddly (strange noise, an off-shape part, an oversized winder) can be pulled aside for inspection and, if found unfit, must be swapped for a legal replacement before play continues.

Bans, limits and conditions

Part or practice	Rule	Note
Counterfeit Beyblade products	banned	Unless an event says otherwise, only genuine Beyblade products may be battled; a judge who spots a likely fake should help the blader find an authentic substitute rather than simply turning them away.
Swapping parts after pre-battle inspection	banned	Deliberately changing parts once a Bey has already been checked in is treated as a serious integrity violation and referred straight to the Head Judge or Organizer for penalty or disqualification.
Reordering a presented Bey sequence outside the reshuffle window	banned	Applies to the 3on3 match type; a sequence swap outside the reshuffle phase after the third Bey Battle is grounds for penalty or disqualification.
Cracked or broken components	banned	A component that has visibly separated from a piece it was molded as one unit with, or is missing material it was manufactured with, is disqualified from play — even a hairline crack in a Blade.
Parts with 'extreme wear'	conditional	A part that is not technically cracked or broken but is worn enough to plausibly change how it performs can be ordered replaced by the judge; ordinary dents and edge wear from normal play do not trigger this.
Repaired stadiums	conditional	A stadium with a crack repair must be re-inspected before matches and pulled from use if the repair is no longer imperceptible to the touch, especially on the floor area.
Irregular launchers and accessories	conditional	A launcher or accessory the judge finds unusual, oversized, hazardous, or distracting can be required to be replaced or removed before the match continues.
Retrieving a Bey before the judge announces a result	banned	A blader who tries to grab their Bey back before the judge has called the outcome should be penalized and have the battle voided, whether or not it was an honest mistake.
Receiving outside advice or leaving the stadium once matched up	banned	After both bladers reach the stadium, neither may receive equipment, strategy, or scouting advice from anyone, or step away without the judge's permission; swapping in a functionally identical replacement part for something broken during the match is allowed.

Step by step

The judge, announcer, or organizer calls the two bladers scheduled for a stadium, repeating names in larger events and allowing roughly 1 to 2 minutes of grace before ruling a no-show blader loses the set.
Once both bladers are at the stadium a fair randomizer (coin flip, even/odd die roll, or rock-paper-scissors, with its terms stated up front) decides who picks launch position for the set; the judge can restart the randomizer if it looks compromised, and the loser of the prior set in a best-of-3 chooses position for the next one.
Bey selection happens in secret — both bladers turn away from each other or otherwise stay out of view — within about one minute, after which the judge collects both Beys for an out-of-sight inspection, ideally with full disassembly.
Each blader is shown their opponent's Bey (top and bottom, or per the match type's own presentation rule for WBO Deck and P3C1), and may re-orient or change the mode of existing parts before launch but cannot substitute parts.
Both bladers position their launchers within the launch area without obstructing their opponent; once settled the judge calls 'ready set', then counts down 'three, two, one, go shoot!' (or 'let it rip!') and watches for early or late pulls, which void the battle as launch errors.
A blader who feels their launch was disrupted by something outside their control can call 'relaunch' immediately after launching; the judge weighs the request at their discretion and, if it is approved, voids the battle.
The judge determines and announces the battle or set result by applying the format's win-condition and finish definitions literally and consistently, using video review or other available tools where the event provides them.
A blader may ask to bring a disputed call to the Head Judge or Organizer, who can uphold or overturn the ruling; the judge should give that person situation-specific context and let them make the final call.
Voiding and replaying a battle is a power reserved to judges and organizers; bladers may request it but cannot invoke it themselves, and any doubt about whether to void should go to the Head Judge or Organizer.

Penalties

An early or late pull relative to the 'go shoot' / 'let it rip' cue voids the battle as a launch error, as does any other illegal action or obstruction spotted during launch.
Swapping Bey parts after pre-battle inspection, or reordering a presented 3on3 sequence outside the reshuffle window, is reported to the Head Judge or Organizer and can draw a penalty or disqualification.
Trying to retrieve a Bey before the judge has announced the result gets the offending blader penalized and the battle voided, regardless of intent.
Arguing with or refusing to accept a judge's ruling after the fact can be treated as unsportsmanlike conduct and escalated to the Head Judge or Organizer.
Malicious or unreasonable invocation of a secondary review can itself be penalized or lead to disqualification of the blader making it.
Disqualification is reserved for repeat or serious offenses, is decided by the Event Organizer rather than the judge alone, and every attempted or completed disqualification should be logged on the WBO Incident Report Form.
If a judge feels a disqualification could put anyone's physical safety at risk, they should step back, avoid direct confrontation, and flag it to the Head Judge and Organizer, who can involve police privately while the event continues.

Words the rulebook uses

Head Judge: The judge named by the organizer before the event, announced to attendees, who is expected to hold WBO judge certification and steps in on disputed rulings rather than calling individual matches themselves.
Primary Judge: A judge assigned to call matches and report results for the duration of the event.
Alternate Judge: A backup judge who covers a stadium only when its Primary Judge has stepped away.
Bey selection: The secret phase in which each blader privately chooses which Bey to use for the upcoming battle, shielded from their opponent's view.
Launch position: The side or spot at the stadium a blader launches from, won through a fair randomizer at the start of a set and re-contested by rule in later sets of a match.
Relaunch: A blader's request, made immediately after launching, to void and redo a launch they believe was disrupted by something outside their control.
Voided battle: A battle result thrown out and replayed, a power held only by judges and organizers, used for launch errors, obstructions, or confirmed rule violations.
Extreme wear: The guide's term for a part that is not cracked or broken but is worn enough to plausibly be affecting its in-battle performance, which a judge can require to be replaced.
Incident Report Form: The WBO's standard form for logging disqualifications so the organization can track and act on repeat offenders across events.

Section by section, in our words

The document's outline

Judge Responsibilities

Judges act as the WBO's representatives in their local scene, working alongside organizers rather than in place of them.
Core duties include running matches to the applicable rulebook's standard, staying current on rule changes, making unbiased calls, and reporting match data accurately to the organizer.
Judges also handle communication with bladers and parents and flag unusual event circumstances, like accessibility needs or rule violations, to the organizer.
The role is grounded in sportsmanship, honesty, and keeping the event welcoming for everyone involved.

Basic Expectations

Judges keep the tournament moving by tracking scores, settling disputes impartially, watching for cheating, and answering rules questions on the spot.
Preparation matters most for the hardest calls, so a judge should know the rulebook well and know who to ask when they're unsure.
Neutrality is central: a judge facilitates the battle rather than favoring either blader.
Reasonable accommodation is expected even where it bends the letter of the rules, such as letting an injured blader have someone else hold their launcher.
A judge must know the format, match type, and any Optional Rules in play, and is welcome to compete themselves as long as they never judge their own matches or use the role for personal advantage.

Before the Tournament

Judges should review the event's stated format, match type, points to win, and any Optional Rules ahead of time, plus check the News subforum for recent rule changes.
Having rulebooks on hand digitally and on paper speeds up dispute resolution during the event.
On arrival, a judge should confirm with the organizer(s) what role they'll play, since assignments (fixed stadium vs. a floating pool) vary by event.
Three judging roles exist on a team: Head Judge (announced before the event, ideally not calling individual matches), Primary Judges (call matches and report results), and Alternate Judges (cover a stadium only while its Primary Judge is away).
Where possible, a judge should have the event's bracket open to track upcoming and in-progress matches.

During the Tournament

Judges help route the right bladers to the right stadium as matches are called, listening for usernames or checking the bracket.
Before starting a match, the judge should double-check that both people at the stadium match the usernames and the correct pairing.
Coordinating with the organizer and other judges on this process keeps the whole event moving efficiently.

Conducting Match Phases

This is the guide's core section, breaking a single set into a fixed sequence of phases from calling bladers to the stadium through to declaring a result.
Each phase (starting the match, choosing launch position, Bey selection, Bey presentation, launching, and resolving the outcome) has its own procedure, covered in the subsections that follow.

Starting the Match

The announcer, organizer, or judge calls bladers to their stadium, repeating names a few times at larger events.
A no-show is generally not waited on past 1 to 2 minutes unless the blader gave advance notice of a short delay; beyond that, the judge may rule the match lost.
Once both bladers are present, they may not leave the stadium without permission or take outside advice or equipment.
Prohibited assistance covers extra parts, strategic advice, and intel on an opponent's tendencies; allowed exceptions include swapping in an equivalent replacement part for one broken mid-match, cheering, and necessary accessibility help at the judge's discretion.

Launch Position

After arrival, a fair, randomized method (coin flip, even/odd die, or rock-paper-scissors) decides who chooses launch position, with its terms set before it's used.
The judge picks which randomizer to use to avoid delay, and can restart the process if its fairness seems compromised.
In a best-of-3 match, the previous set's loser chooses launch position next, subject to any Optional Rules that change this.

Bey Selection

Bladers choose their Bey in secret, typically by turning their backs to each other at their launch positions; alternate arrangements are allowed if secrecy is otherwise impossible.
Selection is expected to take about a minute, after which the judge can ask both bladers to finalize immediately.
The judge collects both Beys afterward for an out-of-view inspection, ideally with full disassembly, then returns them for the blader to reassemble in their own preferred orientation.

Bey Presentation

Each blader shows their Bey's top and bottom to the opponent, or follows the presentation rule specific to WBO Deck or P3C1 matches.
After presentation, a blader may still re-orient or change the mode of the parts already on their Bey but cannot substitute different parts.

Battle & Set Result

The judge is responsible for reaching an accurate, unbiased result under the current rules for the format being played.
A blader who disagrees can have their perspective heard and, where available, request review methods like video; if the judge's call doesn't change, the blader may escalate to the Head Judge or Organizer.
Malicious, unsportsmanlike, or repeated attempts to force a different outcome can themselves lead to a penalty or disqualification, and a Head Judge or Organizer may also simply uphold the original call without a full review.

Match Types

Across all match types, the judge checks that the Beys presented for inspection are the exact ones used in the battle and may stop play to inspect a Bey that suddenly looks or moves differently.
Purposefully swapping parts after inspection is treated as a serious violation warranting escalation to the Head Judge or Organizer, not a direct confrontation with the blader.
In 3on3 specifically, the judge should confirm the order of Beys shown matches what was presented to the opponent, since secretly reordering the sequence outside the post-third-battle reshuffle window is also grounds for penalty.

Launching

Both bladers position their launcher (with Bey attached) within or above the launch area on their own side, without blocking their opponent; the judge can require repositioning or define a stricter launch zone if obstruction continues.
Once positioned, the judge calls 'ready set' and, absent objection, counts down 'three, two, one, go shoot!' or 'let it rip!' at a pace consistent with other judges at the event.
Pulling the winder or string before or after the countdown's key word is a launch error and voids the battle immediately, as does any other illegal action or obstruction spotted during launch.

Responding to Relaunch Requests

A blader who felt their launch was disrupted by something outside their control (an opponent's launch, a spectator, a malfunctioning launcher) can call 'relaunch' right after launching.
Approval is entirely at the judge's discretion; it's generally safer to let an in-progress battle finish and rule on the request afterward rather than stop it mid-battle.
A delayed relaunch request should be treated with more caution, since it could be used to erase a legitimate loss.
For a claimed malfunction, the judge can inspect and test-launch the launcher before deciding; a launcher that still functions normally weighs toward denying the request.
Unlisted disruptions genuinely outside a blader's control, like a sudden loud noise or a sneeze mid-launch, can still justify approving a relaunch using common sense.

Starting and Ending Battle

The specific definitions of when a battle starts and ends are meant to be applied literally and consistently rather than interpreted case by case, even in unusual scenarios.
Bladers should not reach for their Beys until the judge has announced a result; doing so prematurely, even by accident, gets the blader penalized and the battle voided.
A judge's call stands as final barring a legitimate secondary review; bladers who keep arguing after a ruling should be reported to the Head Judge or Organizer as possible unsportsmanlike conduct.

Scoring Finishes

Like start/end conditions, specific finish definitions are to be applied literally and consistently rather than by personal interpretation.
Judges aren't expected to force a decisive winner out of every battle under pressure to be fast — taking time to consult the rulebook, and recognizing that a draw is sometimes the fairest outcome, is fine.

Voided and Replayed Battles

Only judges and organizers can actually void, alter, or replay a battle or match — bladers can only request it.
Judges should apply the voiding criteria closely, lean on common sense, and check with the Head Judge or Organizer whenever unsure.

Equipment Regulations

This section covers spotting counterfeit products, generally introduced by their noticeably lower build quality and, in this guide's framing, potential safety risk from brittle or toxic materials.
It sits above the more specific Identifying Fakes subsection that follows.

Identifying Fakes

Unless an event says otherwise, all equipment must be genuine Beyblade product; counterfeits tend to look and perform worse and can pose safety risks.
Telltale signs include discolored material, leftover mold-seam flash, unusually hollow/light construction, missing or distorted artistic and copyright markings, and mismatched screw types (Phillips head where triwing screws or rivets should be).
Judges should keep fakes out of competition but treat their owners gently, since most people who own them didn't know — helping find an authentic substitute or a loan is encouraged.

Bey Regulations

'Cracked' and 'broken' describe a component that has visibly separated from a piece it was molded as one unit with, or is missing material it should have — down to a hairline crack, which disqualifies the part outright.
Wear consistent with normal play — dents, subtly compressed points — does not by itself count as broken.
A part behaving noticeably differently from how it normally performs is grounds for the judge to void the battle and inspect it.
A part that isn't cracked or broken but shows wear severe enough to plausibly explain unusual performance can be flagged as 'extreme wear' and the judge can require it be replaced.
Anything unclear should go to the Head Judge or Organizer, who weighs the observed behavior against the part's original specifications.

Stadium Regulations

A repaired stadium needs re-inspection before matches to confirm the repair is still holding, particularly on the floor area.
The bar for an acceptable crack repair is that it feels imperceptible to the touch; a stadium that no longer meets this should be flagged to the Head Judge or Organizer for replacement.

Launcher Regulations

A launcher or its accessories showing irregularities (odd noise, inconsistent shape, an oversized winder) can be inspected and, if found unfit, must be swapped for a legal one before play resumes.
Personal-expression accessories are fine within reason; ones that take up excess launch space, pose a safety risk, or distract can be required to be removed, with the judge free to apply this to unlisted cases too.
Beyblade X launchers are expected to produce a specific rotation count per full pull (see keyNumbers), and missing that figure by more than 0.5 rotations can mark a launcher as modified or damaged; legacy-format launchers are checked against their own rulebooks instead.

Additional Regulations

This closing section covers two topics that don't fit elsewhere: staying current on an event's Optional Rules, and the process around disqualification.

Optional Rules

Judges are responsible for knowing which Optional Rules, if any, are active at the event they're judging, since these vary event to event and this guide doesn't spell out what they can be.

Disqualification

Disqualification is used sparingly, generally only after a blader hasn't responded to a warning, but exists for those who won't play within the spirit of the game.
A judge who believes disqualification is warranted should immediately alert the Event Organizer rather than deliver the penalty unilaterally.
The manner of disqualifying someone matters: no reprimanding or berating, and de-escalation takes priority over the disqualification itself.
If a judge's safety could be at risk in enforcing a disqualification, they should step back, tell the Head Judge and Organizer, and let the organizer handle escalation (including contacting police privately) while beyblade-specific penalties wait until after the event.
Every attempted or completed disqualification should be documented on the WBO's Incident Report Form, submitted by the Event Organizer along with the judge's account, so repeat offenders can be tracked.

Notes on this digest

The Beyblade X launcher rotation chart is explicitly scoped to that generation; legacy formats are judged against their own separate rulebooks.
The Optional Rules section gives no specific rule list — it only instructs judges to learn whatever is in effect at their own event from the event page.
Precise win-condition and finish definitions are deliberately left to 'the applicable rulebooks' rather than restated here, so this guide alone does not fix point values or finish names for any format.
The guide repeatedly defers edge cases to 'common sense' and to the Head Judge or Organizer rather than giving a fixed rule, so its application can vary by event and by judge.