Page 14 - NGA By-Laws

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2. PRO Master Competitors cannot crossover to the Open PRO Division unless they have qualified in the Open PRO Division and have purchased an Open PRO Card.
III. Responsibilities of an NGA Judge
The duties and responsibilities of being a judge of a bodybuilding competition cannot be taken lightly. Competitors work extremely hard to prepare for contests, harder than athletes in most other sports, and deserve to be judged as thoroughly and equitably as possible. While a judge brings all their worldly experiences and emotions to the table with him, these must be kept in check to ensure that his/her placements are the result of objective analysis as opposed to subjective opinions. The judging criteria must be rigidly followed while all attempts should be made to avoid the common tendencies, which can compromise accurate judging. In addition, judges must be accountable for their decisions and accessible to the athletes. Judges must also maintain a level of accuracy deemed appropriate by the NGA as well as conduct characterized by professionalism and dedication. The goal of the NGA is to crown the finest bodybuilding athlete, without respect to size or reputation. Careful attention must be made to muscle quality, muscle separation and striations, symmetry (correct proportion), vascularity, absence of visible body fat, posing ability, and overall presentation and stage presence. While "ripped" competitors are desirable, "emaciated (anorexic-looking) competitors are not. Lean shape should be accompanied by quality muscularity. Furthermore, bodybuilders should also be judged on their ability to follow directions and act professionally (e.g.: hitting poses when commanded to do so, etc.). Judges will be cognizant of the consistency of crossover placing.
III.1 Judging Criteria
III.1.1 Muscularity
Refers to the size of the muscles, their shape, definition and hardness. Muscularity is determined, in part, by the extent of the development in relation to the size of the skeletal structure. It also includes the shape/contour of the developed muscles and muscle groups, and separation (i.e.: the lines of demarcation between adjacent muscles) and striations delineating sections or fibers within the same muscle group, and the degree of firmness and muscle tone (lack of fat or water under the skin).
III.1.2 Symmetry
Refers to the structural harmony of the physique - the relative size of the various body parts and their shape. There must be a balance and proportion between different components (upper body and lower body, upper and lower parts and front and back of extremities, etc.). Symmetry refers not only to balance in size of these elements, but also the degree of definition
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