This is an interesting topic! I have never entered a quilt in competition, and probably won't ever do so, but I have volunteered to help the judge at the local fair for the past 2 years. (The helpers don't help with the judging itself - we just lay out the quilts as requested by the judge and re-fold them when she's done. We have to struggle to keep our mouths closed so we don't influence the judge. We help with the paperwork if requested, but sometimes the judge brings her own assistant to do that.) The judging at this kind of event is much less structured than I assume it would be at a big event. At the fair the judge is not given any particular instructions, except a list of the categories and prizes to be awarded. The judge can eliminate a quilt from its category if it's not eligible. I've been disappointed in the number of comments written down, because I think the comments would really help the quilters.