We certainly did not have an excess of judges, I judged 3 times over the course of the weekend. Pilots need to learn to judge as well as fly. We had no runners at either contest and no line bosses at the last contest. What we did have is a contest director who made it very clear from the start that we as pilots need to keep things moving. Use the time not spent flying either helping out with the contest or increasing your knowledge and skill by talking with other contestants and judges. Wonder why you got that zero or that low score on a figure you thought you did well, find the judge and discuss, NOT argue, about why you got what you did. It should be a time for learning as well as competing. A contest success doesn't just rest with the CD. It starts there and with a good lead and with active participation from the pilots flying it should be a good contest. Be proactive, not reactive!
On a final note and one that started this thread, the SCAT Grand Champion last year was the winner of the basic class, flying his first year of scale aerobatics. He walked away at the end of the season with a JR 10X radio and if that wasn't enough he won a DA100 in the prize draw for all pilots that had flown 4 or more series contests for the season! That alone should be a good reason for flying basic.