So I went to a club meeting recently, and it was my first time with this club. There was a competition, and the way the comps for this club work is that everyone tastes the beers along with the judges (so competitors have to bring a whole lot of beer to the comp). The styles for this comp were APA, AAA, and EPA (all three styles). I remarked to my friend that, despite the beers not being very cold, every one was still VERY hazy and that the brewers needed to fix that. He said clarity cannot be a factor in judging comps, then told me that AHA-sanctioned competitions (this was not one such comp) required that clarity not be considered as a factor in judging homebrew. To me that just sounded whacky, so I figured I would come here and ask.
Is clarity a consideration in judging homebrew in AHA-sanctioned competitions?
And should English Pale Ales, American Pale Ales, and American Amber Ales be clear?