Written by Derek J. Barbee
\nWashington (USA)<\/p><\/div>I recently worked one of the most difficult, awkward, and humbling events of my judge career. There were a number of player interactions and policy applications on which I feel I could have done better, and if I had the chance to do the event again, I would do many things differently. While I obviously don\u2019t have a Time Turner to go back and do it again, I can attempt to learn from my mistakes in hopes of becoming a better judge.
\n
\n
<\/p>In my judging history, I’ve noticed that the majority of what I would characterize as mistakes, like those I encountered during the aforementioned tournament, have similar root causes. \u00a0If I make a error, it\u2019s frequently because I’m anxious about the way my ruling will impact me, the players, or the tournament, causing me to rule in a certain way (that may not be correct). \u00a0I think most judges share or experience these deceptively subtle fears. In the context of this challenging event I judge, I want to discuss three such fears: letting down the players, looking foolish, and letting down yourself.<\/p>\n
Fear #1: Letting down the players.<\/b><\/p>\n
In a story that I imagine is far from unique, I became a judge to help others. \u00a0I discovered early on that I found enormous satisfaction in helping other people enjoy this game that I love so much. \u00a0It’s important to keep player satisfaction in mind as you go on, but I think it’s also important to consider how a motivation like this might cause you to occasionally do a disservice to your events at large.<\/span><\/p>\n I just want everyone to have a good time, be happy, and play Magic. \u00a0Because of this, I have struggled with the concept of delivering bad news to players. \u00a0This struggle often leads me to deliver overly soft rulings when it probably shouldn’t. \u00a0Being the Head Judge of an event does give you the power to deviate from the IPG, but just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.<\/span><\/p>\n The event in question was a Pauper event, and many of the players had never played the format before (since it’s normally a Magic Online format). \u00a0One player nervously came up to me after an early round and admitted to me that her deck had a rare card in it. \u00a0Her brother had suggested playing this card before the event began, and the player had crossed out another card on their decklist and written in this new one. \u00a0After the match against her round 1 opponent finished, they were looking through her deck, and the opponent pointed out that the card in question wasn’t legal. \u00a0The card had not come up during the game, and this player had lost the match. \u00a0She and her opponent immediately came to talk to me once they realized the issue.<\/span><\/p>\n She was clearly very nervous and uncomfortable, and it was the first competitive event she had played in. \u00a0Because of her inexperience, and the fact that she had approached me (as opposed to me finding the issue in a deck check), and the fact that her brother was the one who told her to play the card, I rationalized that it was okay to downgrade the Deck \/ Decklist Problem from a Game Loss to a Warning. \u00a0Some of these things are the right reasons to downgrade, and some of them are not. \u00a0Player satisfaction is very important, but there has to be a line between allowing everyone to have a good time and ensuring that potentially sketchy behaviors are dealt with appropriately.<\/span><\/p>\n I was afraid of giving her bad news (i.e. a harsh penalty), so I ruled in a way that I probably shouldn’t have.<\/span><\/p>\n Potential Remedy #1: Remember why the penalties exist.<\/b><\/p>\n The entire purpose of penalties isn’t just to dole out punishments to players who have been “naughty:” \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The purpose of a penalty is to educate the player not to make similar mistakes in the future. This is done through both an explanation of where the rules or policies were violated and a penalty to reinforce the education. Penalties are also for the deterrence and education of every other player in the event and are also used to track player behavior over time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n As a judge, when you have to deliver some really bad news, players can unsurprisingly be frustrated, disappointed, or even angry. \u00a0They may occasionally direct that anger towards you, and if some part of you shies away from that aggression, it can be difficult to hold your ground. \u00a0The folks who wrote the IPG are well aware of this, however, and it’s worth rereading this paragraph from the General Philosophy section:<\/p>\n The Head Judge may not deviate from this guide\u2019s procedures except in significant and exceptional circumstances or a situation that has no applicable philosophy for guidance. Significant and exceptional circumstances are rare – a table collapses, a booster contains cards from a different set, etc. <\/span>The Rules Enforcement Level, round of the tournament, age or experience-level of the player, desire to educate the player, and certification level of the judge are NOT exceptional circumstance<\/span><\/i>s.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Playing the nice guy or gal every time you need to give a player a harsh ruling is not good judging. \u00a0The penalties exist for a reason, and it’s important to keep that in mind. \u00a0If you try to play softball every time, you are setting a bad precedent for your players. \u00a0If you let them off the hook every time they make a mistake, you’re not actually sparing them a harsh experience – you’re just delaying it, potentially even magnifying it. \u00a0The first time they go to play at another store, and a judge informs them that what they just did merits a game loss, they’re going to be even more upset and confused than they would normally have been because you told them that it was okay. \u00a0Even though it sucks to be the bearer of bad tidings, it truly is better for your players and the community at large if you enforce the penalties the way the IPG intends. \u00a0Players will be stronger for it and will not be in for a rude awakening when they play in another event, out from underneath your overprotective rulings.<\/p>\n Fear #2: Looking Foolish<\/b><\/p>\n My floor judge at the Pauper tournament was a Level 2 Judge. \u00a0My Scorekeeper was also a Level 2 Judge. \u00a0One of the casters that was doing commentary on the stream was also a Level 2 Judge. \u00a0Even before the event even began, I knew that if I were to make a mistake, it would not go unnoticed.<\/span><\/p>\n If you want to Head Judge, you have to be willing to stand up in front of people and speak the answer confidently. \u00a0No, you won’t be 100% correct every single time, but you can’t let the fear of looking foolish for a moment lead you to hedge your bets. \u00a0When players call you to a table for a ruling, they want to hear a firm “The rules functions this way,” not a “Well, I’m pretty sure that things like this work that way.” \u00a0You need to display confidence, even if you’re only 95% confident in your answer. \u00a0If players get rulings from someone who doesn’t seem convinced of what they’re saying, they will justifiably feel uncomfortable.<\/span><\/p>\n Potential Remedy #2: \u00a0Swallow your pride.<\/b><\/p>\n You may have been judging for a long time. \u00a0You may have read the Comprehensive Rules back to front. \u00a0You may feel like everyone looks up to you. \u00a0Well, unfortunately, you’re still human, and you can still make mistakes–indeed, you <\/span>will <\/span><\/i>still make mistakes. \u00a0It is not helpful to live in fear of this moment, and far better to be prepared for what you need to do when it happens.<\/span><\/p>\n If you are wrong, tell the players. \u00a0If there is time to correct the mistake in the match they are playing immediately, do it. \u00a0If not, then talk to them after the game ends. \u00a0It is far better that they hear it from you, right then, rather than someone later informing them and creating a moment where players shake their heads about how crappy judges are and end up less inclined to call for a judge when they need one.<\/span><\/p>\n After moving to Seattle, the first PPTQ in which I played went very well for me until what would be my win-and-in match. \u00a0Something came up in the match that my opponent wasn’t familiar with, even after I explained it to him, so I suggested he call a judge. \u00a0He did, and the judge came over and listened to my opponent explain what happened. \u00a0This judge is someone I have since worked with at numerous events, and he is known for being spot on in his rulings. \u00a0Despite that, when he gave his ruling, it was blatantly incorrect. \u00a0I was a little bit surprised, but I informed him that I would like to appeal to the Head Judge. \u00a0The Head Judge came, listened to the story from both sides, and then upheld the Floor Judge’s ruling. \u00a0I was more than just a little bit surprised at this point, but didn’t argue, and played on from there. \u00a0The second the match ended, the Head Judge sat down next to me, and said very directly: “I was wrong. \u00a0You were right. \u00a0I am sorry. \u00a0Unfortunately, at this point the match has ended, and there is nothing we can do to fix the situation.”<\/span><\/p>\n I was briefly blown away and just kind of sat there. \u00a0After a moment, I realized I wasn’t even particularly angry. \u00a0The wrong call had ended up being the reason I lost the game and match, but because of how honest and straightforward the judge was about it, I didn’t even feel anger towards him. \u00a0He was just a guy who had made a mistake, which unfortunately had some major consequences on my experience. \u00a0But that’s the way it goes sometimes.<\/span><\/p>\n If that judge hadn’t come up to me afterwards and acknowledged his mistake, I would have found out about it sooner or later, and when I did, I would have been furious. \u00a0I would have told people, I would have been tempted to do irrational and petty things like seek him out and berate him for it, and <\/span>I would have been left with a significantly more negative experience<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0For me, that lingering negative experience is crucial, because in the times when I worried about looking like a fool in front of a player, I was only trying to protect my own fragile ego. \u00a0If you truly care about the players that you’re helping, you can’t be afraid to take a blow on the chin every now and then in order to prevent a worse outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n Fear #3: Letting down yourself.<\/b><\/p>\n Even while I admit that no one is perfect, and no judge will get every call correct, in my heart, I still want to strive for that unobtainable perfection. \u00a0Like a lot of people, I’ve discovered that I hold myself to a higher standard than I do others. \u00a0That desire to be The One Who Knows The Answer means I am really hard on myself when I make a mistake, even if it is an easy one to make.<\/span><\/p>\n Potential Remedy #3: \u00a0Focus on improving, not being perfect.<\/b><\/p>\n Repeating “I’m only human, and I can make mistakes” can help in some regard, but only does so much. The most helpful mindset I have tried to adopt has been one focused on improvement and not on current perfection. \u00a0I don’t need to be the smartest guy in the room, I just need to be actively improving my knowledge. \u00a0Mistakes are worth examining, but not dwelling on \u2013 as soon as you have learned all that you can from a blunder, it is time to stop beating yourself up about it. \u00a0When you make a mistake, first determine what you should have done, or what you would do when presented with a similar situation. \u00a0If possible, rectify your mistake. \u00a0If not, then accept it and move on. \u00a0If you’ve determined what should have happened, and know how to handle it next time, then dwelling on it further serves no practical purpose. \u00a0You’re just making yourself feel bad for the sake of feeling bad.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s tough not to regret mistakes, but few things will help solidify your understanding like making a very large and memorable blunder. \u00a0When you make a mistake, focus on what you can learn from it, rather than dwelling on how “you should have known that one,” or other unhelpful thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n Action #1: \u00a0\u00a0Get feedback.<\/b><\/p>\n Before that Pauper tournament began, I spoke to my Floor Judge – who was a very experienced Level 2 – and told him that I was looking for feedback. \u00a0This created an open atmosphere that allowed him to come chat with me multiple times throughout the day and also informed him about my mental state. \u00a0I was looking to improve, not to pretend that I was some sort of Super Judge who was flawless in every way.<\/span><\/p>\n I have my own list of things I want to improve during events, but getting input from an outside source can be incredibly productive. \u00a0Some of the most helpful pieces of feedback I’ve ever received were about things that weren’t even on my radar. \u00a0The first event I ever head judged, I felt confident that I nailed the opening announcements. \u00a0I later asked the scorekeeper for any input he had on my performance, and he pointed out things that I hadn\u2019t been focusing on, such as my physicality and presentation. \u00a0I was literally wringing my hands during the announcement, fidgeting in place, and I hadn’t even realized it. \u00a0So even though I said all the correct words, if someone looked at me they would not have seen a prepared judge; they would have seen someone who looked so nervous he might die. \u00a0There were no mirrors in the tournament room, and if I hadn’t solicited input from an outside source, I would never have noticed what I was doing. <\/span><\/p>\n Action #2: \u00a0Take advantage of available resources.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>It may be tough to reconcile, but one of the major purposes of giving out penalties is to help players; that is, not only to help the opponents of players who do something against the rules, but also to guide people into playing the game better. \u00a0I played at the casual level for a long time before I ever entered a sanctioned event, and there were a lot of things that I did incorrectly because they didn’t seem like a big deal in casual play. \u00a0“Oh, I accidentally drew an extra card, I’ll just put one back.” \u00a0The first time I was informed at an event that I had just lost the game because of that, it made an impact on me. \u00a0I became a better player and paid more attention to my play because of it. \u00a0Sometimes it requires losing a few games or a judge not allowing you “takesy-backsies” before you improve as a player.<\/p>\n
<\/p>When I first became a judge, people in my local shop instantly looked at me differently. \u00a0This felt great. I felt respected. I felt valued. \u00a0But I also felt incredibly nervous. Years later, someone would tell me about Imposter Syndrome, but at the time, I hadn\u2019t heard the term. \u00a0Because of the newfound position that I had, I felt I wasn\u2019t allowed to ever be wrong \u2013 people expected me to be right, so I had to be. \u00a0This resulted in some unideal situations where I held firm to a ruling when it may not have been correct, and it also led me sometimes to side with someone else in discussions of rules or policy, simply because they spoke their answer with more conviction than I did. These tendencies are obviously not optimal, or even remotely helpful as a judge, and have been the biggest behavior I have tried to eradicate over the years of judging since first becoming certified.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>Additionally, by acknowledging his mistake and informing me what the correct ruling was, he helped to maintain the sense of trust that is so important between judges and players. \u00a0If I had later discovered his mistake, I could have not only walked around with a chip on my shoulder, but also with a sense that I had been somehow deceived. \u00a0In that brief moment where he sat down and apologized, he also made sure that I understood what the correct ruling was and did not walk away leaving me with incorrect information. \u00a0The goal of judges is always to educate, even if at the cost of momentarily looking foolish. \u00a0That embarrassment will pass, but giving a player the wrong information could cause negative side-effects that persist much longer.<\/p>\n
<\/p>Steps for Success:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n