What is a Judge Tournament Qualifier?

A Judge Tournament Qualifier is a special type of judge conference, similar to the ones which most of you may have attended. It was created to increase opportunities for L2 candidates to get their recommendations, and I believe it will play a very important role in L2 mentorship after GPTs go away.

We have done some trials earlier this year as preparation (thank you USA Great Lakes, USA Northwest, and German-speaking countries for organizing them and the great feedback for our improvement!) Results were positive and we some new L2s were tested, now we are finally ready to introduce it to all judges.

So, how does it work?

Just like other conferences, we first need an organizer, who is in charge of getting a location and open up applications on JudgeApps. However, we want to make sure to best use all the resources, so JTQs will be run either on an invite-only basis, or there will be some prep work upon application to ensure that the judge is ready.

Each candidate will have a mentor once their application is accepted, and some pre-event discussions will happen between the candidates and mentors, to prepare for the event. The material of those questions will mainly focus on the L2 qualities which you can find here.

On the conference day, everyone will be first discussing the questions for the pre-event homework, and then we get into a number of roleplay scenarios (information would be sent to everyone privately before the event).

After all role play scenarios, each mentor will write a review and decide if they will recommend each candidate with which they worked. There may be a written exam section, if time allows.

Yes, this means if you get a recommendation at the JTQ, you won’t need another tournament recommendation for your L2 checklist, which can be the most difficult checklist item for many judges due to lack of opportunities. The L2 Pre-test Requirements had been modified to reflect this change.

Who are JTQs for?

If you are a L1 who is seriously working on L2, the JTQ is for YOU!

Many L1 judges regularly want to judge at Competitive REL events, but they just lack opportunities to work with a L2 to get a recommendation, and to take the test. JTQs are exactly the kind of opportunity for those judges.

Aside from the candidates, if you are a L2T or L3 who wants to help with your regional L2 judge development, JTQs will require a lot of mentors to work with the candidates. This is a great way for you to help out, too!

Please speak to your RC if you want a JTQ in your region, and you can work out the details together!