Over the next few weeks, we are going to cover what may seem like very basic ideas and tips for tournament Magic. The judge program has been working on a short list, or as short as we can make it, of things that all new players should know. Many of these things are areas that newer players will goof up out of ignorance, and we want to try to get the word out to avoid as many of these mistakes as possible. Some of these things can end up with disqualifications, which is something that we’d really prefer to avoid. You may end up seeing this list of tournament rules that everyone should know at a local event sometime in the near future. Here on this blog, we are going to focus on each of these tips one at a time.

Today’s tournament tip for new players is a reminder that if they ever have a problem, question or concern during a game or match, they should call a judge. If you are ever unsure about something–whether a play is legal, what the official text of a card is, how two effects interact–please call a judge. That’s what we’re there for at events. Our job is to make sure that events run smoothly and, more importantly, correctly. That is a lot easier to do–and produces nicer results–if we are told about something before or while it happens, or at least as soon as possible afterwards. In the end, it is beneficial for everyone involved to get judges involved if there is ever a question or concern.