So you may have heard about an “appeal” but aren’t quite sure what that means. It’s pretty simple, and it’s your right as a player in a sanctioned tournament. If you receive a ruling from any judge other than the head judge, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for an appeal to the head judge. This is to make sure you’re getting the final word on any ruling from the highest authority at the tournament. You don’t need to appeal every ruling, but if you’re at all uncertain or unclear about the ruling the floor judge has made, please ask for an appeal. We want to ensure each player gets the best possible answer in the interest of customer service and tournament integrity.

Some notes about appeals:

• An appeal is NOT an insult to the floor judge; it’s an opportunity for the head judge to either uphold that ruling (building confidence for the floor judge), or to overturn the ruling (providing an excellent learning opportunity for the floor judge). It’s a win-win situation.
• You must wait until AFTER the floor judge has completed his or her ruling to ask for an appeal. You should never interrupt the judge to ask for the head judge. Not only is this rude to the responding judge, but it’s grounds for a Warning for Unsporting Conduct – Minor.
• Please don’t try to argue with the floor judge about a ruling. Simply ask for an appeal instead.
• Once the head judge has issued a ruling, that ruling is final for the duration of the tournament. If you’re sure that the ruling is wrong, you’re welcome to politely ask the judge to double-check, but do not continue to argue once the head judge instructs you to continue playing. Even a technically incorrect ruling from the head judge will be final for that event, and you can discuss with the head judge later if you wish. Sometimes people forget that head judges are still human and capable of mistakes/learning!

Today’s Tournament Tip written by
Josh Stansfield, L2 judge from Orange, CA