A Match Result Slip is that piece of paper with names and lines on it, which some judge or other tournament personnel will drop on your table (usually within the first 5 minutes of the round). At very small events, they may not be used at all. But if you ever go to a Competitive event, you’re sure to run into them (many stores even use them for FNM to make things run more smoothly). This is how you report the results of your match each round, and it’s important to get it right!

So, it’s the end of the round, you’ve verified that your and your opponent’s names are spelled correctly on the match slip, and you agree on what the result will be. Now… what do you do with the slip?

Start by finding the row with your name. You’ll see three columns: Wins, Draws, and Drop. Fill in the number of wins for yourself and the number of drawn games in the match (remember that a game loss for your opponent counts as a win for you, and if you’re still playing at the end of turns, that game is a draw). Then put a mark in the final column if you wish to drop. If you don’t mark this slip and subsequently disappear from the event, you’ll get paired for the next round, and someone else will be left frustrated waiting for his or her opponent to show up. On the other hand, if you don’t want to drop, don’t mark anything at all in that column; if the scorekeeper gets confused and drops you, you might not have an opponent for the next round!

After you mark your wins and your opponent does the same, the last thing to do is sign the slip. Make sure to double-check the slip for correctness; a signed slip may as well be written in stone where a lot of judges are concerned, even if both you and your opponent agree that the slip is wrong. Figure out whether you’re “Player #1” or “Player #2” based on where your name is on the slip, then sign the corresponding line. Someone should bring the slip up to the judges’ station; traditionally this is the winner of the match.

One final note: If either you or your opponent got penalties, or there was a time extension (usually from a deck check), there will be markings on the slip written by judges. Don’t write anything over these markings, or argue with the judge on the back of the slip. If you have an issue with anything a judge writes on your slip, talk to the judge, or appeal to the Head Judge, in person.

Today’s tournament tip written by Jen Wong