Are there any judges among us here?
General forum
Posted on March 29, 2016, 10:34 a.m. by 8vomit
I've been thinking about it a lot over the past month or so, and have decided I would like to try becoming a judge. I have a few friends up north who went for it, only one actually made it.
I want to become a judge for several reasons. It would be nice to never have that uncertainty on the way something interacts. And in competitive play, knowledge is power. I want my opponent to be the one making mistakes, not me. My store up north struggles to find a judge sometimes, so I would be able to help them there. Plus judge promos are nice too. But where do I begin?
But it even says that the rules are not meant to be read front to back. So what do I actually need to read? At what point do I apprentice under a seasoned judge?
I have many questions, so if someone could simply point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated! If there are any judges here on Tappedout I'd love to talk to them.
I guess that's it for now. Thank you for looking!
Epochalyptik says... #3
Your links are broken.
Even though they say not to read the rules front to back, you should peruse them and make sure you understand at least the concept of all of the important entries. The more you read, the more you'll understand.
Staying highly active in the Q&A also can't hurt.
March 29, 2016 10:49 a.m.
You need to go here:
You need to create an account and all that jazz. You'll find quizzes and tests on there you can take. Before you can take a practice test under an L2 to become an L1 judge you have to successfully pass the Rules Advisor test. You'll at that point become an official Rules Advisor (which honestly doesn't mean a whole lot). I would suggest hammering the crap out of the practice tests. If you fail the Rules Advisor test (you basically can only get two questions wrong out of 30 I think it was), you have to wait two full weeks before you can retake it.
Once you've done that, keep practicing. Take the quizzes, read the rules, participate in rule forums like the ones we have here and also hang out around "AskAJudge" now and then and just see different rulings. Also talk to your local LGS about letting you be the registered judge in a couple events once you're a Rules Advisor. You have to have judged at least two sanctioned events at Regular REL before you can apply for your L1 status.
Once you've done all that and feel confident, you must approach an L2 to test you. Finding an L2 can be a bit difficult, but the website I gave you also has a comprehensive list of all registered DCI judges on it so you can see if there are any L2s in your area. (L2s are required at Competitive REL events like PPTQs and GPs so that's a good place to start.)
Also - just because you become a judge doesn't mean you know the rules by heart. We have at least four different L1 judges at my LGS, many of them former employees there, and they even hesitate on rulings from time to time and have to use a second opinion or online resource.
Being an L1 doesn't mean you become an ultimate authority. It means you become a resource to players for the good of the game. Remember that.
March 29, 2016 11:52 a.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #5
You don't actually have to take or pass the Rules Advisor practice test to be eligible for L1 status. This explains more in detail.
March 29, 2016 12:06 p.m.
Thank you very much you guys! Definitely have something to work with now.
Raging_Squiggle says... #2
I'm not a judge yet but I am a rules advisor which is one step below an L1.
In order to become an L1, you have to take a test provided by an L2 judge. The easiest way to do this is to look up L2 judges in your area at the DCI Judge Center. You just need a DCI membership number in order to login.
In the meantime, at the site I linked there are online tests which you can take. These will help prepare you for the actual paper test by testing your knowledge on interactions and REL policies.
If you have any questions, let me know.
March 29, 2016 10:48 a.m.