Becoming a judge.
Social forum
Posted on Aug. 20, 2014, 12:52 p.m. by Duct_tape_maniac
So, A store in my area started to do FNM's it being the only store within an hour that you can play MTG at most of the players are completely new to magic. Being one of two seasoned players I feel like it is my duty to help out all the newbs in anyway I can. Anyway because of the type of store it is the guy who is the proctor has never played the game before. I'm thinking that I should work to be a registered judge for the Long story short I want the group to succeed. I'm future of competition. So, any advice for growing a community and any advice about becoming a judge?
http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=judge/welcome
August 20, 2014 1:40 p.m.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #4
I was kinda hoping for a little less of a link and more of personal advice like what helpedyou thought about becoming a judge? What was the hardest part? What to look out for? Should I even try?
Also advice on how to grow a playgroup. Ideas and thoughts on ways to mature a player group.
August 20, 2014 1:47 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #5
This is just an observation since I'm not a judge, but it seems like the hardest part is going to be finding a L2 to study under if it takes that much work to even get to a store that holds FNM.
August 20, 2014 2:04 p.m.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #6
yea, one of the reasons I haven't already made a move of sorts to is because it would be very hard to find a judge. The one at the shop an hour away is only a T1 judge. So I'd have to make it a one time trip and have the judge pass me on the first shadowing then give me the test on the same day or else it would get expensive.
August 20, 2014 2:08 p.m.
Saoirseguita says... #7
Okay, your situation may not be 100% applicable here seeing as you seem to live far away from other judges, but maybe the following will help:
Go to http://wiki.magicjudges.org/en/w/Main_Page . there are a few interesting (albeit some outdated) pages there, as well as pages to confirm your rules knowledge (see Judge classes).
Find another judge, maybe through Facebook or something. Preferable L2 or higher. Express interest in becoming a judge. Hopefully, he / she will grant you access to the site judge.wizards.com , where you can take practice judging exams.
Wait until an SCG Open event or something comes near your area. You can apply to work those as a L0 judge and test somewhere near the end of the day.
The above steps would involve less travel overall for you. This is all very general though, so apologies if it's not applicable!
As for growing a community, that could be a little more difficult. Apart from having events in the shop, you could organize some casual stuff back at your place or something. That's what I did (nearest shop to e was 2 hours away by bus, so I made myself an unofficial TO of sorts haha).
Hopefully that was of some use! :)
August 20, 2014 2:17 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #8
Might I suggest becoming an RA first? You don't need to shadow a judge, but being certified still lends an air of authority to what you say and I'm sure the shop would be happy to have someone with any certification on hand to help settle disputes.
August 20, 2014 2:22 p.m.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #9
actually the part about the SCG is genius I got a buddy who lives near a place that does those all the time. I'm sure he'd let me crash there for a weekend to judge the event and test.
August 20, 2014 2:24 p.m.
Saoirseguita says... #10
That would also be a pretty good thing to do. You can take the rules adviser exam on judge.wizards.com, though I forget how you can access the site.
Also, there might be a Facebook group for judges in or near your area. Might be worth looking for.
August 20, 2014 2:25 p.m.
filledelanuit says... #12
I am currently going through the process of becoming a judge. I have a couple of suggestions.
First become a Rules Advisor. Depending on how much you know about the rules already this could be difficult or easy. I personnally read the comp rules all the way through. I have found listening to Judge Cast to be very useful. They cover both the rules information and policy. While the policy isn't as relevant to you you will need to know the JAR for your L1 test.
Secondly, haunt the tappedout Q&A. This is a great way to get exposure to common questions. It also will let you see some very specific answers when the more experienced users answer some harder questions; layers, and weird replacement effects.
If there isn't a L2 near you then you should contact your Regional Coordinator. They should be able to put you in touch with a L2 to mentor you.
August 20, 2014 2:59 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #13
Becoming a Rules Adviser isn't a necessary step for becoming a Judge. In fact, RA certification requires more detailed understanding of the Comprehensive Rules than L1 certification. However, L1 does require understanding of the Magic Tournament Rules and the Judging at Regular REL document, as well as some basic familiarity with the Infraction Procedure Guide (RA doesn't require knowing any of these things).
As others have said, finding a mentor near your area might be the hardest part, but if you get in touch with your Regional Coordinator then he/she will be able to help you out.
The local shops I play at the most haven't had an actual "resident" Judge in a long time, so I've also been considering getting certified lately.
August 20, 2014 3:06 p.m.
Duct_tape_maniac says... #14
thank you all for you help. Still not sure what I'm going to do but I have a lot of useful Ideas and information that I didn't have before. Now All I need is to fix my DCI card issue that I just discovered.
August 20, 2014 3:09 p.m.
CommanderOfBolas says... #15
I have a friend that is a L2 judge and I am shadowing him right now. He says the hardest part is the lair system, so familiarize yourself with that as best as possible, and you should be alright when it comes time to take your test. Also, when taking the test, read the questions carefully. some of them are worded weirdly to throw you off
August 20, 2014 3:49 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #16
What is a "lair system"? Or are you talking about the layers?
August 20, 2014 5:22 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #17
You know, Dromar's Cavern , Treva's Ruins , that kind of stuff.
August 20, 2014 5:24 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #18
I know about the lair lands. I am confused as to how that would be "the hardest part" as opposed to layers.
If you were being silly I apologize for taking you at face value instead of as a joke.
August 20, 2014 5:30 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #19
I guess since I'm usually seriousposting on this site it's kind of hard to tell when I'm fooling around. =/
August 20, 2014 9:58 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #20
Nah its fine. It is so hard to convey tone over text communications. I have taken to using < sarcasm >< /sarcasm > to not be misunderstood. Then again I'm a nerd and that works for me.
August 20, 2014 10:02 p.m.
CommanderOfBolas says... #21
Sorry about that. My phone is rather stupid and it changes what i type all the time. I swear i know the difference between lair and layer
Duct_tape_maniac says... #2
SHAMELESS SELF BUMP!
August 20, 2014 1:35 p.m.