If you’ve judged at a lot of different events, you’ve probably been part of a number of different judge pools, ranging from “one judge per ten players” to “only two judges, running around like mad.” I’ve been on the staff of both kinds of events and all the stages in between, and I’ve learned how best to cope with a staff that’s smaller than you’d like. While judges certainly shouldn’t be chronically undersupported and overworked, sometimes a small staff is unavoidable. Some judges may not make it due to lack of transportation or illness, some might decide to play instead of officiate (naughty judges, you know who you are), or the event attendance might massively exceed expectations. However it happens, someday somewhere you’re probably going to find yourself on a teeny-tiny staff. Today, I’m going to offer you some tips on how to make the best of that situation.
Sometimes you’ll know ahead of time that the staff won’t be large, and sometimes it will be a surprise when you arrive at the event. Do yourself a favor, and treat any event at which you’ll be judging as if disaster could strike. Prepare yourself for the worst beforehand.
First, get to bed at a reasonable hour the night before. Do your best—I know sometimes circumstances work against you, but don’t sit up late playing cards or posting on forums. You’re going to need to be as durable as possible.
Second, be careful what you eat. I one got a full-blown case of food poisoning at a Pizza Hut, and I have to tell you, head judging a 160+ person Regional tournament the next day with two other novice judges was definitely one of the low points of my career. (I’d also like to point out I was the only member of the party who didn’t want to eat at Pizza Hut, which looks like forethought to me.)
On the day of the event, resist the urge to sleep in for an extra half-hour or fifteen minutes (however long it takes you) instead of getting up and showering. Don’t go there. Get up and shower promptly, and eat some breakfast too. You’ll have more endurance and feel more wide-awake than you will from hitting the snooze alarm a few times, and the rest of the staff and participants at the event will appreciate the additional energy.
All right, so you arrive at the venue to find that the worst has happened. Only about half of the staff were able to make it, and the registration line now stretches around the corner.
First, don’t panic, because you’ll survive. If you’re judging at an understaffed event, the most important thing you can do is keep it under control. If you can make things appear to run smoothly, the players will pick up on that and will be more likely to behave well, which cuts down on the work you’ll have to do. If the tournament starts to fall apart—with extreme round delays, mass confusion, and judges in despair—the players will pick up on that as well and anarchy begins to arise, making the situation even worse. It’s vital to head that off by working as hard as you can to keep the atmosphere controlled.
How do you do that? Most importantly, all the judges need to be visible and proactive. This is not the time to talk to your friends, lurk about the back tables, or sit down. When there aren’t many judges, those who are present need to be out on the floor, walking the aisles and observing the matches. Meet the players’ eyes and acknowledge their presence. In turn, this makes them more aware of you. You will likely get tired, but resist the urge to find a secluded spot to get away from the crowds, because the players need to know you are there and on the job.
Next, don’t skimp on logistics. It might sound like the bottom of the bottom as far as jobs go, but take my word on this—a clean and well-ordered tournament space is far less likely to create player shenanigans than a room full of tables covered in food, tablecloths pulled askew, chairs tipped over, and missing table numbers. People take the cue for their behavior from their surroundings, and an ordered environment promotes ordered participants. Chaos creates . . . well, you get the picture.
You also need to keep the event moving as quickly as you can manage. This means minimal pauses between rounds, quick pairings postings, and match slips on the table in good time. Delays only create opportunities for the players to become frustrated, mill about, wander off, complain, or generally wreak havoc. Keep them pinned to a fast-moving schedule. It cuts down the available time for disasters to occur and it gets the whole event underway as quickly as possible. It’s not easy to speed things along when there’s a shortage of staff, so pull in other, non-judge event staff to fill in some support roles if you can. You don’t need to know any rulings to run over to the wall and post the pairings, or move up and down the tables distributing match slips. You just need to be agile and willing to help.
If you’ve got a microphone available, don’t be afraid to use it. Remind players to pick up after themselves, and pass on any general information they might need to know. This can cut down on the workload for the judges, as well as the amount of repetitive questions that players may ask. Make sure to keep your tone upbeat and clear (don’t get up there and start yelling), and be careful not to overwhelm the players with messages (otherwise, they might stop listening to you).
When the rounds are underway, do everything you can to prevent players from waiting too long for a ruling. It’s hard when there’s only one or two judges available—if there are multiple hands in the air and frustrated cries of “JUDGE!,” then answer questions as quickly as possible and move on to the next table. Eye contact or an acknowledging nod to a waiting table reassures them that they will be helped as soon as possible. Now is not the time for complicated rules exposition: just issue the ruling and move on. Players who refuse to accept the ruling or who try to debate shouldn’t be indulged. The head judge’s ruling is final, and they may discuss it after the event if there is time. Any player who wants a detailed explanation should be deferred until later.
Issuing the rulings in a timely manner will be a lot easier if you have a rulings resource (or two) available. Whether you use a laptop with an internet connection or a printout of individual rulings and policy documents, an accurate source of rulings is a boon to the understaffed. If needed, other event staff can field the simpler questions, consult the rulings, and often return with the answer or a deferral to the head judge. It helps keep things moving along. I have yet to meet a judge who has memorized every answer, so the ability to look up a ruling you’re unsure of will cut back on incorrect decisions, keep the players reasonably happy, and save time and stress. And you know you want to save time and stress.
The true test of an event like this is maintaining a pleasant, yet authoritative, attitude. If you’re being run off your feet, and you’re hungry and thirsty and developing a headache from all the noise and stuffy air, it can be incredibly difficult to keep your temper. Believe me, though, it makes a huge difference. Players at an event run by a crabby despot of a judge become surly and obstructive in return, while players with an attentive, even-tempered judge find it easier to be respectful and cooperative. What goes around comes around, so keep your face looking cheerful and pretend you can’t feel those aching feet.
If there aren’t enough judges to split into traditional teams, then lump the logical jobs together and run with them. Slips and pairings go together well, as do decks and logistics. If there simply aren’t enough people to fulfill all the roles, do the important jobs first and thoroughly, and don’t worry about what you can’t do. It’s more important to put the pairings and slips out so the round can begin or to make sure judges are on the floor to answer questions, than it is to deck check a few tables each and every round.
As difficult as it can be under these circumstances, treat yourself as well as you can. Grab a bite to eat between rounds, get something to drink, and rest when you can (which won’t be often). Don’t make a penance of the event, because telling yourself “I can eat when we’re done” will earn nothing more than a plummeting energy level and a bad headache. Bring healthy, substantial snacks if you can, and pick one judge to wait in line and get refreshments for everyone. And drink plenty of water—avoid overindulging in sodas and energy drinks. If you’re prone to headaches, backaches, or sore feet (and by round seven, who isn’t?), then don’t forget to take something for the pain. Don’t make the experience any harder by not looking after yourself. It’s not a sign of weakness, it’s just plain common sense.
I’ve run successful Regional tournaments of 150 players and more with just myself and one or two other judges, so it can be done (although it’s not ideal). Even with the most attentive planning, an event might still end up with fewer judges than it really needs. Circumstances like that will bring out either the best or the worst in a judge, so be ready to step up to the challenge when you find yourself in that situation. You’ll really come to rely on each other, so it’s not a time to be standoffish or resentful of your workload. Remember that the event is hard for everyone. And if you know any players there who might work as potential judges, see if you can persuade them to pitch in (after clearing it with the TO first, of course). They may find that they enjoy it and even offer to help judge events again in the future.
Player’s Bonus Section
Look! It’s another special section for the players—how thoughtful of me!
Players, if you end up at an event with few judges, make a special effort not to be a pain. Be understanding. Pick up the remains of your nasty fake nachos and put them in the trash, push in your chairs, and straighten crooked tablecloths even if you weren’t the one who disarranged them. Be patient when you need a ruling—along with five other people—when there are only one or two judges running up and down the aisles. You can get a time extension, and they’re working as hard and fast as they can.
Let the poor judges have a moment to rest and grab a bite in between the rounds. A tournament with only two judges is just not the day to bring them the three-page list of hypothetical play situations you’ve been compiling for the past few weeks, or for parents to converge and ask everything they’ve ever wanted to know about Yu-Gi-Oh! Give them a few minutes of peace.
Pay attention to the pairings and announcements, make sure you’re in your seat quickly, and keep track of your stuff. If the staff is small, they don’t have time to go outside to find you, herd you to your seat, or look after the jacket, binder, or deck box that you keep leaving behind.
If you have judging experience and find the event is understaffed, consider setting aside the competition for the day and joining the judging staff. Talk to the TO or head judge and see if he or she can use you. Even if your experience is minimal, there may be something you can do, along with endless possibilities to learn more if you’re interested.
If you find that your TO runs events that seem to be chronically understaffed, let him or her know (politely) that more judges would be helpful. Bear in mind that in many areas there simply aren’t enough people willing or able to do the job. Also, if players in a given area are particularly abusive or disrespectful towards their judges, there’s little inducement for the judges to remain. Treat them well if you want to keep them. Don’t believe all the fantastic stories of mountains of product, exclusive email lists with top-secret advance information about all things Yu-Gi-Oh!, or any of the other fantastical “perks” that judges supposedly receive. They don’t exist, and that’s not what keeps people judging. (I’ve been asking Kevin Tewart for a pony for years now and I still haven’t gotten one.)
Finally, if you’re going to run off to your forum later on and whine about how “bad” the judges were at an understaffed event, do them the courtesy of pointing out that there were only two judges there and 300 players to look after. It does make a difference.