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Doomkaiser Dragon
Card# CSOC-EN043
Doomkaiser Dragon's effect isn't just for Zombie World duelists: remember that its effect can swipe copies of Plaguespreader Zombie, too!
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In my last column, we talked about those cute little Joeys. They’re small, enthusiastic, and such a unique challenge! This week, we’re going to fast-forward about ten years and focus on dealing with another unique challenge—the combative and stubborn teenager.
 Now, I’m not saying that all teenagers are automatically troublesome and hard to manage. Most of the duelists I know best fall in that age group, and they’re great. However, judges know exactly the kind of duelist I’m talking about—sometimes these duelists know what they’re doing, and sometimes they don’t, but they have no reservations at all about telling you when they’ve got a problem and especially if it’s with you. These duelists don’t have much innate respect for authority. They hate to lose and they never think they’re wrong, so nothing is ever their fault. They find a scapegoat for every situation, and I’m not talking about a colorful little sheep.
The floor rules are more concrete when it comes to dealing with this kind of duelist, as opposed to younger, unskilled duelists. Arguing, bad language, and verbal or physical aggression fall under the umbrella of “unsporting conduct” and carry obvious definitions and specific penalties. Unsporting conduct is easy to recognize, and a judge’s response is clearly defined. But it’s a lot of hassle to have to deal with a belligerent duelist because it dampens the tone of an event and is stressful for the judging staff. Preventing a bad situation from escalating is your best bet, but it does take some skill to manage this type of duelist, and you need to know a few basic strategies.
First off, duelists of any age and temperament will respond better to judges who are accessible and impartial, and appear happy to be at the event. You should roam the floor and get involved in the pre-event activities instead of lurking around the TO’s station. If you judge in the same area consistently, then make an effort to get to know the duelists who frequent the tournaments you’re judging. It’s easier to get along with people when you know them by name, and duelists who know their judges are going to be more willing to listen to them. Make sure you don’t play favorites. Be impartial in your rulings and be pleasant to all participants, because it’s your job to judge, not to be everyone’s friend. Be accessible, and be familiar.
There are a few important things to remember about argumentative, aggressive duelists—their attitude is usually fueled by a lack of respect for others. Duelists who think they have grievances and don’t respect judges can become snide, offensive, or even threatening, but it’s still up to the judging staff to generate and maintain that respect from all players. Now then, how do you get respect from the people who are least likely to give it? Keep in mind that any time a judge steps out on the floor, he or she becomes a representative of judges in general. It seems silly, but if there’s a duelist at your event who’s had a previous negative experience with a judge, that duelist’s negative attitude will probably be extended to you. It’s up to the individual judges to keep their behavior professional and skilled.
In other words, if you want to gain and keep respect, you have to earn it. You should know your rulings; don’t be afraid to double-check something if you are uncertain. If you make a bad call, correct it if possible. If gameplay has progressed far enough that correction isn’t an option, explain the error and apologize, but always be secure in your authority. Having an overbearing or condescending attitude is like a red flag to a disrespectful, argumentative duelist—this kind of attitude practically guarantees that your interaction is going to get ugly. If you’re secure in your authority, you don’t need to belittle or bully your way through a dispute.
When you combine that lack of respect with insecurity or a short temper, you’ve completed the equation. People get angry when they feel like they’re being threatened or challenged, and this feeling is intensified during the teen years. If you’re dealing with a competitor who has invested a lot of his or her self-worth into the issue at hand, then the odds are good that the situation could become volatile. Learn to recognize the warning signs and keep your attitude as neutral and interested as possible. A calm, measured response to an agitated duelist will defuse the situation more quickly than a tense response will. Don’t give aggressive players a target to focus their anger on, because without a target, aggressive behavior often evaporates.
Encourage everyone involved in a dispute to take a more realistic look at the situation. It’s often a good idea to separate extremely antagonistic and excitable duelists from the rest of the tournament. The last thing you need is for a duelist’s friends to join the fray, because angry duelists tend to have an explosive effect on one another. Picking some neutral territory away from the tournament floor, without onlookers, will also enable the duelist to save face when he or she needs to accept your decision.
An angry duelist who has made an error or been ruled against is likely to attack the intelligence, credentials, or personal appearance of the target of his or her anger. Whether the target is an opponent or the judge, this kind of behavior is unacceptable, and it needs to be dealt with appropriately. If you lose your cool because a competitor pushes your buttons, you’re giving up control of the situation and failing as a judge. Judges need to be levelheaded under stress, and losing your cool in front of competitors will do more to undermine your credibility than just about anything. Some duelists will do anything they can to push you to that point in an attempt to protect their own self-esteem, especially if their friends are watching. Don’t take the bait. Listen to the problem and attempt to resolve it in a professional manner, and if a duelist gets out of hand, warn him or her of the possible penalties. Some duelists will continue to push the limits, and when that happens, administer the appropriate penalties and refuse to be drawn into an argument about it.
Many antagonistic duelists will settle down once they realize that you mean business and their tactics aren’t getting to you. Some of them won’t, and then you’ll need to apply penalties. Serious offenders can and should be barred from events, perhaps even on a permanent basis, so make sure the head judge deals with these cases. The worst thing that most duelists can do to you is badmouth you on an online forum, but for every duelist looking to blame someone for a poor showing at an event, there are several others who can recognize a competent judge when they see one and will usually back you up. Even if no one is backing you up, that’s just part of being a judge.
As judges, we’re responsible for ensuring that tournaments are run by the rules. In the course of fulfilling our duties, we’ll run into aggressive or difficult duelists. If a judge knows his or her stuff, is willing to admit errors in judgment, and can resist being drawn into losing control during conflicts, most of the stress from these encounters is removed. Maintain professionalism, and you’ll maintain control. |
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