Click here for Part One

Problem Players
“You’re wrong!!!” David screamed at the judge.
Diane, the judge, closed her eyes and then opened them very deliberately.
“Listen, David,” she said in even tones, “I’ll say it again. When your opponent’s Dark Necrofear comes back from the graveyard, it can equip itself on to your LV 8 Horus Dragon and your opponent gains control of it. You cannot chain with your Horus Dragon because Necrofear only becomes an equip spell card when its effect resolves, not when its effect activates.”
“Wrong,” David obnoxiously replied, “It says on the Netrep files that my Horus’ effect is spell speed 2. I can chain to anything I want,” he continued smugly. “Besides, I have a friend whose sister’s cousin’s roommate is a Level 4 judge. And that judge says that my Level 8 Horus here can stop all spells. So I stop that Necrofear from taking my Horus.”
“It doesn’t work that way David,” she responded with exasperation.
“You’re only a Level 1 judge, and you’re telling me you know more than a Level 4 judge?” he asked snidely.
As she closed her eyes again, Diane’s concentration wavered. She started to fantasize about snatching David’s precious ultimate rare from his fat hands, getting into her car, driving away, and ripping up his card. With the wind in her hair, she maniacally cackles “Chain this!” as she scatters the pieces of his card in a busy intersection.

I’m sure that many of you who have judged can empathize with Diane. Whether he or she complains about a ruling, a judge, a player, the prizes, or all of the above, the problem player will test the very limits of your patience and courtesy. I’m using the term “problem player” as a catch-all term to describe the variety of ways that these loathsome vermin can disrupt a tournament.

There are certain players out there that feel that their knowledge of the game and its mechanics are infallible. Therefore, when a judge issues a ruling that is contradictory to what the player believes to be true, that player will probably have a fit. Some of them might even be certified Level 1 Yu-Gi-Oh! judges who capitalize on every opportunity to show off their judge card. They will then attempt to convince the judge that the ruling is incorrect and that it really does work the way it’s supposed to as explained by the player. This can drag on for minutes, as the player stubbornly refuses to listen to reason. If there is a head judge present, then the player will probably appeal to him or her. As the head judge upholds the original ruling, the player loudly proclaims that all the judges are wrong and the whole situation is not fair.

The best thing to do in this situation is to calmly assert your authority and tell the player that your ruling is not up for debate, especially if you’re the head judge. Tell the player that you would be more than happy to discuss the ruling and the logic behind it after the match is over. Stress the fact that it isn’t fair to the other player as time is being wasted over a ruling that has already been issued. The key thing to do is to immediately disengage. If you say something like, “I believe we’ve already exhausted the possibilities of this discussion. My ruling stands. Please continue play,” it should silence nine out of ten players. If the player refuses to back off, then you can issue a warning for stalling and a warning for disrespectful conduct towards a tournament official. If there’s a result slip on the table, then go ahead and write the warning on it. That should show the players that while you are being courteous, you won’t hesitate to give out penalties. Politely inform the player that if they continue they will receive a game loss. If the player is really obnoxious and ignorant and still continues to rant, go ahead and issue a game loss. It’s unfortunate that things sometimes end up that way, but as a judge you must follow through when you inform a player of the consequences of their actions.

You will encounter players that have no concept of common courtesy. They will display their incredible lack of etiquette by openly insulting an opponent’s deck and skill. Most likely, these are the types of players who play way too fast without giving their opponent a chance to respond, or when they lose they refuse to shake their opponent’s hand. You know who I’m talking about—the player that automatically assumes that your turn is over after you’re done attacking with your monster and starts to draw for his or her turn. Never mind that you were going to set a trap card in the second main phase. Players like these can cause the turnout for a weekly tournament to drop dramatically.

The best way to deal with this is to try to understand the offending player. You don’t need a degree in psychology to do this. Is the player a genuine egomaniac? Or is the player simply excitable, for lack of a better word? Some players may not realize that their behavior is offensive to others, so it’s up to you to inform them very politely that it is offensive. Most of the time this approach works, especially if the player has some impulse-control issues and just needs some prompting every once in a while. It probably won’t work if the player is a genuine social misfit. If you are unlucky enough to have one of these players at your tournament, then I strongly suggest you keep a close eye on his or her behavior during the event in question. At the slightest instance when the player’s behavior becomes offensive, whether it’s towards a player or a tournament official, ask to speak to them alone. If this happens during a match, give the player a warning for unsporting conduct and then ask to see them alone. When you do get a chance to speak with him or her, you could say something like this.

“Listen, I’m here to make sure this tournament runs smoothly. And I think you’re here because you want to play and have a good time. I don’t want any problems, but if you continue to act this way, I won’t have a smooth tournament, since I have a problem to deal with. And when I deal with the problem, you won’t be having a good time anymore. I think the best way we can help each other is for you to change your behavior, and then both of us won’t have any problems. Do you understand everything I’ve said to you? Good. Thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the tournament.”

(I can’t take full credit for that artful piece of dialogue. Some of the credit goes to Alex Charsky, the Tournament Commissioner at UDE. He shared that cool tidbit with me over dinner while he was devouring an expensive lobster.)

When you speak with the player, make sure you are polite and courteous. Also, make sure that they understand full well what will happen to them if they fail to comply with the “friendly advice” you have given them.

As I’ve said earlier, following through with a penalty is vital. If the player continues to be disruptive, then upgrade the penalty from a warning to a game loss. If it happens again, make it a match loss. I believe all of you get the idea, as the penalties should be upgraded to a more severe form as the player commits the same infraction over and over again. I realize that the current penalty guidelines do not have any criteria for a game loss. It jumps from issuing a warning straight to a match loss. Well, the guidelines are just that—guidelines. You’re the one who will have to make the judgment calls, and I’m giving you some recommendations in how to do so in the least disruptive manner possible. When dealing with these types of players, consistency is key. It sends a strong message that you will hand out severe consequences to anyone that behaves in such an offensive manner at a tournament you’re judging at.

If you have any comments or questions concerning anything I’ve written, please feel free to contact me at sangpukdee_simon@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to be nice to your judge!