I’ve talked about the responsibilities of players and floor judges. Now, we’re going to turn the spotlight of responsibility on those stalwart men and women in the red and black shirts—the head judges!

Head judges have a lot to do at an event. They’ve got all the basic responsibilities of a player, all the basic responsibilities of a floor judge, and plenty more responsibilities on top of those. At large events blessed with a sizeable body of floor judges, the head judge can afford to step back, focus strictly on head judge duties, and let the floor judges do their thing. But at smaller events, or events without a lot of staff members, the head judge often finds him- or herself out there in the middle of things with the rest of the judges, doing everything that they do and more.

The head judge oversees the rest of the judge staff, ensures that they are doing their jobs correctly, manages the event, and issues the final word on all rulings questions. The head judge is the absolute rulings authority at an event. No one can overturn a ruling that was issued by the head judge—not the TO, not a conglomeration of floor judges, not even a very loud and determined player. Whether the head judge remains at the judge station or out on the floor with the rest of the staff, his or her authority remains complete.

Head judges have some specific responsibilities, and these are outlined in the policy document. Let’s break them down and analyze each one.

Be physically present and available throughout the tournament.

No fair phoning it in! If you’re head judging an event, you need to actually be there. We’ve all had fantasies of sitting in a hot tub, watching the tournament on a webcam, and issuing our edicts through voice chat, but alas—that will forever remain a fantasy. A head judge has to be aware of everything that goes on, and he or she needs to be available when players, floor judges, or other event staff members need something.

If you need to leave the tournament for a food or bathroom break, make it quick, and choose a trusted floor judge to stand in for you while you’re gone. Be sure that you pick someone whose judgment and player management skills you trust; don’t just go for the highest-ranked judge there. Make sure that the TO and at least a few other judges know where you’re going, and that you’ll be right back. Then, make sure you come right back. Sadly, it’s one of the burdens of command. You don’t get to roam free.

Ensure that all match results are submitted as soon as the round is finished.

If there are outstanding results when the round ends, then the start of the next round will be delayed, and we all know how those delays can add up. Before the event, the head judge should find out from the TO how the TO wants the match slips handed in. Some like to have the match winner hand it in, and others prefer for the judges to collect and hand in the slips. The head judge should then communicate this information to the players and judges, to make sure everyone knows what’s going on. Remind them that the faster they hand in the slips, the sooner the next round can begin.

I’ve found it’s helpful to keep in contact with the scorekeeper as the round winds down, and compare the table numbers of the ongoing matches with the “missing” match slips. Floor judges are great allies in getting the slips in on time, as long as they know what to watch for. Remind them to watch out for players who have finished matches but are sitting around playing or talking instead of handing in their slips, as well as keeping their eyes open for forgotten slips left on the tables or dropped on the floors. If you like to make announcements about the amount of time remaining in the round, go ahead and add in a reminder to hand in the match slips. It can’t hurt.

Ensure that the scorekeeper prepares the next round pairings quickly.

Judges that make sure that the results slips are handed in immediately after matches will help the scorekeeper do his or her job. The head judge should also check with the scorekeeper when the round is nearly over to see if there are any matches still unreported and then delegate some floor judges to check on the status of those matches. Also, you should do what you can to discourage players and judges from hanging about and distracting the scorekeeper with unrelated questions. A person sitting behind a computer always looks official, and players, parents, and other spectators have a tendency to take every single question about the event and venue to the scorekeeper. If another member of the event staff can run interference while the scorekeeper is working on the pairings, that can help to speed things up.

Most scorekeepers are professionals and excellent at their job. However, if you honestly feel that the scorekeeper isn’t being effective, fast, or organized, talk to the TO.

Ensure the start and end of a round are clearly and efficiently communicated.

The time between rounds can be quite chaotic, especially at larger events. Players are trying to eat, trade, and talk to each other, all while they run around looking for the next pairing sheets. Getting the attention of all these people isn’t easy, but most judge stations are equipped with a microphone. Use that to announce the start of the rounds. If you’ve got a naturally low-volume voice, make sure you project! I guarantee you don’t sound nearly as loud as you think you do, so go ahead and overcompensate. If there’s no microphone, or you just aren’t that loud (sometimes it can’t be helped, since some of us have tiny lungs) then arrange for the loudest event staff member to yell on your behalf.

When the round begins, make sure that the tournament clock is set and started! Don’t just push the remote button and walk away—you should always check to see that the clock is actually running. If the event doesn’t have a tournament clock, note the start time, add 40 minutes so you’ll know exactly when the round will end, and make sure you share that information with the floor judges. Writing the round’s end time on the pairings sheets will provide the players with the same information. Some head judges like to announce when there are ten minutes or so left in a round, and most players appreciate that announcement. Keep track of the round so the end doesn’t catch you by surprise, especially if you aren’t using a tournament clock that has an alarm. When the round ends, announce that the round is over, and remind players in ongoing matches to consult a judge. Then, remind them again to turn in their match slips if they haven’t done so already.

Ensure match result slips are handed out quickly and efficiently.

The best way to do this is to delegate a team of floor judges to take responsibility for the match slips. They should know to go to the scorekeeper to wait for the slips, then cut them up and sort them as the pairings are posted. Some judges are better suited to handing out match slips than others, so choose the fastest, most agile judges and let them do their thing. If you’ve got a lot of general event staff members and fewer judges, then the event staff would be a smart choice for match slip distribution. The judges can then focus on making rulings.

It’s vital that the slips hit the tables as early as possible. Some matches are over very quickly, and the slip can also provide a quick reference for players to make sure they’re at the right tables.

Be available to moderate rulings that players have appealed.

In order for you to do this, the floor judges need to be able to find you. At large events, you should stick close to the judge station. Ideally, there will be enough floor judges to run the event, and you can focus on the head-judge–specific duties. If you do need to be out on the floor, choose a zone that’s as close to the judge station as possible so the rest of the floor judges can locate you when they need you.

You also need to make sure you’re able to give quality rulings. Keep up with the game, and make an effort to study and master the information that is available to you. It’s helpful to bring a printout of the FAQ and the individual card questions from Upper Deck’s website as a reference. The floor judges will also appreciate it, since it gives them a resource with which to double-check rulings instead of having to wait for you.

Finally, head judges need to be approachable. If a floor judge comes to you with a rulings question and your attitude is condescending, brusque, or scornful, then the odds are good that floor judges aren’t going to feel comfortable checking rulings with you. They certainly aren’t going to want to work with you, and their ability to run the event will be impaired. Head judging is stressful, and sometimes a floor judge might come to you with a question you’ll have a hard time being patient about, but the ability to answer a question, explain a ruling, and keep everyone positive is a necessary trait for a good head judge. Besides, it’s far better that floor judges come and double-check rulings when they’re unsure, rather than making the wrong call. Consistently accurate rulings make the entire judging team look good.

Ensure all judges are properly listed if MANTIS software is being used.

Remind judges that they need their UDE Tournament number if they’re judging. You should also double-check with the scorekeeper to make sure that all the judges have provided their number. I hope you remembered yours!

Ensure that assistant judges are aware of their responsibilities and duties.

This is a wide-ranging category, and it’s extremely important. Unless you’ve worked with your floor judges for some time, you shouldn’t assume that they instinctively know everything they need to know. A pre-event judge meeting is the best way to pass along an outline of a floor judge’s basic responsibilities, and make sure everyone realizes what their job entails. You should explain the appeal process and the match slip procedure, then be sure to stress that floor judges can’t issue any penalties higher than a warning, except in the case of a game or match loss due to tardiness. Many floor judges don’t realize that the head judge needs to issue penalties like losses and disqualifications. If you know you’ll be working with new judges, it won’t hurt to print out the Assistant Judge Responsibilities document, bring a few copies in, and go over them as a group.

The head judge is responsible for assigning specific jobs, like line control, pairings sheets, match slips, and anything else, and to make sure the floor judges are following through on those jobs. Food and other breaks should be arranged as well, so that each judge can get a chance to get some food without straining the resources on the floor. Also, if there is anything extra the floor judges need to be aware of, such as players with special needs, make sure that you pass that along so everyone is prepared. I’ve judged in events where wheelchair access was needed, or a parent’s presence was necessary to assist a child with autism. Making sure thatall the judges are aware of and sensitive to these kinds of situations will avoid embarrassment and confusion for everyone.

Watch your floor judges perform their duties and evaluate their abilities. Newer judges are usually best when they’re placed in areas with a lower level of stress, but you should make sure that everyone gets an equal chance to gain experience. You shouldn’t always rely on the same core group of people—try and develop everyone’s skills equally. If you notice a judge who isn’t keeping up with his or her duties, then step in with a reminder. It occasionally takes time for floor judges to master all their responsibilities. Don’t embarrass them or create a confrontation; they might only need a little bit of prompting to remember to keep tables cleaned off, or not to use their cell phone when they’re on the floor.

If you find that reminders and explanations aren’t working for a particular judge, and he or she continually neglects responsibilities or acts out inappropriately, you might need to dismiss the judge from the event. Talk to the TO and get his or her input, since many TOs have specific protocols they like to follow in these kinds of situations. Simply wanting to judge an event won’t always mean a judge is ready to meet the challenge.

There are the head judge responsibilities, as set out in the policy document. Next time, I’m going to go over the “unlisted” responsibilities of head judges. If you’ve done much head judging, you know there’s much more to the job than is listed here. If you’re relatively new to the job, though, you’ll get some valuable insights on additional duties and expectations that will make the experience a lot smoother. Don’t forget to come back for that!