Enter a figure, slightly obscured in shadows. They lean in, blow hard across the computer keyboard and kick up what appears to be years of dust and neglect. Taking a seat, they crack their knuckles, adjust their glasses and murmur quietly to themselves, "Let's see if we still know how to do this."

_________

A couple of days ago, a new article was shared on the Wizards Play Network entitled, "Preparing for WPNQs: Competitive REL Guidelines." A link will be shared at the end, but I hope you'll give me a chance to talk about it for a little while before you go read it in full.

The article is problematic. There are big picture and little picture issues surrounding it and the message it is delivering. After some helpful encouragement to LGSs to get to a point where they can host events, we come to the heart of the article - how to run tournaments at competitive:

Competitive REL is about protecting the integrity of the event.

Competitive tournaments that use Competitive REL are usually those with significant prizes or that award invitations to higher-level tournaments. Players are expected to know the game’s rules and be familiar with the policies and procedures.

Because players are expected to know the rules already, the main difference between a Competitive REL event and something like FNM is the approach to enforcement.

I'm on board with this message. We're getting a little bit of information about what a Competitive Rules Enforcement Level event should be. Sounds good. But here's the next paragraph:

In Regular REL, when players slip up, the goal is to educate them. They accidentally drew an extra card? Just educate them on it. They missed a trigger? Just a warning will do.

Just. A. Warning. Will. Do.

At Regular REL. That is incorrect. My father would call that one a, "Blatantly obvious to even the most casual observer." But we're all allowed one mulligan, right? If we allow for that and read on, we'll find more errors that can be classified as 'poorly communicated' to 'this store will never see my money again and wait until I get on Twitter tonight'.

The article could have been better. For all I know that article was written internally, perhaps passed a supervisor and/or legal and was published. It doesn't have the feel of something that a judge or policy expert vetted. If they did, they either were multitasking or didn't give it the time it deserved. It also doesn't suggest at any time the hiring of judges for competitive level events (we'll touch on that in an afterword).

I'm not going to be snarky and offer the full list of reasons it's a bad article with more give and take. I'd rather focus on some feedback for both the Wizards Play Network and everyone involved. By everyone, I do include Judges, Tournament Organizers, and the newly formed Judge Academy. We'll break it down by role, so hopefully everyone can come to the table and find something for them.

JUDGES

Well, here we are. WPQNs are coming back (a new version of PPTQs by way of PTQs...). It will be up to you, until there is some policy change, to help teach your LGSs about the importance of hiring qualified judges for events. It's not a small matter either. Quality events require trained experts to organize, manage, adjudicate, and eventually close out. Stores that run WPQNs without trained judges have run a much higher risk of alienating players through a mistake that we're trained to foresee. WPQNs should 'probably' be run by L2s and up. L1s can and should be on staff, especially for larger events, but L1s have yet to test on policy matters - even if they have studied them.

If you're an L2 and you're reading this, I'd suggest reaching out you your local stores in the next couple of weeks to start to make arrangements to help them with WPQNs. You should be upfront in making sure they know that they're not required to staff judges - but the same time, you should also help them understand why it's important that they do.

TOURNAMENT ORGANIZERS

This is my chance to sit here and say, "Any TO worth their salt...," but I won't. It's rude and I'm sure most of you have heard a variation of it before. (If not, my Book-on-CD will be available soon, message me for details).

No, instead I'm going to say two things, and this really is for newer LGSs. First, I would never play in a competitive event of any size that did not have a qualified judge staff. And I'm far from the only person. Good judges don't only help you look more professional, they make your customers more comfortable. Secondly, running an event without a judge may save you a few bucks once or twice. But the first time you have a major policy/rules problem, it'll cost you way more in time and energy putting out the fires it will cause. Having judges on staff give you a buffer that you really do need for competitive events.

JUDGE ACADEMY

As an organization, I have hopes that you'll represent judges. In my mind, this is the first real test.

The way I'd like to see this go is you contact Wizards and work out a new arrangement. It's absolutely their prerogative to write and post what they want and I know in part why they are disinclined to suggest hiring judges.

That needs to stop.

It is in their best interest to help stores sell their product. If stores make really bad decisions because, "WotC doesn't require or recommend the hiring of judges," then that will hurt their bottom line. The court case is over, let's all come back to the table and work out a message that WPN can make to stores about the value of judges for events.

I don't know how it can be phrased so legal will vet it on their side. That's not my concern. My concern is as a judge, having another series of competitive events run without judges is not good for anyone.

WIZARDS PLAY NETWORK

Read everything to this point.

Then please, consider one more idea.

Hire an outside consultant or run documents that talk about policy across a specialist in-house. We don't issue Warnings at Regular for Missed Triggers. We don't issue Game Losses for the same issue at Competitive (we first issue a Warning, but that's only if it is determined to be generally detrimental and then that can happen two times in the course of one day's event before we look to upgrade).

Your message and brand should matter. Putting out press releases with pretty significant policy errors about gameplay is a bad look.

AFTERWORD

I am going to state this as a closing thought. I know that there was a percentage of the Judge Program that brought a lawsuit regarding unfair employment practices. I was very much hoping that with the conclusion of that suit and the creation of Judge Academy, we could forge a new, positive relationship that benefits everyone.

This article is proof that we're still waiting. I'd like to think that we can start to move forward again, together. Help us to help your players, the lifeblood of the game.


______________________________
This should not be taken as an official position piece. This work is representative of my opinion and is not a formal position statement from any agency I have had dealings with in the past or present.

I stand by the statements made and feel that they represent facts to the best of my understanding.
______________________________


Article Source: Preparing for WPNQs: Competitive REL Guidelines, 11/18/19.