Philosophy

Hello Judges, existing and aspiring!

This document serves as a general guide for judging. What you will not find are any specifics regarding rules and regulations or rule interpretations. Rather, this document discusses the particulars of judging, the skills needed to judge, and the roles judges take during events. So far, the current documents and resource hubs are the following: Comprehensive Rules, Tournament Rules & Guidelines, Infraction Policy Guide as documents, the official judge discord, and a large community-run unofficial judge discord. Apart from these, the players prize your presence and support in the official Grand Archive Discord. This document adds to the available resources and offers a more focused guide on the judge's duties and skills.

In your capacities as judges for tournaments, you have proven that you have sufficient knowledge about not only the rules of the game but also the guidelines by which tournaments operate, and how to maintain an environment of fairness and respect among the players and attendees at these tournaments. As mentioned in the TRG, judges typically: resolve tournament disputes, interpret rules and answer rules questions, and make important decisions regarding tournament proceedings, including correcting errored game states and issuing penalties. Beyond this, you are an integral part of the community, and many of you act as advocates for your local and regional communities.

Among you are those who may shoulder greater responsibilities as Head Judges, who have proven their acumen in leading others, and may have a greater depth and breadth of knowledge about the game and competitive settings. Part of this handbook will focus on topics specific to your duties and shed light on the potential requirements for any judges who may aspire to be a Head Judge at an event.

As we grow our community and the Judge Program, it is our hope that this document will grow to be a reliable tool for judges in giving more focused and detailed advice compared to our more general documents.