Impartiality

A judge has a duty and responsibility to assume a position with an absence of bias. At the very least, judges are expected to act in a way such that they avoid even the appearance of bias as much as possible.

To act impartially means that a judge can examine every situation more thoroughly and objectively. A tournament setting must be as fair as possible for all attending players to compete with integrity. Judges acting without bias or favor is a must to this end, otherwise, some players may receive unequal treatment, either favorable or unfavorable, irreparably damaging the essence of competition and fair play. This often means that an issued ruling may have to compromise the corrective procedure between two options to restore as much integrity to a match and the tournament as possible. This also means that, even if severe (i.e., match loss and disqualification penalties), some punishments must be carried out according to the established rules and precedents set in the game. As a reminder, severe punishments (match losses and disqualifications) must be reviewed by a Head Judge as a check.

As a note, sometimes judges may feel that a penalty under the code of the infractions policy guide may be severe and may wish to be lenient, such as with game losses. In the context of judging, this is not considered a "severe" penalty, as those described above. Judges are encouraged not to deviate from the recommended penalties and apply them fairly and equally to players for whom there are grounds to do so. If you feel that a departure from the written regulations is warranted, consult the Head Judge.

Sometimes situations may occur when close friends, family, team members, or very familiar coworkers are involved. Judges should assess these situations carefully and recuse themselves from a call when possible under these circumstances. Even if a judge believes themselves to be acting impartially in these contexts, even the appearance of bias may cast doubt on the integrity of a game and the tournament.