Many times during a week, a person's name is called in some court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that person walks up to the Judge and I stand next to him (or her as the case may be). I am their lawyer. My client has either been accused of a crime, or they are going through a custody dispute with their ex-spouse, or they have been injured in an accident. I advocate for them.
In order to effectuate this advocacy, I must establish a dialog with the Judge. This is the main reason I feel I am an effective litigator- I establish effective, efficient communication between the Judge and myself and I rationally express what my client wants and why he or she should get it.
In Magic, this should be no different for you.
Recently, many articles have come to the forefront describing the role of judges in Magic tournaments. This has spanned the gamut from the proper times to call for a judge to the unfortunate reality that sometimes players call judges over to gain a perceived competitive advantage. The underlying question is this: as a player at a tournament what should you do when the time comes to advocate your position before a judge when a dispute has arisen?
As a player at a tournament - whether that tournament be an FNM, a pre-release, or the Top 8 of the Pro Tour - you have a right to a judge if you believe something unfair, deceptive, or wrong is going on in the game. Judges are not the resource that "bad" people use; they are not the tools of the "jerk" that wants to pull one over on you. A judge is there specifically to arbitrate disputes between players and when necessary, adjudicate punishments when a player has gone outside the bounds of what's expectable.
Many people have problems with the fact that at a tournament calling a judge is a necessary fact of life. I direct everyone who has a problem with this to the DCI web page where there is an extensive list of players who have been caught cheating or displayed such atrocious behavior as to be suspended. The fact is, the judge is necessary and the rules are in place to protect the honest from the fraudulent. The guy across from you may not be that bad, but you do not know that. It's not your job to separate the honest from the fraudulent; that's the judge's job.
Players have a variety of responsibilities when they sit down at a tournament, especially the higher end tournaments. Here is a brief list of them:
- Fill out accurate deck lists
- Keep track of your life total and your opponent's life total
- Be able to complete a Best-of-Three match within 50 minutes
- Know the rules
If you cannot do the above, than you have to work harder at this game. If, however, your opponent is unable to do these things during a tournament, it is up to a judge to remedy this problem. It's not your problem that the rules are the way they are. This is all about the rules, not your opponent.
So, why are people not calling judges? More importantly, why are you not calling a judge?
First, you may not like the aggravation. My best friend on the planet will only call a judge if he is convinced cheating is going in, but not for much else. He just wants to play cards and not get bogged down in a glorified "whizzing" contest with his opponent. This is a fine attitude to have at a pre-release but in competitive Magic, I feel this is not the approach to take. Anything above a pre-release, you as a player (the guy who paid the $$$ and paid the time to build this deck and come and play at this venue) should look to the judge to settle all disputes.
Second, many times something will happen in a game that are illegal, but not so blatant as to warrant problems. Your opponent draws one too many cards; a player puts a "ki" counter on his Faithful Squire long after a Spirit spell has resolved and that triggered ability is off the stack; your opponent seems to be taking a very long time to play his one-card hand. You may think to yourself "Oh, that was just an honest 'mistake' and I am not going to make a bug deal about it." This is a very natural feeling. In each and every one of these instances, I encourage you as a player to act as a lawyer and go before a judge. I know, this is hard and maybe a little "mean," but it's the only way to live in Magic. Do not let your opponent get away with some minor cheating. Explain that the rules say that the trigger has resolved, or that the opportunity has passed and the game must move on. This is a game and the game has rules. If your opponent does not like those rules, he is free to find another game.
I want to take a moment to describe slow play. Slow play is when a player deliberately takes far too long to take their actions. This is a classic "gray area" in tournament Magic. Slow play is illegal in Magic, but its tough to spot and tougher to enforce. If you think a player is doing something that is interfering with the game, you should call a judge and do not be embarrassed to do so. If a player is trying run the clock, I would immediately call a judge. If you do not feel like being so confrontational, than ask your opponent "How much time is left in the round?" Then immediately call a judge, and ask him. Then, before the judge has left, ask if he can stick around and watch for slow play.
Another reason to call a judge is when your opponent says something regarding a rule that directly affects your game and you could be tempted to think, "Oh, he seems to know what he's talking about," because he should "know the rules." Opponents are notoriously bad sources to go to on disputes. Never ever believe an opponent. In the law, that would be the equivalent me as a criminal defense attorney believing everything the district attorney told me about the state of the law. It's counter-intuitive and a conflict of interests.
Whenever a rule comes up that your opponent believes is one way and you believe it's the other, you should call a judge. Do not try to engage in "working it out." Sometimes, this will anger your opponent. Forget him. This is not about your opponent; this is about the rules. The judge is there to decide on the rules and the problem. You may be wrong, but that's not the issue. You could also be right.
Another issue here is that sometimes, especially in later rounds, your opponent may have gathered a flock, and his buddies or hangers-on may be saying things as well. They may try to interject on the rules by saying, "No, he's right, the stack resolves..." At this point, the next words out of your mouth should be "Judge," followed by a hand raise. Never, under any circumstances ever allow another player to break in on your game. Other players have absolutely NO business butting their noses into your game. There is no place for that.
Always follow the "better safe than sorry" rule. If you think something horrible is happening - i.e. blatant cheating, deck staking, or the like - call a judge and feel bad later. The fact is, you could very well be correct, or otherwise, why would that list of suspended players on the DCI page be so darn long?
Okay, you have called the judge over. What do you do then?
You are your best advocate. You were playing your game when something happened. You now must be a lawyer, and you only need to be a mediocre lawyer to get what you want at a tournament. You want accuracy and fairness. Nothing more and you should accept nothing less.
Go with the Educate, Advocate, and Accept method of arguing.
I. Educate. This is by far the most underrated part of the issue. When a judge comes over, you should make eye contact with him as soon as possible. Let him know that you are the person who will be doing the talking. Explain to the judge the game state and a general idea of when things started to fall off the tracks. Only give information, do not advocate...yet. You must educate the judge on where you are in the game. Many judges will assume because you are showing them a creature, that the problem has to do with combat and they will be thinking "combat" the whole time; if you are talking about your upkeep, that this must have something to do with paying upkeep costs. This may not be the case and you need to get the judge thinking about your game, not A game.
II. Advocate. When you are finished explaining how things happened, explain why you think you are right. Let your opponent explain why he thinks he is correct.
If you notice your opponent has taken the initiative, let him. You will be allowed the chance to speak. I have been in court 100s of times and at Magic events dozens of times when a judge has been involved, and I have seen no correlation between who speaks first and who gets the ruling. That's a chimera.
My advice differs greatly from other articles on this issue- If your opponent interrupts you, let him! Let him talk his head off. I advise clients all the time that when they are speaking to a judge or clerk and the opposing side interrupts them, to let that happen. The opposition is seen as pushy and rude. This lessens their credibility. As a criminal defense lawyer I oftentimes deal with "victims" who claim my client "wronged" them. When before a magistrate who must decide on the validity of a claim, the "victim" is usually their own worst enemy. When my client is talking, if the "victim" interrupts them, I advise the client to shut-up and let the pushy, belligerent, confrontational "victim" blather on. I give them just enough rope to hang themselves. Judges in the real world hate people who interrupt other people.
In Magic, let your opponent interrupt you and let him talk. This also shows that you have nothing to fear and nothing to hide. This is a rules issue, not your issue and you should act that way. When your opponent is done, continue on as if nothing has happened. In fact, you may even want to ask the opponent, "Are you finished?" If a judge interrupts your opponent after the opponent has interrupted you, that's it - you have him. The judge has already lost patience with the opponent.
Let me let you all in on a little secret regarding judges, both in the real world and in Magic. Do you know the "most important" case a judge has? The answer: the next one. A judge is always anticipating "moving on;" he wants to dispose of your problem so he can move on to "the next one." The longer you take, the more annoyed he will get at not being able to move on. You have to be quick, efficient, and deadly. Do not start arguing with the judge here; that shows that you lack control.
Talk like a whirlpool. When the judge first comes over, talk about the game, the game state and what was happening. As you go on, get more and more specific; start getting into nitty-gritty details and do not try to skim over the problem. Much like a whirlpool works, as you get closer and closer to the center, your pull should get stronger and stronger.
When you are with a judge, you want to interact with your opponent as little as possible. Do not antagonize or interrupt your opponent. You have to communicate fast and arguments with opponents are not productive. Arrogance is a killer. Even when a player is right, judges may look for an excuse to rule against them because they are so smug about it. Always treat a disagreement not as a problem between you two, but as a rules problem.
Do not use limiting language, such as "If I remember correctly" or "I think" or "I thought it was..." Use direct, clear language. Which sounds better: "I played Eternal Witness, and when its Comes Into Play Ability went on the stack, I targeted Cranial Extraction," or "If I remember correctly, I think that after I played Eternal Witness, I thought I targeted the Cranial Extraction"? The clearer you are the more clear your position seems.
Do not talk just to fill the space. This is disastrous. Make your point and shut up. If your opponent represents something about the game that is either inaccurate or incomplete, inform the judge when there is a lull.
III Accept. When the judge has ruled, you have to start the process of moving on. Never, under any circumstances that I can possibly fathom, ever interrupt the judge. When the guy in the stripped shirt or black robe is talking, that's your cue not to be. Your confidence should be emulated in you not talking.
Judges are good when they explain why they ruled the way they did. If a judge does not give a reason right away, ask for him to clarify his ruling. If you are not satisfied, you should appeal to the head judge. Once he rules, that's final. Move on.
When the judge is done, always say "Thank You." I know, he may have just given you a "Procedural Error: Major," but the judge's time is precious and you should convey to the judge that you know this.
Finally, if the issue took time to resolve, ask for a time extension to complete the game.
Also be aware that some players use judges as a tool in the game to undermine their opponent's confidence. They will call over a judge just so their opponent will think they did something wrong. First, do not employ this tactic. Judges - both in Magic and in the real world - hate repeat business. If the judge sees that you call them over every time your opponent inhales during their upkeep, he'll figure out you are the "1800s Player Who Cried Wolf." Second, if the tactic is used against you, stay calm. If you are in the wrong- either rules wise or game-play wise- explain to the judge what went wrong and be honest about it. Explain what caused the problem. Honesty = credibility.
If, however, your opponent is in the wrong and is just trying to gain some sort of perceived edge, sit up straight, look for the judge and follow the steps above. If your opponent says that he needs the judge, confidently say, "That's fine, I have no problem with a judge coming over." Your opponent will probably say something to the effect that it's not your choice. Good. He is already defensive and the judge isn't even there yet. When the judge comes over, explain the situation, or better yet, let the boob who called him over waste the judge's time. Here, you want to look the part of "innocent bystander." "Everything was fine before this nimrod called you over, Mr. Judge. I just want to play this game." The judge- if he's particularly ornery - may even give a warning to a player who needlessly calls over a judge. And then say "thank you."
Bottom line: Do not be afraid to call a judge or have a judge called on you. Be prepared.
Magic should not be about fighting in front of a judge or being afraid of a judge. That is not what the game is about; that's what lawyers are about and Magic does not need lawyers. Magic needs players.
So go play.
Christopher Carbone
Rockroi on MTGO
Ccansatcomcastdotnet
Board of Bar Overseers (Massachusetts) #: 647724
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