Draft calling is when someone, usually a judge, helps to structure a draft by announcing instructions to players, for example how much time they have for each pick, and enforcing that time limit. You might have heard it on a Grand Prix Day 2 or other competitive or professional draft.

Why call a draft? The goal is to ensure that all players have the same amount of time to make their decisions. It also helps to prevent problems like mixing up packs when they get passed by offering a strict procedure for the players to follow.

Occasionally people ask why we don’t just use a recording of all the draft instructions. The answer is that a recording lacks the flexibility that a human draft caller has. As you will learn in this module, as a draft caller your job is not just to call out instructions, but also to respond to the needs of the players and the event.