User Profile

Belle comes highly recommended to me by a L1 from my old area. Belle has demonstrated a knowledge of rules and policy, and solid understand of people and I believe they can handle running an event. After having troubles with getting mentorship from their local L2s, they studied on their own and passed all the courses so far. I happily endorse Belle for L1 and wish them all the best! 

I endorse this user as a level 1 judge candidate.

I believe that Tristan O'Reilly is qualified to become a good level 1 judge, he's been in the domain for almost 15 years and has already judged numerous tournament as an employee of different lgs,

good luck for your exam!

I have judged with Rafael previously and he works with great care for players in his tournaments. He works at a LGS in Braga, Portugal and is a lively and cherished member of his community. He provides great customer service, is very proactive in walking among players, watching matches and getting results and is a clear benefit to everyone in that area, both playing or just looking for information.

Rafael heard about Judge academy from my experience and asked to be certified as a judge so he could help his local players even more, with the proper qualifications. He has a regular job at the store and is everyone's go to person so it makes sense for him to be as well informed as possible.

Not only is Rafael not toxic in any way, he is one of the friendliest people anyone's likely to meet in the Portuguese community. He is very helpful to everyone, very cheerful and is always having a good time during, before and after tournaments. Like I mentioned, he really improves the atmosphere around the tournament, even when he's just playing.

I live 30 minutes from Braga and have been over to judge from time to time but it makes perfect sense for Rafael to be certified as a judge. It is an absolute pleasure to endorse his certification. As always, I'll always be available to help him in any way that he needs and to challenge him from time to time, during my occasional visits.

I've known Brandon since 2016 when I moved to BC. He was an L1 at the time and his table side manner and rules knowledge was and still is fantastic. I have full confidence that Brandon will make an excellent addition to the BC Judges roster.

James,

Your prior experience running events shows well.

I was impressed with your helpfulness,  responsiveness and attitude,  and the way you checked up to make sure on complex rulings so that I felt the players were very well looked after. 

You'll be gladly welcomed back to the judge community once you do your modules. 

Gage is a local player that was recommended to me for advancement. I've spoken with them and feel they will be an asset to Judge Academy. They have a special interest in teaching new players and would like to improve their local community. I fully endorse them to take the L1 test.

Tony has a deep understanding of what it means to be a judge, great customer service skills and clear understanding of the rules needed to deliver a great player experience, I firmly believe that he will be a great asset to the judge team as an L1 and of course will continue to grow within the judge community!

Please continue to join other conferences in order to keep honing your skills an learn from other people around the world as well. 

I challenge you Tony to always strive to be the best! 

  I have known Noah Rabin for a few years now, mostly as a competitor at various tournaments for which I have served as TO or Judged. Noah has built a reputation as someone very conscious of the rules with a firm desire to understand, not just that Blood Moon beats Urborg (for example), but also why. I have observed Noah judging a Regular REL Legacy tournament. He has demonstrated a firm understanding of Judging at Regular as well as the basics of casting spells, the orders of the turn, and resolving combat. He has shown an exemplary ability to understand complicated game states and quickly assess what, if anything, has gone wrong.

I would be remiss to not mention areas I have seen where Noah can improve. As is often the case with new judges, Noah does have a tendency to over-think common situations. The old medical adage "when you hear hoofbeats, think horses - not zebras" would be very helpful for him to remember. Often players need to know the information  necessary to begin playing, and they will tell you if they need the minutiae of which layer things apply to (for instance). Many times players are just looking for the result and to get back to the action. But those are ultimately minor issues when viewed in the totality of Noah's ability to judge.

With all that said, it is a privilege to be able to endorse Noah Rabin for the L1 test.

After interviewing Tegan, I fully believe that she is ready to become an L1 judge after passing the L1 test. She showed me a past history of dedication to advocating for all forms of players. Newer players, younger players, any player that she encounters that may feel uncomfortable reaching out for help or standing up for themselves. This passion for advocacy I believe will be a very positive force within both the Judge community and the greater MTG community as well. She has plenty of experience working with her LGS on weekly events, and has a focus on customer service and learning that is exactly what is encouraged for L1’s. Tegan, I really enjoyed meeting you and I hope the best for you in your Judge career, both now and as you explore your progression in the program. Best of luck on the test!

Matt has completed the required courses for level one.

All of my interactions with Matt player to player and judge to player have been pleasant. He intends to use certification in his preexisting role in his local magic community. 

This is a Level 2 Advancement Review. The event was a RPTQ in summer 2019 in Vienna where Mark was a floor judge and I was the Head Judge.

This review is heavily based on a review written by Riccardo Mangano.

Mark showed strengths in the following areas:

Mentoring: during this tournament he took good care of a quite junior Level 1. He provided feedback, mentoring and backup to her and made sure, that she had all the information and tools she needed to do her job. After the event he sat down with her for a feedback talk, although I don't know if a review was written.

Self-improvement: Mark was (and still is) constantly striving to improve. He asks for feedback on his performance and tips on how to improve even minor areas (like for example "note taking during a tournament"). He also does not hesitate to double-check rulings and decisions he is about to make and discuss rulings and decisions others made in order to understand better.

Pro-activity: Mark is always on the look-out for things that he can do. (Side note: this is perfectly fine as long as the job one is assigned to to does not suffer) Also when he needs input from others he's poking and reminding them to deliver what they have promised (apologies from my side for delaying the writing of the review so long :-)).

Area for improvement:

Policy knowledge and application: Mark struggled for quite some time to thoroughly learn the IPG as he was having more a "pick it up as one goes along" approach instead of sitting down and study the document cover to cover. This led to misinterpretations of some parts and the incorrect application of fixes for various infractions. (Quick reminder: Step 1 is *always* to identify the infraction. Only then in Step 2 the fix is applied as it is described for the given infraction. *Never* mix up this order) I am sure that Mark worked a lot on this, but for all the future updates to the IPG this sitting down and studying the changes is absolutely necessary.

Summary:

I fully support Mark's advancement to Level 2.

Mike demonstrates all the key qualities I expect from a prospective Level 1 judge. 

Mike understands the philosophy of judging at regular REL and is keen to emphasise everyone having fun in a fair and welcoming environment. Mike is clearly passionate about building and developing the local Magic community and managing the additional pressure of working in with rival stores in their local area. Mike has indicated a strong interest in both the rules and community champion aspects of being a judge and has a satisfactory working knowledge of policy. 

In terms of development, I would suggest Mike makes a concerted effort to building on his rules and policy knowledge and considers committing to participating in commonly played formats such as Standard and Limited in order to ensure he is able to offer the best possible experience to players at FNM, prereleases and beyond.

I am confident that Mike will make an excellent addition to judging in Plymouth and the wider judge community and I endorse their application to test for Level 1.

Hallo Fred, danke dass du dich um deine lokale Community als Regelkundiger kümmert und deinen LGS supportest.  Ich denke dass du ein guter L1 werden wirst.

Grüße Philip

I am happy to endorse Jake. I have no doubt that they will be an asset to their community and JA as a whole! 

Nico has been present and helping in the community for a long time. He’s always been interested in the organization side of the tournaments, even attending judge conferences without being certified. 

This is an endorsement review for the certification process, level 1. 

Chris has been in the Magic community for a long while, now owning/managing a store on the south shore. I had the opportunity to work with him at a few events before the pandemic hit in 2020. Chris always told me he had an interest in becoming a judge but because of circumstantial events, never got around to do it back in the Judge Program. He has now found the time to go through the process of the L1 certification under the Judge Academy rules. Although I was not able to observe Chris working an event since his drive to become a judge has materialized, if the past events are to go by, I have nothing to fear. His events always ran smoothly, finished in due time and he had shown a good knowledge of both the rules and policies needed to become a level 1 Judge. 

Once events are well and truly back in operation, I will write a follow up review as an observation of Chris at an event. In the meantime I see very little reasons to deny him access to the certification process, hence this endorsement review.

Nate has good attention to detail and amazing customer service skills.
He has a knack for making complex concepts incredibly clear, which is incredibly helpful when handling new players.

Jonas já foi lojista e hoje é um pilar para a sua comunidade em questões de regras e conduta. Atuou como juiz internacionalmente em outros card games com maestria. Hoje demonstra uma grande afinidade com os documentos e uma grande paixão pelo jogo. Correu atrás do seu desejo em fazer parte da comunidade e completou com excelência todos os caminhos de um juiz nível 1 e com essas incrível vontade de ajudar a comunidade acredito que será um grande juiz.

I am happy to endorse Eric. I have no doubt that they will be an asset to JA and the community as a whole. 

After interviewing Anya, I fully believe she is ready to become an L1 judge after passing the L1 test. She demonstrated a deep commitment to ensuring a welcoming environment in every event she judges at, and also shows a history of customer service that gives me confidence in her ability to navigate issues in line with what’s expected at an LGS. Along these lines, she has been consistently and successfully acting as a Rules Advisor at her LGS, running weekly draft events and utilizing EventLink effectively. I was also impressed by her inclusion of skill level and play style in our conversation about inclusivity. These are often overlooked portions of inclusivity, and her addressing these unprompted shows me the care that she can give to these issues. Anya, this interview was a pleasure, and I strongly feel that you will be a positive influence in Magic and the greater Judge Community as well, and I’m excited to see your growth. Best of luck on the test!

I had the pleasure of running a Judge class in the old JudgeApps days for Russell, and he tested and passed under Michael Moore. I'm glad he's decided to come back to judging and I'm had him shadow for two CompREL events since he expressed interest. I look forward to working alongside him in future events and playing in events he gets to HJ.

A version of this review was also sent by email to Nicolette Apraez, following a discussion about COVID accommodations.

My thoughts on Anton and his progress:

We have worked together on many competitive events, and as community organisers. During the pandemic, he has definitely been an organiser within the community, for instance by organising digital meetings to brush up on things, and to start up events when they could be run again (he has a quarterly "release notes" meetup that he organises and that has come to be how I prep for pre releases nowadays). I've seen Anton on a team when I wasn't in it, judging something casual next to a comp rel event he was staffed for. I've been a floor judge for events with 100+ players where he's been the head judge two or three times, one of which included a player fainting and Anton keeping an impressive cool. I believe I have a good grasp of his strengths and weaknesses.

Anton is the other judge in town (apart from me at the moment) who is prolific at comp REL, and who players and judges already look to as the experienced competitive judge. He kicked off our comp rel season by judging a qualifier for a "nationals" tournament a few weeks ago before I was able to be fully vaccinated, so technically he now has more recent comp REL experience than I have.

He is also more or less the judge manager for the smaller LGS in town, where they previously didn't even have judges. Nowadays most of our greener L1s get their first solo judge pre-release experience there - a collaboration he's kept going through Covid, so that it wasn't lost when events started back up.

Anton would undoubtedly be a green L2 and need some acclimatisation to the larger comp REL events if/when they return to Europe, but that is to be expected. I would definitely be comfortable recommending him to test for L2. If he fails on "book knowledge" or "test nerves", then those will be the things he still need to work on and the test will tell us so.

I am happy to endorse Ethan. I have no doubt that they will be an asset to their community and JA as a whole. 

After speaking with Lucas, I have no doubt that they will be an asset to not only their community, but JA as a whole. I am happy to endorse them for L1. 

Richard, you're an awesome judge and a temporarily lapsed membership is no reason to keep you from Level 1.

Mr. Alfredo Jose De Leon or also know as AJ in the MTG world is a very fun and friendly approachable judge and in person in a professional way. He always making sure in REL that everyone is having fun at the same time helping old and new players learn the very complex mechanics of the game. He make sure he understand the situation and act accordingly. He also don't deny that he still learning and we all know that learning never stop, and that make's him a good judge knowing what is your weaknesses and strength and make room for more improvement.

This review is just a reminder how great he is, Not only as a judge but being a MTG player as well. Keep up the good work and maintain the brand of a judge.

Advancement Recommendation

Sam Wiles

Sam,

As part of my advancement to level two I was evaluated in regards to the following three factors and I will use them in regards to my evaluation of you:

1. Would they be capable of running a PPTQ on their own?
2. Would they would certify judge candidates who would improve the program?
3. Would they be an asset to a team on the Main Event of a Grand Prix or Open?

I have worked with you previously on multiple events but these evaluations will focus primarily on the most recent two events we worked together, The Legacy Pit open (350+ person large event) and a full day of Victory Comics Midnight Hunt prerelease events.

1. Would they be capable of running a PPTQ on their own?

While I'm not sure PPTQ's exist at the store level anymore, I am going to evaluate your ability to run medium sized competitive level events at the store level.

You displayed great initiative and communication skills as part of the deck check team at The Legacy Pit open. We were using an online system for deck lists that all of the deck check team was unfamiliar with. Despite me being the team lead, you and your teammate took the initiative to set up the computers and work with the head judge and tournament staff to learn how to post deck lists for coverage and access deck lists for the deck checks. Further, you communicated directly with the tournament organizers throughout the day as new issues with the system arose to make sure that the issues were resolved for previous rounds. Communication and problem solving are very important skills to have when running your own events as things will go wrong and you need to find effective solutions in a timely manner.

I was able to directly observe your ability to run events during the prerelease events as I tried to step back and let you do most of the major tasks. The events ran smoothly all day due to your execution of critical event tasks such as keeping track of round times, posting pairings, etc. Even when there were small hiccups you were able to deal with them smoothly. For example, during one round you forgot the start time but were prepared for how to rectify the situation by checking the time pairings were posted. This again demonstrates your ability to adjust and deal with issues that may arise.

I noticed there were a few times you got distracted during the event. You always recovered quickly though if I noted you needed to do something or a player called for a Judge. However, this is an area you can try to improve upon in the future, especially if you are running your own event. One of the more important aspects of event running I learned from my mentor was always try to think about what the next major task is in the back of your mind to keep things running smoothly.

In conclusion, I’d be comfortable referring you to a tournament organizer to run his or her event.

2. Would they certify judge candidates who would improve the program?

This is not something you and I talked about directly at either event. However, based on our interactions, I think you would be able to evaluate other judges and choose good candidates. From our interactions I could tell you actually cared about Magic as a game, being a Judge, and fostering a community atmosphere at the events. For example, I saw you taking time to interact with the players outside of Judge calls, including helping a player with card choices for a commander deck and the process of becoming a Judge.

I also saw that you took pride in your rules knowledge. We had multiple discussions throughout the day regarding policy changes, rulings, etc, including trying to sort out exactly rules wise how day and night worked despite not having the full comprehensive rules available at the time so that we could deliver accurate rulings.

You also showed compassion for you team mates at the Legacy pit open. The other member of the deck check teams was uncomfortable due to the flickering lights. You took the initiative to help escort them to a more comfortable location. You also followed up with us to make sure the Judge could be compensated so they could leave the event.

I think these aspects are part of what make you a good Judge and will be useful in guiding you when selecting other good Judge candidates.  Since mentoring is an important aspect of being a level 2 Judge, I recommend you take some time to think about what makes someone a good judge and what qualities to look for in a candidate.

3. Would they be an asset to a team on the main event of a Grand Prix or Open?

You were an asset on my deck check teak for the Legacy Pit Open, which while not as large as most Opens was still a large event. Specifically, as discussed above, you were able to deal with the technology portion of the deck check logistics without my involvement which made my role as team leader easier. Further, you were always ready at the start of the round to post decklists for coverage and pull decklists for deck checks. You also transitioned seamlessly each round from deck checks to covering the floor to support the event.

While the last two aspects may not seem critical, being where you need to be and following instructions are key to the execution of large events and your hard work was noticed. I had players talk to me after the event regarding your performance and players were happy with your attentiveness during the event regarding answering calls. This to me is a great sign that you would be an asset to a large event as it indicated that you cared about the event and delivered excellent customer service which both players and tournament organizers greatly appreciate.

I was also impressed with your ability to deliver rulings during both events. During the Legacy Pit Open there was a call involving a batterskull played by a player for 5 despite having his own Thalia in play (making it cost one more). You consulted me regarding a potential back up. I mentioned that while it was a reasonable mistake, since the player who made the mistake is also the one getting an advantage we should ask a few more questions. When you went back to the table you asked meaningful questions that helped us determine it was most likely just an accident.

I also thought you did a great job during the prerelease at delivering rulings. We had to deliver multiple rulings regarding day/night cycles and had a question regarding phasing. The timing of the some of the aspects were technically challenging rules wise but you did a great job of explaining both the technical side as well as making sure that the players effectively understood what that meant in terms of the game.

Conclusion

Based on the three criteria I laid out at the beginning of this review, I believe you’ve demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and attitude to be an outstanding level two judge, and am recommending you for advancement.

Shea has been a member of the Southwestern Ontario magic scene for several years as a respected competitive player. During the pandemic, Shea has been studying ruthlessly and working through all of the Judge Academy modules in order to achieve Level 1 Judge status. I have full confidence in his abilities, rules knowledge, and professionalism to be a judge in the magic community. I have recently witnessed his rules knowledge and player interactions first hand at FNMs and know the community would be enriched by his presence as a Judge. Good luck (have fun!) on your exam, Shea - the community is lucky to have you!

Davi, você demonstra um excelente engajamento da comunidade, com grande interesse em fomentá-la, além disso já é uma referência em conhecimento das regras no seu local de atuação.

O interesse em aprender e servir a sua região como um todo são pontos fundamentais para o desenvolvimento de um bom juiz e acredito que Davi possui todas as competências necessárias para este novo desafio.

Portanto o recomento para o nível 1, baseando-me em torneios aos quais estivemos juntos, em todo o acompanhamento que venho fazendo à comunidade local nos últimos anos e por sua paixão e a forma como ele ajuda a sua comunidade, sendo um símbolo de liderança exemplar.

Ciao Carlo, abbiamo arbitrato 7 tornei insieme e hai dimostrato di aver appreso tutte le lezioni ed accorgimenti che ti ho insegnato io ed altri arbitri di livello 2 o 3. Ci sono ancora cose da migliorare ma le perfezionerai con il tempo.

Due consigli

Ricorda di leggere sempre attentamente le carte prima di dare il ruling, spesso capita di dar per scontata una carta conosciuta ed invece é proprio quella che frega.

Ricorda di apparire sempre sicuro e deciso nelle risposte che sai . Se dimostri insicurezza potrebbero appellarsi nonostante la tua risposta sia quella giusta.

Dal primo torneo hai fatto notevoli cambiamenti e sei pronto per continuare la strada per diventare L1.

Ci vediamo presto in torneo!

Ricardo is a very valuable resource to the local community as well as the judging community. Even before certifying, he has dedicated tons of resources and time to making sure that the community stays informed and educated, and makes a huge effort to creating an space where everyone can feel comfortable and happy.

His main skills are definitely mentoring as well as learning rapidly, which he takes advantage of by communicating to players/judges whenever he feels the need to do so. His enthusiasm to become a part of the Judge Academy has been notorious, always looking for additional resources and working hard to get answers to any questions and challenges he faced.

Ricardo will be a great addition to the judging community and I'm really looking forward to working with him as soon as possible, his growth has been noticeable and impactful since the last time I had the opportunity to work with him.

Keep working on policy and trying to tackle everything that comes to you!

Congrats, Ricardo, keep up the great work!

I am happy to endorse Liam for Level 1. He has shown a good grasp of the rules, taken quickly to tournament logistics, and , most importantly, exhibits a remarkable drive to learn and improve. Volume and confidence in rulings will improve in time and I encourage him to attend a couple large competitive events when possible to better understand that scene, but Liam is ready to hit the ground running. Welcome to Judge Academy!

I meet Chema (José María) many years ago, and I hace seen him both in competitive and casual environment, always promoting a friendly and fairly play. With +25 years playing, now he is looking for more knowledge and experiencies not as a player but as a judge (for example, by participating on international events and living the "other side" of a tournament). I think his perspective as a player can help other judges to improve their service, at the same time he understand how the judge community is organized and managed.

恭喜你通过了L1裁判的课程。据我了解，南通牌店还没有一名认证裁判，希望你成为一级裁判后，能紧密和当地社群沟通交流，融入南通牌店和牌手社群中。

I am happy to endorse Stephen. They will be an asset to judge academy and their community as a whole! 

Joe is exceptionally patient and kind, he is a vital force in his community. Joe is a great steward of the game and understands fair play and applying the JAR to fix game states. Would gladly have Joe work my prereleases, run learn to play demos, etc.

I have worked with Chrissie as she has gone through the process of becoming an L1, and I feel that she is a great candidate to have as an L1 judge. Chrissie has a good knowledge of the rules of the game, and is always eager to learn new information. She works as a teacher by trade, and as such has years of experience in working with others in a social setting, and should be able to use these skills to thrive as a judge. I look forward to seeing her develop further as she grows as a judge!

2021/10/9に、リミテッドで行われる競技イベント（リミテッド神挑戦者決定戦）で、フロアジャッジとして勤務した際の様子から、レベル２試験を受ける準備が整っていると判断したため、Recomendationを残します。

I have known Khair for many, many years at this point as part of the Magic: the Gathering community in Madison, WI. He knows what he wants from events, having participated in many himself at various levels of organized play, and I expect is eager to deliver that for others to maintain the standard that the Madison community has grown accustomed to. Khair has always been personable, welcoming, and focused and these traits will serve him well.

I endorse Khair Lambaz for L1.

I had the pleasure of recently working with Luke at a Modern Comp REL event. He is very knowledgeable when it comes to the game and rules interaction. He has a solid grasp of event flow and when to do assigned tasks without being explicitly told. 

Areas of improvement: 

(*) Be more sure in yourself and your rulings. You know what you are doing and if you are wrong, correct the error, learn, and move forward. 

(*) Take your time with rulings and be more deliberate. Rushing to a ruling removes time to investigate what is truly happening in a call. 

(*) Build a flow for how you handle calls, much like you have built a flow for how you operate the tournament logistics. 

Areas of strength: 

(*) Solid rules knowledge and can explain interactions very well.

(*) Excellent customer service skills in delivery of rulings and answers. 

(*) Very reliable and fun to work with. 

I definitely recommend Luke for L1 Judge Status. I look forward to mentoring you and seeing how you grow into your potential. 

I know this user, I have helped him guided him in the preparation for the L1 exam, we have exchanged some emails and comments about rules and policy, and he looks well prepared, interested in learning what he was missing, and having a good understanding of the reasons behind rulings. 

He intends to be a reference point for his playgroup and LGS, and I think he will do good in that role.

I definitely endorse him for taking the L1 exam.

Jesus' has already been acting in the role of a judge at his LGS, where there currently is no L1 actively working. He will soon be moving to a larger area and expressed the desire for certification in order to work with stores in his new area. His demeanor when representing himself as a judge is friendly, and could benefit from a bit more confidence in his rulings. This is something that will come with study and practice. He also understand that judging is a service, and that compensation is important. With gained experience, Jesus has the potential to be a great L1.

Jesus: You have a strong desire to help your community and provide an important resource that you see is missing. Continue to study and gain confidence in your knowledge, and always be looking for ways to improve beyond minimum expectations. With more experience, you will learn to apply rules and policy in real time. Keep the JAR handy and try to review it before each event until you have it memorized. This will help you to confidently apply the best fix for most situations without question. Always be learning, and go judge some events!

After a short conversation about aspirations, hopes, and desires to accomplish in this program, I can wholeheartedly say I endorse this candidate for L1. 

I had the pleasure of meeting this judge tonight. His rules and policy knowledge exceeds what I expect of an L1 and he is genuinely interested in creating a positive play environment at Vault Games in Brisbane.

I had the pleasure of meeting this judge tonight. His rules and policy knowledge exceeds what I expect of an L1 and he is genuinely interested in creating a positive play environment at Vault Games in Brisbane.

I had the pleasure of meeting this judge tonight. His rules and policy knowledge exceeds what I expect of an L1 and he is genuinely interested in creating a positive play environment at Vault Games in Brisbane.