Read your comprehensive rules. Read them twice. Then read them again. (thats how many times it will take to get every little thing) I was just at a PCQ and was floored at how many people were still basing their rules off of the starter deck rule book.. even the DC one. Remember the DC rulebook went to print *before* the Comprehensive came out. Also the judging was horrible. The judge that was coming to make the rulings had to get the rules explained to him before he actually made a ruling. On *three* seperate occations that I saw (one involving myself) he had to call on a cell phone people at UDE. Now that is extremely cool that they are available for this but HELLO. It made the PCQ run atleast 2 hours longer then it should have for the constructed rounds. Now I don't know if this is true but the rumor is that if you are a yugioh judge then you are automatically elligable for VS judging. (personally how I think this judge got it since he doen't play the game) That should not be the only pre-requsite.

Joey

Oh also people don't forget Relocation ... you have to discard a card from your hand when you flip it ... saw four occations of that not happening. People just flipped and took.

There is only one way to become a Level 1 VS judge, and that is to take the online test.

That being said, the online test is not that hard and you are allowed to have the rules in front of you when you take it.

This is the first season of PCQs, I'm sure as the game progresses, the judging will improve.

Good to know.

Just as a curiousity question do judges get anything for judging?

Just wondering what might possess someone who doesn't play the game to become a judge for the game?

Joey

I said this once at a PCQ:

Those who can... play.
Those who can't play... judge.
Those who can't play or judge... TO.

Hehe... just kidding. Many judges play also, they just can't play at a event they are judging. Most judges do it so they can actually learn the rules better... others do it because they like judging. There is some swag involved but that's all dependent on the TO and other factors and I don't think is really a determining factor for most judges (at least not for me).

Well, I qualified for the pro circuit and I'm a judge!

Unfortunately, I will be judging at the Pro Circuit, so my seat gets wasted ;-/

So here's the Firefly question... why would you judge instead of playing since you qualified?

Because I am a judge first, a player second. I judge because I love the game and I enjoy it.

and he's a rare exception - an unfortunate truth is that most of those who know the rules back-to-front are players over judges.

So any competent rules-masters out there who don't want to play in a PCQ (or on the PC) should haul themselves into the spotlight and sign up as a judge! The game needs good judges =)

I would be a judge but I unfortunatly have a complex that I have to be right about everything.. kinda why I am anal about knowing the rules. Because of this I sometimes lose sight that even if I am right that doesn't mean that the other person will see it that way right away. I tend to explain things a little forcefully and loud. (theatre background) thus people get defensive and it turns into an argument. Why I perfer to be a knowlegable player then a judge. Now If I could just learn to keep my mouth shut if someone doesn't ask me a question about a rule. So although I don't mind getting asked questions... its the players life for me.

Joey

Yo... ho... and a bottle of rum

Great answer.

I prefer judging too but there are times when I would rather play... like at Origins... feeling the excitment and watching the finals made me think... hey... that could be me.

Then I read all the Swiss round reports and the Top 8 reports and think... umm... mebbe not... hehe.

Knowing the rules really well makes it fun to judge but it also makes you want to play since you see a lot of mistakes by players who don't know the rules... to quote a movie...

"This is my gift... this is my curse".

Hehe.