Introduction

These levels are based upon the existing structure as run by Judge Foundry - https://www.judgefoundry.org/policies/levels/

• Judges who do not meet any level requirements are not certified as Judges.
• SvenskaMagic Judges has localized requirements for levels 1, 2 and 3 as outlined below that are equivalent to the Judge Foundry levels.
• Because SvMJ will be a small judge community and will be unlikely to have any level 4 or 5 judges as members, there are no localized requirements for levels 4 and 5 and instead we will support any Judges who wish to advance to those levels to do so through the official Judge Foundry structure.
• A judge’s level from prior to joining SvMJ will be used as that judge’s starting level provided that judge provides proof of their certification. We acknowledge levels from Judge Acadamy, JudgeApps, Judge Foundry, and International Judge Program.

A judge who advances to and/or maintains their judge level will receive the following benefits:

1. Use of the title Judge of their appropriate level
2. Access to all SvMJ resources and support of the appropriate level
3. Access to SvMJ projects of the appropriate level
4. For level 2+, the ability to certify and advance judges of lower levels

Level 1

Suggested Requirements to take level 1 test:

1. Be assigned a mentor.
2. Judge one event under the tutelage of said mentor.
3. When the mentor says “you are ready” you can take the level 1 exam.
4. Upon passing the exam, you’re a level 1.

Advancement

1. Endorsed by event organizer or level 3+ or lower level judge nominated by the Board
2. Choose one:

1. Run 1+ draft and 1+ sealed/constructed event
2. Run 3+ sealed/constructed events

3. Give opening and round announcements at an event
4. Receive and endorsement review from an L2+ judge (or lower level judge nominated by the Board until there is a sufficient number of L2+ judges) including:

1. Confidence and lack of major stress or distress giving a ruling
2. Understanding of Casual Play Philosophy
3. Understanding of JAR Serious Problems
4. Ability to create a plan for product distribution for a prerelease
5. Ability to recognize potential advantage when something goes wrong in a game
6. Mature behavior consistent with SvMJ values

5. Become a SvMJ member
6. Pass L1 exam with score of 70+

Maintenance

1. Pass the L1 refresh exam
2. Choose one:

1. Work 2+ events
2. Write or receive a review about involvement in events or the judging community

3. Maintain SvMJ membership

Skills

1. Knowledge

1. Passed the L1 exam, which covers the rules and handling common casual play scenarios
2. Understanding of casual play philosophy
3. Understanding of policy priorities in casual play
4. Understanding of Serious Problems

2. Event Skills

1. Basic understanding of running events in Eventlink
2. Ability to run a draft on their own
3. Ability to run a sealed or constructed event on their own
4. Ability to identify areas for potential advantage or cheating in judge calls

3. Leadership Skills

1. Involvement in their local community
2. Engagement with a mentor and understanding of the mentorship process mentors don’t have to be L2+
3. Able to command the attention of players at a casual event

4. Personal Skills

1. Ability to positively engage with players and create a welcoming environment
2. Ability to make clear announcements
3. Ability to give rulings with confidence and without major stress or distress
4. Mature behavior consistent with SvMJ values

Level 2

What is an SvMJ Level 2 Judge:

A level 2 judge is able to independently judge a smaller competitive event such as a local RCQ, and is able to participate in any role at a multi day event.

Suggested requirements to take level 2 test:

1. Same as level 1, but with a level 2 mentor. A few formal requirements for the mentor to tutor the candidate on, such as deck checks, Comp REL Policy etc.

Advancement

1. Write a review of another judge from an event where both judges worked. The review must contain detailed and actionable feedback.
2. Work 2+ Comp REL events with an L2+
3. Receive a recommendation review from an L2+, evaluating at minimum the following qualities and affirming that the candidate is ready for Level Two:

1. Technical performance at an event
2. Confidence in giving a ruling
3. Details of one policy related discussion from the event
4. Player engagement
5. Ability to perform a deck check

4. Pass an interview with an L3+ Judge (or L2 judge nominated by the Board until there is a sufficient number of L3+ judges) at a minimum the following evaluated items:

1. Choose one —

1. Understanding of the teams that may be used at a large competitive REL event
2. Understanding of the responsibilities of a head judge at a local competitive REL Event

2. Understanding of the philosophy differences between penalties (Warning, Game Loss, etc)
3. Understanding of how to turn over a round
4. Ability to distinguish between Unsporting Conduct situations (USC-Major vs USC-Minor vs no penalty)
5. Results of reflections from their recommendation review
6. Understanding of how to certify a judge for L1

5. Pass both the Level Two Rules exam and the Level Two Policy exam with scores of 80 or better, within a 2 month period.

Maintenance

1. Pass:

1. The annual L2/L3 rules refresh exam
2. 3 out of 4 set update quizzes

2. Pass the annual L2/L3 policy refresh exam
3. Choose one:

1. Work 2+ comp events
2. Work 6+ events
3. Write or receive a review about involvement in events or the judging community

4. Maintain SvMJ membership

Skills

1. Knowledge

1. Passed the Level Two rules exam, extensively covering comprehensive rules topics
2. Passed the Level Two policy exam, covering the IPG and MTR
3. Demonstrated the ability to discuss tournament policy
4. Demonstrated understanding of the the philosophical differences between penalties (Warning, Game Loss, etc)
5. Demonstrated the ability to distinguish between negative situations with players that result in no penalty, USC-Minor, and USC-Major.

2. Event Skills

1. Possessed experience judging competitive REL events
2. Demonstrated ability to perform a deck check
3. Demonstrated understanding of the teams at a large Competitive event, and/or head judging in-store competitive events.
4. Demonstrated ability to explain the steps needed to turn over a round
5. Demonstrated understanding of handling unsporting conduct situations

3. Leadership Skills

1. Provided written feedback to a peer to improve their performance at future events
2. Demonstrated ability to explain the steps of judge certification and to conduct a certification interview

4. Personal Skills

1. Positively engaged with players and create a welcoming environment, even in a competitive setting
2. Assessed penalties with confidence and without major stress or distress
3. Recognized and handled minor Unsporting Conduct situations.
4. Recognized and reflected on their own strengths and areas for improvement

Level 3

Board recommends level 2 judges for level 3 advancements.

Advancement

1. Work Events as a Level Two Judge

1. Work at least 4 multi-day events, at least 2 of which are outside of your own country. Swedish conventions count as multi-day
2. Be a member on a team that is assigned each of these tasks

1. Pairings
2. End of Round
3. Deck Checks
4. Scheduled Events or On-demand Events

3. Lead a small team with at least one other judge reporting to them
4. Choose one:

1. Work at a competitive event with at least 10 other judges and at least 300 players
2. Head Judge a Swedish Convention

2. Write two reviews

1. Must be from events that the candidate and the other judge both worked
2. At least one review must be of a L2+ judge
3. At least one review must be from a convention
4. At least one review must be from the past 12 months
5. Both reviews must have been written since the candidate advanced to L2
6. Both reviews must contain specific and actionable feedback.

3. Receive a recommendation review from an L3+, evaluating at minimum the following items and affirming that the candidate is ready for Level Three

1. Technical performance
2. Proficiency at giving a ruling
3. Details of one Policy-related discussion
4. Understanding of the importance of player engagement
5. Understanding of the team’s assigned tasks
6. Leadership and Mentorship skills

4. Receive additional endorsements from other L3+ team leads, head judges or TOs
5. Pass an interview with 2x L3s or an L4+ Judge including at a minimum the following evaluated items:

1. Understanding of all judge tasks at large events
2. Understanding of common upgrade paths for infractions
3. Understanding of how to handle appeals
4. Understanding of backing up games
5. Proficiency with technology tools common to multi-day events
6. Conflict management for players and other judges
7. Results of reflections on recommendation review
8. Understanding how to mentor junior judges
9. Understanding of how to certify a judge for L2

6. Pass the Level Three Policy Exam with a score of 80 or better

Maintenance

1. Choose one

1. Pass the annual L2/L3 rules refresh exam
2. Pass three out of four set update quizzes throughout the year

2. Pass the annual L2/L3 policy refresh exam
3. Choose two

1. Work at least 4 competitive events
2. Work at least 2 conventions
3. Head Judge a convention
4. Create educational content (ex: article, conference presentation, video, etc.), subject to approval by the board

4. Choose one

1. Write a self review
2. Receive an in-depth review, covering multiple events, from an L3+

5. Maintain SvMJ Membership

Skills

1. Knowledge

1. Passed the L3 policy exam, showing the skills necessary to handle competitive event judging independently
2. Demonstrated understanding of upgrade paths for infractions
3. Identified the difference between a partial fix, a simple backup and a full backup, and to describe considerations for each
4. Distinguished between Looking at Extra Cards and Hidden Card Error
5. Distinguished between Deck Problem and Decklist Problem

2. Event Skills

1. Demonstrated understanding of the tasks of all teams at competitive events.
2. Identified the steps needed to start a large competitive constructed tournament
3. Performed a card count as part of an investigation
4. Performed a deck check efficiently

3. Leadership Skills

1. Wrote a review with detailed and actionable feedback
2. Developed experience leading small teams
3. Developed experience head judging tournaments at large scale events
4. Developed experience working at conventions

4. Personal Skills

1. Demonstrated ability to positively engage with players and create a welcoming environment, even in a competitive setting
2. Demonstrated ability to recognize and handle all Unsporting Conduct situations.
3. Recognized and reflected on their own strengths and areas for improvement
4. Provided feedback for improvement to judges of lower, equal, and higher experience level.
5. Demonstrated ability to mentor other judges and support them in advancing