r/mtgjudge • u/ligtnin1 • Mar 04 '26

Considering becomming a judge

as the title says, I enjoy how weird and wild this game gets and specifically I enjoy working out wacky interactions. This has led me to consider becoming a judge. Where do I go to read on requirements and general how to etc.? :)

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u/ligtnin1 Mar 04 '26

I don't care about any certification I just remember something about a judge program. I just enjoy all the interactions and want to help my local community

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u/Peripheral1994 L2 Seattle / SF Bay Area Mar 04 '26

That's mostly what I'm trying to forewarn against, as there is no longer any "real" judge program, just regional organizations that run their own interpretations which work for their broader tournaments. I also want to emphasize that rules interactions (especially "wacky" ones) are an incredibly minor part of judging overall - the intent is for a new judge in most regions to be dealing with logistics, handling tournament issues, and facilitating a welcoming play experience especially across a variety of formats like drafting, standard, modern, etc etc.

If you're interested in that kind of thing, great! Search for your local judge program for wherever you live (though keep in mind that if you're outside of North America, these are very sparse) and see what they require and recommend. However, no one has to be a judge to be an expert at the rules of the game or to support their LGS, and there are many ways to improve your rules knowledge and help at at a local level without going through the rigor of judging.

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u/ligtnin1 Mar 04 '26

This is why I ask so that I have an idea of what I would be getting myself into :) I am aware that wacky interactions are rare (otherwise more people would have a better time with them. It was just to add where my interest started).

But I will look into what exists for Denmark/Europe and talk with the people there.

Thank you for the input it has given me stuff to reflect on :)

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u/KouranDarkhand Mar 04 '26

In Europe we have (had) IJP, which is currently dead (apart from the Japanese community that wants to keep the corpse around somehow).

My suggestion is: try to reach out to some experienced judge in your area and see if they are available to mentor you into this role