Even if you're a rules guru, and even if you know the MTR, JAR and IPG by heart, running a real event might store some new things to learn. Table numbering, pairings distribution and end-of-round procedures have a great impact on a tournament. Do it right and everyone is happy. Do it wrong, and delays and unhappy players start to pile up. These unwritten skills and practices have been passed on from one judge generation to the next, and now it's your chance to improve at them as well.
Pre event
Get other judges (how many, how do you choose (apps?) who chooses-TO. What if the TO wants one judge?
Make sure that the TO has
Lands,
Checklists
Printer
Paper
Pens
Choose your TLs - align with them
Send a welcome letter with some generic info, schedule, expectations
Same day pre-event
WER installed?
Printer works?
Short Team meeting (you don’t need a big one since you sent that email)
Registration
Where to post
Prepare product, one display fits 8 set. Don’t forget checklists
Seat all players (alphabetically or random?) Random since friends/people with same last name won’t sit together
Announcements (structure, prizes, REL)
Deliver product (booster, checklist, pens?)
One side opens product, reveal rares
Other side opens product, reveal rares
Foil basic lands
Registration Starts (20’)
Players should sort by color and alphabetically
Collect trash
Fix orphaned sittings
5’ reminder (spot people that need help)
Registration Ends
Perform swap
Check each-other contents
Perform swap
Let people know that these are their cards
Write name, table number
Register only deck, but with basic lands
Building starts (30’)
Deliver lands to tables
Set up a land station
Set up a place to collect slips
Print pairings, sleeps, cut sleeps
Chose random table(s) for deckcheck
10’ reminder. Let people know that they should have chosen their colors
Put down sittings, do *not* throw them away
Building ends
Collect checklists, check lands, table number
Post pairings, deliver slips
R1 Starts
Perform Deckcheck
Perform Deckcheck
Put down Pairings (10’ before the end)
Assign judges to the tables with extra time
R1 finishes - Announce it
Make sure that all tables heard you by assign judges
Outstanding tables = outstanding results
Assign L2s to the very last tables
Go to the very last one
Print/Post pairings
Print/Deliver slips
R2 starts
R3 starts
Deckcheck team Break after deckcheck
R4 starts
Paper team Break after deckcheck (that’s probably include you)
Print standings
R5 starts
Print standings
R6 starts
Remind people about ID/concessions
Try Fake concessions
Setup top8
Prepare product
Top 8 announcement
Post standings
Draft
Draft announcement(Timed draft - Not talking, passing left)
Open first booster
Look the eyes
Collect trash after the 5th pick
60’’
Passing right
Open second booster
Collect trash after the 5th pick
90’’
Passing left
Open third booster
Collect trash after the 5th pick
Tell players not to talk
Build
Distribute checklists
Verify the legality of all the decks before the end of 30’ (No GL)
Top 8
No time limit - Slow play exists
Feedback and release judges
Don’t put people that could play each other side by side
Top 4
Feedback and release judges
Top 2