I had a strange feeling today. A feeling that’s new to me at the end of a long weekend on a big event. I felt competent. Not ‘I barely survived another weekend.’ Not ‘At least no one noticed how many calls I punted.’ Not ‘Thank goodness for my team lead who saved my rear on that call.’ I articulated it at the judge party by saying, “Wow, I don’t think I punted a call all weekend.”
Feeling competent encompasses a lot more than getting calls right and not making mistakes, but I’ll get to that in a minute. First, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate my correctness. Rules have presented a challenge for me. I’ve struggled to understand the concepts that make the game work and grappled with the complex terminology used to convey precise details about each situation. Over the last few months I’ve put a lot of extra effort into this area and with the assistance of mentor Nate Hurley, I’m finally starting to see results.
It came on subtly at first. When I started out as a brand new judge, I’d answer a judge call hoping for a bathroom time extension request or Oracle text of a card whose name I could spell. Trepidation filled me each time a player raised their hand. Slowly, over the months and years, I’ve felt a change. I’d take a call, and the answer would slide unbidden into my thoughts. I didn’t trust myself, and would rush to confer with a colleague only to be surprised that my inkling was correct. Over the past few months that feeling has evolved. Now a player’s call triggers excitement and an opportunity to provide assistance. I listen to the situation with a deeper understanding of which factors matter and know what questions to ask. The answer flows from my brain like a natural phenomenon. I know what I can handle and when to ask for help. I welcome chances to learn along with the players when situations get complicated or interesting.
I feel it in my mannerisms at the table. I go through a standard greeting setting the tone for the call while taking a look at the board state. I understand the player’s need and ask the opponent’s input if relevant. I consider if there is an infraction and assess the appropriate penalty, remembering to consider upgrades and downgrades. I apply fixes after a clear explanation to the players. I don’t forget to note time extensions and check for understanding before moving on. (Thanks Mikhail Chernov for helping me understand and master my steps to taking a judge call.)
What felt remarkable to me this weekend was the fact that each call felt routine. I knew my steps and executed them confidently. While doing so I was able to focus on the heart of the call and clearly understand the issue or problem facing the players. I’ve been working on my technique for a while, but marrying it with comfort with the rules as well felt new. It freed my mind to consider cheating more carefully, to seek better questions to ask, and to stay alert for potential pitfalls along the way.
I approached each call with the skills and the knowledge to handle it, and that gave me the confidence to enjoy the work more than ever before. That does not mean that I didn’t confer with my colleagues! In fact, I found myself doing so quite often, but with a different tone than before. I was no longer seeking rescue, but confirmation. I was suggesting the fix and saying, "Does that sound right?" I was discussing corners of policy rather than struggling to follow the discussion.
In an interesting twist, many times I was consulted by other judges. Sometimes a quick drive by ‘this works this way, right?’ and sometimes a more complex request to join them at the table. Being seen by my colleagues as a person they can turn to for help is one of the highest honors I have ever received as a judge.
Outwardly I appeared the same, but inside, I could feel the difference. I could feel the competence.
