The Judge Program for Star Wars™: Unlimited - A Brief Overview
The Judge Program for Star Wars: Unlimited is designed to create a structured and progressive certification system for judges, starting with an optional Apprentice rank and culminating at Level 5. Each level builds on the previous one, gradually increasing expectations in rules knowledge, policy understanding, and tournament operations expertise.Apprentice
The journey begins with the Apprentice rank, where candidates acquire basic knowledge of the rules and are taught how to teach and explain the game effectively. Apprentices are not expected to have any knowledge of policy or tournament operations. The training for Apprentices consists of six lessons that cover an introduction to the Judge Program, key game concepts, card anatomy, game structure, action timing, and how to teach the game.
Exam
- 15 Question exam
- Rules Questions: 15
- Time Limit: Untimed
- Cooldown: 30 Days
Level One
Level 1 (L1) judges form the majority of certified judges. They are responsible for head judging Relaxed-tier events such as prereleases, weekly events, and Store Showdowns. At this level, judges are expected to have a core understanding of the rules, basic policy, and tournament operations knowledge. They should be able to run events with up to 32 players comfortably. The curriculum for L1 judges includes lessons covering comprehensive rules, tournament operations, software usage, and floor rules.
Minimum Requirements
- Judged a minimum of two Relaxed-tier events
- Received an endorsement from an FFG-partnered Tournament Organizer or an L2+ judge
Standard Recommendations
- Judged a Constructed Relaxed-tier event
- Judged a Limited Relaxed-tier event
- Judged a minimum of three Relaxed-tier events
- Received an endorsement from an FFG-partnered Tournament Organizer or an L2+ judge
Exceptional Qualifications
- Judged a Prerelease, Store Showdown, Weekly Play, and Side Events at a Destination event
- Judged at least two Constructed and two Limited Relaxed-tier events
- Judged a minimum of five Relaxed-tier events, with an endorsing mentor present and observing for at least two of those events
- Received one or more endorsements from an FFG-partnered Tournament Organizer or an L2+ judge
Exam
- 25 Question exam
- Rules Questions: 15
- Policy Questions: 6
- Logistics Questions: 4
- Time Limit: 75 Minutes
- Cooldown: 30 Days
Level Two
Level 2 (L2) judges are local Competitive-tier judges who are qualified to Head Judge competitive events at the store level from sixteen to sixty-four players. They also serve as floor judges at larger events, from Planetary Qualifiers all the way to large destination events like Regional Championships. L2 judges are expected to have intermediate knowledge of rules, policy, and tournament operations. The training involves lessons delving deeper into comprehensive rules, tournament regulations, and more complex rules scenarios.
Minimum Requirements
- Judged a minimum of three Competitive Tier events as an L1
- This includes both Official and Unofficial events
- Destination events with multiple tournaments count as only one tournament
- Submit your event history via the Applications page
- Received an endorsement from an L3+ judge or an FFG-partnered TO with the Competitive tier status
Standard Recommendations
- Judged a Constructed Competitive-tier event as an L1
- Judged a Limited Competitive-tier event as an L1
- Judged a minimum of two Competitive-tier events with an L2+ judge
- Judged a minimum of three Competitive-tier events
- Judged an event with at least two other judges on staff
- Head Judged an event with at least 32 players
- Received an endorsement from an L3+ judge or an FFG-partnered TO with the Competitive tier status
Exceptional Qualifications
- Judged at least two Constructed Competitive-tier events as an L1
- Judged at least two Limited Competitive-tier events as an L1
- Judged at a destination event with staff of six or more judges, including two or more L2+
- Judged a minimum of six Competitive-tier events
- Head Judged an event with at least 64 players
- Received one or more endorsements from an L3+ judge or an FFG-partnered TO with the Competitive tier status
Exam
- 25 Question exam
- Rules Questions: 8
- Policy Questions: 12
- Logistics Questions: 5
- Time Limit: 75 Minutes
- Cooldown: 90 Days
Level Three
Leadership Role
One of the requirements of L3 advancement is a number of “Leadership Roles.” For the purposes of advancement, a Leadership Role considered when you are the Head Judge of a competitive tier event with at least one Floor Judge assigned to you, Assistant Head Judge of a competitive tier event with at least two hundred players, or Team Lead at a destination event (Sectors, Regionals, Galactics, or other conventions) with at least one subordinate Floor Judge assigned to you.
A head judge role with no judges under your authority does not count towards this requirement.
Multiple leadership roles at the same destination event only count as one experience.
A judge being assigned to you means that you are responsible for directing them in tasks, ensuring task completion, and ensuring that they take their breaks.
Team leading side events or managing relaxed-tier events can count toward this requirement, as long as the other specifications are met.
Minimum Requirements
- L2 for at least six months
- Two leadership roles as an L2
- Have the L2 Mentor certification
- Have an approved Tournament Report
- Endorsement from a PQ TO or L4+ judge, and is someone who has not previously endorsed you.
Standard Recommendation
- L2 for at least a year
- Head Judge of a Competitive-tier event with 64+ players with two floor judges OR team Lead at a Destination event with at least two judges under your authority.
- At least three leadership roles as an L2
- At least six competitive tier events as an L2
- Have attended a Destination event (as player or judge)
- Have endorsed at least one L1 candidate
- Have written multiple Tournament Reports
- Endorsement from a PQ TO or L4+ judge, and is someone who has not previously endorsed you.
Exceptional Qualifications
- L2 for at least a year
- Have Head Judged at least two Comeptitive-tier events with at least 64 players and two judges assigned to you.
- Have Team Lead at least twice at Destination events with at least two judges assigned to you.
- Have been on a team assigned to: feature matches, end-of-round, deck checks, side events, and floor coverage at a Destination event
- At least eight competitive tier events as an L2
- Have endorsed multiple L1 candidates
- Have written multiple Tournament Reports
- Endorsement from a PQ TO or L4+ judge, and is someone who has not previously endorsed you.
Exam
- 25 Question exam
- Rules Questions: TBA
- Policy Questions: TBA
- Logistics Questions: TBA
- Time Limit: TBA
- Cooldown: TBA
Level 4: Large Event Expert
Level 4 (L4) judges regularly travel to large events and take on significant leadership roles. This is the stepping stone between Head Judge of Planetary Qualifiers (L3) and Sector Qualifiers (L5) - the jump from just over a hundred players to just over a thousand is significant in terms of intricacy in all aspects. They are expected to handle complex and rare rules and policy scenarios, and understand the philosophy behind policy to maintain a fair tournament environment. L4 judges also need advanced knowledge of rules, along with strong conflict management and diplomacy skills. Training includes lessons on advanced investigation techniques, event operations triage, handling appeals, and managing players in conflict.Level 5: Global Leaders
Level 5 (L5) judges are the pinnacle of the program, head judging large, multi-day events like Sector and Regional Qualifiers and the Galactic Championship. They are experts in rules, policy, and tournament operations, and they innovate new best practices. They also provide feedback directly to FFG on existing rules and policies. They mentor judges of all levels, fostering a knowledgeable and professional judging community globally. Their role is crucial in shaping and maintaining high standards across the Judge Program. At this level, no specific lessons are prescribed, instead, training focuses on practical experience and personalized feedback.
The Judge Program will have a structured path for judges to progress from basic demo running to global leadership. Each level requires a deepening understanding of the game's rules, policies, and tournament operations, ensuring that judges are well-equipped to manage and lead events of increasing complexity and importance. Through comprehensive training and practical experience, the program aims to cultivate a community of knowledgeable and skilled judges dedicated to maintaining a fair and enjoyable gaming environment.
Details regarding advancement for initial levels can be found on the advancement page.