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2.1. Event Knowledge Responsibilities

Competitors, judges, and organizers involved in sanctioned tournaments are responsible for knowing and following the most current version of the V:EKN Tournament Rules and any other applicable regulatory documents, including the game rules and official errata.

All new cards and game rules go immediately into effect for V:EKN tournaments. Whenever a ruling is reversed or new errata is issued, the ruling reversal or errata doesn't go into effect for 30 days.

 

2.2. Tournament Organizer Responsibilities

The tournament organizer for an event is ultimately responsible for all tournament operations and event reporting for the event. The tournament organizer's responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

The tournament organizer may choose to delegate some or all of these responsibilities.

 

2.3. Player Responsibilities

Players must follow the rules interpretations and guidelines for play set forth by the V:EKN, the head judge, and other tournament officials. Players are expected to behave in a respectful and sportsmanlike manner at all times. Players who argue with the head judge or other tournament officials may be subject to the appropriate provisions of the V:EKN Penalty Guidelines. Players are not permitted to waive penalties on behalf of their opponents. The judge must ensure that the appropriate penalty, if any, is imposed.

 

2.4. Spectator Responsibilities

A spectator of a game is defined as any person other than a judge or an organizer who is not playing in that game. A player who is ousted from a game is considered a spectator for the remainder of the round. All spectators are expected to remain silent during the course of a game and are not permitted to communicate with players in any way while a game is in progress. Spectators who believe that they have observed rules violations should inform a judge, but they must not interfere with the game. Players have the right to request that any spectator not observe their game. All such requests must be made through a judge, who may grant or deny the request as he or she sees fit. The judge or organizer may choose to prohibit all specatators at any table(s) or round(s) of the tournament.

 

2.5. Judge Responsibilities

All judges have the responsibility to deliver fair, impartial rulings and to assist the head judge and other tournament officials in any area that is required to ensure a smooth tournament. Judges must take action to resolve any rules infraction (whether a violation of the V:EKN Tournament Rules or the game rules) they notice or that is brought to their attention.

 

2.6. Head Judge Responsibilities

Officially sanctioned competition requires the physical presence of a head judge during play to adjudicate disputes, interpret rules, assign penalties, and make other official decisions. The head judge may, with the tournament organizer's agreement, appoint any number of other judges to help in the performance of the head judge's duties and to perform other tasks the head judge may require. The head judge is responsible for reporting all warnings issued at the tournament to the V:EKN either directly or through the tournament organizer's event report.

The head judge and the tournament organizer can be, but do not have to be, the same individual. The head judge is the final judicial authority at any V:EKN-sanctioned tournament (see section 2.5 - Judge Responsibilities).

 

2.7. Appeals to the Head Judge

If players should disagree with a judge's decision, they are free to appeal the ruling to the head judge. The head judge has the right to overrule other judges' decisions. Players may not appeal to the head judge before the judge responding to the situation renders an initial decision. The head judge's decision is final.

 

2.8. Lengthy Rulings

If a judge uses more than one minute to make a ruling, he or she may extend the game time appropriately. The extra time must be clearly communicated and recorded immediately by the judge.

 

2.9. Multi-Judge System

The Multi-Judge System may be used at any non-qualifier, non-championship tournament with at least eight participants (i.e., having at least two tables). Organizers choosing this system must announce its use before the tournament begins and identify six judges as head judge, secondary judge, and third, fourth, fifth, and sixth judge. Organizers should use good judgement when selecting the Multi-Judge System and should ensure its use will not disrupt the event. Tournament organizers may only participate in events they sanction if they are using the Multi-Judge System. These types of events are the only ones in which judges and/or tournament organizers are allowed to participate.

When using the Multi-Judge System, the head judge makes all rulings, except when a decision is needed in a game in which the head judge was seated as a player. If a ruling is needed in a head judge's game, the secondary judge makes the call, except in games in which both the head judge and secondary judge were both seated, and so on. The only time the sixth judge makes a ruling is when the head judge, the secondary judge, and the third, fourth, and fifth judges are seated at a game.