Judge Foundry is a community-driven, mentorship-based nonprofit association for judges in the United States and Canada.
Our Mission
Judge Foundry forges high-quality tournament officials in the crucible of mentorship. We foster a member-driven community in the United States and Canada to create outstanding player experiences while providing judges the opportunities to develop and grow.
Our Vision
Judge Foundry will provide a training and certification program that will:
- Give judges a sense of pride, ownership and community that inspires them to invest in their peers and in their work.
- Give tournament organizers the tools and expertise to staff their events with high-quality judges focused on creating a positive experience.
- Give publishers confidence to create ambitious organized play environments for players at all levels.
- Give players a fair and fun tournament experience at every event.
Our Values
Quality
Above all else, Judge Foundry is focused on improving the quality of the work done by tournament officials. No judge is ever done learning, no method cannot be improved, and no task is too minor to be reexamined. Tournament organizers should associate Judge Foundry judges with people who will bring their best work to every event.
Mentorship
Judging is a craft that cannot be taught by just reading a text, and judges are expected to find mentors who will teach them, provide feedback to them, and challenge them. Judge Foundry members understand that teaching a skill is part of mastering a skill, and are expected to both mentor and seek out mentors to help them develop as judges.
Feedback
Judges grow through peer feedback, and judges are encouraged to provide constructive feedback liberally. We expect judges to be receptive to feedback and to accept it as a gift designed to foster growth. Judges should recognize when and how to deliver feedback for the best impact and to provide it honestly, with the intent of improving the recipient.
Fairness
Fairness is at the heart of what players expect from judges and at the heart of what judges expect from us. Judge Foundry strives to ensure that judges feel our decisions are unbiased, that we’re distributing resources equitably and that our certification and advancement processes balance accessibility and challenge.
Equality
Judging is for everyone, and we will not tolerate discrimination based on any identity. Judge Foundry will seek to provide opportunities for everyone to engage to the degree they seek to be involved, and to avoid barriers that would disadvantage any group.
Accountability
Judge Foundry is accountable to its members, to tournament organizers, to publishers and to players, with a duty to develop high-quality tournament officials who will make events efficient, fair and fun. Organizational officers will be evaluated by the member community to ensure that Judge Foundry’s direction is always in keeping with community values.
Transparency
There can be no accountability without transparency and we strive to keep stakeholders informed about our plans, our goals and our resources. Judge Foundry will seek to avoid NDAs, but where those NDAs are necessary for the advancement of our mission, we will do our best to provide the community with as much transparency as possible.