Like sports officials, DCI judges have a distinctive uniform they wear while working. The black and white striped polo shirt conveys to tournament players a sense of professionalism and authority. Sure, you won’t be winning any fashion shows, but if someone needs to find you in a crowd of hundreds of players (most in black t-shirts), you will be spotted pretty quickly. They can be acquired at professional-level events.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- At small local events, it is usually not necessary to wear the judge polo. It can, however, add to the professionalism of the event.
- You should never wear it while playing, trading, or engaging in any activity that may suggest bias toward one player over another. This doesn’t mean you can’t talk to your friends, but when you’re acting as a judge, you should be professional and impartial.
- If you are not the head judge of a local event (like a Pro Tour Qualifier), check with the tournament organizer and/or head judge to see what attire is appropriate. Sometimes head judges prefer to be the only one wearing the DCI judge polo to make them more identifiable. Also, at events like prereleases, you may be asked to wear a specific staff t-shirt.
- At professional-level events, it is not the only part of the uniform. Judges will also be required to wear black pants (not jeans) and black shoes, and must keep the polo tucked in. At other events, the uniform standards aren’t quite as stringent, but always remember you are judged partly by how you look.
- Do not wear your judge shirt except when judging a DCI event. Do not represent Wizards at another company’s events (common respect) and similar is expected at WotC events.
- Only DCI Certified Judges with current memberships should wear DCI Certified Judge shirts. Serious breaches of the above is cause for immediate expiration of a judge’s membership.