Adam, from TFG Radio, here this weekend before Christmas, to give you the gift of my knowledge!
As I am sure most of you have noticed, Frontline Gaming has released a Code of Conduct that will, at the very least, be in affect at their events. There has been a lot of talk about the code of Conduct itself. I’ve been listening to podcasts that discuss how much it is needed and the different aspects of the code and ways that it will be implemented and enforced. These discussions are all well and good but I think there is one aspect of the code that people are not mentioning, reporting some of the violations to the judge or tournament organizer right away.
As I have mentioned before, I used to referee a lot for soccer. I officiated mainly for AYSO, but have also done game for club, and high school. In almost every season, there would be one circumstance that would occur, on or off the field, that would warrant sanction by either the referees or the governing body of the organization. The problem was that we would be told after the incident had occurred, and, more importantly, the person, or people, would not officially report it. As a result, it would be very difficult for us to curb the activity of the person in question. This same attitude occurs often at seen at tournaments. Not wanting to be “That guy”, thinking you were in the wrong, or playing against a “known” personality, are all factors that keep people from calling a judge over or reporting to a judge soon after the offense. This includes occasions when maybe the table next you has an issue but can’t be resolved without an outside person speaking up. This actually happened at an event in the past. During that time, unfortunately, although there were people around the table, no one apparent witnessed the actions in question so we had to judge by what we saw. I’m not even going to talk about the stories we hear from players either after an event, in team chat, or after a round. It can be very frustrating at times.
Ok, I’m not saying you need to report every little thing. We all know there will be those people that will try to use the code to work in their favor. The code actually has a provision for this so don’t try this, unless you want to be carded. It is important that you distinguish between things like an honest mistake, and a move or action that is in clear violation of the code. I know that it can sometimes be difficult to determine that. if you have a question about it, always let a judge know and let them decide if it warrants further action. Even if its after the round, its important to “officially” let the event staff know so that they have it on record. If you tell the staff but then tell them that “it’s no big deal” or that you don’t want to make it official, then that defeats the whole purpose of the code. So, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and let your opponent, and the officials know when you feel that they did something wrong. In the end it will help to create a better atmosphere for the tournament scene and help it grow even more.
That’s all for this week, I hope you enjoyed the read. Let me know your thoughts, and what you think about the Code of Conduct, in the comments section. Don’t forget to visit our Facebook, Twitch, and Patreon pages to stay up to date on what we’re up to and when episodes drop!
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
