NRG Series 2025 - Season 1 Head Judges

This is your chance to head judge the NRG Series for Q1/Q2 of the 2025. You may apply for as many or as few different weekends as you wish. Note, applications for floor judges will go out individually for each event.  This is for the advanced role of head judge only.

Please read, understand, and apply accurately as decisions will be made relying upon your answers. 

Expectations

Head judges are expected to be the final arbiter of appeals, assist with mentorship and training, and provide a fair and safe play experience at NRG Series events. Along with the duties listed in the MTR Head Judges will be expected to:

• Work together with the opposite day's Head Judge to create judge teams (Decks, Floor, etc.) for each day of the weekend.
• Communicate with Judges in the lead-up to the event (Discord, JudgeApps Forums, Email, etc.)
• As neccesary, train judges on the event tools utilized (Purple Fox, MTG Melee, Paper-cutter, etc.).
• Ensure all judges get full and half-round breaks over the course of the weekend.
• Head Judge their event to its completion (This can mean Saturday HJ arriving earlier Sunday to complete the top 8, or the Sunday HJ staying later to complete the top 8)
• Work closely with the Event Manager in dealing with player issue or escalation

Events

You may apply for the following events:

• 02/01/25 (Modern) in Elmhurst, IL 
• 02/02/25 (Team Trios Constructed) in Elmhurst, IL 
• 03/15/25 (Standard) in Madison, WI
• 03/16/25 (Modern) in Madison, WI
• 05/10/25 (Modern) in Mundelein, IL
• 05/11/25 (Pioneer) in Mundelein, IL
• 06/28/25 (Standard) in Indianapolis, IN
• 06/29/25 (Team Trios Sealed) in Indianapolis, IN

Compensation

Head Judges will be contracted for $350 for the day. It is very rare that the same judge will head judge the entire weekend. You will most likely HJ one event and Team Lead the other. The only way you will be scheduled for one day is if you express that specifically in your application and for logistic reasons that means you'll be head judging the Sunday event. Team Lead compensation is contracted at $325 for the day.

This means most head judges will collect $675 on a weekend. Compensation will be in the form of Paypal deposit upon the conclusion of the event provided completiong of the required tax paperwork (W-9 for US citizens).

Head Judges will get lunch provided by the NRG Series on the day that they are Head Judging. They will be given the standard $15 lunch stipend on the day that they are team leading.  

Do you want a 20% immediate "raise"?

You may receive store credit in lue of cash via PayPal and receive a 20% bump. Store credit may be spent at the vendor booth, in-store, at nerdragegaming.com, and by special arrangements at the Side Event Stage. 

Sponsorship

Nerd Rage Gaming offers hotel room staff sponsorship for Head Judges when required. Please indicate clearly if the shared room sponsorship is needed and for which days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night). In your application, you will have the opportunity to indicate your hotel room preferences for each event. You will be informed of your room assignments no less than a week before the event. 

Miscellaneous

• All questions or comments about this application can be directed to NRG Judge Manager Landon "Libby" Liberator at libby@nerdragegaming.com.
  
• Applicants will be notified on or before January 4th, 2025
• Applications for the NRG Series are historically highly competitive. If you apply and are not accepted this round, please apply again in the future!