What judges look for: Avoiding common rules violations

Understanding what judges look for when preventing common rules violations is less about memorising clauses and more about recording the game correctly. A judge needs a clear position for every operative, a defensible order of actions and the current mission requirements. With those points visible, most disputes can be settled quickly and fairly.

Preparation also depends on the event, because a packet, organiser addendum or correction may change procedures. Players should know which rules edition applies, bring reference material and ask at the briefing when wording is uncertain. Judges aim for consistent rulings, not personal preference, so every ruling should be explained in terms another player can apply.

Rule area	What the judge checks	Frequent avoidable fault
Model and loadout	Legal operative, correct card, weapon and equipment	Using an unapproved model or extra weapon
Deployment	Correct roster order, legal starting positions and markers	Crossing a boundary or deploying the wrong operative
Movement	Legal destination, charge route, coherency and adjacency	Measuring from a weapon tip or scenic base
Actions	Correct target, timing, trigger and effect	Resolving reserve, ready or overwatch in the wrong order
Objectives	Mission conditions, marker placement and scoring window	Awarding points before the scenario permits
Game state	Visible wounds, cards, tokens and dice sequence	Removing a marker before its result is settled

The standard behind every ruling

Judges protect equal conditions and a usable game record. A sound ruling identifies the rule, the facts and the consequence. A clear error, such as a misplaced casualty marker, can often be corrected immediately. A disputed sequence requires more care: the judge hears both accounts, applies the published wording and gives a decision that can be repeated elsewhere.

The governing material is the current rules set, operative datasheets, packet, errata and official clarifications. Organiser instructions may add procedures, but should not casually replace a game rule. A community reference such as the FM2012 reference can provide a second reading aid, although the event’s current material controls the ruling.

Consistency matters more than eloquence. Explaining that a shot failed because the operative lacked line of sight helps players prevent the error later. Intent may matter when an event applies a penalty, but it does not change which action was legal. Where local rules allow a warning, replay or formal penalty, the judge should state which option is being used.

Deployment and tabletop setup

Deployment exposes roster and setup problems before the first action. Every operative needs a legal model, correct faction and stat card, identifying marker, and only the weapons or equipment allowed by that operative. Character models and special equipment are no exception. Where events permit proxies, organisers must approve them in advance; a visually similar model is not automatically legal.

Players in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane can inspect current kits at local games stores before travelling to an event. Independent shops and online preorders make specialist minis easier to find, but stock can be tight after a release and some character or weapon bundles remain scarce. Check the packet, roster and physical equipment together rather than assuming an incompatible substitute will be accepted.

At deployment, follow the scenario’s order, starting positions and reserve procedure exactly. Check bases and markers against stated boundary requirements, including special deployment conditions. Supplied walls, crates and symbols must be placed as directed, and board orientation must match the mission diagram. If setup is wrong, raise it before the opening bell rather than allowing either side to gain from it.

Movement, charges and line of sight

Position measurements are a frequent source of avoidable breaches. Most distances are taken between bases or points named by the rule, never from a weapon muzzle, token or scenic base unless the text says so. Australian players may prefer a metric ruler, yet rulings use the scale printed in the rules. Place the measuring tool at the destination rather than dragging the operative and declaring a different endpoint.

Movement creates legal questions about paths, charges and positioning abilities. A charging operative must identify its target, move towards it by the permitted route and stop no farther than allowed; zig-zagging to gain another model’s sight is not legal. Falling back, dashing, repositioning and moving into coherency each retain their own conditions. Judges examine the final position, not whether it appears roughly close enough.

Line of sight and weapon range need separate checks. A weapon may reach a target while terrain blocks the shot, and a clear view does not make an out-of-range shot legal. Visibility is generally judged from the operative’s eye or another point allowed for that model, not the end of its gun. Test distance and sightline before rolling, especially where crates, walls or ruins have been added.

Shooting and action sequence

An attack is legal only when its whole sequence is legal. The player needs the operative and weapon available, an allowed target, satisfied range and visibility, and any required modifier declared before rolling. Reserve, ready and overwatch actions also depend on their stated triggers and timing. Applying a bonus early or resolving one effect before a required step can turn a promising attack into a breach.

Target selection deserves special attention. An ordinary shot does not automatically reach every model on the tabletop: character protection, operative states and weapon abilities can affect who may be targeted. Explosives may also threaten friendlies, and friendly models are not generally immune to blast effects. Mark damage correctly, keep casualty status visible until the relevant step, and do not reposition a miniature merely to manufacture a better angle.

Character abilities and team rules are checked just as closely. A character action may require a specific position, charge or adjacency, while some abilities can be used only once per activation. Cards and markers must be shown or recorded as the scenario requires. Broadcasts and replays on Kill Team Stream can clarify these interactions, but the organiser’s packet and ruling remain decisive for the event.

Missions, objectives and scoring

A mission is a rules set as much as a scenario. Before the first round, read the card for deployment, map symbols, primary and secondary objectives, scoring windows and tie-breaking conditions. Judges and players should point to the same symbols, since familiar-looking terrain can change the legal approach or scoring position. Resolve questions about orientation or a missing diagram before anyone moves.

Objectives have precise conditions. Holding, capturing and scoring may depend on an operative’s location, the number of operatives, a marker, or the moment the round ends. Players should not award themselves points during play or assume that touching a marker completes a capture if the wording requires something else. The judge or scorekeeper records the result and checks it against the mission card.

Some events add hidden objectives or a separate scoring sheet, increasing the need for disciplined information control. Secret information should remain with those entitled to know it, while public objectives and markers stay visible. At the end of a turn or round, pause long enough for the judge to verify the board before points are finalised. This prevents a visually convincing but technically unmet objective from entering the result.

Dice, markers and game records

A judge must be able to reconstruct the game from the tabletop. Tokens, player aid cards, mission markers, wound indicators and casualty markers should each have an agreed meaning and remain visible. Avoid unmarked counters or overlapping effects that conceal whether a condition applies. If a card changes a rule, orient and identify it as required; an ambiguous pile of paper gives the next player no reliable picture.

Dice need a clear chain of custody. Roll them where everyone can see, count the relevant result, and keep attack rolls, damage rolls and casualty effects separate until their order is resolved. Do not gather or reroll dice merely because the result looks surprising, or remove a die before opponents have seen it. With simultaneous rolls, the judge may need to reconstruct whose result produced a later effect.

A disagreement should be raised at a safe point, before the next dependent action. Describe the exact sequence and identify the wording in question; broad claims that a move was “illegal” make a ruling less precise. The judge may correct a clerical error, issue a ruling, or use a reroll or replay procedure if the event permits one. Recording the decision and any table modification prevents the same issue returning when scores are checked.

Tournament-day practice in Australia

Australian tournaments often meet in suburban hobby stores, community halls or convention rooms with folding tables and mixed terrain. Uneven surfaces can alter a model’s apparent height or sightline, so judges should level the battlefield and verify board edges before play. Saturday events often mean public-transport journeys, long car trips and players bringing their own lunch. Packing water, securing loose dice and allowing setup time prevents avoidable penalties.

Commercial details also sit within Australian consumer expectations. The Australian Consumer Law can apply to paid entries, prize promotions and other representations made by businesses or organisers. Prices should be clear in Australian dollars, and advertised inclusions, refunds, prize conditions and cancellations should match what the event provides. Judges should pass credible payment or prize issues to the organiser rather than treating them as game rulings.

Livestreams and photography add another Australian responsibility. Organisers should account for applicable state and territory privacy and recording rules, the Australian Privacy Principles where applicable, and the reasonable expectations of players and spectators. Clear filming notices, sensible camera positions and consent for close-ups or minors reduce problems, while contact details and private conversations should never appear in a broadcast. At the final bell, the strongest result is a game whose positions, rolls and scores remained clear enough for both players and the judge to accept without argument.