Hi, you recently answered a question about prize splits and conceding matches, and it got me thinking about how the part about DQ'ing both players should be handled at Regular REL, particularly things like Game Day or Prereleases, when telling the players they just committed a serious infraction they possibly didn't know existed. Do have any advice about how a judge should handle this situation?
When it’s both players falling afoul of the bribery/collusion/improper match determination rules, it’s slightly easier to break the news since both players are receiving the same treatment. If only one player were being disqualified, it would be a more sensitive situation.
That’s not to say that disqualifying players for any reason is something that should ever be done without some sensitivity and the right handling, of course.
The best way to handle oblivious DQs like these is to educate the players. First of all, make it clear to them that they won’t be able to continue playing in that event, but with the venue’s permission they’re welcome to play further events that day. Next, help them to understand how bribery, collusion, and improperly determining a winner not only are bad for the event itself but also bad for organized Magic in general, either bringing it close to violating gambling laws and the like. i.e. Magic organized play can’t get itself anywhere near anything that even looks like gambling in order for events to be able to happen.