USQ Update
USQ Tournament Director Certification FAQ
USQ has officially opened signups for its Tournament Director Certification Program. This article addresses any questions you may have about the process.
USQ is excited to open signups for its Tournament Director (TD) Certification Program. In accordance with the 2014-2015 official game requirements, all official games must be organized by a USQ-certified tournament director.
To sign up for the TD Certification Program, please visit the link at the end of this article.
Why is TD certification required this year?
In order to ensure that all official events meet USQ requirements for safety and gameplay, that tournament directors are aware of the resources available to them and that event quality across the league continues to improve, every official event this season must be organized by someone who has received USQ tournament director certification.
What is the TD certification process?
The TD certification process consists of three steps.
1. All candidates wishing to attempt TD certification must sign up for the TD Certification Program at the link below. Candidates will be contacted with information regarding the training session that they will be required to attend.
2. Candidates will attend a one-hour online training session.
3. After participating in the training session, candidates will take a brief online assessment. The assessment will take around 30 minutes, depending on the speed of the test-taker. After passing the assessment, a tournament director is officially certified! If the candidate does not pass the assessment, they may retake the test.
Are experienced tournament directors required to receive USQ certification?
Yes, anyone who wishes to host any number of official games this season must receive USQ TD certification. While USQ understands that there are numerous members of the community with reputations for organizing outstanding events, the certification process is designed to accommodate candidates of all levels of experience. Candidates who demonstrate a long history of experience organizing quidditch events will be placed in a training session that takes their experience into account.
What information is covered during TD certification?
Information covered in training sessions will include: USQ policy requirements, setting overall event goals, working with outside groups, staffing and volunteers, budgeting, logistics, gameplay, safety, hospitality, marketing, crisis management and post-event follow up.
Training sessions will last no more than one hour. Beyond this time, USQ events department staff will be available to answer any questions or to offer additional training as requested by individual candidates.
Is a certified TD required for a single, official match between two teams?
Yes. Even though a single match is not technically a “tournament,” the USQ-certified TDs will be trained in gameplay policies, rules and safety requirements that are important for all official matches, so every official match, regardless of context, must have a certified TD present.
What are the expectations of certified TDs?
Certified TDs will be required to know official USQ gameplay policies and safety regulations in order to ensure that their events abide by these policies. The TD training sessions will also cover best practices in the areas of gameplay, logistics and facilities management, hospitality, marketing and volunteer management. This certification is not intended to be USQ’s endorsement of every aspect of a tournament run by a certified TD; rather, the certification process is intended to make sure that game organizers understand USQ policies and to establish a network of resources and information-sharing to increase the quality of events in the league.
Is there any additional cost to become a certified TD?
The TD certification process is free. If a candidate fails the certification test, there is no fee to retake the test; candidates will just need to wait one week before retaking the assessment.
To sign up for the TD Certification Program, please click here. Candidates will be contacted within one week with the date for a training session based on their availability.
Questions about the policy can be directed to tdcertification@usquidditch.org.
