Magic is a game of rules and at any sanctioned event, a judge is there to ensure fair play and a safe environment. For years the Judge Program has been an integral part of Magic from Friday Night Magic to the Pro Tour to the World Magic Cup. Today on the Magic Judge blog the Magic Judge Hall of Fame was announced.

Much as the Pro Tour Hall of Fame recognizes excellence in game play, the Magic Judge Hall of Fame will enshrine those that have been exceptional judges. Candidates will meet the following requirements:

Any judge who is in good standing with the Judge Program and who has at some point held a Level 3 position will be eligible to vote. Ballots will have five slots and any candidate appearing on more than 40% of the ballots will be inducted. Judges will be, well, judged on five categories:

In order to account for the long history of the Judge Program, a number of catch-up votes will be held to give those who judged in the early days of Organized Play a chance to gain entry while not taking slots of more current judges.

The creation of the Magic Judge Hall of Fame also signals an end to the Judge Emeritus title, recognizing excellence in judging. The five holders of the title Judge Emeritus now constitute the first class of the Hall of Fame. They are:

Congratulations to the inaugural class!