When it comes to organising and running a Warhammer: the Old World matched play event, making sure that everyone involved is aware of their responsibilities helps to ensure that things run smoothly and, most importantly, ensures that everyone has a good time!

Organiser

Every event needs an organiser, the person responsible for the planning and execution of the event itself. It will be their responsibility to think of things like the gaming space, accessibility for players getting to and from the venue, terrain for the tables, appointing any referees, scorekeepers and spare players, as well as being available both before the event and on the day to answer any questions that might come up.

The organiser is in charge on the day, and all players and attendees must accept that the organiser has the final say and, though this should not have to happen, the right to penalise, expel or disqualify anyone for breaking the rules or behaving in an unsuitable fashion. It is also the organisers responsibility to check every player's muster lists, ensuring that they have been built to the correct specifications and there are no obvious errors.

Often, the organiser can serve as the referee and/or scorekeeper if they wish; though in larger events it is best to delegate these roles to other people.

Scorekeeper

Any matched play event will need someone to act as the scorekeeper, which again is often the organiser at smaller events. The scorekeeper is responsible for ensuring the results of every game from each round are collected and to rank the players after each round is complete. The scorekeeper is also responsible for pairing players up each round, making sure event attendees know who they are playing against and on which table they are playing.

Referee

Every event will need a referee, a role that can easily be fulfilled by the organiser at smaller events, but that, at larger events, should be delegated to others. It is the job of the referees) to enforce the rules of the game should the need arise, to answer any rules questions that players might have and to resolve any disputes in a calm and impartial manner. Accordingly, a referee should have a strong knowledge of the game's rules, and have a copy of the Warhammer: the Old World rulebook to hand, as well as copies of Ravening Hordes, Forces of Fantasy and any relevant Arcane Journals, as well as any other supplements or errata. During the course of a matched play event, a referees ruling is final and all players must honour the rulings of a referee.

Participation

Part of the fun of organising a matched play event lies in participating. However, at larger events it is advisable that not everyone involved with organisation take part. Questions can arise at any time and it is sensible to have a referee available to answer questions in a timely manner.

Spare Player

Should circumstances conspire to prevent a player's attendance, having a spare player on hand - someone able to step in and play a game against an attendee who might otherwise be stranded with no opponent - can prove invaluable. A spare player should not endeavour to win the event and cannot win any awards, but should provide their opponents with challenging and engaging battles.

If necessary, a referee, scorekeeper or the organiser can step in as a spare player, but it is advisable to have someone else ready to step in, the better to allow the organisation team to attend to their duties.

The Attendees

It can be odd to think of those attending a matched play event as having a role, but theirs is amongst the most important. Without attendees there can be no event! Each attendee is responsible for bringing their own miniatures, dice, rulebooks and other gaming aids. It is also expected that attendees will accept all of the tournament's rules, and familiarise themselves with the event's rulepack before attending.