Competitive Operations: Stage RefereeAt — Riot Games

Tasks:

Liaise between Players and the Head Referee, communicating clearly to both parties, ensuring Players have needed information and issues are escalated to the Head Referee. 

Manage access to the Match Area during an active show, and ensure everyone on stage is following integrity requirements (such as not having a personal electronic device) 

Administer the pre-match checklist and gather ready checks from Players

Keep a lookout for any issues on stage, from in-game bugs to physical hazards and beyond

Coordinate with Teams and internal staff to facilitate timely transitions between games and matches

Maintain familiarity with the Bug List provided by Competitive Operations staff

Help test the Tournament Realm and equipment for any issues during rehearsal days and on gamedays

Training:

- We have a Stage Referee orientation at the beginning of the year.
- We have a retrospective at the end of each show, where we identify challenges and work as a team to resolve them.

Specifically-
• For this role, there is a 1-day shadowing period where a new staff member will follow along with an experienced staff member
• We have a yearly summit where we provide an overview of

Learning Outcome:

By the end of the academic internship, the student will be able to:

- develop advanced communication skills tailored for high-pressure environments. They will learn to act as a critical liaison between talent (pro players) and leadership (Head Referee/Operations), practicing how to de-escalate conflict and deliver clear, concise instructions during time-sensitive situations.
- practical experience in hardware and software Quality Assurance. They will learn to identify, diagnose, and report technical anomalies (bugs, equipment failure) within a specialized network environment (Tournament Realm), enhancing their ability to troubleshoot proactively before issues impact a live production.
- Develop cross-functional collaboration skills by working with internal stakeholders across several shows to execute a live show.