How should a judge rule when 4 players at a skirmish tournament sit at the wrong tables and play incorrect matchups, with less than 5 minutes remaining when notified?

Ruling: At competitive level (skirmish), all four players should receive a match loss for improperly determining a winner. If table numbers are clearly assigned, only the two players who sat at the wrong table receive match losses, while the players who sat at their correct assigned table but played the wrong opponent would also receive match losses since their assigned opponents never arrived.

Sequence:

• Determine if table numbers were clearly assigned and unambiguous
• If table numbers were clear: issue match loss to the pair who sat at the wrong table under the rule for not arriving at assigned match
• If table numbers were unclear or not used: issue match loss to all four players since none arrived at their correctly assigned match
• Players are responsible for confirming their opponent's identity before playing

Nuances:

• At lower organized play levels, the judge might enter game wins for each player and allow draws if applicable
• Allowing an intentional draw to resolve the situation is not appropriate at competitive level
• Players should always verify their opponent's name or table number before beginning play
• Ambiguous table markings don't excuse the error, as players are responsible for confirming matchups