Can a judge (officially assigned as one) for a Summoner Skirmish also play in the event?

Ruling: No, a judge cannot play in a Summoner Skirmish. Judges can only play in Nexus Nights and Prereleases, which are Casual OPL events.

Nuances:

• Rule 303 states that if a competition official participates in an event, it must be run at Casual OPL, which is a prerequisite condition, not permission to downgrade an event
• Summoner Skirmish is set at Competitive OPL and cannot be downgraded to Casual OPL
• If a Summoner Skirmish were downgraded to Casual OPL, it would no longer qualify as a Summoner Skirmish and would lose its associated prizing (like the round one bye at regionals)
• Competitive OPL requires deck checks and decklists, which a playing judge would not have time to properly administer