I wonder Who is the youngest person that has become a USCF TD?
I know several under-12 club TDs who mostly help out their parents at scholastic tournaments. Personally, I think there should be a minimum age to be a fully certified USCF TD, but there’s not.
That said, I have witnessed a 13-17 year old pull off several 30-50 player open (adults + kids) tournaments with just minimal help from his parents and experienced TDs. The events always ran on schedule and he handled the entries, pairings, rulings, prizes ($600+) and all of the related questions on his own. He even managed to attract masters–five of them at his tournament last summer!
No doubt he will put down his chess directing experience on his college applications this month. I am sure not too many other applicants can say that! 
Michael Aigner
I wonder how many college admissions officers will understand what being a chess tournament director means?
As I recall, we’ve had someone as young as 10 or 11 serve as the chief TD of a small tournament with no assistant TDs listed. (That doesn’t mean there wasn’t a more experienced TD watching over things.)
I think in my opinion that TD’s should be people who are 18 or older.
Maybe just UT-D and UMBC. 
Possibly TT. 
Antonucci wrote:
Players have reached the master rating years before turning 18. Which requires more skill? What would be the reason(s) that there should be an age requirement? One can drive a car before 18 where making an error could be fatal to the driver or someone else. There are no risks anywhere near that great from a young TD.
I can say that my 8-year-old son understands the rules better than several adult chess players I’ve encountered. He’s been playing USCF rated chess for less than 2 years. Perhaps having an NTD for a father helps.
While I can’t imagine a 10 year old having the maturity to run things alone, I definitely know teens who can (and have!). I see no reason for an 18 year old minimum age, though perhaps having a minimum age (somewhere around 13 or 14, perhaps) to be the sole TD at a tournament might be appropriate. That would still allow the younger kids to be assistants, or even chief TD, as long as another TD was there, just in case of emergency.
I don’t think it matters for Local/Club.
With Senior TD, since you are getting into larger tournaments, I could possibly see a 16/18 age minimum, but its not something I’d fight for or am particulary adament about.
The only concern I have is if a minor TD were working alone and a “heated” argument came out of one of his rulings with an adult. I would hope that the adults would not do it, but I’ve seen worse happen.
If it were to come to being an issue, perhaps a statement when applying for TD that they will have an adult Assistant or Chief TD or at least their parents present while directing for such issues dealing with angry adults.
What about a 3rd grade student, president of his elementary school’s chess club and the school’s highest rated player, who directs in-school events in the presence of a (non-USCF member) teacher?
Then the kid’s not running things alone. But in a case like that, I’d think the teacher should join USCF and become a club TD, at least to have enough knowledge to back up the kid TD in case of a dispute between players.
I suspect if we required teachers to join USCF in order to oversee club tournaments run by students who are USCF members, we’d have fewer in-school chess tournaments. Is that a desirable goal here?
Playing the game, one has no hint of “fiduciary duty” for the opponent. All one has to do is make good moves, and the opponent has no right to complain if the moves defeat him. A child may be able to make pretty good rulings, but he may not inspire confidence. The NTD father could lend some respect and credibility to the kid.
Do you think “life experience” is important in applying the rules as a TD? I was an LTD as a teenager (maybe around age 15 or 16) and of course I thought I did an OK job, there weren’t any riots while I was directing, etc. I had a lot of chess experience but relatively not that much life experience. It probably helped that I was an A or B player, got some credibility that way. Also, the players in Wilmington already knew me.
Like many things in life, there are many ways to achieve credibility. Playing skill can give some credibility to a TD but it’s surely not the only way.
PS If the kid is writing a college application, he should make sure the reader has a good impression of what a TD does. He has the opportunity to describe it in the essay, with a few examples.
Of course! He certainly has to describe why being a chess tournament director helped him acquire skills that would be useful in college and beyond. Ideally, he can tie those together with his academic work and career goals. In this case, the young man wants to pursue a business degree and feels he has learned a lot about finances, contracts, interpersonal relations and leadership. [He started running chess tournaments on his own in 8th grade, and started a company in 10th grade.]
Michael Aigner