1. GENERAL PHILOSOPHY [Definition]

Judges at tournaments are to be neutral arbiters and enforcers of policy and rules. Judges do not intervene in games unless a rules violation occurs, they believe a rules violation may have occurred, a player has a concern or question, or to prevent a situation from escalating. Judges do not stop play errors from occurring, but deal with errors that have occurred, penalize those who violate rules or policy, and promote fair play and sporting conduct by example and diplomacy.

All players are treated equally according to the guidelines of an event's Rules Enforcement Level (REL). Knowledge of a player's history does not influence the recognition of an infraction or the application of penalties, though it may affect the manner of an investigation. The REL of an event defines what is expected from a player regarding their rules and policy knowledge and technical play skill.

Treating a player differently because they once played in a Professional event would mean holding each player to a different standard and would produce inconsistent rulings that depended on the judge's familiarity with the player. Professionals should be able to play in Regular REL events without being held to a higher technical level of play against less-experienced opponents who may not be as familiar with the rules.

The purpose of a penalty is to educate the player not to make similar mistakes in the future. This is done through both an explanation of where the rules or policies were violated and a penalty to reinforce the education. Penalties are also for the deterrence and education of every other player in the event and are also used to track player behavior over time.

The level of penalty an infraction carries is based on these factors:

* The potential for abuse (or risk of being exposed).

* The Rules Enforcement Level of the tournament.

* Repeated offenses by the player within the tournament.

* The amount of disruption it causes (time and people affected) in discovering, investigating, and resolving the issue.

Only the Head Judge is authorized to issue penalties that deviate from these guidelines. The Head Judge may not deviate from this guide's procedures except in significant and exceptional circumstances. Significant and exceptional circumstances are rare — a table collapses, a booster contains miniatures from a different set — or a situation that has no applicable philosophy for guidance. The Rules Enforcement Level, round of the tournament, age or experience-level of the player, desire to educate the player, and certification level of the judge are NOT exceptional circumstances. If another judge feels deviation is appropriate, he or she must consult with the Head Judge.

Judges should be seen as a benefit to the players, helping to ensure the consistent and fair running of a tournament. Players should be encouraged to use judges as needed, and should not be afraid to call a judge if they feel one is required. If a player commits an offense, realizes it and calls a judge over immediately and before they could potentially benefit from the offense, the Head Judge has the option to downgrade the penalty without it being considered a deviation, though they should still follow any procedure recommended to fix the error. For example, a player offers his deck to his opponent and while cutting his opponent's deck discovers that a card that belongs in his deck is in a previously removed from game pile. If he calls the judge over immediately, the Head Judge may choose to issue a Warning rather than a Game Loss.

The infractions in this document (with the exception of the Cheating and Unsporting Conduct sections) generally presume the offense is unintentional. If a judge believes an offense was intentional, the infraction may be Cheating or Unsporting Conduct, and those infractions should be considered first.

10. DEFINITION OF RULES ENFORCEMENT LEVEL (REL) [Definition]

Rules Enforcement Level is a means to communicate to the players and judges what expectations they can have of the event in terms of rigid rules enforcement, technically correct play, and procedures used.

The REL of an event will increase based on the prizes awarded and the distance a player may be expected to travel. People who travel further are often more competitive and are likely to desire correctness over fun. The REL of the event should reflect this.

The penalties in this guide already take into account the REL of the event and as such judges are not to deviate from this guide based on a perceived "lower REL".

Regular

Regular events are focused on fun and social aspects, not enforcement. Most tournaments are run at this level unless they offer sizeable prizes or invitations. Players are expected to know most of the game rules, may have heard of policy and what is "really bad", but generally play in a fashion similar to the way they do at home. Players are still responsible for following the rules, but the penalties tend to be less severe, and the focus is on education and sportsmanship over technically precise play.

Because of the social nature of Regular REL events, judges should be more lenient about inappropriate chatter during traditionally silent times, such as during a booster draft. Overt strategic statements are still illegal, and players are expected to refrain from being disruptive.

* These events do not require deck verification.

* These events do not require certified judges.

Competitive

Competitive events are those with significant cash prizes, pro points, and/or invitations awarded to Professional events. Players are expected to know the game's rules - but not to a technically detailed level - and be familiar with the policies and procedures, but unintentional errors are not punished severely. These are events that protect the interests of all players by providing event integrity while also recognizing that not all players are intimately familiar with Professional-level event structure, proper procedures, and rules. At Competitive REL, a player not realizing that what they were doing was incorrect is not an appropriate reason to deviate.

* These events use a certified judge and almost always use deck verification procedures.

* The highest-level certified judge available should be on staff.

* These events may require a few staff or judges in support.

Professional

Professional level events offer large cash awards, prestige, and other benefits that draw players from great distances. These events hold players to a higher standard of behavior and technically correct play than Competitive events. Offenses will often receive a harsher penalty, even for minor errors.

* These events use a certified judge and use deck verification procedures.

* The highest-level certified judge available should be on staff.

* These events will use several certified judges in support.

20. DEFINITION OF PENALTIES [Definition]

Caution

A Caution is a verbal admonition to a player. This is the lightest penalty that can be given. Cautions are used in situations of minor incorrect play or disruption where a quick word can easily correct the behavior or situation. It is also used for common mistakes in Regular events where the potential for advantage is low. No extra time is required for a Caution, as any Caution that takes more than a few moments to resolve should be upgraded to a Warning. A Caution is noted for the duration of the tournament in case of repeated offense, but does not need to be reported to the DCI.

The word "caution" does not need to be used in issuing this penalty. Any verbal admonition to a player, even if it is not made clear to the player that an official Caution has been issued, should be considered a Caution for purposes of upgrading repeated infractions.

Warning

A Warning is an officially tracked penalty. Warnings are used in situations of incorrect play when a small amount of time is needed to implement the corrective procedure. The purpose of a Warning is to alert judges and players involved that a problem has occurred and to keep a permanent record of the infraction in the DCI Penalty Database. A time extension should be issued if the ruling has taken more than a minute.

Game Loss

A Game Loss is issued in situations where the procedure to correct the offense takes a significant amount of time that may slow the entire tournament, causes significant disruption to the tournament, or renders the game impossible to continue due to physical damage. It is also used for some infractions that have a higher probability for a player to gain advantage.

A Game Loss ends the current game immediately and the player who committed the infraction is considered to have lost the game for the purpose of match reporting. The player receiving a Game Loss chooses whether to play or draw, if applicable, in the next game of that match. If a Game Loss is issued before the match begins, neither player in that match may use sideboards (if the tournament uses them) for the first game they play.

Game Losses should be applied to the game in which the offense occurred unless the players have begun a new game or the tournament is between rounds, in which case the loss should be applied to the player's next game. If a player receives a Game Loss at the same time their opponent receives a Match Loss, the Game Loss should be carried over into the next round. Simultaneous Game Loss penalties should not be deferred just because their application would give one player the match win. It is also acceptable for simultaneous Game Loss penalties to extend a match past the expected number of games if neither player has won a majority. Players will still receive a Game Loss if they drop from the tournament; if the penalty is issued between rounds, they will still receive it even though they will not be paired for the next round.

Some tournaments feature one-game matches, which make a Game Loss equivalent to a Match Loss. In Swiss rounds, unless otherwise specified (such as Tournament Error — Tardiness), apply a Match Point penalty for the first offense instead, and follow any instructions to continue the game.

Match Point

A Match Point penalty is a one-point loss assessed against a player's total match points for the tournament. They are used to replace a Game Loss in matches during Swiss rounds that consist of a single game. Match Point penalties are never used except as detailed in this guide and never for repeated offenses. Judges will never deviate from the Penalty Guide to assign a Match Point penalty. Doing so may result in a DCI investigation of the official.

In instances where a Match Point penalty is called for, but the game cannot be continued for physical reasons, issue a Game Loss penalty instead.

Match Point penalties require use of DCI Reporter 3.0 or greater. When this penalty is applied, DCI Reporter will place an (*) next to the player's name. Events not using DCI Reporter 3.0 or greater cannot use Match Point penalties as a replacement.

Match Loss

A Match Loss is a severe penalty that is usually the result of repeated offenses.

Match Losses are applied to the match in which the offense occurred unless the match has already ended, in which case the penalty will be applied to the player's next match. Players will still be issued a Match Loss penalty if they drop from the tournament, though they won't be paired for the next round.

Disqualification

A Disqualification is issued for activity that damages the integrity of a tournament as a whole or for severe unsporting conduct. It may also be applied when a player is unable to continue in a tournament (due to losing portions of their deck, for example) but refuses to drop from the tournament.

The recipient of a Disqualification does not need to be a player in the tournament. He or she may be a spectator or other bystander. If this happens, they need to be entered into the tournament in DCI Reporter so that they may be disqualified and reported to the DCI.

Disqualification can occur without proof of action so long as the Head Judge determines sufficient information exists to believe the tournament's integrity may have been compromised. It is recommended that the Head Judge's report to the DCI reflect this fact.

When this penalty is applied, the player loses his or her current match and is dropped from the tournament. Players will still receive whatever prizes they had earned before the disqualification unless they were disqualified without prize. A player disqualified without prize receives no prize and no awards (such as pro points, event invitations, etc.). If a player has already received prizes at the time they are disqualified without prize, that player may keep whatever prizes he or she has received but does not receive any additional prizes or awards they may be due. For Competitive and Professional events the Head Judge must report all Disqualifications without prize to the DCI Investigations Manager. At Regular events only Unsporting Conduct disqualifications must be reported to the DCI Investigations Manager, though the disqualification should be entered into DCI Reporter as usual.

When a player is disqualified without prize during a tournament, they are removed from the tournament and do not take up a place in the standings. This means that all players in the tournament will advance one spot in the standings and are entitled to any prizes the new standing would offer. If the Disqualification without prize takes place after a cut is made, no additional players advance in place of the disqualified player although they do move up a spot in the standings. For example, if a player is disqualified without prize during the quarterfinal round of a Pro Tour Qualifier, the former 9th place finisher does not advance into the single elimination top 8, but they do move into 8th place in the standings.

Reports for the DCI Investigations Manager are submitted via the Judge Center: http://judge.wizards.com.

30. APPLYING PENALTIES [Definition]

The DCI Penalty Guide applies to every game the DCI sanctions, but certain infractions may not apply to certain games. For example, games that do not have a mulligan rule will not use mulligan-related penalties.

Any penalty higher than a Caution is reported with the tournament report so that a permanent record can be kept in the DCI Penalty Database. Additionally, any penalty of Game Loss or higher should be reported to the Head Judge, and it is recommended that only the Head Judge issue penalties of this nature (with the exception of Tardiness and Deck/Warband Errors).

Any time a penalty is issued, the judge must explain to the players involved the infraction, the procedure for fixing the situation, and the penalty. If the Head Judge chooses to deviate from the Penalty Guide, the Head Judge is expected to explain the standard penalty and the reason for deviation.

Some penalties feature additional procedures to handle the offense beyond the base penalty. These procedures exist to protect officials from accusations of unfairness, bias, or favoritism. If a judge makes a ruling that is consistent with quoted text, then the complaints of a player shift from accusation of unfairness against the judge to accusations of unfairness against the DCI. Deviations from these procedures may raise accusations against the judge from the player(s) involved, or from those who hear about it.

These procedures do not, and should not, take into account the game being played, the current situation that the game is in, or who will benefit strategically from the procedure associated with a penalty. While it is tempting to try to "fix" game situations, the danger of missing a subtle detail or showing favoritism to a player (even unintentionally) makes it a bad idea.

If a procedure notes a variation is used for "single-game matches" this refers to matches consisting of one game, regardless of the game being played. For example, Dreamblade matches nearly always consist of one game to a match, but the Dreamblade Championship finals could be run as three games to a match. Then, the variation for "single-game matches" is not used, even though the rest of the rounds may have utilized it.

Separate infractions committed or discovered at the same time are treated as separate penalties, though if the root cause is the same, only the more severe one is applied. If the first penalty would cause the second one to be inapplicable for the round (such as a Game Loss issued along with a Match Loss), the more severe penalty is issued first, followed by the lesser penalty in the next round.

Some violations of tournament rules will not meet the criteria for any specific infraction. Many minor offenses that a player can commit, even intentionally, are not covered by a specific infraction should be handled initially with a Caution. If repeated, directly instruct the player not to repeat the offense, and handle further offenses as Unsporting Conduct — Major for failing to follow the direct instruction of a tournament official.

40. REPEAT OFFENSES [Definition]

The penalty for the first offense is listed in the "Penalty" portion of each infraction. For a repeat offense at Competitive and Professional RELs, upgrade the penalty to the next level on the following upgrade path unless instructed otherwise in the penalty procedure:

Caution — Warning — Game Loss — Match Loss — Disqualification with prize

Penalties continue to be upgraded with further offenses. Repeat offenses at Regular events may be upgraded at the Head Judge's discretion. A Match Point penalty is never used for repeat offenses. If a Match Point penalty is issued and the offense is repeated, it is upgraded to a Match Loss.

Disqualifications that are the result of accumulated offenses are with prize. Disqualifications with prize do not require a DQ report to be submitted to the DCI Investigations Manager.

50. PLAYER COMMUNICATION [Definition]

Communication between players is essential to the successful play of any game that involves virtual objects or hidden information. While bluffing may be an aspect of games, there needs to be clear lines as to what is, and is not, acceptable for players to say or otherwise represent. Officials and highly competitive players should understand the line between bluffing and fraud. This will confirm expectations of both sporting and competitive players during a game.

The philosophy of the DCI is that a player should have an advantage due to better understanding of the rules of a game, greater awareness of the interactions in the current game state and superior tactical planning. Players are under no obligation to assist their opponents in playing the game. Regardless of anything else, players are expected to treat their opponents politely and with respect. Failure to do so may lead to Unsporting Conduct penalties.

There are three categories of information: free, derived and private.

Free information is so called because all players are entitled access to this information without contamination or omissions made by their opponent. If you're ever unable or unwilling to provide free information to an opponent that has requested it, you should call a judge and explain the situation. Free Information includes:

* Details of current game actions and past game actions that still affect the game state.

* The name of any object in a public zone.

* The physical status (tapped/flipped) and current zone of any object.

* Player life totals and the game score of the current match.

Derived information is information to which all players are permitted, but which your opponents are not obliged to assist you in determining and may require some skill or calculation to determine. Derived Information includes:

* The number of objects present in any game zone.

* All objects in public zones and any of their characteristics that are not defined as free information.

* Game Rules, Tournament Policy, Oracle content and any other official information pertaining to the current event. Cards are considered to have their Oracle text printed on them.

Private information is so called because players have access to this information only if they are able to determine it from the current visual game state or their own record of previous game actions.

* Any information that is not free or derived is automatically private information.

The following rules govern player communication:

* Players must answer all questions asked of them by a judge completely and honestly, regardless of the type of information requested. They may request to do so away from the match.

* Players may not represent derived or free information incorrectly, improperly, or falsely.

* Players must answer completely and honestly any specific questions pertaining to free information.

* At Regular REL, all derived information is instead considered free.

Judges are encouraged to help players in determining free information, but must avoid assisting players with derived information about the game state.

110. DECK/WARBAND ERRORS [Definition]

This section deals with problems related to errors in the registration or contents of the card pool, deck, or warband at a tournament. Though these rules may refer to 'decks,' 'cards' and 'decklists' they also apply to the equivalents for games using items other than cards.

At all RELs, judges and other tournament officials should be vigilant about reminding players before the tournament begins of the consequences of submitting an illegal list, or playing with an illegal deck.

In single-game matches, if the error is discovered during a deck check and would result in a Game Loss penalty, instead issue a Match Point penalty, fix the deck to match the decklist and allow the player to play the game.

Sideboards are considered to be part of a player's deck for the purpose of these infractions.

111. Deck/Warband Error — Illegal Decklist [Definition]

Players are considered to have illegal decklists when one or more of the following conditions are true:

* The decklist contains an illegal number of cards for the format.

* The decklist contains cards that are illegal for the format.

* A card listed on a decklist is not identified by its full proper name, and could be more than one card.

* The decklist contains cards that would make the deck illegal because it would violate a game rule (such as the four card limit rule in Magic(R) games or the three miniature limit for Dreamblade(R) games).

In events that are not using decklists, the contents of the deck itself are considered the decklist.

111. Deck/Warband Error — Illegal Decklist [Example]

A. A player in a Magic tournament has 59 cards listed on her decklist when the minimum is 60.

B. A player in an Extended Magic tournament lists Skullclamp (a banned card) on his decklist.

C. A player in a Magic tournament has a 56-card decklist. His actual deck contains 60 cards, with four Psychatogs not listed.

D. A player in a Limited Dreamblade tournament has listed 17 miniatures on the warband list when the maximum warband size is 16.

E. A player in a Magic tournament that is not using decklists has four copies of Terror in his main deck and two in his sideboard.

F. A player in a Limited Magic tournament fails to list any of her sideboard cards in the "Total" column of her decklist.

G. A player in a Dreamblade tournament lists four copies of Cannibal Pariah.

H. A player in a Magic tournament lists 'Ar.Wurm' which could be either Argothian Wurm or Arrogant Wurm

I. A player in a Magic tournament lists 'COP' instead of 'Circle of Protection: Red'

111. Deck/Warband Error — Illegal Decklist [Remedy]

Unless the judge has reason to believe that the deck itself is illegal for the format (usually the presence of an illegal card), this penalty should only be issued between rounds. In large events, the DCI recommends that tournament officials verify the legality of all lists as soon as possible, but the Head Judge should wait until the start of the next round to issue all decklist penalties. This minimizes the disruption to the game currently being played and provides consistency in case some players have finished playing their match before the penalty can be administered.

Correct a player's decklist so it is legal and then let the player continue playing in the tournament with a deck matching the corrected decklist. Any excess cards (cards violating a maximum-number-of-a-card restriction) or illegal cards will be removed from the deck, starting with the sideboard. If a player has a legal deck after these corrections, the decklist is corrected to match the deck. If further cards need to be removed from the deck as it violates a total maximum number of cards, the cards are removed from the bottom of the offending part of the list, or at the player's choice if decklists are not being used. Then, if cards need to be added to make the deck legal, the player adds basic resources, such as basic lands (but not Snow-Covered basic lands) for the Magic game. Not all games have basic resources and in these cases nothing is added.

For example, a player in a Standard Constructed Magic tournament has submitted a 58-card decklist with five Naturalizes. Because there is a four-of-a-kind limit on any one card, one of the Naturalizes must be removed. Now the decklist contains 57 cards, so three basic lands of the player's choice are added to meet the 60-card minimum. However, if the player's actual deck contained four Naturalizes and three Terrors which were left off of the decklist, the three Terrors would be added to the decklist and the player would be allowed to continue with his or her deck unmodified.

120. GAME PLAY ERRORS [Definition]

Game play errors are caused by incorrect or inaccurate play of the game such that it results in violations of the game rules. Many offenses fit into this category and it would be impossible to list them all. The guide below is designed to give judges a framework for assessing how to handle a Game Play Error.

Most Game Play Error infractions are assumed to have been committed unintentionally. If the judge believes that the error was intentional, they should first examine the Cheating infractions to see if one should be used instead. Some infractions (such as Drawing Extra Cards) have their own separate penalties defined specific to their game types. All remaining Game Play Errors fall into one of the following five categories:

1. If the error is a simple clerical error, it is Game Play Error — Incorrect Representation.

2. If the game state is presently illegal, including any errors that are ongoing, it is Game Play Error — Illegal Game State.

3. If the error occurred as the result of a player forgetting a game trigger, it is Game Play Error — Missed Trigger.

4. If the error involves a failure to reveal information it is Game Play Error — Failure to Reveal

5. All other errors are defined as Game Play Error — Game Rule Violation.

Both players are expected to maintain the game rules, and to share some responsibility for any errors that may occur involving public information. As a result, no attempt should be made to determine or correct any advantage gained in assessing the penalty and associated procedures for fixing the offense. Additionally, a sixth type of Game Play Error - Failure to Maintain Game State - is issued to the opponent where specified by the other five infractions. In multiplayer games, all participants in the match other than the offending player should receive this penalty if they meet the criteria.

Repeat offenses at Regular REL may be upgraded at the Head Judge's discretion. At Competitive and Professional RELs, repeat Game Play Error offenses in the same category are upgraded as follows:

Caution — Warning — Warning — Game Loss — Match Loss — Disqualification with prize

An error that an opponent can not realize has been committed should have its penalty upgraded. Such unnoticeable errors are rare and involve misplaying hidden information (such as the Morph ability). An unpreventable or irreversible error is not sufficient grounds for such an upgrade.

121. Game Play Error — Incorrect Representation [Definition]

Due to a minor clerical error, the game is somehow inaccurately represented, but the game state is clear to both players and the action ultimately legal. If the error has affected game play or been allowed to continue to the point where ambiguity exists, treat it as a Game Play Error — Game Rule Violation instead.

122. Game Play Error — Illegal Game State [Penalty]

Regular: Caution. Competitive: Warning. Professional: Warning.

122. Game Play Error — Illegal Game State [Remedy]

Apply state-based effects or other game-specific ways of making a game state legal. If the problem is due to a player not having made a required choice, the player does so immediately. In addition, the opponents and teammates of the player controlling the permanent that caused the game state to become illegal receive a Game Play Error — Failure to Maintain Game State infraction.

123. Game Play Error — Missed Trigger [Penalty]

Regular: Caution. Competitive: Warning. Professional: Warning.

123. Game Play Error — Missed Trigger [Remedy]

If the trigger instruction is optional ("may") and specifies no consequence for not doing it, assume that the player has chosen not to perform the instruction and issue no penalty.

If the trigger requires no choices to be made and has no effect on the visual representation of the game, assume the ability resolved at the appropriate time and issue no penalty. The visual representation consists of elements the players are able to see happening or in play, such as zone changes and adding counters to permanents, as well as life totals.

If the trigger has an instruction that specifies a default action associated with a choice (usually "If you don't ... ") resolve the default action immediately without regard to the timing rules for that particular game. For example, in Magic, such a default action would be resolved without using the stack. If there are unresolved spells or effects that are no longer legal as a result of this action, rewind the game to remove all such spells or abilities. Resulting triggers generated by the action still trigger and resolve as normal.

If the trigger requires a choice that does not have a default action or a trigger with no choice will have an effect on the visual representation of the game, and the error is caught within the scope of a turn cycle (see below for definition), resolve the forgotten ability using game-specific timing rules. For example, in a Magic game, the forgotten ability would be placed on the stack. The player may not make choices involving objects that were not in the zone or zones referenced by the trigger when the ability triggered. If the error is discovered partway through an action (such as choosing blockers in Magic), back up to the beginning of that action. If the error is discovered after a turn cycle, continue the game without resolving the forgotten trigger.

For Magic, a turn cycle is defined as the time from the beginning of a player's step or phase to the end of that player's next same step or phase. For Dreamblade, it is defined as a single phase. If a turn cycle would end in a skipped step or phase (but not turn), the turn cycle expires when the step or phase is skipped.

If the missed trigger is not caught within a time that a player could reasonably be expected to notice, teammates and opponents who might potentially have benefited from the error receive a Game Play Error — Failure to Maintain Game State penalty. The opponents may not be able to recognize that a trigger has been missed until after some other irrevocable action has been taken, and this should be taken into account in determining whether it was caught immediately. No attempt should be made to rewind the game state to the point of the missed trigger.

124. Game Play Error — Failure to Reveal [Remedy]

Few of these errors can be caught before the exact information and location of the unrevealed information is lost. If the card was ever in a position to be uniquely identified (such as on top of the player's library or the only card in hand), downgrade this penalty at Regular and Competitive RELs. If the card is still uniquely identifiable, reveal it to all appropriate players. Additionally, if not caught within a time that a player could reasonably be expected to notice, teammates and opponents who might potentially have benefited from the error receive a Game Play Error — Failure to Maintain Game State penalty.

125. Game Play Error — Game Rule Violation [Penalty]

Regular: Caution. Competitive: Warning. Professional: Warning.

125. Game Play Error — Game Rule Violation [Remedy]

If the error was discovered within a time frame in which a player could reasonably be expected to notice the error and the situation is simple enough to safely back up without too much disruption to the course of the game, the judge may get permission from the Head Judge to back up the game to the point of the error. Each action taken is undone until the game reaches the point immediately prior to the error. Unless the identity of the card is known to all players, drawn cards are reversed by placing a random card on top of the library. Once the game is backed up, it continues from that point.

If not caught within a reasonable time frame, or backing up is impossible or sufficiently complex that it could affect the course of the game, leave the game state as it is and do not attempt any form of partial 'fix' - either reverse all actions or none. Additionally, teammates and opponents who might potentially have benefited from the error receive a Game Play Error — Failure to Maintain Game State penalty.

126. Game Play Error — Failure to Maintain Game State [Definition]

This infraction is committed by a player or teammate who has allowed their opponent to commit a Game Play Error and has not pointed it out it before they could potentially gain advantage. If a judge believes a player is intentionally not pointing out their opponent's illegal actions, either for their own advantage, or in the hope of bringing it up at a more strategically advantageous time, the infraction is Cheating — Fraud.

126. Game Play Error — Failure to Maintain Game State [Penalty]

Regular: Caution. Competitive: Warning. Professional: Warning.

126. Game Play Error — Failure to Maintain Game State [Philosophy]

If an error is caught before a player could gain advantage, then the dangers of the ongoing game state becoming corrupted are much lower. If the error is allowed to persist, at least some of the fault lies with the opponent, who has also failed to notice the error.

131. Tournament Error — Tardiness [Remedy]

A penalty will not be given if a round started early and a player arrived at his or her seat before the originally announced start time. At Regular and Competitive events, or in tournaments where matches consist of a single game, the tournament organizer may elect to give players the amount of time allotted for the pre-game procedure (3 minutes) before a penalty is issued. Otherwise, the appropriate penalty is issued as soon as the round begins. At any REL, if a player is not in his or her seat 10 minutes into the round, he or she is issued a second Game Loss (or two Game Losses at Regular REL). A player receiving two Game Losses for Tardiness in the same round (or one Game Loss for single-game matches) is dropped from the tournament unless they report to the Head Judge or Scorekeeper before the end of the round.

In tournaments with single-game matches a time extension equal to the amount of tardiness should be applied if it is within the pre-game procedure time limit. Game Losses are not replaced by Match Point penalties for Tardiness. Repeated Tardiness infractions are only upgraded in exceptional circumstances.

132. Tournament Error — Playing the Wrong Opponent [Remedy]

Both players receive this penalty. If the error is discovered within the pregame time limit for the first game, the player sitting at the wrong table should report to the correct seat. If the error is discovered after the pregame time limit has expired, but before the time a second Game Loss would be issued for Tournament Error — Tardiness, the player sitting at the wrong table receives a Game Loss and should report to the correct table. If the error is not discovered until after the time a second Game Loss would be issued for Tournament Error — Tardiness, the player sitting at the wrong table receives a second Game Loss.

133. Tournament Error — Slow Play [Definition]

Players who take longer than is reasonably required to complete game actions are engaging in Slow Play. If a judge believes a player is intentionally playing slowly to take advantage of a time limit, the infraction is Cheating — Stalling.

133. Tournament Error — Slow Play [Remedy]

An extra turn is awarded for each player, to be applied if the match exceeds the time limit. For games in which a single turn encompasses equal actions for both players, such as Dreamblade, only a single turn is added. This turn extension occurs before any end-of-match procedure can begin and after any time extensions that may have been issued. If multiple players on each side are playing the same game (such as in Two-Headed Giant) only one extra turn is awarded per team.

No extra turns are awarded if the match is already in extra turns, though the Warning still applies.

If Slow Play has significantly affected the result of the match, the Head Judge may upgrade the penalty.

134. Tournament Error — Insufficient Randomization [Definition]

A player unintentionally fails to sufficiently randomize their deck before presenting it to their opponent. A deck is not randomized if the judge believes a player could know the position or distribution of one or more cards in their deck. If the insufficient randomization was intentional, the infraction is Cheating — Manipulation of Game Materials.

134. Tournament Error — Insufficient Randomization [Philosophy]

Players are expected to randomize their deck thoroughly when it is required and are expected, especially at Competitive and Professional RELs, to have the skill and understanding of randomization to do so. Any time cards in a deck could be seen, including during shuffling, it is no longer randomized, even if the player only knows the position of one or two cards. Players are expected to take care in shuffling not to reveal cards to themselves, their teammates or their opponents.

Players are assumed to know the order of their cards before starting to shuffle and sufficient randomization means the player could not gain advantage from this knowledge. A player should randomize his or her deck using multiple methods. Patterned pile-shuffling alone is not sufficient randomization.

Any manipulation, weaving or stacking prior to randomization is acceptable, as long as the deck is thoroughly randomized afterwards. Doing so and not sufficiently randomizing afterwards is defined as Cheating — Manipulation of Game Materials.

134. Tournament Error — Insufficient Randomization [Remedy]

If a Game Loss is called for in the Swiss portion of an event that has single-game matches, a Match Point penalty is issued instead and the game should be continued. If the game is to be continued, the deck should be thoroughly randomized.

136. Tournament Error — Draft Procedure Violation [Definition]

A player commits a technical error during a draft. This does not cover any attempts to view or reveal cards that are hidden, which is handled by Cheating — Hidden Information Violation.

137. Tournament Error — Player Communication Violation [Definition]

A player unintentionally violates the Player Communication policy (see section 50). Intentional violations, or attempting to take advantage of a previously committed violation, is defined as Cheating - Fraud.

140. UNSPORTING CONDUCT [Definition]

Unsporting conduct is disruptive behavior that may affect the safety, competitiveness, or enjoyment of an event in a significantly negative fashion. An offense that doesn't seek in-game advantage is often unsporting behavior. If it could provide an in-game advantage the offense is handled by other infractions in the Penalty Guide.

Being enrolled in the tournament is not a requirement to receive an Unsporting Conduct penalty. Although these guidelines refer to players, other people in the venue, such as spectators, staff or judges are held to the same standard of behavior.

Unsporting behavior is not the same as a lack of sporting behavior. There is a wide middle ground of "competitive" behavior that is certainly neither "nice" nor "sporting" but still doesn't qualify as "unsporting." The Head Judge is the final arbiter on what constitutes unsporting conduct.

Judges should inform the player how their conduct is disruptive. The player is expected to correct the situation and behavior immediately. However, while making sure that the player understands the severity of their actions is important, judges should always seek to defuse a situation rather than make a conflict worse.

141. Unsporting Conduct — Minor [Remedy]

In addition to the Warning, the player must correct the problem immediately or face upgraded penalties for repeated infractions. A judge may upgrade repeated Unsporting Conduct — Minor infractions for different offenses.

If a Game Loss is issued for repeated or upgraded infractions, and it occurs at the end of a game, it is acceptable for the judge to apply the penalty to the next game instead. Game Losses (in case of upgrade) are never replaced by Match Point penalties for Unsporting Conduct — Minor.

142. Unsporting Conduct — Major [Philosophy]

Officials should expect their instructions to be followed without needing to issue an interim warning. This only applies to specific and directed instructions. Failure to follow general announcements is handled through specific infractions or in Tournament Error — Failure to Follow Official Instructions.

Hate speech and other insults targeted at a protected class indicate a deeper issue and must be dealt with swiftly. Even if unfounded, they may be offensive to spectators or other nearby individuals. Local areas may have additional protected classes that fall under this category.

Undirected aggressive behavior needs to be curtailed. It is disruptive, can leave a lasting negative impression on those around, and may turn to directed aggressive behavior if not dealt with swiftly. Care should be taken not to escalate the situation if at all possible. The player may need to be removed from the area to receive the penalty and may need a few moments to cool down, in which case a time extension should be granted.

142. Unsporting Conduct — Major [Remedy]

The player must correct the behavior immediately, and be expected to refrain from similar behavior or face more severe penalties. As with Unsporting Conduct — Minor infractions that have been upgraded due to repetition, if the offense occurs at the end of a game, it is acceptable for the judge to apply the penalty to the next game instead. In single-game matches, Match Point penalties are not issued for Unsporting Conduct — Major.

143. Unsporting Conduct — Randomly Determining a Winner [Philosophy]

Using a random method to determine a winner compromises the integrity of the tournament.

Matches that result in a draw due to time are expected to be reported as such and are not excluded from this penalty if the players use a random method to determine the outcome.

143. Unsporting Conduct — Randomly Determining a Winner [Remedy]

At Regular REL, the Head Judge may, at their discretion, downgrade the penalty to a Match Loss if they believe that the player committing the infraction was not aware that what they were doing was illegal.

In most cases this penalty will be issued to both players, unless the other player calls over a judge as soon as the suggestion to randomly determine the winner is made.

145. Unsporting Conduct — Aggressive Behavior [Remedy]

The offender should be asked to leave the venue by the organizer.

146. Unsporting Conduct — Theft of Tournament Material [Philosophy]

Players enter a tournament expecting that their materials will be protected. This does not absolve the players from their responsibility to keep an eye on their possessions, but they should expect to be able to retain the product they began with or were given for the tournament. Other instances of theft not involving tournament materials are the responsibility of the Tournament organizer, though judges are encouraged to help in any way possible.

146. Unsporting Conduct — Theft of Tournament Material [Remedy]

The offender should be asked to leave the venue by the organizer.

150. CHEATING [Definition]

This section deals with some intentionally committed infractions that can give a player a significant advantage. Knowledge that the action is illegal is not required for the infraction to be Cheating.

At Regular REL, the Head Judge may, at their discretion, downgrade the penalty for a Cheating infraction to a Match Loss if they believe that the player committing the infraction was not aware that what they were doing was illegal.

151. Cheating — Stalling [Philosophy]

If it is clear that a player is stalling, the integrity of the match is compromised and he or she will face a serious penalty.

152. Cheating — Fraud [Definition]

A person intentionally violates the Player Communication policy or intentionally misrepresents procedures, personal information or any other relevant tournament information in an attempt to gain advantage. Note that Fraud, like most cheating, is determined by an investigation and will often appear on the surface as a Game Play Error or Tournament Error.

152. Cheating — Fraud [Philosophy]

There will be zero tolerance for this type of activity. One does not need to be a player in a game to commit Fraud. In particular, teammates observing the game are expected to point out problems and summon a judge to help deal with them if necessary.

A player must be aware that they have committed an error in representation in order for the infraction to be Fraud. For example, a player targeting a black creature with Terror has not committed Fraud if they forgot that Terror can not target black creatures, even though the action (playing Terror) was intentional and illegal. It is Fraud if a judge believes they were aware and hoping that their opponent would miss it.

211. Card Drawing — Looking at Extra Cards [Definition]

Players are considered to have looked at a card when they have been able to observe the face of a hidden card, or when a card is moved any significant amount from a deck, but before it touches the other cards in their hand. This includes errors of dexterity or catching a play error before the card is placed into their hand. Once a card has been placed into their hand or if a player takes a game action after removing the card from the library, the penalty is Card Drawing — Drawing Extra Cards.

A player is not considered to have looked at extra cards when he or she places a card face down on the table (without looking at the card) in an effort to count out cards he or she will draw.

This penalty is applied only once if one or more cards are seen in the same action or sequence of actions.

211. Card Drawing — Looking at Extra Cards [Philosophy]

A player can accidentally look at extra cards very easily, so the penalty is less severe than Card Drawing - Drawing Extra Cards. Drawing extra cards is a separate, more severe infraction because of the increased potential for abuse.

Players should not be using this penalty to get a "free shuffle," or to attempt to shuffle away cards they don't want to draw. This is Cheating — Fraud. Players also are not allowed to use this penalty as a stalling mechanism. The deck is already randomized, so shuffling in the revealed cards does not involve an excessive amount of effort. Make sure to give sufficient extra time to account for the shuffling.

211. Card Drawing — Looking at Extra Cards [Remedy]

Shuffle the randomized portion of the deck (which may include the cards that were seen, if they were part of the random portion of the library). This requires first determining whether any portion of the deck is non-random, such as cards that have been manipulated on the top or bottom of the library, and separating those. Once the deck has been shuffled, any manipulated cards are returned to their correct locations.

Care must be taken before shuffling to make sure that there are no "legally known" cards in the library. Check with both players to verify this, and check the graveyard, removed from game and in-play zones for deck manipulation cards, such as Brainstorm and cards with the Scry mechanic.

212. Card Drawing — Drawing Extra Cards [Definition]

This infraction is committed when a player illegally moves a card into their hand, or a player moves a card into their hand from a zone other than the one from which they were instructed to move it. A card is considered to have moved into the hand once it touches the other cards in a player's hand. Even if both players believe they can identify the card in question afterwards, the potential for abuse necessitates the stronger penalty at that point. Up until then, the card is easily identified and the situation can be rectified. If the player had an empty hand, bringing the hands together is an indication that the cards have been moved.

If a player moves cards into their hand while correctly resolving a legally played spell or ability, but that spell or ability was the result of a sequence of events caused by a Game Play Error, the infraction is the appropriate Game Play Error, not Drawing Extra Cards.

212. Card Drawing — Drawing Extra Cards [Example]

A. A player in a Magic tournament draws 4 cards after playing Ancestral Recall.

B. A player in a Magic tournament draws an extra card from the ability of a Howling Mine that is no longer in play.

C. A player in a Magic tournament draws a card from her graveyard instead of her library.

D. A player in a Magic tournament resolves an effect that puts a card on top of his library by putting the searched-for card into his hand and his original hand on top of his library.

212. Card Drawing — Drawing Extra Cards [Remedy]

If a Game Loss is called for in the Swiss portion of an event that has single-game matches, a Match Point penalty is issued instead. If the game is to continue, return the cards to the zone from which they were moved (or random cards if the identity of the cards is not known to all players) and, if necessary, execute the action correctly.

213. Card Drawing — Improper Drawing at Start of Game [Philosophy]

This is generally a minor infraction and deserves a fairly minor penalty. Removing one more card than they were supposed to have is quick and simple and avoids the possibility of a player gaining an advantage if he or she just wished to reshuffle his or her cards and draw a new hand.

213. Card Drawing — Improper Drawing at Start of Game [Remedy]

If the player has drawn too few cards, instruct them to draw up to the correct number. If the player has drawn too many cards, the judge will remove one more than the number of excess cards from the hand at random and shuffle them into the deck. The player may continue mulliganning from that point if they wish.

214. Card Drawing — Failure to Discard [Definition]

A player fails to move one or more cards from their hand to a zone other than in play when required to by an effect or the rules of the game.

214. Card Drawing — Failure to Discard [Example]

A. A player in a Magic tournament discards a single non-land card to Compulsive Research.

B. A player in a Magic tournament forgets to discard down to seven cards at the end of his turn.

C. A player in a Magic tournament plays Brainstorm and forgets to put two card back on top of the library.

214. Card Drawing — Failure to Discard [Remedy]

The player moves the number of cards that they were supposed to from their hand to the appropriate zone.

220. MARKED CARDS [Definition]

This section deals with marked cards or sleeves. As always, the penalties for these infractions assume the offense was unintentional. If the Head Judge believes the markings are intentional or the player is taking advantage of the markings, the infraction is Cheating — Manipulation of Game Materials.

If the player is using sleeves, the cards must be examined while in the sleeves to determine if they are marked.

221. Marked Cards — No Pattern [Philosophy]

If the possibility for advantage is fairly low, the player should not receive a significant penalty. Note that almost all sleeves can be considered marked in some way; judges should keep this in mind when determining penalties. In cases of marked cards, educating players to shuffle their cards and sleeves before sleeving the cards is very important. A Marked Cards — No Pattern penalty is generally not upgraded on repeat offenses.

221. Marked Cards — No Pattern [Remedy]

The player needs to replace the card(s) or sleeve(s) with an unmarked version or, if no sleeves are being used, use sleeves that conceal the markings. If the cards themselves have become marked through play in the tournament, the Head Judge may decide to issue a proxy.

222. Marked Cards — Pattern [Remedy]

The player needs to replace the card(s) or sleeve(s) with an unmarked version or, if no sleeves are being used, use sleeves that conceal the markings. If the cards themselves have become marked through play in the tournament, the Head Judge may decide to issue a proxy.

If a Game Loss is called for in the Swiss portion of an event that has single-game matches, a Match Point penalty is issued instead and the game continued.

312. Dice Error — Too Many Rolled [Remedy]

The opponent chooses which extra dice are not used.

If a Game Loss is called for in the Swiss portion of an event that has single-game matches, a Match Point penalty is issued instead and the game continued.