101. Format and Ratings Categories

The DCI sanctions the following formats as individual, two-person team, or three-person team tournaments:

Constructed Formats

* Standard

* Extended

* Block

Eternal Formats

* Vintage

* Legacy

Limited Formats

* Sealed Deck

* Booster Draft (individual only)

* Rochester Draft (individual and three-person team only)

The DCI produces the following ratings categories:

* Constructed (includes all Standard, Extended, and Block individual matches)

* Eternal (includes all Vintage and Legacy individual matches)

* Limited (includes all Limited individual matches)

* Team Constructed (includes all Constructed team matches)

* Team Limited (includes all Limited team matches)

In the team tournaments listed above, each team member plays a one-on-one match against a member of the other team, and the results comprise the teams' match result. In a multiplayer tournament, on the other hand, all players from the two teams would play in the same game.

Open sanctioning for multiplayer (Two-Headed Giant variant only) tournaments begins on October 1, 2005. Available formats will include Standard, Extended, Block, Vintage, Legacy, and Sealed Deck.

Event results for all for two-person multiplayer tournaments will eventually be merged into a single Multiplayer rating. Multiplayer ratings and rankings will available at a date to be announced in a future version of this document.

102. Authorized Cards

Alpha cards (cards from the first print run of the core set) may be used in decks containing non-Alpha cards only if all cards are placed in completely opaque sleeves and only if the sleeves could not be considered marked. If sleeves are not used, Alpha cards may be used only in decks that consist exclusively of Alpha cards.

Participants may not use cards from special sets or supplements with alternate backs, squared corners or gold borders. (Examples: Collector's Edition, Pro Tour Collector's Set, World Championship decks.) Players may not use silver-bordered Unglued(tm) or Unhinged(tm) cards. Unglued and Unhinged basic land cards are allowed in sanctioned Magic tournaments.

Players may use cards from special sets and supplements with black- or white-bordered cards published by Wizards of the Coast that do not have alternate backs and/or squared corners. (Examples: the Anthologies(tm), Beatdown(tm), and Battle Royale(tm) box sets). However, the card(s) must be otherwise legal to play in that tournament's format.

A series of official promotional cards called textless spells, are allowed in DCI-sanctioned Magic tournaments. However, the card(s) must otherwise be legal to play in that tournament's format. These cards should be interpreted using their current Oracle(tm) wordings.

103. Card Interpretation

Cards are interpreted using the appropriate section of the Oracle card reference. During sanctioned competition, players must refer to this version of a card to settle disputes concerning the interpretation of a card's wording or abilities. Card abilities are based on card text, not artwork.

Players may not use errors or omissions in Oracle to disrupt a tournament or otherwise abuse the rules. The head judge is the final authority for card interpretations, and he or she may overrule Oracle if an error is discovered.

104. New Releases

The following card sets are scheduled to release during 2005. They become tournament legal for DCI-sanctioned tournaments on the dates listed:

* Ninth Edition Limited formats: July 29, 2005

Constructed formats: August 20, 2005

* Ravnica: City of Guilds(tm) Limited formats: October 7, 2005

Constructed formats: October 20, 2005

For certain Limited tournaments, such as official Prereleases and Sneak Preview tournaments (including their side events), new sets are legal for use before the official Limited format legal date.

These dates are subject to change. Any changes will be announced at thedci.com.

105. Participation Minimums

The DCI requires participation minimums for a tournament to be sanctioned and included in the official ratings and rankings. For Magic: the Gathering tournaments, the participation minimums are as follows:

* For individual events, a minimum of eight players must participate.

* For team and multiplayer events, a minimum of four teams must participate.

If the participation minimum is not met, the tournament is no longer DCI-sanctioned, and will not be included in DCI ratings. If participation minimums are not met for any DCI-sanctioned event, the tournament organizer should report the event as cancelled.

111. Match Structure

Three is the default number of games in a Magic match, and tournament organizers must allow three games per match. If a tournament organizer chooses, he or she may run single-elimination final rounds as best three games out of five; this choice must be announced before the tournament begins. Match results, not individual game results, are reported to the DCI for the purpose of inclusion in worldwide ratings and rankings.

Drawn games (games without a winner) do not count towards one of the games in a match. The match should continue until one player has won the majority of games as long as match time allows.

112. Match Time Limits

The required minimum time limit for any match is 40 minutes.

The following time limits are recommended for each round of a tournament:

* Constructed and Limited tournaments—50 minutes

* Single-elimination quarterfinal or semifinal matches—90 minutes

* Single-elimination final matches—no time limit

The following time limits are recommended for Limited tournaments:

* Sealed Deck—20 minutes for deck registration and 30 minutes for deck construction

* Draft—30 minutes for deck registration and construction

* Team Sealed Deck—20 minutes for deck registration and 60 minutes for deck construction

* Team Draft—30 minutes for deck construction and registration

Magic Premier Events may have different time limits. These time limits can be found in the event or event series Fact Sheet. Fact Sheets are located in the MagicTheGathering.com Tournament Center: www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/tournamentcenter.

113. Play-Draw Rule

For the first game of a match, the winner of a coin toss (or other random method) chooses either to play first and skip his or her first draw step or to play second. The winner of the coin toss must state this choice before looking at his or her hand. If the coin toss winner states no choice, it is assumed that he or she is playing first. The player who plays first skips the draw step of his or her first turn. Each turn thereafter follows the standard order set forth in the Magic Comprehensive Rules. This is commonly referred to as the play/draw rule.

After each game in a match, the loser of that game (even if the game loss was due to a penalty) decides whether to play first in the next game. If the game was a draw (there was no winner or loser), the player who decided to play or draw for that game chooses for the next game.

114. Pregame Procedure

Before a game begins, players determine who plays first (see section 113). This may be done any time during the pregame procedure before the players look at their hands. (Note that players are not required to decide who plays first before sideboarding.) The following steps must be performed before each game begins:

1. Players may exchange cards in their decks for cards in their sideboards (only after the first game of the match).

2. Players shuffle their decks (see Universal Tournament Rules, section 21). Note that players may stop shuffling to perform additional sideboarding but must then shuffle sufficiently.

3. Players present their decks to their opponents for additional shuffling and cutting.

4. If the opponent has shuffled the player's deck, that player may make one final cut.

5. Players present their sideboards and put them in a clearly distinguishable place.

6. Each player draws seven cards.

7. Each player, in turn order, decides whether to mulligan (see section 115).

Once mulligans are resolved, the game can begin.

116. End-of-Match Procedure

If the match time limit is reached before a winner is determined, the active player (as defined in the Magic game rules) finishes his or her turn and five total additional turns are played. For example, time is called on player A's turn. Player A finishes his or her turn. Player B takes extra turn #1, Player A takes extra turn #2, Player B takes extra turn #3, player A takes extra turn #4, and player B takes extra turn #5.

Players take any extra turns granted to them by effects as they normally would during the course of the game, but any extra turn counts as one of the five end-of-match turns. Once five extra turns are completed, the game finishes regardless of any remaining effect-generated extra turns.

If the game finishes before the fifth turn is completed, the match is over and no new game begins.

If a judge assigned a time extension (because of a long ruling, deck check, or other reason), the end-of-match procedure does not begin until the end of the time extension.

117. Determining a Match Winner

In Swiss rounds, the player with the most game wins is the winner of the match. If both players have equal game wins, the match is a draw.

In single-elimination rounds, matches may not end in a draw. After the end-of-match procedure is finished, the player with more game wins is the winner of the match. If both players have equal game wins when the end-of-match procedure is finished, the player with the lower life total becomes the loser of the current game. In the event the players have equal life totals (or are between games and the game wins are tied), the game/match should continue until the first life total change that results in one player having a lower life total than the other.

122. Sideboard Use

If a player wishes to use a sideboard, it must contain exactly fifteen cards.

Before each game begins, players must present their sideboards and allow their opponents to count the number of cards in their sideboards (face down), if requested. Players may not look at their sideboards during a game. The sideboard must be clearly identified and separated from all other cards in the play area. The sideboard may not be kept where it could be confused or switched with other cards.

The deck and sideboard must each be returned to their original compositions before the first game of each match. Cards transferred from a player's deck to his or her sideboard, and vice versa, must be returned before the player begins a new match. If a penalty causes a player to forfeit the first game in a match before that game began, neither player may use cards from his or her sideboard for the second game.

Before the beginning of the second or subsequent game in a match, players may change the composition of their decks by exchanging cards from their decks for cards in their sideboards. Any card exchange between decks and sideboards must be made on a one-for-one basis to ensure that the sideboards remain at exactly fifteen cards at all times. There are no restrictions on the number of cards a player may exchange this way. Players are not required to reveal how many cards he or she is sideboarding.

125. Standard Format Deck Construction

The following card sets are permitted in Standard tournaments:

* Eighth Edition (rotates out August 20, 2005)

* Ninth Edition (effective August 20, 2005)

* Mirrodin(tm) (rotates out October 20, 2005)

* Darksteel(tm) (rotates out October 20, 2005)

* Fifth Dawn(tm) (rotates out October 20, 2005)

* Champions of Kamigawa(tm)

* Betrayers of Kamigawa(tm)

* Saviors of Kamigawa(tm)

* Ravnica: City of Guilds (effective October 20, 2005)

Card sets rotate into the Standard environment on the dates noted in section 104. Card sets rotate out of Standard, however, in blocks (a large expansion and its two small expansions) —essentially a year of Magic expansions.

Example: The Mirrodin block rotated into the Standard environment when the Mirrodin set became legal for play. The Darksteel and Fifth Dawn sets are Mirrodin block expansions and are legal in Standard. The Mirrodin, Darksteel, and Fifth Dawn sets will rotate out of Standard together when the large expansion after Saviors of Kamigawa (Ravnica: City of Guilds) enters play on October 20, 2005—two years after the Mirrodin set was introduced to the environment.

The following cards are banned in Standard tournaments:

* Arcbound Ravager

* Ancient Den

* Darksteel Citadel

* Disciple of the Vault

* Great Furnace

* Seat of the Synod

* Skullclamp

* Tree of Tales

* Vault of Whispers

126. Extended Format Deck Construction

Card sets are allowed in Extended tournaments as described in section 104.

Every three years, three blocks (nine sets) of cards rotate out of Extended on the same day as the scheduled Standard rotation. The first implementation of this Extended rotation will occur on October 20, 2005. On that date, a new set will rotate into the Constructed environment; the three oldest blocks in Extended, Tempest(tm) block (Tempest, Stronghold(tm), Exodus(tm)), Urza block (Urza's Saga(tm), Urza's Legacy(tm), Urza's Destiny(tm)), and Masques block (Mercadian Masques(tm), Nemesis(tm), Prophecy(tm)) will rotate out.

Base sets released during the same period as a departing block also rotate out of Extended. For example, Sixth Edition, (also known as Classic) was released during Urza block and will rotate out of Extended on October 20, 2005.

The following card sets are permitted in Extended tournaments:

* Sixth Edition (Classic)*

* Seventh Edition

* Eighth Edition

* Ninth Edition (effective August 20, 2005)

* Tempest*

* Stronghold*

* Exodus*

* Urza's Saga*

* Urza's Legacy*

* Urza's Destiny*

* Mercadian Masques*

* Nemesis*

* Prophecy*

* Invasion(tm)

* Planeshift(tm)

* Apocalypse(tm)

* Odyssey(tm)

* Torment(tm)

* Judgment(tm)

* Onslaught(tm)

* Legions(tm)

* Scourge(tm)

* Mirrodin

* Darksteel

* Fifth Dawn

* Champions of Kamigawa

* Betrayers of Kamigawa

* Saviors of Kamigawa

* Ravnica: City of Guilds (effective October 20, 2005)

*These sets rotate out of Extended on October 20, 2005

The following cards are banned in Extended tournaments:

* Ancient Tomb

* Dark Ritual

* Dream Halls

* Earthcraft

* Entomb

* Frantic Search

* Goblin Lackey

* Goblin Recruiter

* Grim Monolith

* Hermit Druid

* Lotus Petal

* Memory Jar

* Metalworker

* Mind Over Matter

* Oath of Druids

* Replenish

* Survival of the Fittest

* Skullclamp

* Time Spiral

* Tinker

* Tolarian Academy

* Windfall

* Yawgmoth's Bargain

* Yawgmoth's Will

127. Vintage Format Deck Construction

Vintage decks may consist of cards from all Magic card sets, any extension of the core set, and all promotional cards released by Wizards of the Coast, with exceptions listed below. New card sets are allowed in Vintage tournaments as described in section 104.

Until October 20, 2005, cards from the following sets are not allowed in Vintage tournaments, or any DCI-sanctioned tournament, unless they have been reprinted in a Magic core set or expansion:

* Portal

* Portal Second Age

* Portal Three Kingdoms

* Starter

When these sets become legal for tournament play on October 20, 2005, the cards Personal Tutor and Imperial Seal will be added to the Vintage Restricted List.

The following cards are banned in Vintage tournaments:

* Any ante card

* Chaos Orb

* Falling Star

The following cards are restricted in Vintage tournaments:

* Ancestral Recall

* Balance

* Black Lotus

* Black Vise

* Burning Wish

* Channel

* Chrome Mox

* Crop Rotation

* Demonic Consultation

* Demonic Tutor

* Dream Halls

* Enlightened Tutor

* Entomb

* Fact or Fiction

* Fastbond

* Frantic Search

* Grim Monolith

* Gush

* Library of Alexandria

* Lion's Eye Diamond

* Lotus Petal

* Mana Crypt

* Mana Vault

* Memory Jar

* Mind Over Matter

* Mind Twist

* Mind's Desire

* Mox Diamond

* Mox Emerald

* Mox Jet

* Mox Pearl

* Mox Ruby

* Mox Sapphire

* Mystical Tutor

* Necropotence

* Regrowth

* Sol Ring

* Strip Mine

* Time Spiral

* Time Walk

* Timetwister

* Tinker

* Tolarian Academy

* Trinisphere

* Vampiric Tutor

* Voltaic Key

* Wheel of Fortune

* Windfall

* Yawgmoth's Bargain

* Yawgmoth's Will

128. Legacy Format Deck Construction

Legacy decks may consist of cards from all Magic card sets, any extension of the core set, and all promotional cards released by Wizards of the Coast. New card sets are allowed in Legacy tournaments as described in Section 104.

Until October 20, 2005, cards from the following sets are not allowed in Legacy tournaments, or any DCI-sanctioned tournament, unless they have been reprinted in a Magic core set or expansion:

* Portal

* Portal Second Age

* Portal Three Kingdoms

* Starter

When these sets become legal for tournament play on October 20, 2005, the cards Imperial Seal will be added to the Legacy Banned List.

The following cards are banned in Legacy tournaments:

* Amulet of Quoz

* Ancestral Recall

* Balance

* Bazaar of Baghdad

* Black Lotus

* Black Vise

* Bronze Tablet

* Channel

* Chaos Orb

* Contract from Below

* Darkpact

* Demonic Attorney

* Demonic Consultation

* Demonic Tutor

* Dream Halls

* Earthcraft

* Entomb

* Falling Star

* Fastbond

* Frantic Search

* Goblin Recruiter

* Grim Monolith

* Gush

* Hermit Druid

* Illusionary Mask

* Jeweled Bird

* Land Tax

* Library of Alexandria

* Mana Crypt

* Mana Drain

* Mana Vault

* Memory Jar

* Metalworker

* Mind Over Matter

* Mind Twist

* Mind's Desire

* Mishra's Workshop

* Mox Emerald

* Mox Jet

* Mox Pearl

* Mox Ruby

* Mox Sapphire

* Necropotence

* Oath of Druids

* Rebirth

* Replenish

* Skullclamp

* Sol Ring

* Strip Mine

* Tempest Efreet

* Time Spiral

* Time Walk

* Timetwister

* Timmerian Fiends

* Tinker

* Tolarian Academy

* Vampiric Tutor

* Wheel of Fortune

* Windfall

* Worldgorger Dragon

* Yawgmoth's Bargain

* Yawgmoth's Will

129. Block Format Deck Construction

The DCI sanctions a series of Constructed formats called Block formats. Each Block format consists of a maximum of three expansions (one large expansion and the two small expansions associated with it). New card sets are allowed in Block format tournaments as described in Section 104.

The DCI sanctions the following Block formats:

* Kamigawa(tm) Block (Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa, Saviors of Kamigawa)

* Mirrodin Block (Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn)

* Onslaught Block (Onslaught, Legions, Scourge)

* Odyssey Block (Odyssey, Torment, Judgment)

* Invasion Block (Invasion, Planeshift, Apocalypse)

* Masques Block (Mercadian Masques, Nemesis, Prophecy)

* Urza Block (Urza's Saga, Urza's Legacy, Urza's Destiny)

* Tempest Block (Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus)

* Mirage(tm) Block (Mirage, Visions(tm), Weatherlight(tm))

* Ice Age Block (Ice Age, Alliances(tm), Homelands(tm))

The following cards are banned in Block Constructed Tournaments

* Skullclamp (Mirrodin Block)

* Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero (Masques Block)

* Rishadan Port (Masques Block)

* Gaea's Cradle (Urza Block)

* Memory Jar (Urza Block)

* Serra's Sanctum (Urza Block)

* Time Spiral (Urza Block)

* Tolarian Academy (Urza Block)

* Voltaic Key (Urza Block)

* Windfall (Urza Block)

* Cursed Scroll (Tempest Block)

* Squandered Resources (Mirage Block)

* Amulet of Quoz (Ice Age Block)

* Thawing Glaciers (Ice Age Block)

* Timmerian Fiends (Ice Age Block)

* Zuran Orb (Ice Age Block)

132. Sideboard Use

Any drafted or opened cards not used in a player's Limited deck function as his or her sideboard. Players may not look at their sideboards during a game.

Before the beginning of the second or subsequent game in a match, players may change the composition of their decks by exchanging cards from their decks for cards in their sideboards. Players can also request additional basic land at this time. There are no restrictions on the number of cards a player may exchange this way as long as the main deck contains at least forty cards. Cards do not need to be exchanged on a one-for-one basis. The deck must be returned to its original composition before the first game of each match.

133. Materials Provided

Tournament organizers and/or the head judge may choose to provide basic lands for players to use during the tournament. If the organizer provides basic lands, the same amount of land must be available to each player. Organizers must announce before and during event registration whether they will provide players with access to basic lands. Organizers may require players to return basic land cards when they leave the tournament.

134. Rules for Sealed Deck Tournaments

In Sealed Deck tournaments, players may add as many basic lands as desired to their decks during deck construction. Extra lands are allowed for sideboards, and players may add basic lands to their sideboards any time between games.

145. Team Constructed Tournaments

Event results for all DCI-sanctioned team Constructed tournaments (Vintage, Legacy, Extended, and Standard) are merged into one set of Constructed ratings for each team size.

Team tournaments using any DCI-sanctioned Constructed format must adhere to all applicable sections of the Magic DCI Floor Rules and DCI Universal Tournament Rules for Constructed tournaments.

Team Constructed tournaments use Unified Deck Construction rules: With the exception of basic land cards, a team's combined decks and sideboards may not contain more than four of any individual card, counted by its English card title. (For example, if one player has four main-deck Naturalizes in a Team Constructed event, no other player on that team may have a Naturalize in his or her deck or sideboard.) If a card is restricted in a particular format, no more than one of that card may be used by the team. No players may use cards that are banned in a particular format.

146. Team Limited Tournaments

Event results for each DCI-sanctioned team Limited tournament (Sealed Deck and Rochester Draft) are merged into one set of Limited ratings for each team size.

Team tournaments using any DCI-sanctioned Limited format must adhere to all applicable sections of the Magic DCI Floor Rules and DCI Universal Tournament Rules for Limited tournaments.

147. Team Rochester Draft Tournaments

Team Rochester Draft events require teams of three players each, and two teams are seated at each table for the draft. Team members sit clockwise in A-B-C order around the table. (For example, in a three-person team event, players sit around the table clockwise in this order: 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, 2C.)

During the draft, talking is not allowed. However, nonverbal signals such as pointing and gesturing are permitted.

A team determined at random chooses either to pick first or to allow the other team to pick first. The "B" player of the team that picks first lays out the first pack. All fifteen cards are drafted from the pack following the standard Rochester Draft rules for timing and active-player rotation (see the Universal Tournament Rules, sections 76 and 77).

Example: Team 1 and Team 2 are seated around a table. They are numbered 1A-1B-1C-2A-2B-2C in a clockwise order. Team 2 wins the coin toss, and the members of Team 2 choose to let Team 1 pick first. The active player for the first pack is Player 1B. The first booster pack for Player 1B is opened and placed face up in front of Player 1B. After the 30-second review period has expired, the draft order is as follows:

Player 1B—card 1 Player 1A—card 6 Player 1C—card 11

Player 1C—card 2 Player 1A—card 7 Player 1B—card 12

Player 2A—card 3 Player 2C—card 8 Player 1B—card 13

Player 2B—card 4 Player 2B—card 9 Player 1C—card 14

Player 2C—card 5 Player 2A—card 10 Player 2A—card 15

148. Team Sealed Deck Tournaments

Teams are issued sealed product based on which expansions have been released in the current block. Every team must receive the same product mix. For example, if one team receives two Champions of Kamigawa tournament packs, two Betrayers of Kamigawa boosters, and two Saviors of Kamigawa boosters, every team must receive two Champions of Kamigawa tournament pack, two Betrayers of Kamigawa boosters and two Saviors of Kamigawa boosters.

All cards must be assigned to a player's deck or sideboard during deck construction and cannot be transferred to another player during that tournament. (Players do not share main deck or sideboard cards.) All decks must contain a minimum of forty cards. Any number of the remaining cards may be assigned as a sideboard to any player. Players may add as many basic lands as they need to their main deck at the start of the tournament or to their sideboard between games.

Three-Person Team Events

The DCI recommends that each team receive two tournament packs and four boosters. The tournament packs will always be from the large expansion. If no small expansions have yet been released, the boosters will also be from the large expansion. If the first small expansion has been released, the four boosters should be from the first small expansion. If the second small expansion has been released, two boosters should be from the first small expansion and two boosters from the second small expansion.

Two-Person Team Events

The DCI recommends that each team receive one tournament pack and five boosters. The tournament pack will always be from the large expansion. If no small expansions have been released, the boosters will also be from the large expansion. If the first small expansion has been released, one booster should be from the large expansion and four boosters from the first small expansion. If the second small expansion has been released, one booster should be from the large expansion, two boosters the first small expansion, and two boosters from the second small expansion.