1. GENERAL PHILOSOPHY [Definition]

Judges at tournaments are to be neutral arbiters and enforcers of policy and rules. Judges should 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 rules issues, 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. A penalty should not be deviated from for the purpose of education or because a player did not realize that what they were doing was incorrect. Infractions are also used to track player behavior over time.

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

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

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

* The Rules Enforcement Level of the tournament.

* Repeated offenses by the player within the tournament.

Only the Head Judge is authorized to issue penalties that deviate from these guidelines. The Head Judge should 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 should 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 should be 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.

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

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 should 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 should not 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. Some Junior tournaments may also be run at this level even if they do 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.

* 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.

* 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 should be required for a Caution, as any Caution that takes more than a few moments to resolve should be upgraded to a Warning. A Caution should be 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.

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 should never be used except as detailed in this guide and never for repeated offenses. Judges should 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 should issue a Game Loss penalty instead.

Match Loss

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

Match Losses should be applied to the match in which the offense occurred unless the tournament is in a new round, in which case the penalty should be applied in the current round. 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 should 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 should be 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 should be 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 should explain the standard penalty and the reason for deviation. Penalties should always be applied during the round in which they occurred unless the penalty specifies otherwise.

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" should not be used, even though the rest of the rounds may have utilized it.

Separate infractions committed or discovered at the same time should be treated as separate penalties, though if the root cause is the same, only the more severe one should be 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 should be 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 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 recommended penalty for the first offense is listed in the "Penalty" portion of each infraction. At Competitive and Professional RELs, unless suggested otherwise in the penalty procedure, the next highest penalty is normally awarded for the second offense of the same infraction during the tournament. Penalties at Regular events may be upgraded at the Head Judge's discretion. Penalties continue to be upgraded with further offenses and are upgraded in the following order:

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

A Match Point penalty is never used for repeat offenses. If a Match Point penalty is issued and the offense is repeated, it should be 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.

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 or before play begins 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 purposes of these infractions. If a player has lost some of their sideboard and notifies a judge immediately, no penalty should be issued. Make note of the missing cards. If the player finds them (or copies of the same card) at a later point, they may add them back to their sideboard after notifying the Head Judge.

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

If the decklist is illegal, the player is considered to have an illegal deck, regardless of the physical contents of his or her deck. However, because the majority of illegal decklists are due to clerical error, it is not in the best interest of the event to punish a player heavily for an illegal decklist. Whenever possible, it is best to correct the decklist to match the player's actual deck.

Ambiguous or unclear names on a decklist may allow a player to manipulate the contents of their deck up until the point at which they are discovered. Use of a truncated name that is not unique may be downgraded to a Warning at the Head Judge's discretion if they believe that the intended card is obvious and the potential for abuse minimal. When determining if a name is ambiguous, judges may take into account the format being played.

112. Deck/Warband Error — Illegal Deck (Legal Decklist) [Definition]

Players are considered to have an illegal deck when the contents of the deck do not match the decklist. This includes players who have lost cards, have cards from a previous opponent in their decks, have additional cards with their sideboard, or whose decks do not otherwise match their decklists.

This infraction applies to tournaments for which decklists are being used and includes errors in the sideboard. If the error is a result of a player forgetting to desideboard, please refer to Deck/Warband Error — Failure to Desideboard instead.

The infraction for a lost miniature is different and covered by section Deck/Warband Error — Lost Miniature.

112. Deck/Warband Error — Illegal Deck (Legal Decklist) [Example]

A. A player in a Magic tournament is playing with 59 cards in her deck when the minimum is 60. Her decklist indicates a legal deck with 60 cards.

B. A player in an Extended Magic tournament is playing with Skullclamp (a banned card) in his deck. His decklist indicates a legal deck with no banned cards.

C. A player in a Magic tournament has a Pacifism in his deck from a previous opponent. His decklist indicates a legal deck.

D. A player in a Dreamblade tournament has four copies of Blight Rat in their warband because they accidentally picked up a previous opponent's Blight Rat.

E. A player in a Dreamblade tournament has listed only 15 miniatures, but is playing 16 miniatures.

F. A player in a Magic tournament looking at their sideboard during a game fails to keep it clearly separate from her deck.

112. Deck/Warband Error — Illegal Deck (Legal Decklist) [Philosophy]

The decklist is the ultimate guide to a player's deck. Decklists are used to ensure that decks are not altered in the course of a tournament. If the decklist indicates a legal deck, but the actual contents of the deck do not match the decklist, the player should restore the deck to reflect the decklist. However, if the Head Judge believes that the error was obviously clerical (for example, a player marks "10 Islands" on their decklist and is only playing black cards), the decklist should be altered to match the deck. When making this decision, judges should be mindful of potential abuse and if the potential exists or needs to be considered, they should use the contents of the decklist.

If the sideboard is not kept sufficiently separate from the deck during play, it becomes impossible to determine the legality of the deck. Additionally, if there are extra cards stored with the sideboard that could conceivably be played in the player's deck, they will be considered a part of the sideboard.

113. Deck/Warband Error — Illegal Deck (No Decklists) [Example]

A. A player in a Standard Magic tournament has 59 cards in her deck when the minimum is 60.

B. A player in an Extended Magic tournament has Skullclamp (a banned card) in his deck.

C. A player in a Constructed Dreamblade tournament has 17 miniatures in his warband when the maximum is 16.

D. A player in a Constructed Dreamblade tournament is playing with a miniature whose base does not match the figure.

E. A player has lost several cards from her sideboard (or lost the entire sideboard).

114. Deck/Warband Error — Improper Registration of Limited Card Pool [Definition]

This infraction applies to limited tournaments for which decklists are being used and only applies to errors made during the registration of the card pool before a deck swap or other form of registration verification. Registration errors made during deckbuilding are handled in Deck/Warband Error — Illegal Decklist.

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.

All penalties in this section presume that the error was committed unintentionally. If the judge believes that the error was intentional, the appropriate Cheating infraction 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, 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 - should be 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 issued.

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.

Because of the diverse nature of Game Play Errors, care should be taken when upgrading penalties. Game Play Error penalties should not be upgraded for different offenses that fall under the same category of infraction, unless the offenses themselves are very similar.

123. Game Play Error — Missed Trigger [Philosophy]

Most games have "triggers" — actions that the game asks players to take as a result an event occurring. Because the representation of these triggers is invisible, players will miss them on occasion.

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 immediately, opponents and teammates should 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.

131. Tournament Error — Tardiness [Remedy]

A penalty should 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 should be 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 should be 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 should not be replaced by Match Point penalties for Tardiness. Repeated Tardiness infractions should only be upgraded in exceptional circumstances.

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

Two people played or are playing against each other when they were paired against different players for that round.

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

A. As time is called in a tournament, two players about to draw roll a die to determine the winner.

B. A player offers to flip a coin to determine the winner of a match.

150. CHEATING [Definition]

This section deals with 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.

152. Cheating — Fraud [Definition]

A person intentionally violates the Player Communication policy (see section 50) 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 should 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 a 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.

153. Cheating — Outside Assistance [Definition]

A player, spectator, or other tournament participant intentionally does any of the following:

* Seeks advice from others once they have sat for their match.

* Gives advice to players who have sat for their match.

* Any time after arriving at the play table, a player references notes made before the official beginning of their current match.

* Illegally seeks information that is hidden from them by the rules of the game or format.

* Reveals information they are prohibited from revealing by the rules of the game, policy, or format.

These offenses also apply to any deck construction portions of a limited tournament. Additionally, no notes of any kind may be made during a draft.

Notes made during a match may be referenced during that match or between matches. Notes made outside the current match may not be referenced once a player has sat for their match until after their match is completed.

Team events and multiplayer events have specific communication policies that may override these.

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 should be considered Cheating — Fraud and penalized accordingly. Players also should not be allowed to use this penalty as a stalling mechanism. The deck is already randomized, so shuffling in the revealed cards should not involve an excessive amount of effort. Make sure to give sufficient extra time to account for the shuffling.