2. DCI-Supported Games

The following games are supported by the Universal Tournament Rules:

* Axis & Allies Miniatures(tm)

* Dreamblade(tm)

* Duel Masters(tm) trading card game

* Dungeons & Dragons(tm) Miniatures

* Football Champions(tm) trading card game

* Hecatomb(tm) trading card game

* Magic: The Gathering(R) trading card game

* MLB(tm) Showdown(tm) sports card game

* Neopets(R) trading card game

* Star Wars(tm) Miniatures

* Star Wars(tm) trading card game

The Risk 2210(tm) Floor Rules contain their own Penalty Guidelines.

DCI Floor Rules for each of the games listed above are located at www.thedci.com/docs.

3. Player Eligibility

Anyone is eligible to participate in a DCI-sanctioned tournament except the following:

* The tournament organizer of record

* The Head Judge and all other Judges of the event (DCI certified and non-certified).

* Tournament officials, staff or volunteers (see appendix B).

* Players currently suspended by the DCI. The current DCI Suspended Player list is located at www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/suspended

* Other players specifically prohibited from participation by DCI or Wizards of the Coast policy (for example, already qualified players may not participate in Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour(tm) Qualifier tournaments)

* Invitation-only tournaments, such as Pro Tour events, have additional criteria regarding player eligibility

* Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro corporate employees and immediate family members. Additional restrictions based on employment status are listed under Corporate Employees in Appendix B.

Players with questions regarding their tournament eligibility should contact the DCI Policy Manager.

4. Necessary Tournament Materials

A player must bring the following items to a tournament in order to participate:

* A physical, visible, reliable method to maintain and record game information (tokens, score counters, pen and paper, and so on).

* A valid and unique DCI number registered in the participant's name. Note: New players must register for DCI membership at their first tournaments. Players may have only one DCI number. Tournament organizers must report any player using more than one DCI membership number. Should players find they have been assigned multiple DCI numbers, they should contact the Wizards of the Coast Customer Service at http://wizards.custhelp.com/

* Any materials specifically required for a particular tournament format, as required by the game's DCI Floor Rules or the tournament organizer.

Example: Players need to bring their assembled decks to Constructed tournaments.

11. Event-Knowledge Responsibilities

Competitors, Judges, and organizers involved in DCI-sanctioned tournaments are responsible for knowing and following the most current version of the Universal Tournament Rules, the DCI Floor Rules for the appropriate game, and any other applicable regulatory documents, including the game rules for the appropriate game.

12. Tournament Organizer Responsibilities

* The tournament organizer of an event is ultimately responsible for all tournament operations. The tournament organizer's responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Selecting the site for the event

* Advertising the tournament sufficiently in advance of the event date

* Providing all materials to operate the event (product at Sealed Deck events, for example)

* Taking reasonable steps to assure that suspended or otherwise ineligible DCI members do not participate in their DCI-sanctioned tournaments

* Retaining all tournament results for one full year after the event's completion

* Reporting all tournament results to the DCI within eight days of the event's completion

* Staffing the tournament with appropriate personnel (Head Judge, scorekeeper, etc.)

13. Player Responsibilities

* Players must follow the rules interpretations and guidelines for play set forth by the DCI, the Head Judge, and other tournament officials.

* Players are expected to behave in a respectful and sporting manner at all times.

* Players who argue with or fail to follow the instructions of the Head Judge or other tournament officials are subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

* Players are subject to the appropriate penalties even if a Judge was present at the match at which the infraction occurred.

* Players are not permitted to waive penalties on behalf of their opponents. The Judge must ensure that appropriate penalties, if any, are imposed.

* Players are responsible for maintaining an accurate rating and for informing the DCI of any discrepancies in their match history. If a player believes there is an anomaly in their rating, he or she should refer to the DCI Appeals Policy, located at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/appeals.

* Players that do not fulfill their responsibilities as described above may be subject to review by the DCI. Such a review may result in the suspension of a players' membership.

Wizards of the Coast and the DCI reserve the right to suspend or revoke a player's membership without prior notice for any reason deemed necessary.

14. Spectator and Press Responsibilities

Spectators are expected to remain silent during matches and are not permitted to communicate with players in any way while matches are in progress. Players may request that a spectator not observe their matches. All such requests must be made through a Judge.

Spectators and members of the press who believe they have observed rules violations should inform a Judge, but must not interfere with the match.

15. Judge Responsibilities

Judges have the responsibility to deliver fair, impartial rulings and to assist the Head Judge and other tournament officials in any area that is required to ensure a well-run tournament. Judges must take action to resolve any floor or game rule infraction they notice or that is brought to their attention.

16. Head Judge Responsibilities

Officially sanctioned competition requires the physical presence of a Head Judge during play to adjudicate disputes, interpret rules, assign penalties, and make other official decisions. The Head Judge may, with the tournament organizer's agreement, appoint any number of other Judges to help in the performance of the Head Judge's duties and to perform other tasks the Head Judge may require. The Head Judge is responsible for reporting all warnings and disqualifications issued at the tournament to the DCI, either directly or through the tournament organizer's event report.

The Head Judge and tournament organizer can be, but do not have to be, the same individual. The Head Judge is the final judicial authority at any DCI-sanctioned tournament (see section 15, Judge Responsibilities).

Although it is beneficial, the Head Judge does not have to be a DCI-certified Judge. Certification is available only to Magic: The Gathering Judges at this time. For information on becoming a certified Magic(R) Judge or finding a certified Judge in your area, please contact the DCI Judge certification manager at dciJudge@wizards.com.

17. Appeals to the Head Judge

If a player disagrees with a Judge's decision, he or she may appeal the ruling to the Head Judge. The Head Judge has the authority to overrule other Judges' decisions. Players may not appeal to the Head Judge before the Judge responding to the situation renders an initial decision. The Head Judge's decision is final.

If the Team Leader judging system is used, all appeals must still be passed to the Head Judge, whose decision is final.

18. Lengthy Rulings

If a Judge uses more than one minute to make a ruling, he or she may extend the match time or turns appropriately. The extra time or turns must be clearly communicated and recorded immediately by the Judge.

21. Shuffling

Shuffling must be done so that the faces of the cards cannot be seen. Regardless of the method used to shuffle, players' decks must be sufficiently randomized. Each time players shuffle their deck, they must present their deck to their opponent for additional shuffling and/or cutting. Players may request to have a Judge shuffle their cards rather than pass that duty to their opponent, this request will be honored at a Judge's discretion. By presenting their decks to their opponents, players are stating that their decks are correct, legal, and sufficiently randomized.

After decks are presented and accepted, any player who does not believe his or her opponent has made a reasonable effort to sufficiently randomize his or her deck must notify a Judge. The Head Judge has final authority to determine whether a deck has been sufficiently randomized. The Head Judge also has the authority to determine if a player has used reasonable effort to randomize his or her deck. If the Head Judge believes that either the deck has not been sufficiently randomized or that a player has not made a reasonable effort to randomize his or her deck, the player will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

At Competitive and Professional level events players must always shuffle their opponents' decks at the beginning of games. The Head Judge can mandate the shuffling of opponents' decks at Regular Level Events as long as he or she announces this at the beginning of the tournament. If a shuffling effect takes place during gameplay, players may shuffle and must cut their opponents' decks after the shuffling effect is completed.

Once players shuffle and/or cut their opponents' decks, the cards are returned to their original owners. If the opponent has shuffled the player's deck, that player may make one final cut.

24. Midgame Shuffling Time Limit

A reasonable time limit will be allowed for all shuffling and deck-searching that occurs during a game. Player should be allowed thirty seconds to conduct simple searches; more complicated searches may be allowed more time at the Judge's discretion.

If a Judge determines that a player's shuffling time is excessive, that player will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines. Shuffling requirements specified in Section 21 apply.

25. Conceding Games or Matches

Players may concede a game or match at any time within the following guidelines. The conceded game or match is recorded as a loss for the conceding player. If a player refuses to play, it is assumed that he or she concedes the match.

The following actions are prohibited:

* Offering or accepting a bribe or prize split in exchange for the win, loss, concession, drop, or draw of a match

* Attempting to determine the winner of a game or match by a random method, such as a coin flip or die roll

Players who engage in these actions will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

Players are allowed to share prizes they have won as they wish, such as with teammates, as long as any such sharing does not occur as an exchange for the win, loss, concession, drop or draw of a game or match.

EXCEPTION: Players in the final match (The final round of the tournament that is played) of the single-elimination portion of a tournament have the option not to play their match. If both players of the final match agree not to play, one of them must agree to drop from the event (in order for prizes to be awarded). The DCI ratings of the players will not be affected because no match will have been played. The dropping player receives the second-place prize, and the other finalist receives the first-place prize.

Example: Two players in the final of a Pro Tour Qualifier may agree to split the prizes (the travel award and the Pro Tour invitation), but this agreement cannot alter the results of the match. One player must drop from the event, leaving the travel award and the invitation to the player who did not drop from the event. That player is then free to split the prizes as agreed upon. The prizes will be sent only to the winner (that is, the finalist who did not drop); Wizards of the Coast will not send the Pro Tour invitation to one person and the travel award to another person.

Example: In the final round of a 2-slot Pro Tour Qualifier, players that are matched against each other may agree to split the prizes (the travel award and the Pro Tour invitation), but this agreement cannot alter the results of the match. One player must drop from the event, leaving the travel award and the invitation to the player who did not drop from the event. That player is then free to split the prizes as agreed upon. The prizes will be sent only to the winner (that is, the finalist who did not drop); Wizards of the Coast will not send the Pro Tour invitation to one person and the travel award to another person.

28. Taking Notes

Players are allowed to take brief written notes regarding the current match and may refer to those notes while this match is in progress. Players are expected to take their notes in a timely fashion. Players who take too much time will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

During the draft portion of a tournament, players and spectators may not take any notes. Players may not refer to outside notes during the match. This includes notes from previous matches of that day.

Cards used in a tournament may not have writing on their faces other than signatures or artistic modifications. Modifications may not obscure the artwork so as to make the card unrecognizable. If modifications to a card are deemed by the Head Judge to constitute outside notes or unsporting conduct, the player using such cards will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

29. Electronic Devices

The Head Judge or tournament organizer may choose not to allow players to participate with electronic devices (such as cellular phones, headphones, pagers, and/or portable audio units) turned on.

32. Card Interpretation

The Head Judge is the final authority regarding card interpretations. See the DCI Floor Rules for the appropriate game for more detailed rules regarding how cards should be interpreted. If the Head Judge determines that a player is using non-English-language cards and/or misprints to create an advantage by using misleading text or artwork, that player will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

34. Proxy Cards

The use of proxy cards is not permitted except under the following conditions:

* If a card becomes accidentally damaged or excessively worn through play in the current DCI-sanctioned tournament, the Judge may provide a proxy replacement card at his or her discretion or require the player to sleeve all of his or her cards before play continues.

* If a card opened out of sealed product for use in a Limited tournament is misprinted, miscut, or otherwise damaged in a way that would cause the card to be marked, the Judge may provide a proxy replacement card at his or her discretion.

Players are not permitted to create a proxy. When a Judge creates a proxy for a player, it is included in the player's deck. The original card is kept close at hand during the match. When the proxy is in play, replace it with the original. When the original card returns to the player's deck/hand, swap it with the proxy. This replacement method helps ensure that the opponent is able to clearly see the intended card and to avoid confusion.

The term "proxy" includes counterfeit cards or any card that is not a genuine game card. Counterfeiters will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

35. Card Sleeves

Players may use plastic card sleeves or other protective devices on cards. If a player chooses to use card sleeves, all cards in the player's current deck must be placed in the sleeves in an identical manner. If the sleeves feature holograms or other similar markings, cards must be inserted into the sleeves so these markings appear only on the face of the cards.

Once a match begins, a player may request that the Judge inspect an opponent's card sleeves. The Judge may disallow a player's card sleeves if the Judge believes they are marked, worn, or otherwise in a condition or of a design that interferes with shuffling or game play. To avoid confusion, a card sleeve may also be used to mark a player's card if the card is in an opponent's playing area.

37. Game Markers

Game markers, such as tokens or reminders of a game effect, may not be designated by cards with identical backs as the cards in a player's deck if the deck is unsleeved. If the deck is sleeved, game markers may not have sleeve backs identical to those on the cards in the player's deck.

Small items (i.e. Glass beads, dice, etc...) may be used as markers and placed atop your library (for example, as a reminder for upkeep effects). Cards may not be used. These markers may not disguise the number of cards remaining in a player's deck or completely obscure the top card of the deck.

A judge may disallow the use of game markers that may cause confusion with regard to the state of the game, or that are deemed inappropriate or offensive.

38. Deck Checks

At all premier events and all events of Competitive and Professional events or higher, deck checks must be performed. For all events, the DCI strongly recommends that at least ten percent of all decks be checked over the course of the tournament.

41. Cheating

Cheating will not be tolerated. The Head Judge reviews all cheating allegations, and if he or she determines that a player has cheated, he or she will issue the appropriate penalty based on the DCI Penalty Guidelines. All disqualifications are subject to DCI review and further penalties may be assessed.

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following intentional activities:

* Receiving or giving outside assistance

* Looking at opponents' card faces while shuffling or cutting their decks

* Collusion to alter the results of a game or match (see section 25)

* Misrepresenting cards or rules

* Using marked cards/sleeves (see section 44)

* Drawing extra cards

* Illegally manipulating which cards are drawn from a player's deck or his or her opponent's deck

* Stalling the length of a turn to take advantage of a time limit

* Misrepresenting public information (point totals, statistics of cards in play, number of cards in a deck, and so on).

* Giving false or misleading information to a Judge or tournament official

43. Slow Play

Players must take their turns in a timely fashion regardless of the complexity of the play situation. Playing too slowly or stalling for time is not acceptable. If a Judge determines that a player is playing excessively slowly at any point during the tournament, the responsible player will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

44. Marked Cards

Players are responsible for ensuring that their cards and/or card sleeves are not marked. A card is considered marked if it bears something that makes it possible to identify the card without seeing its face, including scratches, discoloration, bends, and so on.

If a player's cards are sleeved, the sleeves are considered part of the cards, so the cards must be examined while in the sleeves to determine if they are marked. Players must use care when sleeving their decks and should randomize their decks prior to sleeving them to reduce the possibility of marked cards with a pattern.

Any card that is cut differently from the other cards in a player's deck may be considered marked if the entire contents of the deck are not placed in unmarked, completely opaque card sleeves. For example, Alpha cards are considered marked if they are mixed into a player's deck with cards from other sets at a Magic event. However, Alpha cards are not considered marked—and therefore do not have to be in opaque sleeves—if the entire deck consists of Alpha cards.

If a differently cut card has caused its sleeve to become worn differently than other sleeves in the deck, that sleeve is considered marked.

The Head Judge has the authority to determine if a card or series of cards in a player's deck is marked.

52. Constructed-Format Deck Registration

The Head Judge or tournament organizer may require players to register their decks and sideboards (if applicable) upon arrival at a tournament. Registration records the original composition of each deck. Once a tournament official receives a player's deck list, the deck may not be altered. Failure to properly register a deck will result in the Head Judge applying the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

61. Limited-Format Deck Registration

The Head Judge or tournament organizer may require players to record on a deck list every card they receive in a Limited tournament. Once the cards are registered, players have a limited amount of time to prepare their decks before play begins. Any cards players receive that are not used in their main decks are considered to be their sideboards. The DCI recommends, and in the case of enhanced K-values, requires that organizers check a reasonable number of decks against their deck lists each round.

62. Card Use in Limited Tournaments

Cards used in Limited events must be received directly from tournament officials. This product must be new (previously unopened). Each player must be given the same quantity and type of product (decks and/or booster packs) as all the other players participating in the tournament. For example, if one player receives three Time Spiral boosters for a Booster Draft, all players must receive three Time Spiral boosters.

Players may use only the actual cards they receive or draft at a Limited tournament, and any additional specifically provided by the tournament organizer (for example, basic lands in the Magic game). Players may not trade or replace cards they receive or draft at a Limited tournament with any other cards, even if the replacement is an exact copy. If a card is damaged or otherwise considered "marked," players must comply with section 63, Abnormal Cards or Boosters.

Basic Land cards are often provided to players by the Tournament Organizer for use in their Limited Tournaments, however, if the Tournament Organizer does not have basic lands available, players may use their own Basic Lands cards during the tournament as long as they are in good condition and are not marked.

63. Abnormal Cards or Boosters

Players who have an abnormal number of cards in the decks or booster packs they receive must inform the Head Judge, who may replace the deck or booster pack at his or her discretion in consultation with the tournament organizer. The Head Judge makes the final decision.

If a player receives a "marked" card (section 44), the Head Judge may replace that card with a proxy card at his or her discretion. (See section 34—Proxy Cards)

Neither Wizards of the Coast nor the tournament organizer guarantees any specific distribution of card rarities or frequency in a particular booster pack or deck. If a player receives an unconventional distribution of rarities or frequencies in a particular booster pack or deck, the player must call for a Judge immediately. The decision to replace, or allow to be used, the atypical product is at the discretion of the Tournament Organizer in consultation with the Head Judge of the tournament.

66. Deck Construction

Before tournament play begins, each player receives an assortment of sealed product. If deck lists are being used, players have 20 minutes to register their decks. Each player then creates a tournament deck that meets the Sealed Deck size requirements found in the game's DCI Floor Rules. Players have 30 minutes before the event begins to construct their decks.

The Head Judge or tournament organizer may require players to record on a deck list every card they intend to play in their main decks and/or sideboards. Failure to properly record the cards being played in the main decks will result in the Head Judge applying the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.

71. Player Distribution

Players assemble randomly into drafting circles (called pods) of roughly equal size at the discretion of the tournament organizer or Head Judge. A tournament official then distributes an identical set of new booster packs to each player in the pod.

Players within a pod may play only against other players within that pod.

Players may not talk or communicate to others during a draft. As players draft the cards, they must place their cards in one orderly pile in front of them. Drafted cards may be reviewed only between the drafting of each pack. (Exception: Multi-player teams may communicate between themselves verbally as they choose during the draft).

72. Draft Card Selection

Before the tournament begins, the Head Judge must announce how much time each player has to select a card. If a player fails to select a card in the time given, it is considered a Tournament Error — Draft Procedure Violation. If the player is unable or unwilling to select a card, he or she is suspended from drafting and must construct a deck from whatever cards he or she has drafted so far.

73. Deck Construction

Once drafting is complete, players have 30 minutes to build decks from the cards they selected. These decks must meet the Limited deck-size requirements specified by the appropriate game's DCI Floor Rules. The Head Judge or tournament organizer may require players to record on a deck list every card they intend to use in their main decks, as well as all cards they drafted.

74. Booster Draft Procedure

Players may not take, give or receive any notes during the booster draft portion or during the deck construction portion of a draft tournament.

At a signal from a tournament official, each player opens his or her booster pack specified by the official and counts the cards. Each player must draft their allotted booster packs in the same order as all the other players participating in the draft tournament. For example, if each player receives 1-Ravnica, 1-Guildpact, and 1-Dissension booster pack for the Draft portion of a tournament, all players must open and draft the same type of booster as each pack is drafted. If a player does not have the appropriate number of cards in his or her booster pack, he or she must immediately notify the Judge, who will replace the pack. The player chooses one card from the booster pack, and then passes the remaining cards face down to the player on his or her left. The opened packs are passed around the drafting pod—with each player taking one card each before passing—until all cards are drafted.

Once a player has removed a card from the pack and put it on the pile, it is considered selected and may not be returned to the pack. Players may not show their card selections or the contents of their current packs to other participants in the draft. Players are not permitted to send signals of any kind to other participants in the draft regarding any information about their own picks or what they want others to pick.

After each player's first pack is drafted, a tournament official will instruct players to open the next specified pack and draft in the same fashion, except that the direction of drafting is reversed—it now proceeds to the right. This process is repeated until all cards in all booster packs are drafted.

Booster Draft Timing

Cards remaining in pack Time allotted

15 cards 35 seconds

14 cards 35 seconds

13 cards 35 seconds

12 cards 25 seconds

11 cards 25 seconds

10 cards 25 seconds

9 cards 20 seconds

8 cards 20 seconds

7 cards 20 seconds

6 cards 10 seconds

5 cards 10 seconds

4 cards 5 seconds

3 cards 5 seconds

2 cards 5 seconds

1 card N/A

In addition, players receive 60 seconds to review their drafted cards in between booster packs.

75. Rochester Draft Procedures

Players may not take any notes during a Rochester draft or during deck construction.

Once a player has indicated his or her drafting selection by touching a card, he or she may not select a different card.

When packs are opened, they should be laid out in the center of the table in three rows.

Before the tournament begins, the Head Judge must announce how much time each player has to select a card. If a player fails to select a card in the time given, the pod Judge issues that player the "oldest" card still remaining from the booster pack.

Example: The active player lays out cards from a booster pack. The cards are considered to be in chronological order (1-15), where 1 is the first (oldest) card placed on the table, and 15 is the last (newest) card placed on the table. If a player fails to draft in a timely manner, the cards on the table are examined by the pod Judge, and the first card that was placed on the table is given to that player. If that card has already been selected, the second card that was placed on the table is given, and so on.

During a Rochester draft, players must always display the most recent card they drafted in the current pack face up. When all cards are drafted from the current pack, players may move their cards from that pack to any position.

77. Rochester Draft—Active Player Rotation

The player drafting first from the cards presented on the table is called the active player. The first active player is the participant in the first seat, designated by the Judge. All players in each drafting pod serve as the active player once for each booster pack group (see Section 76, Rochester Draft Table Preparation), with the active player moving between players as follows:

* in a clockwise direction for the first booster pack group (beginning with the first active player);

* in a counterclockwise direction for the second booster pack group (starting with the last active player in the first group);

* and returning to a clockwise direction for the third booster pack group (beginning again with the first active player).

78. Rochester Draft Order

The draft order moves in a horseshoe pattern, beginning with the active player, continuing around the table to the last participant in the group who has not yet drafted a card. The last player in the group selects two cards, instead of one, and drafting continues in reverse order, moving back to the player who began the drafting (the first person who drafted from the pack). If there are still cards remaining, the player who began the drafting selects two cards, and drafting continues again in the opposite direction. (This will only occur with 6- and 7-player Rochester draft.) Once all cards have been drafted, the table Judge prepares the drafting area for the next booster pack.

Example #1: Eight players are seated around a table. They are numbered 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 in a clockwise order. The active player is Player 1. The first booster pack for Player 1 is opened and placed face up in front of Player 1. After the 30-second review period has expired, the draft order is as follows:

Player 1—card 1 Player 6—card 6 Player 6—card 11

Player 2—card 2 Player 7—card 7 Player 5—card 12

Player 3—card 3 Player 8—card 8 Player 4—card 13

Player 4—card 4 Player 8—card 9 Player 3—card 14

Player 5—card 5 Player 7—card 10 Player 2—card 15

The next pack to be opened would be Player #2's first booster.

Example #2: Seven players are seated around a table. They are numbered 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 in a clockwise order. The active player is Player 1. The first booster pack for Player 1 is opened and placed face up in front of Player 1. After the 30-second review period has expired, the draft order is as follows:

Player 1—card 1 Player 6—card 6 Player 4—card 11

Player 2—card 2 Player 7—card 7 Player 3—card 12

Player 3—card 3 Player 7—card 8 Player 2—card 13

Player 4—card 4 Player 6—card 9 Player 1—card 14

Player 5—card 5 Player 5—card 10 Player 1—card 15

The next pack to be opened would be Player #2's first booster.

93. Delinquent Tournaments

Event reports not received within 8 days are listed as "Delinquent" in the DCI tournament database. Organizers with delinquent tournaments may lose the privilege of sanctioning future events.

APPENDIX A—DCI RATING AND RANKING SYSTEMS

Elo Ratings System

The DCI produces Elo ratings for the all games it supports (see section 2 for a complete list of games)

The Elo player-rating system compares players' match records against their opponents' match records and determines the probability of the player winning the matchup. This probability factor determines how many points a players' rating goes up or down based on the results of each match. When a player defeats an opponent with a higher rating, the player's rating goes up more than if he or she defeated a player with a lower rating (since players should defeat opponents who have lower ratings). All new players start out with a base rating of 1600. The DCI uses the following equation to determine a player's win probability in each match:

Personal Calculation:

Win Probability = 1/[10^(( Opponent's Rating-Player's Rating)/400) + 1]

This probability is then used to recalculate each player's rating after the match. In the equation below, players receive 1 point if they win the match, 0 if they lose, and 0.5 for a draw. Players' new ratings are determined as follows:

Player's New Rating = Player's Old Rating + (K-Value * (Scoring Points-Player's Win Probability))

Team Calculation:

Win Probability = 1/[10^((Average of Opponent's Ratings-Player's Rating)/400) + 1]

This probability is then used to recalculate each player's rating after the match. In the equation below, players receive 1 point if they win the match, 0 if they lose, and 0.5 for a draw. Players' new ratings are determined as follows:

Player's New Rating = Player's Old Rating + (K-Value * (Scoring Points-Player's Win Probability))

All players are rated at the beginning with the first match in which they play. Further ratings are calculated chronologically from that first match.

The DCI ranks players in geographic regions (continent, country, state, city, and so on) based on their Elo ratings to determine the top players in each area.

Corporate Employee

Any person, including temporary and contract workers, whose place of employment is a Wizards of the Coast or Hasbro office.

Additionally, the following people are ineligible to play in DCI-sanctioned tournaments:

* Former Wizards of the Coast(R) and Hasbro corporate employees until thirty days after their last day of employment. Former corporate employees may not play in Prerelease events until 6 months after their last day of employment with Wizards of the Coast or Hasbro.

* Employees of companies responsible for organized play in a region may not participate in DCI-sanctioned play (for example, Takara, Devir.)

* Certain employees of companies identified by the DCI as strategic business partners.

* Play testers, reviewers and other business partners with significant knowledge of a card set may not play in Prerelease tournaments for that card set.

Other business contacts may present a conflict of interest by participating in DCI-sanctioned tournaments. Anyone with questions about their tournament eligibility should contact the Organized Play Policy Manager.

Head Judge Determines

Decision based on the Head Judge's opinion.

Round Begins

The time posted and/or announced by the Head Judge or tournament organizer for all players to be seated and ready for match play.

Scorekeeper

The scorekeeper is a tournament official whose responsibilities include receiving and recording all match/game results, constructing player seatings, ensuring accurate entry of match/game results, withdrawing players from the event, and so on. Tournament officials, such as the Head Judge or tournament organizer, may also be the scorekeeper for the event.

Tournament Official

Any person who is empowered to maintain the tournament. This includes, but is not limited to, the tournament organizer, scorekeeper, other tournament staff, Head Judge, and all other Judges (certified and non-certified). See section 10.