Definition
A player commits a technical error during a draft.
Penalty
Warning
A technical error in this situation means any error that is involved with the drafting process. When this infraction is given out, the scenario is normally, but not always, a timed draft. This means that we have some serious time constraints to complete the draft within. Technical errors like this cause delays, and at something like a Pro Tour draft, will cause the entire room to be held up.
Examples
- A. A player passes a draft booster to their left when it is supposed to go to their right.
If a player does this, it can have a cascade effect on the rest of the draft — either it is caught immediately by a player either side of the offending player, or the booster is picked up and used to make picks, further complicating the problem. - B. A player exceeds the amount of time allotted for a draft pick.
A timed draft is timed so that the draft can be carried out in an efficient and timely manner, in addition to the added benefits of coordinating multiple drafts at once. If a player exceeds the time limit, that player is again causing a delay to the draft, which is not a thing that should go unnoticed. - C. A player puts a card on top of their draft pile, then pulls it back.
This is a large concern, as when a player does this, it can look to other players, spectators, and judges as though the player has taken more than one card from the booster pack. This has one of two resolutions — the player is “allowed” to take these two cards, or the time of Tournament Officials is taken up by a “non-issue”. Either of these are bad for the tournament integrity — they can increase the chance of mixing cards from the pack with cards that are already selected. Players are instructed in timed drafts to select a card at a specific point — not doing this at that point can fall under issue b) above. - D. A player moves their head to the side at inappropriate times.
This example gives judges some leeway to use LPV when they see a player making movements with their head. Use common sense here and be sure to consider Cheating if you believe the player is doing this to obtain hidden information.
Philosophy
Errors in draft are disruptive and may become more so if they are not caught quickly.
During a draft there are many parts that need to be kept moving in order to have a smooth transition into swiss rounds. Problems can have a ripple effect and get larger if not detected and corrected right away. Such errors can add up among dozens sometimes even thousands of players in a short time. It is vital that players pay attention to, and follow instructions during these critical parts of the event.
Announcements prior to the draft or the specific tournament rules for the format may specify additional penalties for Limited Procedure Violations.
Format-specific notices may change the way that this penalty is applied – for example, there may be supplementary announcements and reminders about removing tokens and basic land cards. For draft formats involving Innistrad and Dark Ascension drafts, the Head Judge may wish to announce a specific way to handle double-faced cards with regards to this infraction. It allows some additional instruction or leeway – based on the decision of the Head Judge – to be given. This sentence basically gives the judge the power required to make a draft occur in a specific way if needed.