Definition
A player steals materials from the tournament, including but not limited to cards or tournament equipment.
Penalty
Disqualification
Stealing is unacceptable behavior. This type of conduct is just as intolerable at Magic tournaments as it is among society at large. There is a clear line here; in order to receive this penalty, the theft must be of materials from the tournament. Theft of an EDH deck of a player enrolled in a Standard event is not Theft of Tournament Material. It is still unacceptable though, and the TO should still be notified. Stealing is wrong.
Examples
- A. A player steals cards from the sideboard of their opponent.
- B. A player steals the table number from a table.
- C. A player realizes they have a previous opponent’s card, but they hide it instead of telling a tournament official.
Example C makes it clear that players who did not intentionally set out to steal something may still end up committing this infraction through later inaction. A phenomenon that’s as old as Magic is players forgetting to give their opponents back a creature they took with Control Magic, and instead accidentally scooping and shuffling it in. Doing this is not a problem in and of itself, provided that the player gives the card back or otherwise calls a judge as soon as they notice the issue. However, a player noticing that they still accidentally have their last round opponent’s Thragtusk in their deck and choosing to stay quiet about it is a big problem, and still meets the definition of this infraction. Think of it as a form of “passive theft.”
Philosophy
Players enter a tournament expecting that their materials will be protected.
As the saying goes, your rights end where others’ begin. Players have a right to their own stuff, and thus you have no right to take it. We shouldn’t actually need the IPG to tell us this much.
This does not absolve the players from their responsibility to keep an eye on their possessions, but they should expect to be able to retain the product they began with or were given for the tournament.
Thievery is an ever-present concern, and keeping an eye on one’s own stuff is important. Despite constant reminders from judges, Tournament Organizers, and here even the IPG itself, it’s rare to get through a large tournament without at least a few players’ weekends getting ruined by stolen bags. While judges should remain vigilant for thieves, players are ultimately responsible for their own possessions.
Other instances of theft not involving tournament materials are the responsibility of the Tournament Organizer, though judges are encouraged to help in any way possible.
This sentence is a little tricky. What happens if a player steals a bag of trade binders, but not a player’s deck? Technically, this is not actually Theft of Tournament Material, although the outcome (the removal of the player from your tournament) has more-or-less the same consequences. If theft is brought to a judge’s attention, the judge should involve the Tournament Organizer. They will deal with removing the individual from the store, or handling police involvement.
Additional Remedy
The offender should be asked to leave the venue by the organizer.
With or without the police, depending on the circumstance.