The minimum number of rounds required for a tournament to be sanctioned as a rated tournament is as follows:

• For individual tournaments, a minimum of three (3) rounds
• For team and Two-Headed Giant tournaments, a minimum of two (2) rounds

If the minimum number of rounds is not met, the tournament is no longer DCI-sanctioned and will not provide Planeswalker Points. If the minimum number of rounds is not met for any DCI-sanctioned, rated tournament, the Tournament Organizer should report the tournament as “Did Not Occur.”

The number of rounds should be announced at or before the beginning of the first round; once announced, it cannot be changed. A variable number of rounds can be announced instead, with specific criteria for ending the tournament. For example, a tournament with 20 players can be announced as five rounds unless only one player has four match wins after four rounds.

The recommended number of rounds for Swiss tournaments can be found in Appendix E.