Team Rochester Draft tournaments require teams of three players each. Two teams are seated at each table for the draft. Team members sit clockwise in A-B-C order around the table. (For example, in a three-person team tournament, players sit around the table clockwise in this order: 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, 2C.)

A team determined at random chooses either to pick first or to allow the other team to pick first. Player B of the team that picks first lays out the first pack.

The draft begins with the first player opening their first booster and laying out the entire contents of the pack face up on the table as directed by tournament officials, with the cards facing them. After reviewing the cards, drafting proceeds with each player selecting a single card in turn. Once a player has selected a card and placed it with their other drafted cards, they may not select a different card. If a player fails to select a card in the time given, a tournament official selects for that player the “oldest” card remaining from the booster pack (the card on the table the longest).

The player drafting first from the cards presented on the table is called the active player. The first active player is the participant who opened the first booster pack of the draft, as designated by a tournament official. All players in each drafting pod serve as the active player once for each group of booster packs. The identity of the active player moves in a horseshoe pattern, clockwise for the first and third booster pack and counter-clockwise for the second. The player who was last to open a booster pack from a group is the first to open the booster pack from the next group.

The draft order also begins moving in a horseshoe pattern, clockwise for the first and third boosters and counter-clockwise for the second, beginning with the active player, continuing around the table to the last player in the group to draft a card. The last player in the group selects two cards sequentially, and then drafting continues in reverse order, moving back to the player who began the drafting. If there are still cards remaining, the player who began the drafting selects two cards, and drafting continues again in the opposite direction.

Example: Team 1 and Team 2 are seated around a table. They are numbered 1A-1B-1C-2A-2B-2C in a clockwise order. Team 2 wins the coin toss, and the members of Team 2 choose to let Team 1 pick first. The active player for the first pack is Player 1B. The first booster pack for Player 1B is opened and placed face up in front of Player 1B. After the 20-second review period has expired, the draft order is as follows:

Player 1B—card 1	Player 1A—card 6	Player 1C—card 11
Player 1C—card 2	Player 1A—card 7	Player 1B—card 12
Player 2A—card 3	Player 2C—card 8	Player 1B—card 13
Player 2B—card 4	Player 2B—card 9	Player 1C—card 14
Player 2C—card 5	Player 2A—card 10	Player 2A—card 15

During card selection, players must display the most recent card they drafted from the current pack. At all other times, players may leave one of their drafted cards face up on their draft pile, or may leave all cards face down. Players may not review their draft picks while drafting proceeds or at any other time specifically indicated by tournament officials.