As of last this past weekend, Innistrad is now legal in all constructed formats. At that same time the normal yearly rotation for standard and extended also took place. Cards from the following sets are now legal in Standard: Scars of Mirodin Mirrodin Besieged New Phyrexia Magic 2012 Innistrad All of Zendikar Block (Zendikar, Worldwake, […]
Category: Tournament Rules
How to choose objects at random
Many cards in Innistrad have effects where players have to choose a random card from a graveyard. Examples of cards with these abilities are , and . There are many ways to do this and not one specific way that is required by the tournament rules. Separating the cards of the appropriate type or subtype […]
The ‘Failure to Maintain the Game State’ infraction should not be upgraded.
The responsibility to make sure that everything is legal in an individual game falls down to the players themselves. While we do not expect players to know every aspect of the rules, we do want them to keep track of the game and make efforts that nothing illegal happens. This applies to making efforts so […]
What stalling is.
Stalling is when a player intentionally plays slowly in an attempt to gain an advantage due to the fact that matches in tournament Magic are timed. It often happens when a player will either win a match or at least not lose one if the current game is not completed. It is important to note […]
What Outside Assistance is.
Outside Assistance is when a player, spectator or anyone involved in a tournament either either attempts to get information that is normally hidden, asks others for strategy advice, gives strategy advice or uses notes from outside a match during a game in a match. This is obviously a serious infraction and a match loss is […]
Check your cards for markings
One of the more common penalties given out at competitive and professional events is Tournament Error – Marked Cards. This penalty covers when a judge notices markings of any kind in a players deck. We train judges to not be overly picky when looking for markings, as virtually all cards and sleeves are marked in […]
End of Match procedure for Swiss events.
As mentioned in a previous rules tip most matches are played until a single player wins two games. (There are a few exception in finals matches at large events.) But what happens in a Swiss event when neither player has won two games when time is called? When time is called the current turn will […]
When someone attacks or blocks incorrectly.
With so many potential restrictions and requirements it is inevitable that players will forget some from time to time and attack or block in a way that should not happen. In many cases this is caught immediately and players can correct the actions themselves. However in a tournament if an illegal attack or block has […]
Everyday I’m Shuffling.
In Magic tournament play, apart from a some effects that allow players to order the top and or bottom of their libraries, libraries should be random. To achieve this randomness, players are required to shuffle their deck at the beginning of each game and at other points during a game. As mentioned above, the end […]