Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 15:06:20 -0700 From: Daniel Gray Subject: Judging Penalty Guidelines (Really Long) To: Recipients of DCIJUDGE-L digests This is a rough version of a document I wrote outlining suggested penalties for virtually every possible infraction I could think of. These suggested penalties are those in the DCI rules, established by upper level judges through long practice, along with several of my own that I've simply found to work. Keep in mind that this is in _no way_ an official DCI document, and the penalties outlined herein are by no means mandatory. These are suggested guidelines and penalties only. Hope this helps everyone out. Dan Gray Official dcijudge-l Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The Complete Judging Penalty Guidelines May 1998 These Guidelines contain many of the more common tournament violations along with their suggested penalties. This guide should not be construed as being a complete list of every possible violation, nor should the listed penalties be considered mandatory. As always when judging, it's important to use one's discretion if a particular situation has unique circumstances. Each violation is listed with a description, and suggested penalties forfirst, second, and third offenses (if applicable). The suggested penalties assume that the violations are all occurring in the same tournament, and the player has no prior history of violating this rule. If a player has a known history of violations of this type, take them into account when levying penalties (typically, I "upgrade" the penalty one suggested category for a player who has a habit of making the same minor violation. Players with a habit of major violations should be given no leeway, and the judge should take the matter up with the DCI). A word about terminology: This guide uses several terms repeatedly, notably caution, notice, warning, ejection, and disqualification. The definitions of these terms may be found in the October 1997 DCI Standard Floor Rules A word about "current" versus "next": Some violations include a suggested penalty that includes loss of game or loss of match. To make it clear which game or match a player loses, the terms "current" and "next" will be used. "Loss of current game" means that if a game is in progress, the offending player loses it. If no game is in progress, he or she loses the next game that would have been played. "Loss of next game" means to finish the current game as normal, and the offending player loses the next game he or she would play (even if this game is in a different match). A word about intent: All suggested penalties assume that the judge feels the violation was accidental, unintentional, or otherwise not highly disruptive. In the event that the judge feels the violation was willful or extremely excessive, use discretion and upgrade to ejection or disqualification as appropriate. A word about multiple unrelated warnings: Players who have amassed three or more warnings for separate offenses during the course of a tournament should have an additional penalty, ranging from loss of game to disqualification, levied in addition to another applicable penalties. As always, judges should use discretion when adjudicating such situations. Deck and Decklist Violations: Illegal Deck Description: The player's deck does not conform to the construction guidelines for the tournament format. This includes having fewer than the minimum number of cards (40 for limited, 60 for constructed), using cards not in a legal set, or using too many copies of a card (4 for normal cards, 1 for restricted cards, and 0 for banned cards). Note that this does include other violations stemming from cards left and/or taken by an opponent, nor to violations that concern the deck list rather than the deck. First Offense: Ejection. Illegal decklist (Constructed) Description: The listed contents of the deck do not conform to the construction guidelines for the constructed tournament format. This includes listing 59 or fewer cards, using cards not in legal sets, or using too many copies of a card. First Offense: Ejection Illegal decklist (Limited) Description: The contents listed in the "Used" column of the decklist do not conform to the construction guidelines for the limited tournament format. This includes listing 39 or fewer cards or marking cards as "Used" that are not listed in the "Total" column. First Offense: Double warning plus loss of current match. Player must insert cards into the "Used" column to make the decklist legal. Second Offense: Ejection. Illegal sideboard list (Constructed) Description: The listed sideboard contains a number of card other than zero (0) or fifteen (15). Note that this applies to the listed sideboard's card count only. If the sideboard is illegal in another way (the list contains an amount of a particular card that would violate the deck construction rules, for example), use the "Illegal Decklist (Constructed)" penalty instead. First Offense: Double warning plus loss of current match. Player cannot play with his or her sideboard for the remainder of the tournament. Second Offense: Ejection Incorrect deck/decklist Description: The contents of the actual deck do not match the listed contents on the decklist; however both the deck and the decklist are legal in all other ways. First Offense: Warning plus loss of next game. The actual deck must be altered so that it matches the decklist contents. Second Offense: Double warning plus ejection. Playing with worn/marked cards (No pattern) Description: During a deck check or a judge's inspection of a deck, some of the cards are determined to be marked or excessively worn in a non-systematic way. First Offense: Warning. The player have five (5) minutes to replace the worn/marked card(s). After five minutes, loss of the current game and the player has an additional ten (10) minutes to acquire new cards. After this time, loss of the current match and the player has until the beginning of his or her next match to acquire new cards. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of the current game. The player has five (5) minutes to replace the worn/marked cards. After five minutes, loss the current match and the player has an additional ten (10) minutes to acquire new cards. After this time, ejection. Third Offense: Ejection. Playing with worn/marked cards (Pattern) Description: During a deck check or judge's inspection, some of the cards are determined to be marked or worn in a systematic way. Note that this includes markings such as having all lands face one way and all spells face another, or all spells/lands of one color face one way and all spells/lands of another face another way. First Offense: Double warning plus loss of the current match. The player has until the beginning of his or her next match to replace the marked/worn cards. Second Offense: Disqualification. Playing with worn/marked sleeves Description: This is the same offense as either "Playing with worn/marked cards (No pattern)" or "Playing with worn/marked cards (Pattern)" as above, except the offense involves the card sleeves rather than the cards themselves. This also includes placing card sleeve holograms onto the backs rather than the faces of the cards. Enforce appropriate penalties as per the categories above. Failure to retrieve a card Description: A player accidentally loses a card (dropping it on the floor, etc.) or that player's card winds up in an opponent's deck. First Offense: Warning plus loss of next game. Retrieve the card from wherever it was and shuffle it into the player's deck. If a player has begun a game with the card in his or her deck, that player also receives a warning plus loss of next game. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of current match. Retrieve the card. Third Offense: Ejection. Tournament Procedure Violations: Failure to desideboard Description: The player has neglected to reset his or her deck to its original configuration prior to beginning the first game of a new match. Optionally, this rule may be put into force when a player has not reset his or her deck prior to a deck check by the judges. First Offense: Warning plus loss of current/next game. Player must reset his or her deck and cannot use the sideboard for the duration of the current match. Second Offense: Warning plus ejection. Misplaying the play/draw rule Description: Includes all violations of the play/draw rule, including a player looking at his or her hand before deciding to play or draw, the playing player drawing an eighth card, or any player attempting to sideboard after the play/draw decision has been made. First Offense: Warning Second Offense: Warning plus loss of next game. Third Offense: Double warning plus ejection. Misplaying the regular (all land/no land) mulligan rule Description: Includes all violations of the old mulligan rule except taking a mulligan out of turn, including attempting to mulligan without a legal hand for doing so and mulliganing without showing the hand to the opponent. First Offense: If the player did not shuffle the hand back in: Warning. That player cannot mulligan during the current game. If the player did shuffle the hand back in: Warning plus loss of current game. Second Offense: If the player did not shuffle the hand back in: Warning plus loss of current game. If the player did shuffle the hand back in: Warning plus loss of current match. Third Offense: Ejection. Misplaying the optional (Paris) mulligan rule Description: Includes all violations of the new mulligan rule except taking a mulligan out of turn, including attempting to take an opponent's mulligan, drawing too many cards after a mulligan, and attempting to mulligan after deciding not to do so. First Offense: Warning. If the player drew too many cards, choose an appropriate number of cards at random from that player's hand and shuffle them into his or her library. If the player tried to take an opponent's mulligan, he or she is considered to have taken a mulligan of his or her own, and redraws (with one less card), plus enforce the penalty for "Taking a Mulligan out of turn." Second Offense: Warning plus loss of the current game. Continued enforcement as above. Third Offense: Warning plus loss of the current match. Taking a Mulligan out of turn Description: Under either mulligan rule, a player attempts to declare a mulligan when it is not his or her turn to do so. First Offense: Notice Second Offense: Warning. The player may not take any mulligans this game. Third Offense: Warning plus loss of the current game. Misrecorded Decklist (Limited) Description: In an event where decklists are registered by one player and then swapped around to be played by another player, the recording player mismarks one or more cards in the "Total" column. First Offense: Warning plus optional loss of the next game if the mismarking is deemed to be excessively disruptive. Receiving a misrecorded decklist (Limited) Description: In an event where decklists are registered by one player and then swapped around to be played by another player, the playing player receives a list in which one or more cards in the "Total" column is mismarked. First Offense: Warning plus optional loss of the next game if the it is unclear who performed the mismarking and the mismarking is deemed to be excessively disruptive. Taking too much time to shuffle (Pregame/Midgame time limits) Description: A player takes more than five (5) minutes between games to shuffle and/or sideboard or more than one (1) minute to shuffle in the middle of a game. First Offense: Warning. A judge should ensure that the necessary shuffling is completed as soon as possible. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of current game plus a warning for stalling. Third Offense: Disqualification. Failure to have a life counter Description: A player is playing without a visible means of tracking his or her life. Optionally, at an event where the judge/organizer specifies that a specific life counter must be employed, the player is not using the legal device. First Offense: Notice. The player has two (2) minutes to acquire a suitable lifekeeping device. If he or she does not, loss of the current game and the player has an additional ten (10) minutes to acquire a suitable life counter. After that, loss of the current match, and the player has until the beginning of his or her next match to acquire a suitable life counter. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of the current game. The player has two (2) minutes to acquire a suitable lifekeeping device. If he or she does not, loss of the current match and the player has an additional ten (10) minutes to acquire a suitable life counter. After that, ejection. Third Offense: Ejection. Failure to sufficiently randomize/shuffle a deck Description: In the opinion of the judge, the player has not performed sufficient actions to suitably randomize his or her deck prior to a game. Note that this does not include willful deck-stacking or manipulation, and if this is the case, enforce the penalties under "Flagrant Cheating." First Offense: Warning. The judge or opponent (at judge's discretion) must sufficiently randomize the player's deck. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of the current match. Third Offense: Disqualification Illegal touching of the deck Description: A player attempts to cut or shuffle his or her deck after an opponent has performed his or her final shuffle/cut and presented the deck. Remember, if the opponent cuts the deck, the player may not touch it at all, and if the opponent shuffles the deck, the player may only cut it. First Offense: Warning. The opponent is allowed an additional opportunity to shuffle and/or cut, but the player is allowed no further touching of the deck this game. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of current game. Third Offense: Ejection. Failing to appear for a match in a timely fashion/ Tardiness Description: A player is not in his or her assigned seat by the time the current round begins. First Offense: Loss of the first game of the match. If the player does not appear within ten (10) minutes, he or she loses the second game of the match and is automatically dropped from the tournament. Optionally and additionally, the penalties for "Failure to withdraw from an event" may be enforced. Second Offense: Warning plus as above. Third Offense: Ejection. Failure to keep cards elevated above the table Description: The player allows some or all of his or her cards to fall below the level of the table. First Offense: Caution. Player must raise the offending cards. Second Offense: Notice. As above. Third Offense: Warning plus loss of the current game. Playing with non-approved proxy cards Description: A player uses proxy cards that have not been approved by the judge. First Offense: Double warning plus loss of current match. The player has until the beginning of his or her next match to replace the proxies with genuine Magic cards. Second Offense: Disqualification Replacing cards without notifying a judge Description: In a limited event, a player attempts to replace a marked, worn, or damaged card without notifying the head judge. In a constructed event where the optional rule is in force, a player attempts to replace any or all of his or her deck's card without notifying the head judge. First Offense: Warning. Second Offense: Double warning plus ejection. Misplaying the desleeving rule Description: A player attempts to force an opponent to desleeve after a match has begun. Also, a player refuses to obey an opponent's request to desleeve. First Offense: Warning. The player must now desleeve or not desleeve, as appropriate. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of the current game. The player must now desleeve or not desleeve, as appropriate. Optionally and additionally, penalties under "Unsporting Conduct" may be enforced. Illegal sleeve use Description: In a tournament where the optional rule prohibiting sleeves is in force, a player attempts to play with card sleeves. First Offense: Warning plus a warning for "Failure to obey the instructions of a judge." Second Offense: Warning plus double warning for "Failure to obey the instructions of a judge" plus disqualification. Misplaying the Intentional Draw Rule Description: Players attempt to declare an Intentional Draw after a match has begun. First Offense: Warning. The players must complete the match normally (Judge oversight recommended). Second Offense: Warning. The players must complete the match normally (Judge oversight recommended). Following this match, any player(s) whose second offense this is are disqualified. Playing for ante Description: The players play for any sort of ante (cut ante from decks, or a set, pre-determined ante or for money that does not involve splitting tournament prize money). First Offense: Warning plus a warning for "Unsporting Conduct." Second Offense: Double warning plus ejection. Early Tournament Withdrawal (Limited) Description: A player attempts to withdraw/drop from the tournament prior to the completion of his or her first match. First Offense: Loss of the current match and then the player is dropped normally. Failing to withdraw from the tournament Description: A player leaves without telling the judges or organizer that he or she wishes to drop from the tournament. First Offense: The player loses the next match he or she should have played and is dropped from the tournament. At the organizer's discretion, that player may be banned from entering the next event that organizer runs. Looking at sideboard while game is in progress Description: A player attempts to consult his or her sideboard while a game is in progress. First Offense: Notice. Second Offense: Warning Third Offense: Double warning plus loss of the current match. Drawing extra cards Description: This includes not only outright drawing of extra cards, but accidentally seeing one or more cards when drawing a legal card due to sleeve sticking or the like. If a player is obviously drawing excess cards in order to cheat, enforce penalties as under "Flagrant Cheating." First Offense: Notice. Shuffle the offending cards into the player's library. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of the current game. Third Offense: Ejection. Player Interaction Violations Scouting Description: Players watch other matches in progress and/or attempt to acquire information about another player's deck. If the scouting is excessive, enforce penalties as under "Flagrant Cheating." First Offense: Caution. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of the next game. Third Offense: Warning plus loss of the next match. Taking Notes Description: A player takes notes about the contents of an opponent's deck, his or her play strategy, and/or sideboard use while a match is in progress. First Offense: Warning. Confiscate the notes. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of the next game. Confiscate the notes. Third Offense: Ejection. Providing outside assistance/Coaching Description: A player provides advice, either verbal or written, to another player concerning play or sideboard strategy, a player's deck contents, or otherwise unavailable information (including whether or not taking an Intentional Draw is prudent). First Offense: Warning Second Offense: Double warning plus ejection. Receiving/Soliciting outside assistance/Coaching Description: A player asks for or otherwise actively seeks out advice, either verbal or written, from another player concerning play or sideboard strategy, a player's deck contents, or otherwise unavailable information (including whether or not taking an Intentional Draw is prudent). This offense also includes consulting prewritten strategy notes written by the player him- or herself. First Offense: Warning Second Offense: Double warning plus ejection. Stalling/Taking Too Much Time Description: A player does not take his or her turns in a timely manner, or does not maintain the tempo of play, or otherwise attempts to waste time or manipulate the time limit to his or her advantage. See the note about the "Donais Rule" below for further information on adjudicating stalling. First Offense: Warning plus loss of the current game. Second Offense: Double warning plus ejection. The Three Turn/ Jeff Donais Rule Description: This is a special rule created by Jeff Donais that helps both to reduce stalling on the part of the players as well as make it easier for judges to adjudicate. The rule is that if one or more players call you over and ask you to watch a match with the belief that one or both is taking too much time/ attempting to stall, a judge should watch the match. If player proceeds at a slower-than-acceptable pace, but it is unclear as to whether or not a particular player is stalling or if just playing slowly, then the judge should invoke the rule and grant each player an additional three turns (overseen by a judge) after time for the match expires. Misrepresentation Description: This is a catch-all category for whenever a player incorrectly communicates public information (such as life total, number of cards in hand, etc.) or misplays a card (under- or overpaying mana, misdescribing the function of the card, etc.). Each particular type of misrepresentation should be tracked individually, and the two following penalty scales employed: Identical or Related Incidents (same card, same bit of information, same type of misrepresentation such as underpaying mana or lying about number of cards in hand): First Offense: Warning. Correct the mistake if feasible. If more than one turn has gone by, it is generally a better idea to let the offense stand as it was, as too many variables become involved. Second Offense: Warning plus loss of the current game. Third Offense: Ejection. Unrelated Incidents (the player misrepresents multiple times, but is misrepresenting something in a different way each time) First Offense: Warning. Correct the mistake if feasible. If more than one turn has gone by, it is generally a better idea to let the offense stand as it was, as too many variables become involved. Second Offense: Warning. Correct the mistake as above. Third Offense: Warning plus loss of the current match. Fourth Offense: Ejection. Failure to agree on reality Description: Two opponents disagree on a central fact, such as life total, mana in mana pool, what was said, etc. Whenever possible, the judge should attempt to reconstruct the events using any available evidence (player testimony, the cards on the table, recollections of other judges and/or spectators). If the players agree on what happened or the judge successfully demonstrates what happened, do not invoke any penalties unless the judge feels one or both players was intentionally provoking the incident (in which case invoke penalties for "Unsporting Conduct" as appropriate). First Offense: Warning. The judge determines which player's description of the facts (or, possibly, another description entirely) is correct and play proceeds from there. Second Offense: If only this is only one player's second offense, warning plus loss of current game for that player. Warning for the other player. If this is both players' second offense, warning to each and the current game ends in a draw. Third Offense: Disqualification for the player whose third offense it is, warning to the other player. Failure to obey the instructions of a judge Description: A player ignores or otherwise attempts to sidestep a ruling or direct instruction from a judge or tournament staff member. If excessive, appropriate penalties from "Unsporting conduct" may also be enforced. First Offense: Warning. Second Offense: Double warning plus disqualification. Unsporting Conduct Description: This catch-all includes all acts by one player against another, against a judge or staff member, or generally unacceptable behavior. Examples include but are not limited to excessive profanity, physical or mental intimidation of another person, use of pejorative terms, loudness, rudeness, or any other form of activity that is deemed unacceptable. In the event the offense is both intentional and highly disruptive, disqualification is appropriate (this includes things like fighting, physically intimating someone, tirades, etc.). Otherwise, enforce as below: First Offense: Warning. Second Offense: Double warning plus disqualification. Flagrant Cheating Description: This includes any violation of another rule in an excessive and obviously intentional way, and also includes things such as deck-stacking, life total alteration, etc. First Offense: Disqualification. Misrepresenting personal information/DCI number Description: A player lies about his or her name or other personal information, uses another player's DCI number, willingly uses multiple DCI numbers for purposes of fraud, or attempts to circumvent a DCI suspension or ban. First Offense: Disqualification. Immediately report such offenses to Jason Carl (vincent@wizards.com or (425) 204-7301) for investigation and possible further action by the DCI. Draft Violations Standard Draft Violations Description: This includes any of the common offenses during a draft, including but not limited to talking or otherwise communicating with another player at the table, loud, emotional outbursts about very good or very bad cards, drafting out of turn (Rochester draft), drafting early or late (Rochester draft), or touching both drafted cards and booster at the same time (booster draft). First Offense: Draft warning (track as a caution in the main tournament). Second Offense: If for same thing as first offense, draft warning plus draft disqualification plus warning in the tournament for "Draft DQ." Otherwise, draft warning (track as a caution in main tournament). A player who receives a draft disqualification must leave the drafting table and has only those cards he or she has drafted up to this point from which to build a deck. Third Offense: As above for second offense for same thing. Excessive Draft Violations Description: This includes major offenses such as drafting two cards from the same booster, attempting to replace a previously drafted card with another card from a booster, or excessive demonstrations of loudness, communicating with another player or general unsporting conduct. First Offense: Draft disqualification plus warning in tournament for "Draft DQ" plus penalties as appropriate from "Unsporting Conduct," "Flagrant Cheating," "Providing Outside Assistance," or other appropriate sections of the penalty guide above. 2 INET GATE INR00101 98/05/22 05:12 ‘è–¼FCorrection to the Judging Penalty Guidel Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 12:05:18 -0700 From: Daniel Gray Subject: Correction to the Judging Penalty Guidelines To: Recipients of DCIJUDGE-L digests Tara McDermott pointed out a typo in the Guidelines I posted yesterday. Here's the correction: >Illegal Deck > >Description: The player's deck does not conform to the construction >guidelines for the tournament format. This includes having fewer than the >minimum number of cards (40 for limited, 60 for constructed), using cards >not in a legal set, or using too many copies of a card (4 for normal cards, >1 for restricted cards, and 0 for banned cards). Note that this does _not_ >include other violations stemming from cards left and/or taken by an >opponent, nor to violations that concern the deck list rather than the >deck. > >First Offense: Ejection. The word "not" was eliminated from the last sentence of the description.My apologies. This document is largely unedited still and I wasn't going to post it at all until I had a chance to edit it. However, I brought a copy along to SoCal Regionals on Saturday, and my judging staff found it so useful, I figured it would be better to get it out to everyone and deal with editing it later. If anyone has any questions or comments on any part of the content of the guidelines, feel free to email me. I'd love to hear them. Dan Gray Official dcijudge-l Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc.