Play

Play
Keyword Action
Introduced	Alpha
Last used	Evergreen
Reminder Text	No official reminder text
Scryfall Search
keyword:"Play"

Play is a keyword action which usually describes putting a land onto the battlefield from the hand. The equivalent for spells is "casting" them, although casting is much more complex than playing a land. "Playing a card" is also used when the card type is unknown, to generally describe playing a land or casting a spell as appropriate for the card type. The latter usage is most commonly seen on red's "impulsive draw" ability. This relationship between playing and casting is one-sided: "playing a card" includes casting a spell, but "casting" never includes playing a land.

History

"Play" was on some cards starting with Alpha edition as essentially a synonym for casting, but was only haphazardly used in those early times. It temporarily replaced Cast in the Sixth Edition rules changes in the sense of "playing a spell". The high usage of "play" sometimes caused confusion with the concept of objects being "in play", the term used for the battlefield at the time. "Cast" was brought back starting from Magic 2010, but "play" continued to be used for lands and as a catch-all term, and the confusion around it was reduced by renaming the "in-play zone" to the battlefield.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Play

1. To play a land is to put a land onto the battlefield as a special action. See rule 116, “Special Actions,” and rule 305, “Lands.”

2. To play a card is to play that card as a land or cast that card as a spell, whichever is appropriate. See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”

3. (Obsolete) Casting a spell used to be known as playing a spell. Cards with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference. See Cast.

4. (Obsolete) Activating an activated ability used to be known as playing an activated ability. Cards with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference. See Activate.

5. (Obsolete) The battlefield used to be known as the in-play zone. Cards that were printed with text that contains the phrases “in play,” “from play,” “into play,” or the like are referring to the battlefield and have received errata in the Oracle card reference. See Battlefield.

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 701.14. Play
  • 701.14a To play a land means to put it onto the battlefield from the zone it’s in (usually the hand). A player may play a land if they have priority, it’s the main phase of their turn, the stack is empty, and they haven’t played a land this turn. Playing a land is a special action (see rule 116), so it doesn’t use the stack; it simply happens. Putting a land onto the battlefield as the result of a spell or ability isn’t the same as playing a land. See rule 305, “Lands.”
  • 701.14b To play a card means to play that card as a land or to cast that card as a spell, whichever is appropriate.
  • 701.14c Some effects instruct a player to “play” with a certain aspect of the game changed, such as “Play with the top card of your library revealed.” “Play” in this sense means to play the Magic game.
  • 701.14d Previously, the action of casting a spell, or casting a card as a spell, was referred to on cards as “playing” that spell or that card. Cards that were printed with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference so they now refer to “casting” that spell or that card.
  • 701.14e Previously, the action of using an activated ability was referred to on cards as “playing” that ability. Cards that were printed with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference so they now refer to “activating” that ability.