Magic tournament/Rules
Publishing Tournament Information
From the Tournament Rules (May 13, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)
- 1.2 Publishing Tournament Information
Wizards of the Coast reserves the right to publish DCI-sanctioned tournament information at any time (including during the tournament). Tournament information includes, but is not limited to, the contents of one or more players' decks, descriptions of strategies or play, transcripts, and video reproductions. Tournament Organizers are also allowed to publish this information once their tournament is complete.
Wizards of the Coast reserves the right to publish penalty and suspension information
Tournament Roles
From the Tournament Rules (May 13, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)
- 1.3 Tournament Roles
The following roles are defined for tournament purposes:
• Tournament Organizer
• Head Judge
• Floor Judge
• Scorekeeper
• Player
• Spectator
The first four roles above are considered tournament officials. The Head Judge and floor judges are collectively considered judges. A single individual may act in any combination of tournament official roles. Individuals who are not judges at a tournament are spectators in any match in which they are not playing. Members of the press are also considered spectators.
Participation Eligibility
These are the rules to participate in a DCI-sanctioned tournament
From the Tournament Rules (May 13, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)
- 1.4 Participation Eligibility
Anyone is eligible to participate as a player in a DCI-sanctioned tournament except for:
• Individuals currently suspended by the DCI. Individuals currently suspended from the DCI may not act as tournament officials;
• Other individuals specifically prohibited from participation by DCI or Wizards of the Coast policy (such determination is at Wizards of the Coast’s sole discretion);
• Individuals thirteen (13) years of age and younger who do not have their parent/guardians’ permission;
• Anyone prohibited by federal, state, or local laws, the rules of the Tournament Organizer, or by a venue’s management.
• Tournament Organizers may choose to age restrict any Regular REL events that they organize. They must clearly indicate this in their marketing for the event on the Store and Event Locator description as well as any other place they display the event information. (i.e., Tournament Organizers may advertise an age 16 and under Friday Night Magic).
Anyone is eligible to participate as a tournament official (Tournament Organizer, Head Judge, floor judge or Scorekeeper) for a tournament except for:
• Individuals currently suspended by the DCI;
• Anyone who has played in the tournament, unless it is a tournament that explicitly allows tournament officials to play while acting as a tournament official.
Tournament officials may play in a DCI-sanctioned, rated tournament for which they are a tournament official if (and only if) the tournament is of the following types:
• Friday Night Magic
• Prerelease
• Launch Parties
• Game Day
• Store Championship
• Other non-Premier Magic Tournaments
• Tournaments in which the official Wizards of the Coast tournament fact sheet specifically permits officials of that tournament to play
If one or more tournament officials play in the tournament, it must be run at Regular Rules Enforcement Level. If tournament officials play in the tournament and the tournament is not one of the allowed types listed above, the tournament will be invalidated. Tournament officials are required to officiate tournaments fairly and without regard to their own self-interest.
The owners of organizations that run Premier Events are not permitted to play in those tournaments, even if the owner is not listed as a tournament official (organizer, judge, and/or scorekeeper) for that tournament.
Premier Events include the following tournaments: Magic: The Gathering World Championship, Pro Tour, Pro Tour Qualifier, Regional Championship, Regional Championship Qualifier.
Some tournaments have additional criteria regarding player and tournament official eligibility (e.g., invitation-only tournaments, such as Pro Tour and Regional Championships).
The Premier Tournament Invitation Policy defines specific eligibility rules with regards to certain types of invitation-only Premier Tournaments (e.g., Pro Tour and Regional Championships).
Individuals with questions regarding their tournament eligibility should contact [email protected].
Registration
From the Tournament Rules (May 13, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)
- 1.5 Registration
In order to participate in Magic: The Gathering tournaments, players must be able to provide the necessary and appropriate identifying information to participate in the tournament.
For tournaments run using the EventLink tournament management software, players must provide a Wizards Account and/or a first and last name. Players without a Wizards Account should obtain one from https://myaccounts.wizards.com.
Floor Judges and Head Judge
Scorekeeper
Spectators
From the Tournament Rules (November 22, 2019—Throne of Eldraine)
- 1.11 Spectators
Any person physically present at a tournament and not in any other category above is a spectator. Spectators are responsible for remaining silent and passive during matches and other official tournament sections in which players are also required to be silent. If spectators believe they have observed rules or policy violations, they are encouraged to alert a judge as soon as possible. At the Regular or Competitive Rules Enforcement Level, spectators are permitted to ask the players to pause the match while they alert a judge. At Professional Rules Enforcement Level, spectators who are not members of the official coverage team must not interfere with the match directly. Players may request that a spectator not observe their matches. Such requests must be made through a judge. Tournament officials may also instruct a spectator not to observe a match or matches.