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Qualifier Tournament
Rules of Operation

No matches in Qualifier tournaments may be played for ante.
MirageTM Sealed-Deck Format
This tournament format follows DCI-sanctioned Standard (Type II) rules
using Fifth EditionTM updates.

I. Sealed-Deck Registration

Once players are seated, inform them of how deck registration is to proceed. FOLLOW THE OUTLINE BELOW IN ORDER.

Each player registers the cards in front of them. All deck registrations must be done in pen so they cannot be altered later.

Participants are not allowed to build decks with the cards they are registering. However, make sure players put their names at the top of the deck registration forms they are filling out.

These decks will then be collected.

Judges will randomly review the decklists on as many decks as possible in the time allowed. We recommend at least 10 percent of the decks be checked in this manner.

Once decklists are returned to the players who registered them, the decklists become the correct and official determination of the decks' contents.

Any decklist form turned in with a card entry scratched out should be recopied and the original should be destroyed. Once all such decklists are replaced, the decks will be randomly distributed. We suggest 15 percent of the decks be returned to the players who registered them.

Players must mark their decklist forms with their name and the division in which they are competing.

Participants will be responsible for making sure their deck does not contain more than the correct amount of cards. If a player complains that his or her deck was incorrectly registered, proxy cards will be issued to bring the DECK in line with the SHEET. BOTH players involved in such an incident will receive warnings, and their names will be reported back to Wizards of the Coast.

Players then have 30 minutes for deck construction and recording their decks. Instruct players to recheck the decklists as they were registered, and to mark in the appropriate box the cards they will use in their starting deck. Announce that each player must reset the deck to this configuration at the beginning of each match. During the first game, random sideboard and deck checks will be administered.

Once deck construction is completed, players may receive five lands of their choice. If judges need to proxy a land, use a marker and initial the cards. The land any player brings must be approved by the judge.

Tournament play begins.

Repeat in your instructions that the cards players are registering are not necessarily the cards they will build their decks with. Players are NOT allowed to move away from each other during deck registration, and two to four people should sit in close proximity to each other while decks are being registered.

II. Swiss-Style Pairing System

Basics

Qualifier tournaments are run using the Swiss tournament system, which allows all participants to play in every round. Also known as the Swiss Draw, this tournament style pairs each round's participants based on their current records and standings. To determine who plays against whom, players with the best match records are matched against each other, and then the next highest records, etc.

Swiss rounds are one hour in length, with each pair of participants playing one match per round. All matches are best two out of three duels only. If a player won the first two duels, the match ends. Players are not allowed to play the third duel once the match is decided.

This system offers many advantages over single-elimination. To begin with, all players get to participate for the duration of the tournament, and any number of players may play with (at most) one bye per round.

CHART FOR APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF ROUNDS OF SWISS TO SELECT THE
TOP 8 PLAYERS FOR SINGLE ELIMINATION:
At the event organizer's discretion, the number of rounds may vary from the chart below.

Number of Players | Number of Rounds

26-42 players | 5 rounds of Swiss
43-73 | 6 rounds of Swiss
74-128 | 7 rounds of Swiss
129-226 | 8 rounds of Swiss
227-409 | 9 rounds of Swiss
410+ | 10 rounds of Swiss

Swiss Score Recording & Pairing

Pair the players randomly for the first round.

After each round, record match results [best 2 out of 3 duels] on the players' note cards.

After the first round, pair the players with the highest match records against each other randomly. (If there is an odd number, match one of them with the person with the next-highest record.) Do not use tiebreakers when pairing between rounds.

Continue these pairings with the set of players at the next-highest score (selecting randomly among each group) until you get to the bottom of the list. If you have an odd number of players, give the bottom player a bye. Players with a bye are given the score of having won 2 duels that round.

After the first round, do not pair players against those who they've played before.

Play the appropriate number of rounds of Swiss based on the chart provided below.

After running the appropriate number of rounds of Swiss, take the Top 8 Master players and the Top 8 Junior players and run a single-elimination round for each (best 2 out of 3 duels).

Points kept on scorecards for duels and matches in Swiss pairings are as follows:

Duel won | 2 points
Duel drawn | 1 point
Duel lost | 0 points
Duel not finished | 0 points
Match won | 2 point
Match drawn | 1 point
Match lost | 0 points

The scoring method outlined above is intended to help players and judges track results within a tournament, but it is not relevant in participants' DCI rankings.

Administration of Swiss Pairings

Use one of the provided note cards for each player; each card must have the player's name and DCI membership number written at the top. (You may also want to assign each player a "player number.") Shuffle the cards and pair them for the first round, keeping the card pairings together; if you have an odd number of players, one player gets a bye (full score).

When participants complete a match, they are to report the results, check in their decks, and leave the playing area.

As players finish, record on their note cards the score of the match they just completed and their total running score. In addition, write on the card who they played in that match (by name and by DCI number). Using players' DCI numbers in score reporting makes it easier to record results for the DCI.

After recording match results, sort the cards by number of match wins. Shuffle the cards of the top players (remembering to add to this pile one card of the next highest player IF the number of top players is odd), and pair out the matches. Then move on to the next highest group of players. If you notice two players have played each other before, re-pair them among their group so no one plays the same person twice if possible.

Continue this process for the appropriate number of rounds (based on the number of players, using the chart above). After the proper number of rounds, take the Top 8 Master and the Top 8 Junior players and have two single-elimination tournaments to determine the winners. If there are fewer than 16 players in any one division, move only the Top 4 participants into the single-elimination rounds.

ALL QUALIFIER FINALISTS MUST BE CHOSEN BASED ON MATCH RECORDS AND THE FOLLOWING TIEBREAKERS:

THE FOLLOWING TIEBREAKING SYSTEM IS NOT OPTIONAL.

Sum of contending players' match-win percentage with that of their opponents.
Divide the number of matches won by a contending player by the number of matches played. Do the same for each opponent the contending player faced, then sum the results. This tiebreaking step determines who played the tougher schedule.
You can take a shortcut in this process by comparing players in contention (tied). The player who lost the latest in the Swiss rounds will have the best opponents' match-win percentage.

Sum of the number of duels won.
If you still have ties after conducting step 1, then compare the total number of duels won by each contending player.

Sum of contending players' duel-win percentage with that of their opponents.
If you still have ties after step 2, divide the number of duels won by a contending player by the number of duels played. Do the same for each opponent the contending player faced, then sum the results. This helps further determine who played the tougher schedule.

III. Single-Elimination

The quarter-, semi-, and final rounds are to be run in a single-elimination format.

The top players moving to single-elimination play will receive new cards to make a new deck for this level.

Quarter- and semifinal rounds are each one hour long.

The final round is not timed.

Two draws are simultaneously run in the single-elimination portion of the tournament-one for Juniors and one for Masters. Pair the players in each draw using scores from the Swiss rounds, pitting the player with the most points against the player with the least. The ladder for the single-elimination seeding should look like the following:

1st ------------------
-----------------
8th -----------------
-----------------
3rd -----------------
-----------------
6th -----------------
-----------------
2nd-----------------
-----------------
7th -----------------
-----------------
4th -----------------
-----------------
5th -----------------

Use this ladder for the semifinals and finals. For example, the winner of the 1st vs. 8th match must play the winner of the 3rd vs. 6th match.

During the one-hour, single-elimination matches, if time runs out, the player who has won the most duels wins the match. If the number of duels won is tied, then count the current unfinished duel as won by the player with the highest life total at the end of the current player's turn. If the number of duels won is tied and if the players have not started the final duel, instruct them to play five turns each. The player with the higher life total wins the match.

Potential Complications

Drop Outs You may find many players dropping out halfway through the tournament as it becomes clear they have no chance of winning. This is no problem, and should be expected. Simply remove them from the tournament (saving their cards), and continue pairing as before.

Avoiding Repeating Pairings When pairing players, the rule of players not playing each other twice can result in some complications. It is possible to have a situation where people of the same record CANNOT play each other, or else they must play each other twice. (For example, the four people with the highest record have all played each other.) In this case, select the next-highest scoring players who have NOT played the top players before, and pair them randomly against the top players. Continue the other pairings normally. (Note: this can often result in the "winner" being determined by a tiebreaker instead of by winning a "final" match-so you may consider allowing players to play each other twice, which is not preferable, but often easier to administer.) The best solutions are switching to single elimination during the final stages of the tournament, or simply running one more round than you would in single elimination. Remember that all potential invitation winners must be present during the awarding of invitations, which immediately follows the final matches. Please have the semifinalists play at the same time as the finalists to determine 3rd and 4th place winning. This is only necessary if one of the finalists is already invited.

IV. Deck Checks & Late Players

Deck Checks

TO REPEAT, random sideboard AND full deck checks (interrupting a duel in progress) must be done during the rounds. Judges should check much more frequently the players in contention for the single-elimination procedure. If a duel is interrupted for a deck check, players should receive extra time.

Marked Cards

All players must check their decks for any miscut, bent, or damaged cards. Such cards will need to be replaced by proxies. Again, use a sharpie or a marker, not a pen, when making proxy cards.

Late Players

Players who arrive late to the start of a round are penalized with 1 duel loss.

Players who arrive more than 10 minutes late to the start of a round are penalized with a match loss and scored as losing 2 duels.

V. Warnings, Infractions & Penalties

Officials give warnings in order to recognize that a player may make a mistake in the course of an event, or may not be entirely aware that they have committed an infraction of the rules. Warnings are given to players to help them understand that they have broken the rules and that a repeat offense carries the consequence of ejection from the event. Warnings accumulate over the course of an entire event, regardless of how many days it covers.

Warning Summary

Duplicate Warnings = Ejection

Third Separate Warning = Ejection

Infractions & Penalties

This document is not intended to cover all potential infractions, but merely to provide a sample list of infractions and their penalties. It is important that you, as a professional Magic player, be aware of the consequences of infractions. It is also important that you understand that all infractions are the head judge's decision, and he or she makes the final ruling.

Sample infractions and penalties:

Infraction: Placing an opponent's card in player's deck

Penalty: Current opponent: No penalty.

Previous opponent: Loss of game/warning for both players.

Infraction: Forgetting to un-sideboard

Penalty: Next duel un-sideboarded - Warning.

Infraction: Failing to record deck correctly on deck list

Penalty: Loss of next game - Warning

Action: After a deck list is turned in to the Tournament staff, it is the official deck regardless of what is actually in the deck. Judge should alter the deck to reflect what is recorded on the deck list.

Infraction: Using an illegal deck

Penalty: Ejection

Infraction: Altering deck during the course of a tournament

Penalty: Ejection

Infraction: Failing to check deck before leaving playing area during Limited event

Penalty: Warning

Action: The player's deck should be immediately checked, and if it is different from the decklist, the deck should be altered to reflect the decklist.

Infraction: Failing to obey instructions of the judge or head judge

Penalty: Warning

Action: This includes continuing to argue with the Head judge after a decision has been reached.

Infraction: Misrepresenting card or rules

Penalty: Warning

Action: Not paying the correct casting cost for a spell is considered misrepresenting a card.

Infraction: Failing to perform play/draw rule correctly

Penalty: Warning

Action: Shuffle one random card from the hand back into the deck.

Infraction: Taking notes during play

Penalty: Warning

Infraction: Tardiness

Penalty: After round started/loss of game 1.

10-20 minutes late - loss of game 2.

Infraction: Missing entire match

Penalty: Ejection

Conceding a Duel

The only time a player may concede a duel is for tournament advantage. Two examples might be: preventing opponent from looking into your deck with Jester's Cap; and ending a long duel in order to get to the next duel in the match.

No penalty should alter the outcome of a game in progress unless the deck is illegal.

VI. Codes of Conduct

Introduction

The purpose of the Codes of Conduct is to provide players and officials with a guide to explain what will be expected during Wizards of the Coast competitions. The Codes should be used along with all other official information and does not supersede existing Duelists' Convocation International or other official rules released by Wizards of the Coast. By entering the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour, competitors agree to abide by all rulings rendered.

Sportsmanlike Conduct
Sportsmanlike conduct is based on mutual respect. Competitors, staff, spectators, volunteers, referees, judges, and tournament manager are expected to maintain this respect throughout the tournament.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct receives a brief overview in the Duelists' Convocation International's Standard Floor Rules Point #10:

Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated at an officially sanctioned tournament. Competitors, judges, and volunteers will conduct themselves in a polite, respectable, and sportsmanlike manner. A competitor behaving in a belligerent, argumentative, hostile, or unsportsmanlike manner may receive a warning from the judge. The judge may also interpret this behavior as a Declaration of Forfeiture.

The following circumstances will automatically be considered unsportsmanlike conduct:

foul language

physical intimidation or action

failing to start a duel in a timely manner

arguing with a referee or judge

scouting other competitors' decks during play

enlisting the aid of observers to scout other competitors' decks

disobeying/disregarding the rules for the tournament

willfully disobeying the judgment of the Head Judge or on-site tournament manager.

Spectators
Spectators of official tournament events should be able to view the tournament matches as long as they do not disturb the competitors' ability to concentrate on their matches.

To ensure that spectators will not crowd the competitors or the play table, they should maintain a minimum distance of three feet from the competitors and the play table, remain silent, and refrain from taking any action that could be construed as disruptive to the tournament participants.

Spectators may not take notes on any competitors' decks during play, unless they are doing so for a journalistic endeavor and have specifically been cleared by the judging staff.

Still or video/film photography of the competition (with or without sound) is permitted for those holding press credentials recognized by Wizards of the Coast, or if the resulting photos, film, or video are strictly for personal or family use of the individual using the camera. Advertising, promotional, or any other commercial use of such photography is prohibited unless prior written authorization has been obtained for each such use from Wizards of the Coast. Any authorization granted will require the authorized party to agree to certain conditions, including at a minimum that the commercial user make no suggestion or implication that Wizards of the Coast sanctions, supports, endorses, or is connected in any way with the commercial user. In addition, Wizards of the Coast will not secure or provide releases from any individual(s) appearing in such photography. No photography shall include recognizable images of the cards in any competitor's deck unless the photographer holds press credentials recognized by Wizards of the Coast, sole purpose bona fide journalistic, and the photography is authorized in advance by the judging staff.

Competitors
All competitors should obey the current official tournament rules appropriate to the tournament type in which they are participating. If a competitor has a question, they can communicate it to the other competitors and judging staff in a concise, polite, and rational manner, and expect the same consideration from others.

Competitors have the right to appeal a judge's decision to the head judge. When the head judge gives a final ruling, they expect it will be carried out without unnecessary conflict or difficulties with the competitors or spectators participating in the tournament.

Competitors should be able to reasonably expect to have information in advance of play as to the type, format, and method/conditions of scoring and advancement for the tournament in which they will be competing.

It is a competitor's individual responsibility to promptly notify the tournament staff of any condition he or she believes interferes with tournament play. Failure to do so shall constitute a full waiver of all claims related to such conditions.

Volunteers
Volunteers should expect a proper briefing from the senior judging staff in preparation for the tournament, which includes an overview of the official tournament rules, the procedures that will be used to administer the tournament, the movement of players during the event, the length of rounds, conditions of scoring, the type of format, and the number of rounds.

Judges
Judges expect the competitors to conduct themselves in a mature, polite, and sportsmanlike manner. Judges should expect the spectators to refrain from disturbing the competitors during the course of play. Judges should also expect to receive accurate and precise data from the head judges and/or managers as to the design, overall plan, and desired effect for any large-scale tournament event in which they are involved.

Head Judge
Head judges should expect to be the final arbiter of all questions and disputes during a tournament event. In all rules decisions, the Head Judge has final say.

Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, Mirage, Fifth Edition, Duelists' Convocation International, and Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ©1996 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved.

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