1.2.5	Proxy Cards The use of "proxy" cards is not permitted. All cards in the participant's deck MUST be genuine Magic: The Gathering® cards. Participants may not use cards from the Collector's Edition , International Collector's Edition , or the Pro Tour Collector Set . Players may not substitute one card for another. Note, however, that when a judge determines that a card has become excessively worn through play in the current sanctioned tournament, the judge may provide a "proxy" replacement card at his or her discretion. The term "proxy" includes counterfeit cards or any card that is not a genuine Magic card. Violation of this rule shall be considered unsportsmanlike conduct and will be penalized appropriately. Counterfeiters will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law (see rules 1.2.3 and 1.2.15).
1.2.6	Card Sleeves A player may use plastic card sleeves or other protective devices on cards unless the judge declares otherwise at the beginning of the tournament. If a player chooses to exercise this option, all cards in the player's deck and sideboard must be placed in these devices in an identical manner. If the sleeves feature holograms or other similar markings, cards must be inserted into the sleeves so that these markings appear only on the face of the cards. If for any reason a player's opponent wishes a player to remove the sleeves or protective devices, he or she may request this prior to the beginning of any match, and the player must immediately comply. All requests to de-sleeve must be made prior to the beginning of the match. Once the match is in under way, a player may only request that the Judge inspect his or her opponent's sleeves. The judge may choose to disallow a player's sleeves if they are obviously marked, worn, or otherwise in a condition that may interfere with shuffling or game play. A sleeve may be used to mark a player's card if the card is in the opponent's playing field. New card sleeves and/or protective devices are not permitted in sanctioned tournaments until the DCI gives its official approval for their use.
1.2.7	Shuffle Prior to the beginning of each duel, each player shuffles his or her deck. Regardless of the method used to shuffle the deck, before play commences each player MUST conclude this process with three standard riffle shuffles (sometimes called "shotgun" shuffles; see 1.2.15, Definitions). Each time a player shuffles his or her deck during a match, the player's opponent may shuffle and/or cut the player's deck. Players may not use this rule as an opportunity to view any cards in their opponent's deck. After shuffling, the decks are returned to their original owners, who may then cut (but not reshuffle) the cards before play begins. If at any time during this process a player believes his or her opponent's cards are not shuffled properly, the player may request that a tournament official shuffle the deck. Note: a player may count the number of cards in his or her opponent's library at any time throughout the match. At the judge's discretion, a one-minute time limit may be imposed for all shuffling that occurs during the duel itself (this includes card effects such as Thawing Glaciers and Soldiers of Fortune).
1.2.15	Definition of Terms: Duel: one game of Magic Match: best two-out-of-three duels of Magic unless otherwise stated Proxy card: a card used during competition to represent another card; also counterfeit cards, or any card that is not a genuine Magic card Riffle shuffle: dividing the deck into two halves which are placed end-to-end, lifted, and allowed to fall rapidly together and interleave Cut: removing the top portion of a deck and placing it under the bottom portion, without looking at the bottom card Sideboard: Any additional cards that are not part of a player's deck. Players may exchange cards in their sideboard as long as the sideboard contains exactly fifteen (15) cards unless otherwise noted.

WIZARDS OF THE COAST, Magic: The Gathering, and DCI are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ©1997 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Duelists' Convocation International (DCI) officially announces the departure of Fallen Empires and Ice Age from the Standard (Type II) tournament environment. Cards from these sets will no longer be permitted in sanctioned Standard tournaments as of January 1, 1997.

DCI will continue to sanction the following tournament formats after January 1, 1997, but will calculate the results in the appropriate ratings category:

Ice Age Constructed	Classic (Type I)
Ice Age Sealed	Limited
Ice Age/Alliances Constructed	Classic (Type I)
Ice Age/Alliances Sealed	Limited

DCI has reached a decision to change the format of the Standard (Type II) environment, beginning on January 1, 1997. Previously, the environment was defined as the largest set of currently available cards. This policy created quite a large tournament environment! However, because of inconsistencies in print run sizes, expansions sometimes remained in the environment longer than we planned, and some sets were in danger of leaving the environment before competitors had any genuine chance to fully explore their cards' capabilities.

In order to regulate these factors in the face of inconsistent availability of expansions, the DCI is changing the composition of the Standard (Type II) environment to one wherein the basic sets and stand-alone sets will replace old versions of each other as the new version is released, and limited-edition expansions will be replaced by the next limited-edition expansion a year later. Card sets should enter the environment as another set leaves, keeping Standard tournaments fresh, challenging and exciting over time. DCI believes this will also enable competitors to more easily predict which card sets are permitted in Standard tournament play at any given time.

DCI has previously promised ninety (90) days notice prior to removing any card set from the Type II environment; since the new policy is not effective until January 1, 1997, DCI is notifying members at this time that Fallen Empires and Ice Age will be leaving the Standard environment in January.

The following floor rule will therefore read as follows on January 1, 1997:

2.3 Standard (Type II) Deck Construction

Standard (Type II) tournament decks may consist of cards from Magic: The Gathering, as well as any current extensions of the basic set, all current limited-edition expansion sets, and all current stand-alone expansion sets. Players may also include cards from previous printings that appear in the most current edition as long as they do not have features that create "marked" cards, such as cards with corners that are rounder than other cards.

The Duelists' Convocation International (DCI) uses the following policy to determine the composition of the Standard (Type II) environment:

• New editions of the Basic Set replace old versions and are permitted in Standard (Type II) play thirty (30) days after the release date of the new edition.

• New stand-alone expansions (e.g. Ice Age, Mirage) replace previous stand- alone expansions and are permitted in Standard (Type II) play thirty (30) days after the release date of the new edition.

• Limited-edition expansions are replaced thirty (30) days after the release date of the next limited-edition expansion which has a release date of more than ten (10) months later than the release date of the outgoing limited-edition expansion.

Card set:	Replaced by:	When is it replaced?
Basic Set	New edition of Basic Set	Thirty (30) days after release date of new Basic Set
Stand-alone	New stand-alone	Thirty (30) days after release date of new stand-alone
Limited-edition expansion	New Limited expansion which has a release date of more than ten (10) months after the outgoing limited- expansion's release date	Thirty (30) days after release date of new limited-edition expansion

EXAMPLE OF NEW POLICY: When Fallen Empires and Ice Age leave the Standard tournament environment on January 1, 1997, the card sets permitted in this format will be as follows:

Fourth Edition (Basic Set)

Chronicles (Extension of the Basic Set)

Mirage (stand-alone)

Homelands (limited-edition expansion)

Alliances (limited-edition expansion)

The next card set scheduled for release is Visions , due out in January or February 1997. When Visions is released, it will replace Homelands in the Standard (Type II) environment.

The Magic: The Gathering® Fifth Edition rules will be effective at all DCI sanctioned tournaments as of November 8, 1996. The new rules may be found in all Mirage starter decks (available October 8, 1996) and in issue 13 of The Duelist.

On November 1, 1996, the following sections of the DCI Standard Floor Rules for Magic: The Gathering will be amended to read as follows:

1.1a All consequences resulting from violations of DCI Standard Floor Rules which come to the attention of the Judge MUST be enforced. Competitors are not permitted waive penalties on behalf of their opponents.

1.1b Regardless of the wishes of the competitors involved, Judges must correct any rules mistake (whether from the Standard Floor Rules or from the rules for Magic: The Gathering) they notice or that comes to their attention, and must ensure that the appropriate consequences are applied.

1.2.1a Prior to each duel, competitors must complete all sideboarding decisions, deck shuffling, and shuffling of their opponent's deck within five (5) minutes. Violation of this rule may be considered stalling, and therefore may result in a warning or disqualification from current competition at the discretion of the Judge. The Judge and/or Tournament Organizer may choose to set a time limit for these procedures of less than five (5) minutes. This time limit must be adequately advertised and announced prior to the tournament.