1996-1997 Tournament Season; Effective April 1, 1997
with May 1, 1997 updates

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING ALL OPTIONAL RULES: Tournament Organizers, Tournament Officials, and Head Judges who choose to use any rule marked "OPTIONAL" must provide adequate notice to participants prior to the beginning of the tournament. Optional rules may not be invoked or altered either by tournament officials or players at any other time.

1.0	TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS Officially sanctioned competition requires the presence of a Head Judge during play to interpret rules, terminate excessively long matches, disqualify players, and make other official decisions. The Head Judge may enlist the help of officials to answer rules questions or perform other tasks at the Head Judge's request. The Head Judge and the Tournament Organizer may or may not be the same individual.
1.1	Head Judge If players should disagree with a Tournament Official's decision, then they are free to appeal the ruling to the Head Judge. The Head Judge's ruling on the appeal is final.
1.1a	All consequences resulting from violations of the DCI Standard Floor Rules that come to the attention of the Judge MUST be enforced. Competitors are not permitted to 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 is brought to their attention, and must ensure that the appropriate consequences are applied.
Sections 1.2 - 1.2.15 detail the general rulings that Tournament Officials are frequently required to interpret and enforce.
1.2	Termination of Lengthy Matches The Head Judge may be required to determine the outcome of an excessively long match prior to its actual conclusion. In this instance, the Head Judge must give the players involved at least 30 (thirty) minutes notice before intervening to terminate the match. Once the warning period passes and the judge announces that the match is over, all play must stop immediately. Players in mid-turn are given a fixed amount of time, announced by the judge, to complete their turns before the match result is determined. (A player in mid-turn is someone who has finished untapping all of his or her cards in play that could be untapped at the beginning of his or her turn.)
1.2.1	Timeliness Players must take their turns in a timely fashion. Whereas taking a reasonable amount of time to think through game strategy is acceptable, deliberately stalling for time is not. Failure to begin a match in a timely manner in order to gain a psychological advantage is grounds for disqualification. 1.21a Prior to each duel, competitors must complete all sideboarding decisions, deck shuffling, and shuffling of their opponent's deck within 5 (five) 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 5 (five) minutes. This time limit must be adequately advertised and announced prior to the tournament.
1.2.2	Cheating Cheating will not be tolerated. Players caught cheating will automatically be disqualified from current competition. They may also be disqualified from future competition at the discretion of the DCI. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: receiving outside assistance or coaching, scouting other players' cards, underpaying mana, using marked cards, marking cards during play, drawing extra cards, manipulating which cards are drawn from your deck or your opponent's deck (including stacking a deck to separate land and spell cards), arranging the cards in a deck to manipulate card draw, and deliberately stalling the length of a turn to take advantage of a time limit.
1.2.3	Effective May 1, 1997. Unsportsmanlike Conduct Unsportsmanlike conduct is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at any time. Judges, players, and officials must behave in a polite, respectable, and sportsmanlike manner. Players who use profanity, argue, act belligerently toward tournament officials or one another, or harass spectators, tournament officials, or opponents, will receive a warning. Repeat warnings will result in a player's disqualification from the current competition and possibly future competitions (at the discretion of the DCI). Collusion to alter the results of a duel or match is considered to be unsportsmanlike and will not be tolerated.
1.2.4	Card Elevation Players must keep the cards in their hand above the level of the playing surface. If this rule is violated, the judge may issue a warning to the player. A second violation may result in the player's disqualification.
1.2.5	Effective April 1, 1997. 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	Effective April 1, 1997. 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	Effective April 1, 1997. 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).
1.2.8	Play-Draw Rule The winner of a coin toss (or other random method) chooses either to play first and skip the draw phase for his or her first turn or play second. Under these conditions, the first player chooses one or the other before looking at his or her hand. The player who plays first skips the draw phase of his or her first turn. All play thereafter is normal: each player plays and draws cards within his or her turn. After the first duel in a match, the loser of each duel decides whether to play first in the next duel. If the previous duel was a tie, the coin is tossed again to determine who decides which player plays first. If this rule is in use, the judge must announce it before the tournament begins.
1.2.9	"Mulligan" At the beginning of each duel, after determining which player goes first (player #1), both players draw their initial hand of 7 (seven) cards. If player #1 discovers that his or her initial hand contains all land cards or no land cards (that is, no cards with LAND as the card type), then the player may declare a "Mulligan" and choose to restart the duel. Player #1 is given the opportunity to reshuffle and draw 7 new cards. The opponent (player #2) may also reshuffle. Whether or not player #1 declares a Mulligan, the opponent is then given a chance to review his or her own cards and decide to declare a Mulligan. If player #2 decides not to declare a Mulligan, then player #1 may not change his or her mind. However, if either player does declare a Mulligan and chooses to restart the duel, then the other player may also reshuffle and cut his or her cards. To declare a Mulligan, the player must first show his or her hand to the opponent before new cards can be drawn. Any time players reshuffle their cards before a duel begins, they always have the option to declare a Mulligan as long as they have not already declared one. A player may declare only one Mulligan per duel.
1.2.10	Card Translation During sanctioned competition, players will refer to the English version of a card to settle disputes concerning the interpretation of a card's wording or powers.
1.2.11	Errata All cards will be interpreted using the latest official errata list.
1.2.12	Current Edition All cards will be interpreted according to the wording on the latest printed version of the cards.
1.2.13	Forgetting About Upkeep If a player draws a card for his or her turn without having paid an upkeep cost, it is assumed that the upkeep cost was not paid and the appropriate consequences were accepted. For example, most cards bury themselves if the upkeep cost is not paid, in which case the card is simply buried with no further penalty to the player. If a player draws a card for his or her turn without having dealt with one or more upkeep effects (other than upkeep costs), those effects are dealt with immediately. If any of the effects involved a decision, then the player is issued a warning, and the cards that were drawn during the draw phase are shuffled into the library and replaced.
1.2.14	Effective May 1, 1997. Intentional Draw Players engaged in a duel may mutually agree to accept an intentional draw at any time prior to the beginning of a match. This agreement shall not be regarded as a violation of Standard Floor Rules 1.2.2 or 1.2.3. Either player may offer the draw to his or her opponent at any time prior to the beginning of a match. The opponent may then accept or decline. If the offer is declined, the duel must continue as normal without further inducement or coercion to accept the offer.
1.2.15	Effective April 1, 1997. 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.
2.0	Rules for Magic: The Gathering Constructed-Deck Tournament Play Classic, Standard, Classic Restricted, MirageTM Constructed, Mirage/VisionsTM Constructed
2.1	Required Materials In order to participate in a match, players must bring their decks, sideboards, and DCI membership card to the tournament. A player's deck must contain at least 60 (sixty) cards, while his or her sideboard must contain exactly 15 (fifteen) cards.
2.1.2	Tournament-Legal Decks & Sideboards Decks which contain less than 60 (sixty) cards, or sideboards which contain more or less than 15 (fifteen) cards, are not tournament legal; their use may result in disqualification from current competition. Players who opt not to have a sideboard must inform their opponent before a match begins; failure to do so may result in disqualification from current competition.
2.1.3	Deck & Sideboard Registration At the judge's discretion, players may be required to register all decks and sideboards when they arrive at a tournament. Registration records the original composition of each deck and sideboard. If the deck and sideboard are recorded, both must be returned to their original composition before the beginning of a new match. Thus, cards transferred from a player's deck to his or her sideboard, and vice versa, must be returned before the player begins a new match. Failure to properly register a deck and/or sideboard or returning a deck and/or sideboard to their original composition may result in disqualification from current competition. NOTE: Wizards of the Coast reserves the right to publish contents of decks and sideboards as well as transcripts or video reproductions of any sanctioned tournament.
2.1.4	Sideboard Use Before a match begins, each player must allow his or her opponent to count the number of cards in the sideboard face down. Before the beginning of the second or third duel in a match, players may change the composition of their decks by swapping cards from their decks with cards in their sideboard. Any card exchange must be done on a one-for-one basis to ensure that the sideboard remains at 15 (fifteen) cards. There are no restrictions on the number of cards a player may exchange as long as one card is traded for another. Attempts to alter a deck other than through a legal sideboard exchange may result in a player's disqualification from current and future competition.
2.1.5	Alpha Cards Players may use cards that have slightly rounder corners (e.g., Alpha edition cards--Alpha cards are the first section of the print run from the original limited-edition basic set) as long as their decks are made up entirely of these cards and as long as all the cards are legal according the deck-construction rules limiting which card titles are playable. If a player is using an "Alpha" deck, he or she must notify the judge before the beginning of the tournament.
2.1.7	New Releases New releases of Magic: The Gathering (e.g., new expansions or new editions of the basic set) may not be included in tournaments until 30 (thirty) days after the retail release date. Premier tournaments (Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Qualifiers, Pro Tour, National Championships) taking place within seven days of a new release date must announce at least 30 (thirty) days prior to the date of the event whether the new release will be included in their Standard list. Multi-day tournaments which take place during this 30 (thirty) day period may or may not use the new release. This decision must be announced by the Tournament Officials or Tournament Organizer prior to the tournament.
2.1.8	Four-card limit With the exception of basic land cards (Plains, Forest, Mountain, Island, and Swamp, including snow-covered variants), a player's deck and sideboard may not contain more than 4 (four) of any individual card, by card title.
2.1.9	Effective May 1, 1997. Restricted and Banned Cards No more than one (1) of each of the cards on the Restricted List is allowed in a tournament deck (including the sideboard). No cards from the Banned List are allowed in a tournament deck (including the sideboard). Violation of this rule may result in disqualification from current competition at the discretion of the head judge, and possibly from future competition at the discretion of the DCI. The Banned and Restricted Lists are modified quarterly by the DCI as follows: March 1, June 1, September 1, December 1
2.2	Ante Players may not wager ante.
2.3	Standard Deck Construction Standard 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 DCI uses the following policy to determine the composition of the Standard environment: New editions of the basic set replace old versions and are permitted in Standard play 30 (thirty) days after the release of the new edition. New stand-alone expansions (e.g., Ice Age, Mirage) replace previous stand-alone expansions and are permitted in Standard play 30 (thirty) days after the release date of the new edition. Limited-edition expansions are replaced 30 (thirty) days after the release date of the next limited-edition expansion, which has a release date of more than 10 (ten) 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 30 (thirty) days after release date of new basic set Stand-alone New stand-alone 30 (thirty) days after release date of new stand-alone Limited-edition expansion New limited-edition expansion which has a release date of more than 10 (ten) months after the outgoing limited-edition expansion set's release date 30 (thirty) days after release date of new limited-edition expansion
EXAMPLE OF NEW POLICY: As of May 1, 1997, the following card sets are permitted in sanctioned Standard tournaments: Fifth EditionTM (basic set) Mirage (stand-alone expansion) Visions (limited-edition expansion) AlliancesTM (limited-edition expansion)
2.3.1	There is no restricted list for Standard tournaments.
2.3.2	The Banned List for Standard tournaments: Any card not specifically permitted by rule 2.3 Any ante card contained in any newly released card set Balance Black Vise Bronze Tablet Channel Ivory Tower Jeweled Bird Land Tax Mind Twist Rebirth Strip Mine Tempest Efreet Timmerian Fiends (HM)
2.4	Classic Deck Construction Classic tournament decks may consist of cards from all editions of Magic, any extension of the basic set, all promotional cards released by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and all limited-edition or stand-alone expansion sets.
2.4.1	The Restricted List for Classic tournaments: Ancestral Recall Balance Berserk Black Lotus Braingeyser Candelabra of Tawnos (AQ) Copy Artifact Demonic Tutor Fastbond Feldon's Cane (AQ) Fork Ivory Tower (AQ) Library of Alexandria (AN) Maze of Ith (DK) Mirror Universe (LE) Mishra's Workshop (AQ) Mox Emerald Mox Jet Mox Pearl Mox Ruby Mox Sapphire Recall (LE) Regrowth Sol Ring Timetwister Time Walk Underworld Dreams (LE) Wheel of Fortune Zuran Orb (IA)
2.4.2	The Banned List for Classic tournaments: Any card not specifically permitted by rule 2.4 Any ante card contained in any newly released card set Amulet of Quoz (IA) Bronze Tablet (AQ) Channel Chaos Orb Contract from Below Darkpact Demonic Attorney Divine Intervention (LE) Falling Star (LE) Jeweled Bird (AN) Mind Twist Rebirth (LE) Shahrazad (AN) Tempest Efreet (LE) Timmerian Fiends (HM)
2.5	Classic Restricted Deck Construction: Classic Restricted tournament decks may consist of cards from all editions of Magic, any extension of the basic set, all promotional cards released by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and all limited-edition or stand-alone expansion sets.
2.5.1	Effective April 1, 1997. The Banned List for Classic-Restricted tournaments: Previously, cards that appeared by card title on either the Classic or Standard restricted and banned lists were also banned in Classic-Restricted play. This resulted in considerable confusion, and raised questions about the continued viability of this tournament environment. In order to both clarify the rule and maintain the viability of the Classic-Restricted tournament environment, the DCI will make changes to the Classic-Restricted banned list independent from any other restricted or banned lists. Black Vise and Strip Mine are therefore added independently to this list, and not as a consequence of their appearance on any other banned or restricted list. Consequently, they will remain on this list when 4th Edition leaves the Standard environment and is replaced by 5th Edition. Land Tax, however, will not appear on this list at that time. The DCI will announce changes to this list four times per year, on March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1. The Banned List for Classic Restricted, effective April 1, 1997, is as follows: Any card not specifically permitted by rule 2.5 Any ante card contained in any newly released card set Amulet of Quoz (IA) Ancestral Recall Balance Berserk Black Lotus Black Vise Braingeyser Bronze Tablet Candelabra of Tawnos (AQ) Channel Chaos Orb Contract from Below Copy Artifact Darkpact Demonic Attorney Demonic Tutor Divine Intervention (LE) Falling Star (LE) Fastbond Feldon's Cane (AQ) Fork Ivory Tower Jeweled Bird Land Tax Library of Alexandria (AN) Maze of Ith (DK) Mind Twist Mirror Universe (LE) Mishra's Workshop (AQ) Mox Emerald Mox Jet Mox Pearl Mox Ruby Mox Sapphire Rebirth Recall (LE) Regrowth Sol Ring Shahrazad (AN) Strip Mine Tempest Efreet Time Walk Timetwister Timmerian Fiends (HM) Underworld Dreams (LE) Wheel of Fortune Zuran Orb (IA)
2.6	Ice Age-Only Deck Construction: Ice Age tournament decks may consist only of cards from the Magic: The Gathering--Ice Age stand-alone expansion. Players may also include cards from previous printings that appear in the Ice Age stand-alone expansion, as long as they do not have features that create "marked" cards, such as slightly rounder corners. Mirage-Only Deck Construction: Mirage tournament decks may consist only of cards from the Magic: The Gathering--Mirage stand-alone expansion. Players may also include cards from previous printings that appear in the Mirage stand-alone expansion, as long as they do not have features that create "marked" cards, such as slightly rounder corners.
2.7	Ice Age/Alliances Deck Construction: Ice Age/Alliances tournament decks may consist only of cards from the Magic: The Gathering--Ice Age stand-alone expansion and the Alliances limited expansion. Players may also include cards from previous printings that appear in the Ice Age stand-alone expansion, as long as they do not have features that create "marked" cards, such as slightly rounder corners.
2.7.1	Effective May 1, 1997. The Banned List for Ice Age-Alliances tournaments: Any card not specifically permitted by rule 2.7 Amulet of Quoz (ante card) Thawing Glaciers Zuran Orb
3.0	RULES FOR MAGIC: THE GATHERING LIMITED-ENVIRONMENT TOURNAMENT PLAY Sealed Deck, Ice Age Sealed Deck, Ice Age/Alliances Sealed Deck, Mirage-only Sealed Deck and Mirage/Visions Sealed Deck.
3.1	Deck Construction Prior to the beginning of a tournament, each player will receive a sealed starter deck of Magic: The Gathering cards, along with various booster packs, from which they will create a tournament deck. Certain limited-environment formats permit players to receive booster packs only. Before players actually assemble their decks, they may be required to open and register all their cards with a Tournament Official at the Head Judge's discretion. Once cards have been registered, players have a limited amount of time to prepare their decks before play begins. Cards that are not included in the tournament deck automatically become the player's sideboard. Violation of this rule may result in a player's disqualification from current and future competition, at the discretion of the Head Judge and the DCI.
3.1a	Effective May 1, 1997. Early Departure Limited tournament participants may not withdraw from the event prior to the first match. Violation of this rule shall result in the offending participant receiving a "loss" for the match on the official tournament record (the opponent shall receive a "win" for the match). Participants may withdraw without penalty at any time after the conclusion of the first match.
3.1.2	Each deck is required to have a minimum of 40 (forty) cards. Before a duel begins, players are allowed to count the number of cards in their opponent's deck and sideboard to ensure that the number of cards has not changed since the deck was originally issued. Any discrepancy should be reported to a Tournament Official and may be grounds for disqualification from current or future competition, at the discretion of the Head Judge and the DCI.
3.1.3	Sideboard Use Players may change the composition of their decks by swapping cards from their decks with cards in their sideboard before the beginning of a duel. There are no restrictions on the number of cards a player may exchange as long as the play deck contains at least 40 (forty) cards. Cards need not be exchanged on a one-for-one basis. Attempts to alter a deck's composition illegally may result in disqualification from current and future competition, at the discretion of the Head Judge and the DCI.
3.2	Ante Players may not wager ante during a match.
3.2.1	OPTIONAL: Ante may be required at the discretion of the Tournament Officials and/or the Head Judge. If ante is required, competitors must adhere to the following guidelines:
3.2.2	Before any duel begins, players are allowed to count the number of cards in their opponent's deck and sideboard to ensure that the number of cards equals the number of cards originally issued plus any cards won or lost in ante. Any discrepancy should be reported to a Tournament Official and may be grounds for disqualification from current and future competition, at the discretion of the Head Judge and the DCI.
3.2.3	If ante is required, the ante card is the first card selected by a player's opponent after the deck has been shuffled and cut. Once it is selected, the ante card is placed face down on the playing surface before the first hand is dealt. Cards won as ante are considered part of a player's sideboard and may be introduced into a player's deck prior to the beginning of a duel.
3.2.4	If ante is not used, players may be required to reset their deck to its initial registered composition before each match begins. If ante is in use, players may use any initial configuration of their deck, which contains at least 40 (forty) cards and is made up of cards from the deck plus sideboard plus ante won.
3.3	Sealed-Deck tournament decks will consist of a number of cards determined by Tournament Officials prior to the tournament. The DCI suggests a combination of decks or boosters totaling 90 to 300 cards.
3.4	Rules for Booster-Draft Tournament Play
3.4.1	Player Seating Players assemble into circles of roughly equal size, under the direction of a Tournament official, with no more than eight players per group. Tournament Officials will distribute a predetermined number of Magic: The Gathering booster packs to each player.
3.4.2	Drafting At a signal from a Tournament Official (for example, "Open the first of your Fifth Edition boosters...") each player opens one (1) of the booster packs and looks at the cards. The player chooses one (1) card from the booster pack, then passes the remaining cards, face down, to the player on his or her left. All remaining cards must be passed face down during the entire draft cycle.
3.4.3	Once all cards in the booster pack have been chosen, a Tournament Official will instruct players to open another booster pack ("Open your next Fifth Edition booster...") and draft in the same fashion, except the direction of drafting is reversed. This process is repeated until all cards in all booster packs have been drafted.
3.4.4	Ante cards are not permitted in the Booster-Draft format. All ante cards in initial boosters are replaced by a Tournament Official from a random stack of cards.
3.4.5	Deck Construction Once all cards have been drafted, a Tournament Official will announce a 30 (thirty) minute deck-construction period. Players may not trade cards with one another during the deck-construction period.
3.4.6	Players may add as many basic lands as needed to play a minimum 40 (forty) card deck (no maximum is imposed). Tournament Officials will supply all land. Any drafted cards not used in the tournament deck will function as the sideboard.
3.4.7	Due to the natural limiting effect of Booster-Draft play, there are neither Restricted nor Banned Lists for this style of tournament.