From:"Daniel M. Gray" Subject:PT New York Floor Rules Notes Date:Tue, 4 May 1999 10:08:36 -0700 Since at least one of them has already been mentioned in passing, I figured I would write up this list of some new and/or experimental rules that were employed last weekend at PT New York. Please read the following list carefully, along with my comments about the various changes. Failure to do so could result in some extreme confusion, and that's what we're trying to avoid here. As everyone knows, the PT is frequently a place where the DCI Policy Team tests proposed or intended changes to the DCI Standard Floor Rules and Penalty Guidelines. PT NY was no exception to this, and we used a number of new changes. 1. New Round Time Limit Effective _immediately_ for all premiere events (pre-releases, Regionals, States, Qualifiers, Open and Closed Nationals, 1999-2000 season Junior Super Series events, Grand Prix Trials, Grand Prix, Pro Tours, Contintenal Championships, and Worlds), the time limit for all formats has been reduced to 50 minutes. In addition to this reduction in the time limit the previous "three extra turn" rules, which could be implemented at a judge's discretion, is now mandatory and "automatically on" for all matches. One further clarification is that this rule is actually a "Six Extra Turns" rule, so that if an effect (like Time Warp) gives one player extra turns, that can reduce the number of turns the player or his/her opponent may take. At the end of time, the active player finishes his or her turn and then six more total turns are taken to determine the game result. These turns are untimed, however the slow play rules (see below) still apply while these turns are in progress (meaning a player cannot delay the tournament by taking 20 minute turns). This is a new official rule and takes place effective 4/28/99. The rule was announced to all North American premiere events organizers at the TO Conference at PT New York. Non-premiere sanctioned events can still have any time limit of 45 minutes or more that the organizer chooses. 2. Slow Play The term and penalty for "stalling" is abolished effective immediately. It is replaced with a new rule called "slow play." The rules now require a player to play his or her matches in such a way so as to ensure that three games may be completed within the 50 minute time limit. A player who, in the opinion of the judge, is not so doing is guilty of slow play. The Penalty Guideline for slow play has not been fully developed at this time, but for Rules Enforcement Level 5, they are as follows: First Offense: Warning Second Offense: Warning plus game loss. Third Offense: Double warning plus match loss. Fouth Offense: Double warning plus disqualification. My own personal recommended scheme for other Rules Enforcement Levels (these are my suggestions and not official DCI policy in any way): Level 4 is identical to Level 5. Level 3: First Offense: Notice Second Offense: Warning Third Offense: Warning plus game loss. Fourth Offense: Double warning plus match loss. Fifth Offense: Double warning plus disqualification. Level 1/2: First Offense: Caution Second Offense: Notice Third Offense: Warning Fourth Offense: Warning plus game loss. Fifth Offense: Double warning plus match loss. Sixth Offense: Double warning plus disqualification. This change is effective 4/28/99. One further clarification is that the Head Judge may, at his or her discretion, implement a greater penalty for slow play if it is excessive or obviously intentional. This is basically the old stalling rule, except only the Head Judge may implement it. 3. Anytime Intentional Draws At PT NY, we used a rule which said that players could take an Intentional Draw at any time prior to turning in his or her match results. At the PT, this rule superseded the current rule requiring ID's to occur only at the beginning of a round. This rule is _experimental_ and is not in force anywhere except the PT. Do not use it. We haven't quite gotten all the bugs worked out of this rule yet, but we're working on them. 4. Card Flipping Penalty Change At PT NY, we re-evaluated the Penalty Guidelines for accidentally revealing an opponent's hidden card while shuffling or cutting. Previously, the first offense had been a warning plus a game loss at Enforcement Level 5. This penalty has been reduce to a warning for the first offense at Level 5. This makes the Penalty Guideline identical to the Level 4 Guideline. It now reads: First Offense: Warning Second Offense: Warning plus game loss Third Offense: Warning plus game loss Fourth Offense: Double warning plus match loss Fifth Offense: Double warning plus ejection. This is also effective immediately. 5. Finals Format Change At PT NY, we switched the final 8 back to standard single elimination. This will be used for Worlds and all future PT's. This leaves U.S. Nationals as the only major event to use the modified double elimination format in the final 8 rounds. This is effective immediately. 6. "When a Turn Begins" Definition At PT NY, a player's turn was considered to have begun when the current active player yielded priority during his her discard/end phase and the stack was empty. This is also an experimental rule and is not in force at the moment. Please continue using the rule which defines a player's turn as beginning when he or she begins untapping permanents. Dan Gray Level IV Certified Judge Official dcijudge-l Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Los Angeles and Phoenix Tournament Organizer Magic: The Gathering Playtester