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The Rules Enforcement Level (REL) of a magic tournament is a means to communicate to the players and judges what expectations they can have of the tournament in terms of rigidity of rules enforcement, technically correct play, and procedures used. The Rules Enforcement Level of a tournament generally reflects the prizes awarded and the distance a player may be expected to travel.

Rules[ | ]

From the Tournament Rules (January 24, 2020—Theros Beyond Death)

  • 1.12 Rules Enforcement Levels
    Rules Enforcement Levels (REL) are a means to communicate to the players and judges what expectations they can have of the tournament in terms of rigidity of rules enforcement, technically correct play, and procedures used. The Rules Enforcement Level of a tournament generally reflects the prizes awarded and the distance a player may be expected to travel. The appropriate Rules Enforcement Level for specific programs is listed in Appendix F.

    * Regular
    Regular tournaments are focused on fun and social aspects, not enforcement. Most tournaments are run at this level unless they offer sizeable prizes or invitations. Players are expected to know most of the game rules, may have heard of policy and what is “really bad,” but generally play in a fashion similar to the way they do casually. Players are still responsible for following the rules, but the focus is on education and sportsmanship over technically precise play. Infractions in these tournaments are covered by the Judging at Regular Rules Enforcement Level document, located at http://wpn.wizards.com/document/magic-gathering-judging-regular-rel.

    * Competitive
    Competitive tournaments are usually those with significant cash prizes or invitations awarded to Professional tournaments. Players are expected to know the game’s rules and be familiar with the policies and procedures, but unintentional errors are not punished severely. These are tournaments that protect the interests of all players by providing tournament integrity while also recognizing that not all players are intimately familiar with Professional-level tournament structure, proper procedures, and rules. Infractions in these tournaments are covered by the Magic Infraction Procedure Guide, located at https://media.wizards.com/2022/wpn/marketing_materials/wpn/mtg_ipg_5feb21_en.pdf.

    * Professional
    Professional level tournaments offer large cash awards, prestige, and other benefits that draw players from great distances. These tournaments hold players to a higher standard of behavior and technically-correct play than Competitive tournaments. Infractions in these tournaments are covered by the Magic Infraction Procedure Guide, located at http://wpn.wizards.com/document/magic-infraction-procedure-guide.

Chart[ | ]

The following chart indicates the appropriate Rules Enforcement level for various programs:[1]

Program Rules Enforcement Level
Eternal Weekend Competitive
Friday Night Magic Regular
Grand Prix Day 1 Competitive
Grand Prix Day 2* Professional
Grand Prix Trials Competitive
Draft Weekend Regular
Prerelease Regular
Players Tour Professional
Players Tour Finals Professional
Players Tour Qualifiers Competitive
Magic Premier Series Competitive
WPN Qualifiers Competitive
WPN Preliminary Events Competitive
World Championship Professional

^* Including any portion of the event run after the cut to day 2, but still run on day 1.

References[ | ]

  1. Tournament Rules Appendix F — Rules Enforcement Levels of Programs.
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