Slow Play

Penalty: Warning

Definitions and Philosophy: Taking longer than is reasonably expected to complete these game actions is considered Slow Play. If a Judge determines that a player is playing slowly intentionally to take advantage of the round time limits, the appropriate infraction would be Stalling under Unsporting Conduct. As a note, all parts of match procedures account for "playing" the match or games in a match. This includes sideboarding procedures and, therefore, players are expected to complete this step in a reasonable time, not to excessively shufflle, count cards repeatedly, etc. If there is concern that a player is attempting to stall their sideboarding to seek a decision from the losing player regarding whether they will be playing first or second before the required time (after both decks are presented for finals cuts/shuffles), consider stalling as the infraction.

A player is responsible for playing the game and taking player actions at a reasonable pace, regardless of the Game State. All players should have the same opportunity for fair play and players should perform actions quickly enough to not disadvantage their opponent due to time. Players may sometimes be playing slowly unintentionally; it is often enough for a player to communicate with their opponent that they should play faster. If this communication is insufficient, a Judge Call is warranted.

Corrective Procedure: After the penalty is applied, the Judge can apply a time extension in the round, up to the maximum. If the maximum round extension has been applied already from a prior corrective procedure, an additional extension of 2 turns may be added to the extra-turns procedure.

Examples:

• A player takes an excessive amount of time shuffling and/or cutting their opponent’s deck.

• A player leaves their seat without valid reason and permission from a tournament official.

• A player spends a significant amount of time examining/picking up cards in public zones without any significant changes in the Game State, e.g. not performing any player actions.

VARIABLE ENFORCEMENT: At events of lower tier than Regionals and Store Championships, it is expected that more novice or casual players are in attendance. It is recommended to be more lenient with multiple reminders to play faster before the first warning for Slow Play is given. It might also be helpful to prompt a discussion with the offending player that there is limited time in the round and each player should be mindful of the time allotted. If in agreement with Tournament staff, consider extensions beyond the recommended for a round, if appropriate (i.e. 10 minutes or 5 turns as opposed to the maximum 5 minutes and 5 turns under corrective procedures).