Magic tournament rules and formats
Sanctioned Magic runs from Friday Night Magic at your local store up to Regional Championships and the Pro Tour.
Constructed formats
- Standard: recent sets only, with older sets rotating out.
- Pioneer and Modern: larger, non-rotating card pools.
- Legacy and Vintage: almost every card ever printed.
- Pauper: commons only.
- Commander: mostly casual, with a separate competitive scene.
Every format has a ban list. Check it before you play.
Limited formats
In Draft and Sealed you build a deck of at least 40 cards from packs opened at the event, adding as many basic lands as you like.
Matches
Matches are best of three games. After game one you can swap cards with your sideboard (up to 15 cards). Rounds are usually 50 minutes, followed by a few extra turns if time runs out; an unfinished match is a draw.
Rules enforcement
Events run at Regular, Competitive or Professional enforcement. The Magic Tournament Rules cover deck registration, shuffling, communication and conduct. At higher levels, mistakes like drawing an extra card or missing your own trigger have set penalties. Always call a judge rather than fixing a problem yourselves.
Communication
Be clear about what you're doing and when you're passing priority. Keep your life total and your opponent's written down, and agree them after every change.