Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules

Sanctioned Magic: The Gathering events follow the Magic Tournament Rules (MTR) published by Wizards of the Coast. This page sums up the parts a new tournament player is most likely to need, from the version effective February 27, 2026.

Deck rules

• Constructed decks must contain a minimum of sixty cards. There is no maximum deck size.
• A sideboard is optional and may not contain more than fifteen cards.
• Except for cards with the basic supertype (such as basic lands) or cards whose text says otherwise, a player’s combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, based on its English card title.
• Limited decks must contain a minimum of forty cards. There is no maximum deck size.

Formats

Wizards of the Coast sanctions these formats as individual, three-person team, or Two-Headed Giant tournaments:

• Constructed: Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy and Vintage
• Limited: Sealed Deck, Booster Draft and Rochester Draft

Events also run at a Rules Enforcement Level. Regular tournaments are focused on fun and social aspects, not enforcement. Competitive tournaments are usually those with significant cash prizes or invitations to Professional tournaments. Professional events hold players to a higher standard of technically correct play.

Match structure and time

• A match is a series of games played until one side has won a set number of games, usually two. Drawn games do not count toward that goal.
• Before each game, players shuffle, present their decks to the opponent for more shuffling, draw seven cards, and may take mulligans in turn order.
• The required minimum time limit for any match is 40 minutes. The recommended round length for Constructed and Limited tournaments is 50 minutes. The recommendation for single-elimination quarterfinal or semifinal matches is 90 minutes, and for single-elimination finals it is no time limit.
• Sealed Deck: 20 minutes for deck registration and 30 minutes for deck construction. Draft: 25 minutes for deck registration and construction.
• When time runs out: the player whose turn it is finishes their turn, and five additional turns are played in total (three in team formats such as Two-Headed Giant). If the game is still not finished, it is a draw. Single-elimination matches cannot end in a draw, and the MTR gives life-total tiebreakers for them.

Sleeves and conduct

• Players may use plastic card sleeves. If they do, all sleeves must be identical and every card must be placed in them the same way.
• Sleeves on double-faced cards must be completely opaque.
• During a match, a player may ask a judge to inspect an opponent’s sleeves. The judge can disallow sleeves that are marked, worn or interfere with shuffling or play.
• Section 5 of the MTR covers tournament violations: cheating, bribery, wagering, unsporting conduct, slow play and outside assistance. Cheating will not be tolerated, and stalling is not acceptable. Players must play at a pace that lets the match finish within the announced time limit.

Penalties

The MTR does not list penalty levels itself. For example, when the Head Judge believes a player has cheated, they issue the appropriate penalty based on the Infraction Procedure Guide or the Judging at Regular Rules Enforcement Level document. All disqualifications are subject to review, and further penalties can follow.

Read the full rules

• Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules, effective February 27, 2026 (PDF)