Penalty ladder and escalation
The four penalties, when a Warning becomes a Game Loss, and who must be told. Written for rules effective 2026-10-16.
The ladder
Warning: a record that an error happened. If ruling and correcting took more than 1 minute, grant a time extension.
The ladder
Game Loss: the erroring player and their teammates concede the game. It applies at once if the game is going on, otherwise to their next game. Several at the same time count as one.
TR 701.2.b · TR 701.2.b.1 · TR 701.2.b.2
The ladder
Match Loss: for when the whole match has been compromised. It applies to the current match, or to the next one if the previous match ended.
The ladder
Disqualification: for errors that damage the integrity of the competition, or for severe misconduct. The player loses the current match and is dropped. Prizes already received are kept.
TR 701.2.d · TR 701.2.d.1 · TR 701.2.d.2
Applying a penalty
Explain the error, the procedure to fix it, and the penalties for the players involved.
Applying a penalty
One error that leads to several related penalties gets only the most severe one.
Applying a penalty
Report a Game Loss or higher to the head judge.
Applying a penalty
Only the head judge may issue a penalty outside these guidelines.
Warning to Game Loss
Game play errors: the same exact category of Warning 3 or more times in the same event is a Game Loss. Failure to Maintain Game State is the exception: it never upgrades unless the head judge instructs it.
TR 702.1.b · TR 702.1.b.1 · TR 702.17.b
Warning to Game Loss
Game play errors, any category, in the same event: a total of 6 or more Warnings at competitive OPL, or 5 or more at professional OPL, is a Game Loss.
Warning to Game Loss
Tournament errors: the same category of Warning 3 or more times in the same event is a Game Loss. Any category: a total of 6 or more at competitive OPL, 5 or more at professional OPL.
TR 703.1.b.1 · TR 703.1.b.2 · TR 703.1.b.3
Warning to Game Loss
Unsporting conduct: the same category of Warning 2 or more times in the same event is a Game Loss, and the head judge may upgrade it further.
Warning to Game Loss
These thresholds count every Warning of the kind, including one given only because an error was advantageous (Missed Trigger, Forgetting to Draw Cards, Channeling Too Few Runes, Overpayment for Cost, Forgetting to Ready) and the Warnings of Late to Match and Outside Assistance. The maintainer ruled that they count; the Tournament Rules do not say.
TR 702.2.e · TR 702.4.b · TR 702.7.c · TR 702.8.b.1.a · TR 702.15.b · TR 703.8.a · TR 703.8.b · TR 703.9.a
Warning to Game Loss
Below a threshold, the head judge may still start a cheating investigation.