Back ups

There’s a Judge call. Something happened.

Backing Up

• We approach the table and identify the infraction as a Game Play Error, which leads to a Warning but... what happens now? What about the game state? – Shall I correct something? – Should I leave it as is?– What happens with that card that ended up in the

graveyard? – What about that other card that should have ended

in the yard, but it’s still on the battlefield?

Should the game be backed up?

The philosophy of a Game Play Error:• Both players are expected to maintain the

game rules, and to share some responsibility for any errors that may occur involving public information. As a result, no attempt should be made to determine or correct any advantage gained in assessing the penalty and associated procedures for fixing the offense.

Can we back up?

• It allows us to back up a situation only if:1) The error was discovered within a time frame

in which a player could reasonably be expected to notice the error.

2) The situation is simple enough to safely back up without too much disruption to the course of the game.

3) We are the HJ or otherwise have permission to back up.

How do we back up?

• Each action taken is undone until the game reaches the point immediately prior to the error. Cards incorrectly placed in hand are returned to the location in the zone from which they were moved (if the identity of the incorrectly drawn card is not known to all players, a random card is returned instead)

What if we don’t back up?

• In the case we decide NOT TO BACK UP, state based action are checked and the game continues WITH NO FIX AT ALL No partial fix is allowed, never ever.

With the following exceptions: • If a player failed to make a required choice for

a permanent on the battlefield, that player does so.

• If a player forgot to discard or return cards from their hand to another zone, that player does so.

Situation 1

• The game has just started. • Turn 1:

– Al plays River of Tears, taps it and suspends Ancestral Vision.

– Nissa draws, plays a swamp and passes.• Turn 2:

– Al untaps, removes a counter from Ancestral Vision, draws, plays another River of Tears and tries to cast Distress. At this moment, Nissa realizes that Al couldn’t have suspended Ancestral Vision the previous turn.

• JUDGE!

Situation 2

• Middle game.– Amanda sacrifices Arid Mesa, takes an island and

taps it to cast Brainstorm, resolves it and passes the turn.At the end of the turn, her opponent looks through Amanda’s lands and discovers the error.

• JUDGE!

Situation 3

• Vintage game.– Ann has a Black Lotus out. Nadia controls Mystic Remora and just

one untapped island. Ann casts Mox Jet, Nadia draws for the remora and responds with Brainstorm. Both spells resolve.

– Now, Ann casts Empty the Warrens, her last card in hand; to which Nadia responds with a Mindbreak Trap, casting it for the alternative cost. Everything gets exiled, Nadia draws for the Remora and Ann passes her turn.

– Nadia decides not to pay for Mystic Remora’s cumulative upkeep and draws for her turn.

– At this point, a spectator points out the error: Nadia Could not play Mindbreak Trap for its alternative cost.

• JUDGE!

Situation 4

• Anthony casts Wall of Blossoms paid with two white mana; draws a fetch land that he plays and sacrifices without even putting it into his hand. While searching his library, he realizes that he couldn’t have played the wall, and calls a Judge on himself.

• JUDGE!

Situation 5

• Nathan controls Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth.• Andy plays another Urborg, Tomb of

Yawgmoth, and casts Mirri, the Cursed; attacks with her and passes his turn. Both players update their notes on life totals. Nathan, when untapping his lands, notices his own Urborg.

• JUDGE!