Mirror Gallery

Announcement – Player Disqualified Without Prize

by David Sutcliffe

We are never pleased to have to pass on bad news, so we are sad that we have to announce that Japan’s Tomaharo Saitou has been disqualified without prize from Grand Prix Florence following his sixth round match.

Head Judge, Level-4 Nick Sephton, explained why the disqualification occurred:

“We disqualified this player for Stalling, after it was observed that his play speed seemed to change based on his observation of the clock. It was observed by a high-level judge that twice in the round he appeared to change his play speed based on considerations that were outside the game. Consulting among the senior judges we decided that, on the basis of what we had observed, we had no choice but to disqualify the player.”

Nick continued with advice for players wanting to avoid falling foul of this rule themselves:

“Players should be able to play at a reasonable pace throughout a round. Judges recognise that a player’s speed of play can change during a game – Magic is a complicated game and produces difficult situations for players – but it’s important that players are still able to play at a speed that allows games to be completed. It’s a valid play skill to be able to make difficult decisions quickly.”