Infraction

A violation of tournament policy is called an “infraction.” If a player commits an infraction, a judge must apply the appropriate penalty. Because there are degrees of infractions with different levels of impact on the event, there are corresponding degrees of severity for penalties. The different categories of infractions can have different penalties administered, depending on severity of the infraction. There are 7 categories of infractions:


 * Procedural Error
 * This category covers infractions involving general procedural errors a player might commit during the course of a game. There are 3 sub-categories for Procedural Error: Minor, Major, and Strict; which indicate the severity of the infraction.


 * Tardiness
 * This category covers infractions that prevent a player from beginning his or her match within the specified timeframe allowed by the tournament. There are 2 sub-categories for Tardiness: Major and Strict; which indicate the severity of the infraction.


 * Deck Error
 * This category covers infractions associated with registering incorrect contents on a Deck List, or playing with an illegal Deck. If an error is caught prior to the start of the first round, it is acceptable (at the Head Judge’s discretion) to correct the player’s Deck List without applying a penalty. There are 2 sub-categories for Deck Error: Minor and Major; which

indicate the severity of the infraction.


 * Drawing Extra Cards
 * This category covers infractions associated with drawing cards from the Deck outside of when a player is allowed to do so. There are 2 sub-categories for Drawing Extra Cards: Minor and Major; which indicate the severity of the infraction.


 * Marked Cards
 * This category covers infractions involving Marked Cards and/or sleeves. A card or sleeve is considered to be “marked” if it can be distinguished from the other cards contained in a Deck. It is a player’s responsibility to maintain un-marked cards and sleeves throughout the duration of an event. There are 2 sub-categories for Marked Cards: Minor and Major; which indicate the severity of the infraction.


 * Slow Play
 * This category covers infractions associated with the pace of a player’s game. Players are expected to play at a reasonable speed, regardless of the complexity of the game situation, and should not waste time during a game. Slow Play infractions are always administered a Warning at first, and then upgraded as appropriate if the infraction is repeated. Slow play is presumed to be unintentional.


 * Unsporting Conduct
 * This category covers infractions associated with inappropriate behavior from a player during an event. Unsporting Conduct infractions are considered to be intentional. It is important for players to understand what kinds of behavior are not appropriate at an event, and for judges to use common sense when investigating the infraction and administering a penalty. While Konami encourages players to have fun at an event, they are expected to withhold from engaging in behavior that may be offensive or that may ruin the integrity of the event. There are 4 subcategories for Unsporting Conduct: Minor, Major, Severe, and Cheating; which indicate the severity of the infraction. After an infraction has been determined, and the judge has decided on the severity, the appropriate penalty will be given out, as shown here:


 * 1) Minor
 * This sub-category will be penalized with a Warning.


 * 1) Major
 * This sub-category will be penalized with a Game Loss.


 * 1) Strict
 * This sub-category will be penalized with a Match Loss.


 * 1) Severe
 * This sub-category will be penalized with a Disqualification.


 * 1) Cheating
 * This sub-category will always be penalized with a Disqualification. Both players and judges should familiarize themselves with all categories of infractions. Educated players make fewer mistakes, and educated judges uphold fair and consistent tournaments.