OFFICIAL VERSION 1.4
Tournament Rules (TR 1.4)
Official guidelines for sanctioned tournaments, round timing, deck checks, and penalties.
Tr 1.4
001. The tournament rules exist to ensure anyone who attends a Riftbound organized play event has a fun, equitable, fair, safe and consistent experience. They aim to empower competitors and judges to work together to have mutual expectations and understandings.
101. Purpose: This document provides the frameworks and structures for Riftbound competitions by defining rules, responsibilities and procedures to be followed in all Riftbound competitions.
102. Consistency: All Riftbound competitions must be run consistently regardless of their organizer or location to ensure equal treatment of players and interchangeability of events no matter the region or level.
103. Responsibility:
103.1. Attendees: All competitors AND all competition officials are expected to be responsible for following the rules as written and in the spirit in which they were written. This includes respecting all people at competitions.
103.2. Spectators: Spectators have their own set of responsibilities and expectations. See 204.8 for more information on spectators.
103.3. Penalties: Individuals who violate the frameworks and structures in this document are subject to penalties at the appropriate Organized Play Level (OPL). See 205 for more information on Organized Play Levels.
104. Precedence:
104.1. vs. Core Rules: In some cases, information in this document may contradict, or provide information not contained in, the Riftbound Core Rules. In all such cases, this document takes precedence for competitions.
104.2. vs. Official Local Language Translations: The English language version of this document will supersede any translation.
104.3. vs. Specific Event Addenda: In some cases, information in this document may be contradicted by alternate or additional policies or procedures in official addenda for specific competitions. In all such cases, those addenda take precedence.
105. Alteration: Riot Games or its official Riftbound partners reserve the right to alter this document, or any subsequent competition-specific addenda, at any time without prior notice.
201. Competition Types: Riftbound competitions come in three types.
201.1. Premier: Acompetition that is run by Riot Games or an official competition organizer and has a unique name and features.
201.2. Qualifier: Any competition where rewards include access or advantages for premier events. (Premier events can themselves be qualifiers.)
201.3. Local: Any competition that is neither premier nor qualifier.
202. Tournament Modes:
202.1.b. Constructed: Aconstructed competition is one where players compete using decks they prepare beforehand.
202.2. Round Structures:
202.2.a. Swiss: Acompetition or component of a competition where players are paired each round against players they haven’t already played in the competition who, if possible, share the same current record.
202.2.a.1. Power Pairing: When the final round of a swiss competition is paired in exact order of the current standings of the competition. For example: Seed 1 plays against seed 2, seed 3 plays against seed 4, etc.
202.2.b. Playoff: Acompetition or component of a competition where players are initially paired based on their standing and are subsequently eliminated by losses.
202.3. Multiple: Some competitions may consist of multiple formats and/or structures within the same competition.
203. Units of Play:
203.1. Game: A Riftbound game is defined in the Core Rules.
204. Competition Roles: Every attendee at a competition has at least one of the following roles.
204.1. Official roles: Roles 3-6 are considered competition officials for the purpose of this document.
204.1.a. Multiple: Any individual can act in any combination of official roles.
204.2. Judge roles: Roles 4-5 are considered judges for the purpose of this document.
204.2.a. Judges equally serve as both rules arbiters and ambassadors of a healthy and welcoming environment for all players.
204.3. Competition Organizer ( C O): The C Ois responsible for all competition logistics, including:
204.3.a. Sanctioning the event by registering it with Riot Games or its official partners.
204.3.b. Providing a site for the event (the venue) that meets the competition’s needs, including providing sufficient space and amenities for the expected attendance.
204.3.c. Promoting the event before it begins.
204.3.d. Staffing the event with the necessary tournament officials and support.
204.3.e. Providing all materials necessary to operate the event.
204.3.f. Reporting the event results.
204.4. Head Judge: All sanctioned competitions require a Head Judge. The Head Judge is the final authority on competition rules and regulations, and their responsibilities include:
204.4.a. Ensuring that rules, procedures and regulations are followed.
204.4.b. Ensuring that all game or policy violations are dealt with and any appropriate corrective action taken.
204.4.c. Responding to floor judges who bring matters to their attention.
204.4.d. Coordinating and delegating responsibilities to floor judges as necessary.
204.4.e. Determining corrective action for errors or violations of the scorekeeper or floor judges.
204.4.f. The head judge has ultimate discretion if situations arise where the written rules are unclear or inadequate.
204.5. Floor Judge: Floor judges respond to players and spectators who have questions about rules and regulations, and/or need judgment on the same, and their responsibilities include:
204.5.a. Answering questions about rules, interactions among cards, providing Watcher wordings, or derived game state.
204.5.a.1.a. Inappropriate question: “If Iattack and conquer this battlefield with my Tryndamere, Barbarian, will Iscore the winning point?”
204.5.a.1.b. Appropriate question: “ Can point scoring abilities like Tryndamere’s score you the winning point?”
204.5.a.1.c. Judges may ask players to rephrase their questions to be appropriate where possible.
204.5.b. Provide rulings related to game and policy violations brought to their attention.
204.5.c. Assist with translation if able.
204.5.d. Assist players in technically precise play (at low OPL). (This should generally not include strategic advice.)
204.6. Scorekeeper: All sanctioned competitions require a scorekeeper. Scorekeepers are responsible for correct competition logistics as it relates to games and game records, including:
204.6.b. Generating standings in the competition before the last round of the competition (in Swiss competitions).
204.6.c. Generating standings in the competition after the last round of the competition (in Swiss competitions).
204.6.d. Solving scorekeeping problems with a-c above in conjunction with the Head Judge.
204.6.e. Reporting on the competition afterward and including all necessary data.
204.7.b. Players have responsibilities, including:
204.7.b.1. Behaving respectfully to all attendees of the competition, including officials and spectators.
204.7.b.2. Maintaining clear game state.
204.7.b.3. Complying with all processes and procedures of the competition, including announcements and time limits.
204.7.b.4. Calling to the attention of a judge any rules or policy violation in their matches.
204.7.b.5. Calling to the attention of a judge any error in their competition record as noted by the scorekeeper.
204.7.b.6. Reporting the result of their competition matches to an official in a timely manner.
204.7.b.7. Obeying eligibility rules.
204.7.b.8. Familiarizing themselves with this document and any addenda.
204.7.b.9. Presenting themselves physically for the competition for its duration.
204.7.d. Individual members of a team in a team competition are each individually responsible for the above.
204.7.d.1. Teammates are responsible for calling to the attention of a judge any rules or policy violations they observe in each others’ matches.
204.7.e. Violations of the above responsibilities may be subject to penalties, suspension, or revocation of that player’s eligibility.
204.8.c. Spectators have responsibilities, including:
204.8.c.1. Remaining silent during matches and anywhere else in the venue where silence is required.
204.8.c.2. At Casual and Competitive OPL, spectators can ask players to pause play while they alert a judge of a potential issue.
204.8.c.3. At Professional OPL, spectators can’t ask players to pause play, but they can still alert a judge of a potential issue.
204.8.d.1. Personally indicating rules or policy violations to players.
204.8.d.2. Providing strategic advice to players.
204.8.d.3. At Professional OPL, spectators may not ask players to pause play while they call a matter to a judge’s attention.
204.8.e.1. Players can’t request this for strategic reasons.
205. Organized Play Level (OPL): OPL is shorthand that helps communicate expectations to players and judges.
205.1. The purpose of OPL is to define how strictly to treat deviations from rules, policy, and procedures as violations and what penalty those violations warrant.
205.2. Casual (low): Most competitions are casual and are focused on fun and social interaction, not rules enforcement.
205.2.a. Players are expected to know most of the rules as defined in the Core Rules.
205.2.b. Players are responsible for playing according to the rules in the Core Rules and this document, but:
205.2.b.1. The focus of judges and competition officials is on education and sportsmanship.
205.2.b.2. There is no priority placed on technically precise play.
205.3. Competitive (high): These competitions have significant rewards, which may include invitations or advantages at the Professional level.
205.3.a. Players are expected to know the rules as defined in the Core Rules and this document.
205.3.b. All attendees are expected to maintain the integrity of the competition, while recognizing that some players may not be used to playing at the highest and most technically precise level of play.
205.4. Professional (high): These competitions have significant rewards and prestige.
205.4.a. Players are expected to know the rules as defined in the Core Rules and this document completely.
206.1. Additional turns do not affect the round cycle.
301.1. Suspended.
301.2. Acompetition official in that same competition, unless the competition explicitly allows it (non-premier competitions only).
301.3. Specifically prohibited by Riot or official partner policy.
301.4. Under 13 years of age and do not have a parent’s or guardian’s permission.
301.5. Prohibited by law, the rules or policy of the Competition Organizer, or by the venue’s rules or policy.
301.6. Restricted by competition addenda regarding age, as long as those restrictions are messaged ahead of time (at low OPL).
302.1. Suspended.
302.2. Aplayer in that same competition, unless the competition explicitly allows it (non-premier competitions only).
303. If a competition official for an event participates in that event, it must be run at Casual OPL.
304. Owners of organizations that run premier competitions may not play in those competitions, even if otherwise allowed.
305. Some competitions have additional criteria regarding eligibility for players or competition officials (for example, invitation-only competitions).
306. Employees of Riot and their families are subject to additional restrictions.
306.1. Family is defined here as any person living with or related to the relevant employee, but not themselves an employee.
306.2. All employees and their family are allowed to participate in local competitions.
306.2.a. If the reward is product or cash, the employee or family member may claim that part of the reward.
306.3. Employees must declare themselves to the C O.
306.4. The C Omay decline to allow Riot employees to participate in the competition for any reason; if so, they must abide by this decision.
306.5. No Riot employee is allowed to play in premier or qualifier competitions.
306.6. Families of employees are allowed to play in premier or qualifier competitions, if they are otherwise eligible to compete.
401.1. Players in competitions are required to register their decks and sideboards (if applicable to the format) at high OPL.
401.1.a. The Head Judge may require deck registration at low OPL.
401.3. Once a decklist has been registered and delivered to a competition official, it can’t be changed.
401.4. In a constructed event, a player’s deck must be registered prior to the start of the first round of competition.
401.5. Other player’s decklists are normally considered private information. The head judge of an event may run that event or the final rounds of that event using an open decklist policy. In this case, all players’ decklists will be considered public information.
401.5.b. Typically, professional OPL competitions should be run with open decklists, but it is ultimately up to the discretion of the head judge regardless of the event level.
402.1. In a constructed event, players must register a Main Deck of exactly 40 cards (including a chosen champion), 1 Legend, 12 runes, and exactly 3 battlefields each with a unique name.
402.2. Otherwise, deck construction is defined in the Core Rules.
403.1. In certain competitions, players may have a group of additional cards (outside of their starting configuration) called a sideboard. See 600 for more information on sideboards based on competition formats.
403.4.b. In constructed formats, a player may not change their Runes, Legend, or Battlefields at any point after deck registration.
403.4.c. After the sideboarding process, a player’s Main Deck must meet deck size requirements dictated by the competition format.
403.6. Players may count the cards in their opponents’ sideboards at any time.
404.1. Amatch of Riftbound consists of a series of games that are played until one side has won a predetermined number of games.
404.2. Most matches of Riftbound are “best of 3,” meaning the predetermined number of games to win is 2.
404.3. Games that end in a draw do not count toward this goal.
405.1. Prior to the start of each round, players must seek out information about their imminent match, opponent, and seating in the venue.
405.2. Players must arrive at their seats prior to the start of the round.
406.1. The setup process for a game of Riftbound is defined in the Core Rules. See C R 110. Setup Process. Additionally:
406.1.a. In competitions where sideboards are allowed, players may exchange cards from their main deck and their sideboard after each game of a match. See 403 for more information on sideboards.
406.1.b. If a game ends in a draw, players must use the same battlefields for the following game.
406.1.c. Each player must shuffle their Main Deck and their Rune Deck. See 420 for more information on shuffling.
406.1.e.2. At Professional OPL, this is required.
406.1.e.3. Aplayer may request a judge shuffle their deck in lieu of an opponent, to be honored at judge discretion.
406.1.g. For competitions run using a “best of 1” format instead of a “best of 3” format, the head judge may opt to use the altered initial setup process listed below to closer mirror the “best of 3” experience:
406.1.g.3. Players use the Play First Rule listed below to determine the designated player. See 407 for more information on the Play First Rule.
406.1.g.5. Players then have the opportunity to sideboard as if they were in between games of a “best of 3” match. See 403 for more information on sideboards.
408.2.c. Additional turns are untimed, but at professional OPL a judge must be present to ensure a reasonable pace of play.
408.2.d. If the players are between games when the round time ends, no new game is started.
408.3.a. If neither player has reached that score by the end of the end of match procedure, the player with more game wins wins the match.
408.4. Single elimination matches use untimed rounds so players can play their games to a natural conclusion. In the event that single elimination rounds must use a timer, the following altered End of Match Procedure can be used to determine a winner if time runs out:
408.4.c.3. If the point score of the current game is tied and the game score of the match is tied, players continue to play until the next point is scored. The player who scores that point wins the match. This does not remove normal scoring restrictions if the next point is the Final Point. See C R 469.1.a. for Final Point details.
408.4.d. If the game score is tied and a new game needs to be started, players start the new game and act as though time immediately runs out, beginning the process of
409.2. In these cases, the following tiebreakers should be applied in order:
409.3. If after all tiebreakers are applied, two players are still of equal standing in the competition, the scorekeeper should use a random method to break the tie.
410.3. Players can’t agree to concessions or draws in exchange for anything. See 704.5 for more information on bribery.
411.1. At high OPL, judges should perform deck checks during the course of the competition.
411.2. When deck checks are performed, at least 10% of all decks, chosen at random, should be checked during the course of the competition.
412.2. Time extensions should be granted if the total time of a judge call is more than 1 minute.
413.3. Players may not appeal before a full ruling is made by a judge.
414.1. Players may drop from a competition at any time.
414.3. Players who wish to drop must inform the scorekeeper before pairings for the next round of the competition are generated.
414.7. Players who have dropped may re-enter the competition before the start of the following round at the discretion of the head judge.
414.8. Players can’t re-enter a competition if they missed a portion where a deck construction activity was required.
414.9. Players can’t re-enter a competition after a top placement cut.
415.1. All players within a game are responsible for tracking all players’ scores throughout the game.
415.2. Changes to score should be announced and acknowledged by all players.
415.3. Scores must be tracked, displayed, and updated legibly in writing.
415.3.a. At low OPL, an electronic device, dice, or similar methods can be used to track score.
415.4. Players must track their own resources such as XP and unspent Energy/Power they have floating. They are not required to be written down, but they must be represented in a way that is clear and understandable to all players, such as with dice or counters.
415.4.a. Resources being immediately spent need to be communicated, but do not need to be tracked in this way.
416.3. Players do not have to reveal their written notes to opponents. Judges may ask players to reveal and/or explain their notes.
417.1. Players may use electronic devices during competitions, but can’t use them during matches.
417.2. At low OPL, digital devices may take the place of written note sheets.
417.3. The head judge may further restrict or permit usage of electronic devices.
418.1. Some competitions at high OPL use video capture of matches.
418.2. Certain events or portions of events may require players to appear on camera.
418.3. Spectators and players who are on camera during matches are responsible for behaving respectfully toward all participants.
419.1. Aproxy is a stand-in, unofficial version of an actual Riftbound card.
419.2. Proxies are not allowed at competitions of any OPL.
419.2.a. The only exception is an official proxy issued by the head judge at their discretion to replace a card deemed unusable.
419.3. An alter is an official Riftbound card that has been modified in some way.
419.4. Alters are allowed in competition only if the modifications do not:
419.4.a. Modify or obscure the card name or cost, or make the art unrecognizable.
419.4.b. Contain substantial strategic advice.
419.4.c. Contain offensive images or text.
419.5. By judge discretion, alters may not be allowed to be used during matches that are streamed or otherwise broadcast.
419.5.a. Players using altered cards are responsible for having official unaltered versions of those cards to use during gameplay that is streamed or otherwise broadcast if instructed by a judge.
419.5.c. Alters containing material outside of Riot Games intellectual property may not be permitted during matches that are streamed or otherwise broadcast.
419.6. The head judge of a competition is the final decider on whether a card is acceptable for a competition.
420.1. Players may include official Riftbound cards of any language in their decks during deckbuilding and gameplay.
420.2. Aplayer may call a judge at any time to get the Watcher wording for any card in the language of their preference.
421.1. Decks must be made random at the start of each game, and whenever an instruction from cards or tournament officials require it.
421.2. Random is defined as a state where no player could have any information about the order or position of cards in any part of the deck.
421.5. Players must notify a judge if they believe their opponents’ deck has not been made sufficiently random. See 703.7 for more information on insufficient randomization.
421.6. Players may shuffle their opponents’ decks additionally.
422.2.b. Players may use a unique sleeve or additional layer to distinguish their Chosen Champion during game setup, but must change its sleeve to match their Main Deck if it would enter a zone whose information level is private during gameplay. See C R
128. Privacy for information types.
422.7.a. Have highly reflective backs.
422.7.b. Contain holographic patterns on the front or back.
423.2. Marked is defined as bearing something that makes it possible to identify the card without seeing its face.
424.1. During a match, the start of match procedure, and other relevant times during a competition, players must keep cards above the vertical level of the playing surface.
424.2. Players are responsible for making reasonable effort to prevent secret information from being revealed accidentally. See C R 128. Privacy for information types.
424.3. Players may reveal private information unless specifically prohibited by the Core Rules.
424.4. At high OPL, players don’t need to inform opponents of accidentally revealed private information.
501.1. Players are required to communicate honestly about the state of the game with their opponents.
501.2. Players are required to communicate honestly and completely with tournament officials.
501.3. Players are not required to assist their opponents in playing the game.
501.4. Players are required to treat other players, tournament officials, and spectators with respect.
501.5. In team events, communication between teammates is allowed and encouraged, but it must be done in a reasonably timely manner. See 703.2 for more information on Slow Play.
502.1. Cards have a level of privacy as specified in C R 128. Privacy. These apply to levels of information accessible to the players as well.
502.2.a. Derived information is a combination of public information and a player’s own skill or calculation.
502.2.b. Players are not required to assist opponents in determining derived information.
502.3. Like cards, other relevant information about the game state can be public, derived, private, or secret.
502.4. The additional relevant public information includes:
502.4.b. Rune Pools and the number and quantity of resources in them.
502.4.c. All players’ current scores.
502.4.d. Apermanent’s current state, as distinct from its printed ones.
502.4.e. Spells and abilities on the Chain, their order, and play choices made for them.
502.4.f. Spells and abilities that resolved previously in the turn, and the sources of them are themselves public.
502.5. The additional relevant derived information includes:
502.5.a. Which public cards have been recycled.
502.5.b. The order of runes in a Rune Deck.
502.6. Players must acknowledge changes to public information that result from their cards and effects as those effects would have an observable impact on the game. See 506.3.e. for examples of observable impact.
502.6.a. As part of acknowledging changes to public information, the accountable player must communicate the change to all other players in an understandable and observable way. Examples include verbally announcing the change, physically indicating the change, or other means of communication understood and agreed upon by all players in the game.
502.7. Players must answer honestly any questions regarding public information.
502.8. Players must not represent public or derived information incorrectly.
502.9. Players must point out discrepancies between announced and recorded public information.
502.10. Judges are encouraged to help players determine public information, but not derived information.
502.11. In 2v2, teammates may share Private information, including directly showing each other the cards in their hand as defined by 484.8.e. in the Core Rules.
503.1. In competitions, players may take actions that skip parts of the technically precise play sequence without explicitly announcing that sequence.
503.2. The most common type of shortcut is skipping one or more parts of a turn, phase, or step to the mutual understanding of all involved players.
503.3. Players may request to use a new shortcut in a game but must be clear about the game state at the start and end of the shortcut.
503.7. Players can’t interrupt a shortcut with the intent to do nothing.
504.1. Complex series of game actions are sometimes shortcutted into out-of-order sequences, which are technically incorrect or imprecise, but arrive at the correct legal and understood game state.
504.1.a. Example: Drawing a card before channeling runes.
504.2. Players may ask their opponents to do these actions, or a subset of these actions, in the correct order so that they can react at the appropriate time.
504.3. Players can’t shortcut out-of-order in a way that gives them information prematurely that might affect decisions later in that sequence.
504.4. When something is recycled, it must be immediately put on the bottom of the appropriate deck.
504.4.a. Example: Aplayer may not keep their recycled runes facedown on the board to track Energy.
504.4.b. Failure to recycle in this way is a Communication Violation. See 703.5 for more information on Communication Violations.
505.1. Some sequences of actions can be repeated and are shortcutted as a loop.
505.2. Players performing a loop must have each iteration of the loop be identical with no conditional actions.
505.3. To decide how to proceed with a loop, determine how many players are needed to maintain it (who must take actions or make decisions to sustain the loop):
505.3.a. No players
505.3.b. One player
505.9. If a sequence of actions is non-deterministic, it may not be shortcut and iterations must be performed manually.
505.11. Judges are the final arbiter of what constitutes a loop, or if choices are available to continue a loop when secret information is involved.
505.12. Players who try to opt-out of shortcutting or propose incorrect shortcutting to use up time are cheating. See 704.8 for more information about cheating.
506.1. Accountable Player: The player responsible for putting a triggered ability on the chain, as defined by the core rules. See C R 383. Triggered Abilities for more information on triggered abilities.
506.1.a. The accountable player for triggers sourced from battlefields depends on control of the battlefield and is not automatically the player who brought the battlefield to the game. See C R 190.6. For more information on battlefield abilities.
506.2. Players are not required to notify other players of triggered abilities when they are not the accountable player, but may if they wish.
506.2.a. At low OPL, a player is not required to notify other players of triggered abilities when they are not the accountable player, but it is encouraged for sportsmanship and learning.
506.3.a. As part of acknowledging a trigger, the accountable player must communicate the trigger to all other players in an understandable and observable way. Examples include verbally announcing the trigger, physically indicating the trigger, or other means of communication understood and agreed upon by all players in the game.
506.3.c. Players ruled to be abusing this rule to intentionally forget mandatory triggers that they are the accountable player for will be penalized. See 702.2 for more information about missed triggers as a penalty.
506.3.d. For triggers that occur “At the start of each player’s first Beginning Phase”, the accountable player has the full duration of the turn in which the trigger occurs to acknowledge the trigger before it's considered forgotten, regardless of its observable impact. (Example cards: Obelisk of Power and The Arena’s Greatest.)
506.3.e. Examples of observable impact:
506.3.e.1. The trigger would change a point total. (Example card: Ahri, Alluring)
506.3.e.2. The trigger would change a rune total. (Example card: Startipped Peak)
506.3.e.3. The trigger would add a Buff token to a unit. (Example card: Sett, Brawler)
506.3.e.4. The trigger would impact combat or other game procedures. Acard that reads “When you play a spell, give me +1 Might this turn.” does NOT have an immediate observable impact. It has an observable impact once it’s Might would be relevant. (Example card: Ravenbloom Student)
506.3.e.6. Atrigger would cause a game object to be exhausted or readied. (Example card: Miss Fortune, Captain)
506.3.e.7. Atrigger would cause a unit to move. (Example card: Stealthy Pursuer)
506.3.e.8. Aplayer asks for public information that would be impacted by a trigger. See 502 for more information on public information.
506.3.e.9. Aplayer would be required to make a choice of whether or not to place an optional trigger on the chain. (Example: Overzealous Fan)
506.4. Atriggered ability that was forgotten never goes on the chain.
506.5. Atriggered ability that was forgotten is still considered to have triggered for the purpose of non-optional “First time” or similarly restricted triggers.
507.1. Players may communicate with teammates at all times unless explicitly prohibited by the format rules.
507.2. Players that acquire secret or private information about a match in which a teammate is playing can’t communicate with that teammate for the remainder of that match. See C R
128. Privacy for information types.
508.1. In high OPL, players must arrange their cards according to the following rules, for clarity.
508.4. Main Deck and trash must be together on either the left side or the right side of the board.
508.5. Rune Deck should be on the other side (right or left) of the board from the Main Deck.
508.6. Legend must be between nonrunes and Chosen Champion, and both legend and Chosen Champion must be together on either the left side or the right side of the board.
508.7. Each card or indicator that attaches to another card must be clearly associated with it physically.
508.8. Tokens must be represented by card objects that show all relevant information including ready state.
508.9. Buffs must be represented by an object that unambiguously represents a buff in game terms.
508.10. Ready objects must be oriented facing the controller. Exhausted objects must be oriented at a 90 degree rotation to ready objects, either clockwise or counterclockwise, but all exhausted objects must be rotated consistently.
509.1. In competitions, players are responsible for considering options before taking actions.
509.2. Once an action is communicated to an opponent, that action can’t generally be taken back.
509.4.a. The player wants to make a different decision for a spell or ability immediately after all choices have been made and communicated for putting it onto the chain.
Example
509.4.a.1. Aplayer plays Discipline indicating a unit. They immediately change their mind and choose a different unit, or choose not to play the Discipline at all.
509.4.b.1. Aplayer plays Traveling Merchant to Reaver’s Row. They immediately change their mind and choose to play it to their base instead, or choose not to play it at all.
509.4.c.1. Aplayer moves Pouty Poro to Void Gate. They immediately change their mind and choose to move an additional unit there as well, or they decide not to move at all.
509.5. Intentionally attempting to reverse decisions to gain information from an opponent is considered angle shooting. Players may not change their decisions based on an opponent’s physical reaction or as a response to an opponent starting to take a game action. See 704.4. for more information on angle shooting.
509.6. While changing decisions as described above is allowed, players must still maintain an appropriate pace of play. See 703.2 for more information on Slow Play.
601.1.a. The rules for constructing a Riftbound deck are found in C R 101. Deck Construction, except where modified here below for the competition Constructed play format.
601.1.c.2. Asideboard can consist only of valid Main Deck cards.
601.1.d. In some competitions, the legal battlefields are different from the format-legal battlefields. If this is the case, it will be communicated to players via specific event addenda.
601.2.a. Acard may only be included in a deck if it is from a set that is legal in that format or it has the same name as a card from a set that is legal in that format.
601.2.d. If a card is banned in a specific format, that card may not be included in a deck.
601.2.d.1. Riftbound’s list of banned cards can be found here.
601.2.d.2.a. At Nexus Nights, if a player is playing a deck matching the exact contents of the preconstructed Jinx Champion Deck, they are allowed to use the banned cards in the deck, such as Fight or Flight, Scrapheap and Reaver’s Row. If the player makes any changes or adds a sideboard, they can no longer include the banned cards.
601.3.c.1. The Origins supplemental set contained in Proving Grounds (O G S)
601.3.c.2. Origins (O G N)
601.3.c.3. Spiritforged (SFD)
601.3.c.4. Unleashed (UNL)
601.3.c.5. Vendetta (Ven)
601.3.c.5.a. Release Date: July 31st, 2026
602.1.a. Alimited competition is one where all product needed for play is provided during the competition.
602.1.a.2. Players may utilize any number of the 6 basic Runes from any source, even if they are not in the player’s provided card pool. Players may utilize as many “blank” battlefields as they need for limited gameplay. See 602.3.d. below for more information on “blank” battlefields.
602.1.b. Even if a card is banned in constructed, it is legal to use in a limited deck as long as it is not also banned in that limited format.
602.2.a. There is no guarantee that the composition or distribution of any specific unopened product is correct.
602.2.c. The head judge may, at their discretion, replace atypical product in these cases.
602.3.a. 602.1.a. The rules for constructing a Riftbound deck are found in C R 101. Deck Construction, except where modified here below for limited formats.
602.3.b. At high OPL, players may not use electronic devices to take notes or as a strategic aid during deckbuilding. At low OPL, this can be allowed by the head judge.
602.3.c. At high OPL, players may not receive any outside assistance during deckbuilding. At low OPL, this can be allowed by the head judge.
602.3.d.1. “Blank” battlefields function as battlefields that do not have any rules text. Otherwise, they adhere to all other normal battlefield rules as defined in the Core Rules.
602.3.d.2. At low OPL, “Blank” battlefields can be represented by anything agreed upon by all players in the game.
602.3.d.2.a. At high OPL, “Blank” battlefields must be represented by any official Riftbound card, put in an opaque card sleeve with the cardback facing outwards.
602.3.e.3. For “best of 1” competitions, players must register three battlefields to randomly select from during the start of game procedure, including any “blank” battlefields they wish to use.
602.3.e.4. For “best of 3” competitions, players may select any battlefield from their card pool or a “blank” battlefield during the start of game procedure.
602.3.f. At low OPL, starting configuration registration is not required and players may freely change the composition of their starting deck and sideboard between games and matches unless otherwise specified by the head judge. Players may still only use a specific copy of a battlefield once per match, but may use the same named battlefield as many times as they have copies of it in their provided card pool.
602.3.g. For card pool generation and deck construction rules specific to each limited format, see Limited Formats below.
602.4.a.3.a. Asealed deck may have any Champion Unit that is included in its domain identity as its Chosen Champion, even one that does not have a champion tag that matches its Champion Legend (if it has one).
602.4.a.3.b. Asealed deck may contain any signature spells that are fully included in its domain identity, even if the deck does not include the corresponding champion.
602.4.a.3.b.1. Example: Asealed deck with a domain identity of Fury/Body/Order could use signature spells that are Fury/Order or Body/Order, but not signature spells that are Fury/Mind or Body/ Chaos.
602.4.a.5. Asealed deck is still legal if it has no Champion Legend or Chosen Champion.
602.4.a.7. Asealed deck’s sideboard is every card provided to the player as part of the competition that isn’t used in their starting deck configuration, unless otherwise specified. See 403 for more information on sideboards.
602.4.a.8.c. Players on one side of the table (A) open their product, observed by players on the other side (B).
602.4.a.8.d. Players verify that the product has the correct undamaged quantity of cards and rarity distribution. If a pack with an error is found, call a judge to replace the pack if possible.
602.4.a.8.e. Once all unopened product has been opened and observed by B, those cards are placed next to B.
602.4.a.8.f. Repeat the steps outlined in 602.4.8.c-e but with (B) opening and (A) observing.
602.4.a.8.j. Deck construction begins.
602.4.a.8.k. It’s recommended that players be given 20 minutes for deck registration and 30 minutes for deck construction. Deck construction can be increased to 45 minutes for low OPL events where players are experiencing the cards for the first time, such as pre-rift and release events.
602.4.a.9.a. Some competitions or portions of competitions provide preconstructed decks for players to use. These are considered sealed decks.
602.4.a.9.b. Players must use exactly the decks provided, except as modified by any addenda to the competition.
602.4.a.9.b.1. This may override the sealed deck construction rules above.
602.4.b.2.a.1. Players can keep the Rune or token they opened.
602.4.b.2.a.2. If an opened pack has an error, players must call a judge to replace the pack if possible.
602.4.b.2.b. Once pack contents are verified, players will look through the cards in their pack and select one to draft to the top of a single unobscured facedown pile in front of them, then pass the remaining contents facedown to the player to their left. Players repeat this process with the cards passed to them until there are no cards remaining.
602.4.b.2.a-602.4.b.2.b with the second pack, except passing cards to the right.
602.4.b.2.a-602.4.b.2.b with the third pack, again passing cards to the left.
602.4.b.2.b.4. Players must make a reasonable effort to conceal the front face of cards they have selected and cards in their current pack from other players.
602.4.b.2.d. At high OPL, players may not use electronic devices to take notes or as a strategic aid during drafting. At low OPL, this can be allowed by the head judge.
602.4.b.2.e. At high OPL, players may not receive any outside assistance during drafting. At low OPL, this can be allowed by the head judge.
602.4.b.4.a. Adraft deck may have any Champion Unit that is included in its domain identity as its Chosen Champion, even one that does not have a champion tag that matches its Champion Legend (if it has one).
602.4.b.4.b. Adraft deck may contain any signature spells that are fully included in its domain identity, even if the deck does not include the corresponding champion.
602.4.b.4.b.1. Example: Adraft deck with a domain identity of Fury/Body/Order could use signature spells that are Fury/Order or Body/Order, but not signature spells that are Fury/Mind or Body/ Chaos.
602.4.b.6. Adraft deck is still legal if it has no Champion Legend or Chosen Champion.
602.4.b.8. Adraft deck’s sideboard is every card drafted by the player as part of the competition that isn’t used in their starting deck configuration, unless otherwise specified. See 403 for more information on sideboards.
603. 2v2
603.1. A 2v2 team consists of 2 players who enter a competition together and register together as a team to play congruently in a single match as described in the Core Rules.
603.2.a. When registering, teams must specify an ordering for the players on their team for seating purposes by indicating an Aplayer and a Bplayer.
603.5. In some competitions, 2v2 teams may provide a team name to be displayed. Tournament officials may disallow a specific name for any reason.
603.6. A 2v2 competition can be either constructed or sealed. In sealed 2v2, the team shares a single product pool of 8 packs.
603.7. During matches, teammates sit next to each other in their registered AB order. The setup process for a game of Riftbound is defined in the Core Rules, with these additional exceptions for 2v2:
603.7.a. Turn order is as follows:
603.7.a.1. The first team’s Aplayer.
603.7.a.2. The second team’s Aplayer.
603.7.a.3. The first team’s Bplayer.
603.7.a.4. The second team’s Bplayer.
603.7.a.5. Return to the top of the order.
603.7.c. Once the appropriate step in the core rules process is reached, the team that earned the decision chooses where within the a.1-4 turn order play begins.
604.1. It’s recommended that players be given 60 minutes for rounds of play in the Swiss portion of a competitive event.
604.2. It is strongly recommended that single elimination matches use untimed rounds so players can play their games to a natural conclusion. If single elimination rounds must be timed, see
408.4. for an altered End of Match procedure.
701.1.a. Errors are assumed to be committed unintentionally. If the judge believes it was intentional, it is cheating. See 704.8 for more information about cheating.
701.1.b. Judges are neutral arbiters and enforcers of policy and rules.
701.1.c. Judges should not stop errors from occurring. Instead they deal with errors that have occurred.
701.1.d. Judges should not intervene in games unless:
701.1.d.1. They believe a violation has occurred.
701.1.d.2. Aplayer requested assistance.
701.1.d.3. They observe a situation related to Unsporting Conduct.
701.1.e. Judges should model fair play, sporting conduct, and diplomatic behavior.
701.1.h. Penalties are designed to educate players on mistakes and encourage them not to make them in the future.
701.1.i. Penalties are also designed to deter other players from similar errors.
701.1.j. Penalties are issued and tracked to help judges understand intent over patterns of behavior.
701.1.k. Head judges and head judges ONLY may issue penalties outside of these guidelines. They have discretion to apply harsher penalties or investigate cheating if needed. See 704.8 for more information about cheating.
701.1.l. Judges are human and they make mistakes.
701.1.m. If a judge recognizes their own mistakes, they should acknowledge them and correct them if possible.
701.1.o. If a player acts on information given in error by a competition official, the head judge can rewind the game to account for it, even if there were no other errors.
701.2.a. Warning: An indication that an error occurred that provides a record of the error.
701.2.a.1. Time extensions should be granted if the total time to rule and correct is more than 1 minute.
701.2.d. Disqualification: Apenalty issued for errors that damage the integrity of the competition or for severe misconduct.
701.2.d.4. Any attendee of a competition can be issued a disqualification, not just players. Being barred from the tournament venue may apply to disqualification at the head judge’s discretion.
701.2.d.5. This penalty can be issued by the head judge even without conclusive proof if the head judge determines the integrity of the competition has been compromised.
701.3.a. Penalties of Game Loss of higher (b-d) should be reported to the head judge.
701.3.b. Judges should explain the error, the procedure to fix it, and the penalties for involved players.
701.3.d. If a single error leads to multiple related penalties, judges should issue only the one with the most severe penalty.
701.4.b. Many cards recycle cards to the bottom of a deck. The judge should do what they can using information available from the game state and from the players to determine which portion of the deck is knowable by one or more players, and separate those before shuffling that deck.
701.4.c. Once the deck has been shuffled, any cards set aside in this way should be returned to their proper locations in the deck.
701.4.d. Shuffles performed by a judge in this way are not considered shuffles in game terms.
701.5.b.1. Any judge may perform a simple rewind of the most recent action of a game.
701.5.d. To rewind:
701.5.d.1. Each individual action since the time of the error is reversed, starting with the most recent one.
701.5.d.2. Every action must be reversed in the correct sequence.
701.5.d.3. If the identity of a card involved in a rewind is non-public (e.g. a drawn card), a random card is chosen from possible candidates.
701.6.a. Any penalty that results in disqualification automatically starts an investigation into that player and patterns of behavior that might impact their eligibility in future competitions.
701.6.b. Investigations may also occur at a judge's discretion following the application of a penalty if cheating is suspected. See 704.8 for more information about cheating.
702.1.a. Agame play error is caused by incorrect and inaccurate play of the game that violates the Core Rules.
702.1.b. Repeated game play error [Warnings] can upgrade to [ Game Loss].
702.1.b.4. Even if a player has not yet met the threshold to upgrade their penalties, a head judge may initiate a cheating investigation if they feel it is appropriate. See 704.8 for more information about cheating.
702.1.c. At low OPL, penalties should generally be less harsh and rewinds may be applied even if the erroring player gains an information advantage.
702.2.b. After the initial point at which a triggered ability is missed, any further errors related to that trigger are considered a General Error instead. See 702.15 for more information about General Errors.
702.2.c. Players may not attempt to cause triggered abilities where an opponent is the accountable player to be missed by taking game actions or otherwise prematurely advancing the game, including through otherwise acceptable shortcuts.
702.2.d. Atriggered ability is considered to have triggered even if it was subsequently missed. Effects that count or restrict the number of times that ability can trigger will count the missed one.
702.2.f.1. If the trigger was missed during a previous turn, instruct the players to continue playing.
702.3. Forgetting to Score a Point [No Penalty]: Aplayer is entitled to a point from conquering or holding a battlefield but fails to track it.
702.3.a. This does not apply to points that would be scored from card triggers such as Ahri, Alluring.
702.3.b.2. Otherwise, instruct the players to continue playing.
702.4. Forgetting to Draw Cards [No Penalty]: Aplayer is obligated to draw a card, either as part of their draw phase or instruction from a card, but fails to do so.
702.4.a.2. Otherwise, instruct the players to continue playing.
702.5.a. Cards being looked at from secret information such as a deck are added to a private information group while they are being looked at.
702.5.b. Once extra cards being looked at have touched a new private or secret group from their original source, they become part of that group. If the extra cards have not touched a new group, this is instead a Looking at Secret Information error. See
702.10. for more on Looking at Secret Information errors.
702.5.b.1. For example, if a player plays a Stacked Deck and adds a fourth card to the private set of cards they are looking at, it is Looking at Extra Cards. If they correctly look at the top three, but knock the top card of their Main Deck over without adding it to the private group, it is Looking at Secret Information.
702.5.c.2. If the error is caught at a later stage in the game, instruct players to continue playing.
702.6.a. Errors of this sort are generally public, and all players are expected to be mindful of game state.
702.6.b.2. If the additional runes are caught and no more than a full round cycle has passed, shuffle them appropriately into the rune deck.
702.6.b.2.a. If the specific runes can’t be identified, shuffle random runes instead.
702.6.b.3. Otherwise, instruct the players to continue playing.
702.7.a. Errors of this sort are generally public, and all players are expected to be mindful of game state.
702.7.b.2. Otherwise, instruct the players to continue playing.
702.8. Overpayment for Cost [No Penalty]: Aplayer pays a cost overpaying its power or energy cost.
702.8.a. Errors of this sort are generally public, and all players are expected to be mindful of game state.
702.8.b.1.b. If overpaying a cost caused a result that would not otherwise have happened, it is a General Error. See 702.15 for more information about General Errors.
702.9. Mispayment for Cost [Warning]: Aplayer pays a cost underpaying its requirements or using the incorrect requirements. See C R 201. Costs for more detail on costs.
702.9.a. Errors of this sort are generally public, and all players are expected to be mindful of game state.
702.9.b.1. If possible, perform a simple rewind to before the card or ability was put on the chain.
702.9.b.2. If a simple rewind is not possible, correct the cost paid if possible.
702.9.b.2.a. If runes were incorrectly recycled as part of the cost, rewind if possible.
702.10. Looking at Secret Information [Warning]: Aplayer looks at information that is not available to any player. See C R 128. Privacy for information types.
702.10.a. Players should not be penalized via a remedy for errors their opponents make.
Example
If one of your opponents inappropriately flips over the top card of their deck, you do not receive a penalty if you see it.
702.10.b.1. If possible, take involved cards in the now-known secret information and re-randomize them with the original randomized source of appropriate cards to remove the information advantage.
702.10.b.2. If this is not possible, reveal the information to all players to remove the information advantage and instruct the players to continue playing.
702.11. Looking at Opponent Private Information [Warning]: Aplayer accidentally looks at information that is private to their opponent. See C R 128. Privacy for information types.
702.11.a. Players should not be penalized via a remedy for errors their opponents make.
Example
If one of your opponents inappropriately drops a card from their hand on the table, you do not receive a penalty if you see it.
702.11.b.1. The opponent whose private information it is may decide whether to take involved cards in the now-known private information and re-randomize them with the original randomized source of appropriate cards.
702.11.b.2. If they decide not to, instruct the players to proceed.
702.12.a. Drawing extra cards is also looking at extra cards, but only this error should be recorded.
702.12.b.1. If the error is caught before the extra cards drawn are added to a private set, shuffle them into the main deck appropriately to remove the information advantage.
702.12.b.2. If the error is caught when a player draws their opening hand during the start of game procedure and the player has not performed their mulligan yet, shuffle the extra cards into the main deck appropriately to remove the information advantage.
702.13. Facedown Card Error [Warning]: Aplayer places a card into a facedown zone in a manner other than how they are entitled to under the Core Rules.
702.13.a. Example: Hiding a card that does not have the Hidden keyword.
702.13.b.2. If the error is caught after additional game actions have been taken but before any cards have been added to the zone where the illegal card came from (such as a new card being drawn), return the illegal card to that zone and replace it with a random card from that zone that is legal for the facedown zone and resume play.
702.13.b.2.a. If there is no available legal replacement, this penalty upgrades to [ Game Loss].
702.13.b.2.b. If the error is caught after cards have been added to the zone where the illegal card came from, this penalty upgrades to [ Game Loss].
702.14. Mulligan Procedure Error [Warning]: Aplayer performs the mulligan procedure incorrectly.
702.14.a.2. If this error is caught after gameplay has begun, instruct the players to proceed.
702.15. Forgetting to Ready During the Awaken Phase [No Penalty]: Aplayer forgets to ready one or more game objects during their Awaken Phase.
702.16.a. This is a catch-all for any other game play error.
702.16.b. Errors of this sort are generally public, and all players are expected to be mindful of game state.
702.16.c.1. Rewind if possible.
702.16.c.2. Otherwise, instruct the players to continue playing.
702.17.b. Unlike other Game Play Errors, this error is primarily for tracking and never upgrades unless specifically instructed by the head judge.
703.1.b. Repeated tournament error [Warnings] can upgrade to [ Game Loss].
703.1.b.4. Even if a player has not yet met the threshold to upgrade their penalties, a head judge may initiate a cheating investigation if they feel it is appropriate. See 704.8 for more information about cheating.
703.1.c. At low OPL, penalties should generally be less harsh and rewinds may be applied even if the erroring player gains an information advantage.
703.2. Slow Play [Warning]: Aplayer is performing their start of game procedure or is playing mid-game at an unreasonably slow pace.
703.2.a. Players must take their turns in a timely manner, appropriate to a judge according to the state of the game at the time, and adhere to time limits specified for the tournament.
703.2.b. Players may ask a judge to watch their game for slow play.
703.2.c. Intentionally stalling to gain an advantage is cheating. See 704.8 for more information about cheating.
703.3. Decklist Error [ Game Loss]: Aplayer submits a decklist for registration that contains illegal elements.
703.3.a. Examples:
703.3.a.1. More or fewer cards than appropriate deck size. See 402 for more information about deck size.
703.3.a.2. Cards not legal in the format of the tournament.
703.3.b.3. If the cards required to correct a decklist cannot be acquired in a timely manner, the head judge can issue a proxy.
703.4. Deck Presentation Error [Warning]: Aplayer’s deck’s contents are illegal during presentation to an opponent or during gameplay.
703.4.a. Examples:
703.4.a.3. Aplayer forgets to take their chosen champion from their main deck and place it in the chosen champion zone.
703.4.a.4. Aplayer’s deck is the incorrect deck size. See 402 for more information about deck size. (Examples: Aplayer misplaced a card, a player forgot to shuffle their banished cards back into their deck between games, a player's deck has an extra card or is missing a card due to an effect like Possession from a previous game.)
703.4.a.5. Aplayer has cards in their deck box with their deck that are not part of the registered contents of their decklist. Promotional cards given out as part of the event, tokens, and damaged cards replaced with official proxies are allowed to be stored this way and do not warrant this error.
703.4.a.5.a. At Professional OPL, extra cards stored in the deck box this way upgrades to a [ Game Loss].
703.4.b.2.a.1.a. If sideboard cards are in the player's hand, they are replaced randomly by main deck cards that were incorrectly in the sideboard.
703.4.b.2.a.2. Shuffle the randomized portion of the main deck once this process is complete.
703.4.b.3.a. At casual or competitive OPL, if the error is a player forgetting to move their Chosen Champion from their Main Deck to the chosen champion zone at setup, the judge may downgrade the penalty to a [Warning] and restore the gamestate if possible, regardless of who caught the error or at which stage of the game it occurred.
703.4.b.4. If restoring the deck to its correct state is not possible, the penalty is upgraded to [ Game Loss].
703.4.b.4.a. When applying a remedy for a missing Chosen Champion is applicable, if it occurs at any point after opening hands have been drawn and no copies of the Chosen Champion are available in the Main Deck to move to the Chosen Champion zone to restore the gamestate, the penalty may be downgraded to a [Warning] and gameplay can continue without the erroring player having a champion in the Chosen Champion zone.
703.4.b.4.b. Example: Aplayer has two total copies of Traveling Merchant on their registered decklist, one in their Main Deck and one in their Sideboard. During game one of a match a player draws and plays one Traveling Merchant. On a later turn, they draw the second copy and realize they forgot to de-sideboard. At this point, restoring the deck is not possible.
703.4.b.5. If the cards required to correct the deck cannot be acquired in a timely manner, the head judge can issue a proxy.
703.5. Communication Violation [Warning]: Aplayer does not effectively communicate with their opponents during gameplay.
703.5.a. This error includes any unintentional violation of the communication policies listed in section 500.
703.5.b.2. If any decisions were made based on incorrect communication, perform a rewind if possible.
703.6. Marked Cards [Warning]: Aplayer’s cards are possible to identify without seeing their face.
703.6.d.2. If the cards required to correct the deck cannot be acquired in a timely manner, the head judge can issue a proxy.
703.7. Insufficient Randomization [Warning]: Aplayer did not sufficiently randomize their deck when required to.
703.9.b. If the player receiving the advice solicited the advice, it is cheating. See 704.8 for more information about cheating.
703.9.d. Spectators providing advice may be barred from the tournament venue if the advice was given maliciously or knowingly.
703.9.e. It is not outside assistance to receive strategic advice from a teammate in the 2v2 format or in other team formats when specified.
703.10.b. Playing other formats of Riftbound other than the one designated for the tournament with the appropriate registered decklist may not be used to determine a winner.
703.10.c. Offering or accepting such offers is considered improperly determining a winner.
704.1.a. Riftbound does not tolerate unsporting conduct. Tournament attendees and spectators must behave in a respectful and honorable manner.
704.1.c. Infractions and penalties listed in this section aim to serve as general guidelines. Listed infractions are examples and are not exhaustive. All judges are empowered to escalate unsporting conduct issues and the head judge may apply any penalty they deem appropriate for unsporting conduct, up to and including [Disqualification].
704.2. Unsporting Minor [Warning]:
704.2.a.3. Poor hygiene
704.3. Unsporting Major [Disqualification]:
704.3.a.1. Use of racial slurs
704.3.b. This penalty often comes with ejection from the venue at the discretion of tournament officials.
704.4. Angle Shooting [Warning]: Aplayer intentionally uses the technical precision of the rules to gain an advantage where the spirit of the rules would not have garnered that advantage.
704.4.a.2. Taking actions quickly to prevent opponents from having time to have priority.
704.4.a.3. Promising a concession to garner additional information before making a different decision.
704.4.a.4. Attempting to mislead an opponent during gameplay based on cards that have rules errata.
704.4.a.5. Baiting an opponent into a rules violation.
704.4.a.6. Intentionally distracting an opponent to get them to miss their priority window.
704.4.a.7. Using sloppy play or game state representation to obscure strategy or information.
704.5.a. The outcome of tournament games may not be influenced by offers of out-of-game rewards or incentives.
704.5.a.1. Making or accepting such an offer is considered bribery.
704.5.a.2. Bribery applies to actions within a game, not just the final results.
704.5.b. Sharing prizes that have not yet been awarded in the current tournament does not constitute bribery. Players are permitted to make such agreements before or during their match, provided that the prize sharing is not offered or accepted in return for the outcome of a game or match, any in-game action, or a player dropping from the tournament.
704.5.c. It is not bribery when players in the single-elimination portion of a tournament offering only items such as cash, store credit, and/or unopened product, with the competition organizer’s permission, agree to divide the subsequent tournament prizes evenly. All players still in the tournament must agree to the arrangement.
704.5.c.1. Players may end their participation in the tournament at this point or continue to play. If this is a major streamed event, players must continue to play for final rankings.
704.5.d. It is not bribery when, in the final round of the single-elimination portion of a tournament, with the competition organizer’s permission, players mutually agree on a winner and how to divide the remaining prizes. In such cases, one player must agree to drop from the tournament. Prizes are then awarded based on each player’s final standing.
704.8. Cheating [Disqualification]: Riftbound does not tolerate cheating at any level of play.
704.8.b. Lying to a tournament official is cheating.
704.8.c. Intentionally neglecting to indicate a teammate's error is cheating.
704.8.d. The head judge has ultimate discretion to issue penalties for cheating.
705.1.a. All players participating in a premier or qualifier Riftbound competition are subject to this Disciplinary Code.
705.1.b. Players accept and agree to be bound by these Riftbound Tournament Rules including this Disciplinary Code by: a) signing a contract or registration form in which these Riftbound Tournament Rules are incorporated, linked, referenced, or attached, b) clicking “Accept” when given the option to do so in an online registration process (or through a similar method of acceptance); or c) participating in any Regional Championship, Regional Qualifier, Showdown Series, or any equivalent events.
705.1.c. Players also accept and agree that the Competition Organizer and Riot Games have the right to:
705.1.c.2. Investigate (or have a representative investigate) possible violations of any of the foregoing, and/or possible violations of applicable law.
705.1.c.3. Where appropriate, impose sanctions for violations of these Riftbound Tournament Rules or other regulations referenced above, as further described below.
705.1.d. This Disciplinary Code applies globally anywhere Riftbound competitions are held. It may also apply to circumstances that occur outside of competition play entirely, if the alleged conduct could have an adverse impact on Riftbound competitions or in circumstances where the alleged conduct could be associated with Riot Games, Riot Games affiliates, Riot Games game titles, or other properties, in each case as determined by Riot Games.
705.2.a. Reporting: Players must report any violation of these Riftbound Tournament Rules to the Competition Organizer or Competition Officials upon becoming aware of the violation. Reports must be made honestly and in good faith. Knowingly false, fabricated, or recklessly misleading allegations, coordinated complaints made in bad faith, or other abuses of the reporting process are prohibited and may result in sanctions.
705.2.b. Duty to Cooperate: Players are required to cooperate with the Competition Organizer, Riot Games, or designated representatives in any internal or external investigation that is conducted relating to a suspected violation of these Riftbound Tournament Rules. Players have a duty to tell the truth in connection with any such investigation, and a duty not to obstruct any such investigation, mislead investigators, withhold evidence, or abuse investigative processes.
705.2.c. Abiding to Decisions: Players must comply with all instructions, directions, decisions, or rulings, including any disciplinary measures or final decisions issued by the Competition Organizer or another entity recognized by Riot Games.
705.2.d. Consequences: At the Competition Organizer and/or Riot Games’ discretion, sanctions will be proportionate to the severity of the violation, taking into account any prior sanctions. Multiple sanctions may be applied for a single violation. Violations of these Riftbound Tournament Rules may be sanctioned by the application of one or more of the following disciplinary measures:
705.2.d.1. Warning (private or public)
705.2.d.2. Prize forfeiture and return of prizes (including previously awarded money and trophies)
705.2.d.6. Forfeiture of points or rankings in any competitive ranking system
705.2.d.7. Suspension, disqualification, or ban from one or more Riftbound competitions
705.2.e. Interim Measures: The Competition Organizer and/or Riot Games may issue interim or provisional disciplinary measures pending the outcome of an investigation and until a decision on the merits is finalized. In circumstances where credible evidence may suggest a breach of these Riftbound Tournament Rules, the Competition Organizer and/or Riot Games may implement provisional measures, including the suspension of individuals involved.
705.2.f. Aggravating and Mitigating Circumstances: The type and extent of the disciplinary measures that may be imposed are based on the specific circumstances of each case, taking into account the seriousness of the offense as well as aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Repeated or multiple concurrent violations or infractions may be considered as aggravating circumstances and may be subject to escalating sanctions.
705.2.g. Intent. Violations of the Riftbound Tournament Rules are subject to disciplinary action, whether or not they were committed intentionally or as part of a joke, a stunt, or some form of social media performance.
705.2.h. Final Determinations. Competition Organizer’s and/or Riot Games’ determination as to the appropriate disciplinary action (or combination of disciplinary actions) will be final and binding.
705.2.i. Public Decisions. The Competition Organizer and/or Riot Games may make decisions public at their sole discretion, which may include certain facts, details, consequences, or other information arising in connection with a ruling or other disciplinary decision regarding a violation or alleged violation of these Riftbound Tournament Rules.
705.3.a. General Obligations: Players who participate in Riftbound competitions must at all times observe the highest standards of personal integrity and sporting conduct. Players are required to behave in a respectful manner in all of their interactions with other competitors, judges, competition officials, the media, sponsors, fans and other persons. Players must promptly comply with the decisions and instructions of Competition Officials (particularly of Judges) in a respectful and non-combative manner.
705.3.b. Unsporting Conduct. Players may not engage in any unsporting conduct listed in
704. Engaging in unsporting conduct may additionally be subject to sanction under this Disciplinary Code.
705.3.c. Cheating. Cheating is prohibited. Enabling or assisting others to cheat is also prohibited.
705.3.e. Derogatory or Defamatory Statements and Hateful Acts. Players may not use words, gestures, digital or physical objects, or any other means to transmit, allow or facilitate messages or actions that insult, encourage hatred, undermine, or harm the integrity of a country, individual, or group of people. This includes contemptuous, discriminatory, or denigrating expressions based on race, skin color, ethnic, national, or social origin, gender, language, religion, political or other opinions, financial status, birth, sexual orientation, medical condition or history, or any other characteristic or status.
705.3.f. Vulgar or Provocative. Players may not use words, gestures, digital or physical objects, or any other means to transmit, allow or facilitate messages or actions that are obscene, vulgar, provocative, hateful, racist, insulting, threatening, abusive, libelous, slanderous, defamatory, or otherwise offensive or objectionable.
705.3.g. Harassment. Players may not engage in any form of harassment. Harassment is defined as unwelcome and unwanted behaviors that diminish, demean, or otherwise intimidate. This rule also prohibits sexual harassment, which is defined as any form of unwelcome sexual advances. Stalking, conduct that involves threats of violence (whether physically or online) and sharing personal information of another individual without permission are considered forms of harassment as is any conduct by an individual that incites or encourages abuse by others. All forms of harassment are prohibited, even if the behavior is not sufficiently severe or pervasive to constitute unlawful activity under applicable law.
705.3.h. Bullying and Abuse. Players may not engage in any form of bullying or physical or mental abuse. Bullying is defined as malicious conduct which an objective observer would consider hostile, offensive, and unrelated to legitimate competition, especially in circumstances where the person is perceived as vulnerable. Abuse is defined as treating a person with cruelty or violence (including physical altercation), especially if done repeatedly. Acting with reckless disregard for the potential negative impact of one’s actions is also considered a form of bullying and is prohibited.
705.3.i. Credible Threats. Players may not threaten others. Athreat is defined as a statement of intention to commit an act of violence or take other hostile action against someone in retribution for something done or not done that could cause an objective observer to believe it will be carried out.
705.3.j. Match-fixing or Manipulation. Players may not match-fix or otherwise manipulate the outcome of any match or competition or request, encourage, or instruct others to manipulate it. Manipulation is defined as the unlawful or undue influence or alteration, directly or indirectly, by an act or an omission, of the course, result, or any other aspect of a match (i.e. spot-fixing) or a competition, irrespective of whether the behavior is committed for financial gain, sporting advantage, or any other purpose. For the purposes of this rule, manipulation also includes any attempt to manipulate, any action that creates the appearance of manipulation, and/or any behavior that could reasonably give rise to suspicions of manipulation, whether or not the manipulation is ultimately carried out or successful.
705.3.k. Retaliation. Players may not retaliate against anyone who reports a possible violation of these Riftbound Tournament Rules in good faith or who provides truthful information during an investigation. Retaliation (for example, threats, intimidation, harassment, employment actions, or any other form of reprisal) constitutes an independent violation, regardless of the outcome of the underlying report.
705.3.l. Violations of Law. Players are required to comply with all applicable laws at all times during their participation in Riftbound competitions. Players may not engage in (or encourage or solicit others to engage in) any illegal activity or behavior that is under investigation or has resulted in formal charges, whether or not a conviction has occurred, if such activity may bring Riot Games, the Competition Organizer, and/or a Riftbound competition into disrepute, negatively affect the authority, honor, and brand value of Riot Games, the Competition Organizer, and/or a Riftbound competition, or cause harm to the operation of a Riftbound competition.
705.3.m. Violations of Riot Games Terms of Service. Players are required to comply with the Riot Games Terms of Service and may face sanctions under this Disciplinary Code in addition to consequences established in the Riot Games Terms of Service.