Definitions

Tournament Rules section 200 — 103 rules. From Riot's Tournament Rules for sanctioned events, last updated October 9, 2026.

201.: Competition Types: Riftbound competitions come in three types.
201.1.: Premier: A competition 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.: Competition Formats:
202.1.a.: Limited: A limited competition is one where all product needed for play is provided during the competition.
202.1.b.: Constructed: A constructed competition is one where players compete using decks they prepare beforehand.
202.1.c.: See 600. for more information on Competition Formats.
202.2.: Round Structures:
202.2.a.: Swiss: A competition 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: A competition 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.
203.2.: Match: A Riftbound match 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 (CO): The CO is 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.
204.3.g.: Maintaining records of the event results (by game and match) for a minimum period of 3 months for the purpose of appeals. See 413 for more information on appeals.
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.deck
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.: At high OPL, judges may not answer direct questions about the results of game actions a player has not yet taken. In these situations, players must ask questions about the rules. Examples:
204.5.a.1.a.: Inappropriate question: “If I attack and conquer this battlefield with my Tryndamere, Barbarian, will I score 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.: Intervening in games when they see an error occur to apply the appropriate fixes and penalties. This does not apply to Missed Trigger errors. See 702.2. For more information on Missed Trigger errors.
204.5.c.1.: Judges should intervene AFTER an error occurs and should not attempt to prevent a player from erroring. This does not apply to proactively intervening in cases of Unsporting Conduct.
204.5.d.: Assist with translation if able.
204.5.e.: 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.a.: Generating each round of the competition and necessary data to proceed with that round (e.g. match pairings).