I was just watching GP Vegas where in round one a player was playing with translucent sleeves. This sparked a lot of hate in twitch chat which was to be expected as it seemed that some cards were darker on stream, but it got to the point where people were arguing if sleeves were "required" in competitive REL.
So aside from the problems without sleeves, damaging your cards, marked cards, etc., are there any strict rules against playing without sleeves in non-limited formats for comp REL?
In sanctioned tournaments at any rules enforcement level, "[p]layers may use plastic card sleeves or other protective devices on cards" (M.T.R. 3.10) and rules governing their use include M.T.R. 3.10.
What matters is that all cards in your deck are indistinguishable from one another when face down. Since having no sleeves or translucent sleeves makes it so any color difference and any small damage on the back of the cards are visible, it's no surprise that it prompts additional scrutiny from other players and from judges if you do that. But if you can pull it off with all your cards being pristine and of the same coloration (i.e. no older cards), there's no strict rule directly against it.
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I'm a former judge (lapsed), who keeps up to date on rules and policy. Keep in mind that judges' answers aren't necessarily more valid than those of people who aren't judges; what matters is we can quote the rules to back up our answers. When in doubt, ask for such quotes.
I was just watching GP Vegas where in round one a player was playing with translucent sleeves. This sparked a lot of hate in twitch chat which was to be expected as it seemed that some cards were darker on stream, but it got to the point where people were arguing if sleeves were "required" in competitive REL.
So aside from the problems without sleeves, damaging your cards, marked cards, etc., are there any strict rules against playing without sleeves in non-limited formats for comp REL?
Thanks in advance!
This subforum is only for rules questions. Please repost in Magic general.
Thread locked. -MadMage
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