I know that a tournament has a suggested number of swiss rounds, based on the attendance. For example, making sure that the total number of players does not exceed 2^(number of rounds) ensures that there is no more than one X-0 at the end of the event.
However, other times, the Head Judge has increased or decreased the number of rounds from the recommendation at their discretion. I've played in a 34-player FNM with 5 rounds (where 2^5 = 32) and I've played in an 8-player higher REL tournament with 4 rounds and cut to Top 4.
Are there any restrictions to the number of rounds that the Head Judge can add or subtract to an event?
Would it be possible for a Head Judge or Tournament Organizer to run FNM that runs 20 rounds, even if there is only 8 players in attendance, as a way to abuse the new Planeswalker Points rating system?
The rules for sanctioning an event only require that a minimum of eight players be present and for the event to consist of a minimum of 3 rounds so there is nothing to prevent you doing so currently.
However due to the participation point you get for playing in an event, you would achieve more points by playing back to back 3 round FNM's
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I know that a tournament has a suggested number of swiss rounds, based on the attendance. For example, making sure that the total number of players does not exceed 2^(number of rounds) ensures that there is no more than one X-0 at the end of the event.
However, other times, the Head Judge has increased or decreased the number of rounds from the recommendation at their discretion. I've played in a 34-player FNM with 5 rounds (where 2^5 = 32) and I've played in an 8-player higher REL tournament with 4 rounds and cut to Top 4.
Are there any restrictions to the number of rounds that the Head Judge can add or subtract to an event?
Would it be possible for a Head Judge or Tournament Organizer to run FNM that runs 20 rounds, even if there is only 8 players in attendance, as a way to abuse the new Planeswalker Points rating system?
Unless the tournament has a fact sheet by Wizards stating otherwise, there is no restriction on the number of rounds except that a tournament of individual players must have at least 3 rounds in order to be sanctioned. I've never sanctioned FNM, so I don't know whether there's a fact sheet for FNM that specifies other requirements.
However, even if there isn't anything actually written prohibiting you from running a 20 round FNM, I imagine that a TO that uploads a single-day 20-round tournament would draw unpleasant attention from somebody at Wizards.
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Originally Posted by dgschess
Would it be possible for a Head Judge or Tournament Organizer to run FNM that runs 20 rounds, even if there is only 8 players in attendance, as a way to abuse the new Planeswalker Points rating system?
Unless the tournament has a fact sheet by Wizards stating otherwise, there is no restriction on the number of rounds except that a tournament of individual players must have at least 3 rounds in order to be sanctioned. I've never sanctioned FNM, so I don't know whether there's a fact sheet for FNM that specifies other requirements.
However, even if there isn't anything actually written prohibiting you from running a 20 round FNM, I imagine that a TO that uploads a single-day 20-round tournament would draw unpleasant attention from somebody at Wizards.
With regard to the question in the embedded quote, the nature of Swiss Pairings means that an 8-player tournament can have at most seven rounds and a Top 8 Single Elimination. Also, there are circumstances where the pairings of the earlier rounds will leave the software incapable of being able to match up players in the later rounds because it's impossible to set it up for all 8 to have opponents they haven't played against.
As for the 20-round tournament point: As it stands right now, the new PWP program has left those with FNM-WC aspirations wondering how many rounds they should be trying to pressure their T.O.'s to run. In the absence of information, we're all operating on the "slippery slope" principle. At what number of rounds they're going to balk? Guess too high and we'll be reprimanded - likely having results invalidated, guess too low and we're at a disadvantage to all the players whose T.O.'s choose the "right" number.
I'd really like to know whom at Wizards to contact regarding what they're going to consider an event that "would draw unpleasant attention." Then at least we know what to ask for from our T.O.'s. If they can't deliver it, we just won't even bother trying. Keeping up with all those other locations running the maximum number of rounds is just too much of a disadvantage to overcome.
I know that a tournament has a suggested number of swiss rounds, based on the attendance. For example, making sure that the total number of players does not exceed 2^(number of rounds) ensures that there is no more than one X-0 at the end of the event.
However, other times, the Head Judge has increased or decreased the number of rounds from the recommendation at their discretion. I've played in a 34-player FNM with 5 rounds (where 2^5 = 32) and I've played in an 8-player higher REL tournament with 4 rounds and cut to Top 4.
Are there any restrictions to the number of rounds that the Head Judge can add or subtract to an event?
Would it be possible for a Head Judge or Tournament Organizer to run FNM that runs 20 rounds, even if there is only 8 players in attendance, as a way to abuse the new Planeswalker Points rating system?
A lot of this depends on what the players want to do. I have generally found when I ran Friday Night Magic that players wanted to get out of there. I always informed players ahead of time how the prize structure would work. For instance if the players preferred having a 3 round tournament, then I would simply tell them that all undefeated players would get so much prize payout(I put the entire entrance fee of 5 dollars per person toward prizes) and then prizes went down from there.
With regard to the question in the embedded quote, the nature of Swiss Pairings means that an 8-player tournament can have at most seven rounds and a Top 8 Single Elimination. Also, there are circumstances where the pairings of the earlier rounds will leave the software incapable of being able to match up players in the later rounds because it's impossible to set it up for all 8 to have opponents they haven't played against.
As for the 20-round tournament point: As it stands right now, the new PWP program has left those with FNM-WC aspirations wondering how many rounds they should be trying to pressure their T.O.'s to run. In the absence of information, we're all operating on the "slippery slope" principle. At what number of rounds they're going to balk? Guess too high and we'll be reprimanded - likely having results invalidated, guess too low and we're at a disadvantage to all the players whose T.O.'s choose the "right" number.
I'd really like to know whom at Wizards to contact regarding what they're going to consider an event that "would draw unpleasant attention." Then at least we know what to ask for from our T.O.'s. If they can't deliver it, we just won't even bother trying. Keeping up with all those other locations running the maximum number of rounds is just too much of a disadvantage to overcome.
If a store has questions about how to run Wizards Play Network events, the store should contact the WPN representative that's responsible for their region.
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However, other times, the Head Judge has increased or decreased the number of rounds from the recommendation at their discretion. I've played in a 34-player FNM with 5 rounds (where 2^5 = 32) and I've played in an 8-player higher REL tournament with 4 rounds and cut to Top 4.
Are there any restrictions to the number of rounds that the Head Judge can add or subtract to an event?
Would it be possible for a Head Judge or Tournament Organizer to run FNM that runs 20 rounds, even if there is only 8 players in attendance, as a way to abuse the new Planeswalker Points rating system?
However due to the participation point you get for playing in an event, you would achieve more points by playing back to back 3 round FNM's
Unless the tournament has a fact sheet by Wizards stating otherwise, there is no restriction on the number of rounds except that a tournament of individual players must have at least 3 rounds in order to be sanctioned. I've never sanctioned FNM, so I don't know whether there's a fact sheet for FNM that specifies other requirements.
However, even if there isn't anything actually written prohibiting you from running a 20 round FNM, I imagine that a TO that uploads a single-day 20-round tournament would draw unpleasant attention from somebody at Wizards.
Please use card tags when you're asking a question about specific cards: [c]Serra Angel[/c] -> Serra Angel.
With regard to the question in the embedded quote, the nature of Swiss Pairings means that an 8-player tournament can have at most seven rounds and a Top 8 Single Elimination. Also, there are circumstances where the pairings of the earlier rounds will leave the software incapable of being able to match up players in the later rounds because it's impossible to set it up for all 8 to have opponents they haven't played against.
As for the 20-round tournament point: As it stands right now, the new PWP program has left those with FNM-WC aspirations wondering how many rounds they should be trying to pressure their T.O.'s to run. In the absence of information, we're all operating on the "slippery slope" principle. At what number of rounds they're going to balk? Guess too high and we'll be reprimanded - likely having results invalidated, guess too low and we're at a disadvantage to all the players whose T.O.'s choose the "right" number.
I'd really like to know whom at Wizards to contact regarding what they're going to consider an event that "would draw unpleasant attention." Then at least we know what to ask for from our T.O.'s. If they can't deliver it, we just won't even bother trying. Keeping up with all those other locations running the maximum number of rounds is just too much of a disadvantage to overcome.
A lot of this depends on what the players want to do. I have generally found when I ran Friday Night Magic that players wanted to get out of there. I always informed players ahead of time how the prize structure would work. For instance if the players preferred having a 3 round tournament, then I would simply tell them that all undefeated players would get so much prize payout(I put the entire entrance fee of 5 dollars per person toward prizes) and then prizes went down from there.
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If a store has questions about how to run Wizards Play Network events, the store should contact the WPN representative that's responsible for their region.
Please use card tags when you're asking a question about specific cards: [c]Serra Angel[/c] -> Serra Angel.