People have been asking for guidelines as to how drafts will work at Competitive REL. Here are the general ones. Note that each Head Judge has the flexibility to modify these as they see fit, and may do as we gather more data, so don’t go yelling at a Head Judge if they choose to do something different.

Open the pack and count to 14 as always. Hold up all DFCs for a few seconds at the start of the pack, for everyone to see. All of your picks must go on top of the pile; you may NOT attempt to obscure a DFC by putting it under other picks (until another card is selected or the review period). You might notice other players picking or passing a DFC. This is acceptable, as long as you aren’t making an effort that would allow you to see cards in another players’ hand. Your eyes should be on the table or on your pack. Keep the cards in the pack you are drafting close to you, so they aren’t visible to others who may be looking at the table. When the call is made to draft, if you have not already, you must make a selection immediately. No more waiting or using other information to determine your pick. Lay out the pack as usual, so it can easily be scanned and so that any DFCs are visible. After the pack has been laid out, there will be a few moments to look further around the table to see what cards have been drafted.

Remember, you must not look at the cards in other players’ hands!