Z - Zones of Play
Z.1 - Zones of Play
- Z.1.1 - There are 8 zones in Magic. The zones are: Ante, Graveyard, Hand,
In Play, Library, Phased Out, Removed from Game, and Stack.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- Z.1.2 - Each player has their own version of each zone, with the exception
of the In Play and Stack zones, which are shared by all players.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.1.3 - If a card (or token) moves from one zone to another, it forgets
everything about what it was doing and any effects which were upon the
card lose track of it. [CompRules 1999/04/23] For example, a card in the
graveyard does not know if it was ever in play or if it just got discarded
to end up there. Rule Z.7.1 and Rule Z.9.5 outline two exceptions to this
rule.
- Z.1.4 - If more than one card is moved from one zone to another by a single
effect, all those cards move simultaneously. If the new zone requires
some sort of ordering (as with the Graveyard and Library), the controller
of that zone decides in what order to place the cards.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.1.5 - If a card or token is sent to the Hand, Graveyard, Library, or
Ante zone, it always goes to its owner's version of that zone.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.1.Ruling.1 - An ability which triggers on a card (or token) moving from
one zone to another can remember information about the card (or token) in
the previous zone. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03] See Rule A.4.18.
- Z.1.Ruling.2 - An ability that triggers on something going from one zone
to another is not resolved until after the something gets to its target
zone. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- Z.1.Ruling.3 - An ability which triggers on a card (or token) moving from
one zone to another cannot track the card (or token) to a third zone. If
the card (or token) is not in the second zone and the ability tries to
affect it, it does nothing. [DeLaney 2000/01/22]
- Z.1.Ruling.4 - If a card in a zone is "put" into that same zone, nothing
happens. The card remains where it was and nothing triggers.
[Jackson 2000/04/19] For example, if Reanimate is used on a
Phyrexian Dreadnought and you sacrifice no creatures, the Dreadnought
stays in the graveyard at the same location it was at.
Z.2 - Ante
- Z.2.1 - Magic can be played for "ante". This means that you are playing
for the ownership of one (or more) of your opponent's cards.
[Mirage, Page 55]
- Z.2.2 - When playing for ante, after shuffling and cutting the decks prior
to playing a game, the top card off each deck is put into the Ante.
The winner of the game gets property ownership of these cards.
[Mirage, Page 55]
- Z.2.3 - Any card which refers to a player's ante, refers to all cards they
currently have in the ante zone. [Mirage, Page 55]
- Z.2.4 - Unless the game is specifically played with hidden ante, the ante
cards can be examined by either player at any time. [Mirage, Page 55]
- Note - Ante is not normally used in tournament environments.
- Note - Ante is commonly used in small circles of players as a kind of
forced trading, and as a reward for good play.
- Note - Some places consider ante a form of gambling and so it is disallowed
in those places.
- Note - There are variations on Rule Z.2.2 whereby people have other ways
of deciding what card is placed in the Ante. For example, some people
disallow basic lands. [DeLaney 2000/01/22]
Z.3 - Graveyard
- Z.3.1 - The graveyard is where cards go when they are discarded from a
player's hand, when they are destroyed or sacrificed while in play, or
when they are countered while being played as spells.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.3.2 - The graveyard is also called the discard pile.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.3.3 - The graveyard has an order to it. All cards that enter the
graveyard are placed on top of it. [CompRules 1999/04/23] Because of
this and Rule Z.1.4, if more than one card is to be placed in at a time,
the owner of that graveyard decides the order those cards get stacked in.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.3.4 - Neither player may change the order of any graveyard.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.3.5 - Information about the graveyard is public. All players have the
right to know what cards are in every player's graveyard and what order
they are in. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.3.6 - Abilities of cards in the graveyard cannot be used and have no
effect on the game unless the card specifically says they do. For
example, the Nether Shadow has an ability which can be played while it
is in the graveyard, but the White Knight does not have Protection from
Black while in the graveyard. See Rule A.1.3. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.3.Ruling.1 - Any token sent to the graveyard ceases to exist. This is a
state-based effect (see Rule T.11), so it is not possible to announce a
spell or ability to affect the token before it is gone. See Rule K.25.6.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.3.Ruling.2 - Cards in the graveyard are just cards. They have no memory
of whether they were ever in play or not, or of anything that may have
happened to them when they were in play. This includes removal of any
choices about the card, any alterations via spells like Magical Hack,
any counters on the card, and so on. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
See Rule Z.1.3.
- Z.3.Ruling.3 - If something goes to the graveyard then comes back, it is
considered a new card since it forgot its past when it went to the
graveyard. [bethmo 1994/05/03] See Rule Z.1.3.
- Note - Each player starts the game with an empty Graveyard.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Note - When a card is brought from the graveyard directly into play,
see Rule G.28.
Z.4 - Hand
- Z.4.1 - A player's hand is where they keep cards which have been drawn but
are not yet played. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.4.2 - The number of cards in a player's hand is public information. All
players have the right to know this number. But they do not get to know
what cards you hold (unless a spell or ability says otherwise).
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.4.3 - Each player has a maximum hand size. This is normally 7 cards.
A player's maximum hand size is only checked at the beginning their
cleanup step (see Rule P.13). Players may have any number of cards in
their hand at other times. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.4.4 - Spell cards being announced are considered to not be in your hand
for purposes of target selection, sacrifices, and other things related to
announcing (see Rule T.4.2) the spell. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- Z.4.Ruling.1 - You always get to know what cards an opponent sees when they
look at cards from your hand. [D'Angelo 1997/02/10]
- Z.4.Ruling.2 - You are allowed to show cards in your hand to other players.
[Barclay 1999/09/07]
- Z.4.Ruling.3 - Your hand is not ordered. You can shuffle or otherwise
change the order of the cards in your hand at any time.
[DeLaney 2000/01/22]
Z.5 - In Play
- Z.5.1 - Each player places cards they control in front of
themselves (except for local enchantments which may enchant another
player's permanents). [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.5.2 - In Play is the only zone where permanents (see Rule K.19), such
as lands, creatures, artifacts, and enchantments exist. Anywhere else
they are just cards. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.5.3 - A card which is not in play is neither tapped nor untapped.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.5.4 - Face down cards in this zone can be looked at by their controller,
but not by other players. [Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- Z.5.Ruling.1 - If something leaves play then comes back, it is considered a
new permanent since it forgot its past when it left play.
[CompRules 1999/04/23] See Rule Z.1.3.
- Z.5.Ruling.2 - If a permanent in play has a effect on it such as "return to
owner's hand at end of turn", that effect will end as soon as the
permanent leaves play. See Rule Z.1.3. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Note - The In Play zone starts out empty at the start of the game.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Note - Tokens cannot exist outside of this zone. See Rule K.25.6.
- Note - Phasing (Rule G.27) overrides some rules for this zone.
Z.6 - Library
- Z.6.1 - Your library is where the cards in your deck sit until they are
drawn. It is also called your "draw pile". [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.6.2 - The contents of a player's library are not public. No player (not
even the owner of the library) may look at the cards therein unless
instructed to do so by a spell or ability. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.6.3 - The library has an order to it. No player may change this order
unless instructed to do so. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.6.4 - The number of cards in your library is public information and every
player has the right to know the count. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.6.5 - All cards that are placed on the library are placed on top of it,
and all cards taken from the library are taken from the top of it, unless
otherwise specified. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- Z.6.6 - If more than one card is to be placed on top of the library or on
the bottom of the library at one time, the owner of that library decides
the order the cards get stacked in it. [CompRules 1999/11/01]
[WotC Rules Team 2000/02/16]
- Z.6.7 - If a spell or ability has you do something to more cards in your
library than you currently have in your library, it affects all the
remaining cards. [Mirage, Page 59]
- Z.6.8 - If a player is instructed to draw a card and their library is
empty, that player loses the game the next time state-based effects (see
Rule T.11) are checked. [CompRules 1999/11/01]
- Z.6.9 - All cards which tell a player to search a library for a card based
on some criteria (such as type, subtype, or name), you may choose not to
find such a card even if one is in your library. This rule pretty much
exists to avoid the need to have a judge verify that the player really did
so. Effects which tell a player to search a library for "a card" or a
specific number of cards do not fall under this rule and do not allow a
player to find fewer cards (unless there are not enough in the library).
For example, Demonic Tutor and Jester's Cap are not optional since
they have you search for a specific number of cards.
[CompRules 1999/11/01]
- Z.6.Ruling.1 - You do not need to show any other player what cards are going
into or coming out of a Library unless the cards came from a publicly
viewable place, in which case you may only hide the order in which you
place the cards. [WotC Rules Team 2000/02/16] [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- Z.6.Ruling.2 - If a spell or ability has you choose one or more cards from
your library, shuffle the rest of the library, and then put the chosen
cards on top, the chosen cards are considered to be in your library
during this entire process. The entire action is one step and not even
mana abilities can be used in between the choosing and putting back.
[Aahz 1997/03/17]
- Note - You must start the game with at least 60 cards in your library before
you draw your initial hand (unless the rules you are playing with
specify a different size). See Rule P.1.2.
Z.7 - Phased Out
- Z.7.1 - This zone is where cards are placed when they phase out (see
Rule G.27.1). [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.7.2 - Cards which are phased out break one of the basic rules of
zones (see Rule Z.1.3). They can enter and leave this zone and carry
changes with them, such as counters, enchantments, and some effects.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.7.3 - Face down cards in this zone cannot be looked at by any player.
[Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- Note - Also see Phasing, Rule A.27.
- Note - Also see Phasing In and Out, Rule G.27.
Z.8 - Removed from Game
- Z.8.1 - This is where cards go when they are removed from the game.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.8.2 - Information about the out of game zone is public. All players have
the right to know what cards are in every player's out of game area.
Specific cards may override this and specify that cards are moved into
this zone face down. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.8.3 - A spell or ability may provide a way to return a removed card back
to play (or some other zone). Such spells and abilities often use the
tern "set aside" to mean placing the cards into this zone.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.8.4 - Face down cards in this zone cannot be looked at by any player.
[Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- Z.8.Ruling.1 - Cards that might return to play should be kept in separate
piles tokeep track of their respective ways of returning. Cards with no
way of returning may be kept in one pile for each player regardless of
what removed them. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
Z.9 - Stack
- Z.9.1 - The Stack is the name of the place where spells and abilities which
have been announced but have not yet been resolved are.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.9.2 - When a spell or ability is announced, it is placed on top of the
stack. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.9.3 - A spell or ability leaves the stack only if it is countered or when
it resolves. [CompRules 1999/04/23] Or when Ertai's Meddling removes
it. [DeLaney 2000/01/22]
- Z.9.4 - The contents of this zone are public. All cards here are face-up.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.9.5 - Cards in this zone break one of the basic rules of zones (see
Rule Z.1.3). They can leave this zone and carry editing effects with
them. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.9.6 - Abilities on the stack are represented by pseudospells (imaginary
cards). [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.9.7 - A spell or ability can "edit" something on the stack. When this
happens and the spell is to become a permanent, the editing effect is
carried over to the permanent when it enters play. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- Z.9.8 - Face down cards in this zone can be looked at by their controller,
but not by other players. [Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- Note - Also see Stack Timing, Rule T.2.