Legality of Miscuts

[Occam]

I understand that rulings decree that the identity of a card is governed by the name shown on the card. However, I am curious about rulings or legality if either of the following situations occur:

1) A card is miscut in a way that its textbox is cut off, while maintaining the integrity of its name. A skewed miscut or a left-right miscut could have those effects.

2) If a card is miscut in a way that names of two cards are both partially shown. Is the card still legal?

I am also curious as to the rulings on double-printings. Assuming they have normal backs, are they considered marked or illegal due to the presence of more than a single printing?

Many thanks.

[cdr]

Why play your valuable miscut cards in a tournament?

First of all, if the head judge feels that a card is sufficiently likely to cause confusion, he can disallow it. This alone is a good reason not to try to play potentially confusing cards in tournaments.

Here's the most recent (O)ffical policy I can find, from Rune Horvik 2/2004:

A left/right miscut counts as the right side, a top/bottom miscut counts as the lower side, regardless of how much of the card is showing.

(Note that the quote is in context of the lower name being visible - top/bottom misprints where the lower name is not visible and the upper name is are the top card.)

Most judges would probably disallow most left/right and top/bottom miscuts because of the likelihood of confusion. Double printings are even more likely to be disallowed, unless one of the printings is much fainter than the other.

As you're probably aware, if card does not have a normal Magic back, it is not legal.

If a card opened in a limited event is misprinted or miscut in a way that makes it marked or confusing, it will be replaced by a proxy.


UTR 32. Card Interpretation
The Head Judge is the final authority regarding card interpretations. See the DCI Floor Rules for the appropriate game for more detailed rules regarding how cards should be interpreted. If the Head Judge determines that a player is using non-English–language cards and/or misprints to create an advantage by using misleading text or artwork, that player will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.


UTR 28. Taking Notes
...

Cards used in a tournament may not have writing on their faces other than signatures or artistic modifications. Modifications may not obscure the artwork so as to make the card unrecognizable. If modifications to a card are deemed by the Head Judge to constitute outside notes or unsporting conduct, the player using such cards will be subject to the appropriate provisions of the DCI Penalty Guidelines.


UTR 34. Proxy Cards
The use of proxy cards is not permitted except under the following conditions:
• If a card becomes accidentally damaged or excessively worn through play in the current DCI-sanctioned tournament, the Judge may provide a proxy replacement card at his or her discretion or require the player to sleeve all of his or her cards before play continues.
• If a card opened out of sealed product for use in a Limited tournament is misprinted, miscut, or otherwise damaged in a way that would cause the card to be marked, the Judge may provide a proxy replacement card at his or her discretion.


MFR 102. Authorized Cards
...

Participants may not use cards from special sets or supplements with alternate backs, squared corners or gold borders. (Examples: Collector’s Edition, Pro Tour Collector’s Set, World Championship decks.) Players may not use silver-bordered Unglued™ or Unhinged™ cards. Unglued and Unhinged basic land cards are allowed in sanctioned Magic tournaments.

Players may use cards from special sets and supplements with black- or white-bordered cards published by Wizards of the Coast that do not have alternate backs and/or squared corners. (Examples: the Anthologies™, Beatdown™, Battle Royale™, From the Vault: Dragons box sets). However, the card(s) must be otherwise legal to play in that tournament’s format.

A series of official promotional cards called textless spells are allowed in DCI-sanctioned Magic tournaments. However, the card(s) must otherwise be legal to play in that tournament’s format. These cards should be interpreted using their current Oracle™ wordings.

[nix]

what is a double printing?

[cdr]

Just like it sounds; two images printed on the same cardstock, one on top of the other. As far as I know it only happened in Fallen Empires (which was riddled with printing errors).

http://www.cardguy.demon.co.uk/graphics/dprint2Fe.gif