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Official Rules

 20th Annual International RISK® Championship 

1- Rules disputes will be settled by the tournament referees. Rulings of the tournament director shall be final

2- Players are required to report to their assigned tables 15 minutes before scheduled start time or will risk forfeiting their game. NOTE: It is expected of ALL PLAYERS to report at least 45 minutes before their very 1st game in order to review tournament rules with referees

3- NO ALLIANCES, NO HINTING, NO NEGOTIATIONS!  First (1^st) occurrence will result in loss of round or disqualification. The tournament director will determine the severity of these infractions

4- Dealing Cards: One player at the table (Dealer) will assume command of cards before each game. The dealer will make sure all cards are accounted for and will make certain that cards are in good condition before start of game.  If there are no problems with the cards they will be properly shuffled. Dealer will ask a player to cut deck and will then proceed to deal cards clockwise for initial territories. If there are extra cards, roll for them. Highest numbers will win choice (face up)

5- After cards are dealt, roll for placement. Example; If six players roll and three of them tie, those three will roll again. If then two players tie, then those two will roll until a winner is determined. The player deploying first will start the game

6- Do not place armies out of turn

7- After all pieces are deployed, players will count the armies of the person on their right to double check that deployments are accurate. 

6 players = 20 Armies....5 players = 25 Armies ….4 players = 30 Armies

Note: If there are extra cards at the deal, counts will differ

8- Once you roll dice, your turn has begun. If you forgot to deploy armies at the beginning of your turn, it’s too late

9- When the player on your right draws a card, his or her turn has ended and your time begins. If you take longer than three minutes to deploy your armies and/or roll your dice, you will forfeit that turn. A word of caution; It is expected of ALL players to pay close attention to the game as it unfolds. Unnecessary delays in play might cause loss of turn. For instance - Players that deploy armies immediately at the beginning of their turn do not have extended time to avoid rolling the dice. Your plans should be calculated in advance to avoid delays. Keep with the “spirit of the game”. For those that abuse this rule, penalties can include loss of armies, loss of turn, denied card or disqualification for that round depending on the severity of the situation. The tournament director will make a determination on any penalties assessed

10 - If a player cannot claim a card at the end of their turn then he or she will simply pass the dice to the next player.

11 - Players must display their card count “face down” and visible to all players at ALL TIMES!

12 - Players will always roll the maximum number of dice unless specifically stated in advance by an attacker or defender

13 - If an attacker or defender throws more dice than allowed, the offending player will automatically lose one army and it will be considered a completed roll (Not to be confused with End-of-turn)

14 - Troop movements - Army fortification variation in effect At the end of a player’s turn, troops can move anywhere on the board with a continuous chain of his or her occupied countries. Only troop movements from one country to another will be allowed. Example; To move troops from Indonesia to Egypt, a player must occupy Siam, India, Middle East, and of course Egypt (any path works as long as you occupy counties along your particular route of deployment) Players are not allowed to drop off troops along the way! Remember only one country to another.
In the official version of RISK, East Africa and Middle East connect. It has been brought to our attention that newer versions of the game have omitted this connection!
Note: The International RISK Tournament Of Champions uses official boards!

15 - Card trade in values are normal (4-6-8-10-12-15-20-25-30-etc.)

16 - If players take more than one card at the end of their turn, time out will be called by anyone at that table. The offending player will be penalized by the tournament referee by having any two cards confiscated from his or her hand and those 2 cards will be placed back into the main deck. Offending player will not receive a card for that turn and in addition will forfeit their next turn. (mistakes like these will not be tolerated in tournament play)

17 - Only one player may leave a table at any given time. Table captains will keep record of persons leaving and their explanations why. Players will be given a maximum of four excuses per game. Exceptions include referees and staff members for tournament business. Extra time will be allocated for any interruptions

18 – Players cannot begin their turn with more than 5 cards in their possession - If a player eliminates another PLAYER FROM THE GAME and obtains extra cards he or she will have a choice to trade in sets immediately (no limit) or trade in during their next turn.
BUT REMEMBER- Players cannot begin their turn with more than 5 cards in their possession.

RULE #18 HAS BEEN QUESTIONED THE MOST DURING TOURNAMENT PLAY!
It has been determined that if extra cards are received after taking out an opponent and a player then has a minimum of 5 cards, that player MUST IMMEDIATELY trade in at that moment. The official position is that ANY player who successfully conquers at least one country during a turn MUST TAKE a card at the end of their play! NO PLAYER will possess more than 5 cards at the beginning of their turn! THE END

19 - Players may not roll dice on or towards the game board at any time. Table captains will make note of any persons violating this rule. If a player violates this rule two times, a tournament referee will be consulted immediately and penalties may be assessed

20 – Time out may be called by ANYONE for referee consultation. Every effort will be made to resolve any concerns expediently. Time credit will be issued for consultation purposes.
NOTE: Table captains are appointed at each game, however, table captains may not always have the correct answer to your specific question so PLEASE call timeout for referee consultation if you are not satisfied with an answer at your table. It could be you playing in the next RISK BOWL so please double-double check if you have doubts.

21 - No dice banging at the tables

22 - Dice must be “Rolled”, not dropped, jumped, thumped, pelted, or skirted. Only official tournament dice will be used

23 - A winning player “will not” be listed to advance until that table is cleaned and prepared for the next round. When the table is set for the next round of play, a winning player will turn in the table dice to a designated staff member. Then and only then will you be bracketed

24 - Display tables, trophy tables, and any other tournament items are not to be tampered with. If you would like to see a specific item, please consult the tournament director for permission

25 – Any person caught tampering with official tournament supplies, banners, tables, etc. without permission will be expelled from the tournament with the possibility of prosecution by RISK TOC

26 - All players are expected to know the basic rules of RISK® in addition to the above additions and exceptions.

The International RISK® Championship sets high standards. We expect everyone to have fun but also act accordingly. Good luck to all its participants!