ARA Tournament Certification Guidelines

ARA-certified tournaments operate within specific parameters so that competitors who attend many tournaments across the country receive a consistent experience. ARA event approval ensures that our riichi mahjong tournaments adhere to high standards of quality and integrity. These guidelines are specifically for ARA and apply broadly to riichi mahjong tournaments, regardless of their utilization in event qualification schema, such as for WRC. These guidelines are not affiliated with any other organizations or events.
ARA reviews and approves applications at our monthly board meetings. The date of the upcoming ARA meeting is publicly noted.

Tournament Application


To have your tournament approved by ARA, please fill out this online form. 

Sign-up and Registration

  • The tournament must be announced with at least 60 days advance of the tournament date. The announcement must include:

    • Tournament date

    • Tournament location

    • Daily schedule, or at a minimum start and end time of play on each day

    • Ruleset and format clearly delineating when a player may be eliminated from play or locked into a specific competitive bracket when cuts are used.

  • Tournaments must have a website where players can easily access information about the event.

  • For registrations at a minimum, host organizations must collect:

    • Competitor name (legal and preferred if different)

      • If a preferred name is provided, that one should be utilized on the public-facing website and player badges. 

      • Both preferred and legal names should be provided with the tournament results to ARA, to ensure database accuracy of results.

    • Competitor organization, if applicable

    • ARA ID

Staff and Referees

  • Tournaments must have a Tournament Organizer (TO) who is responsible for the design and operation of the tournament. 

    • The TO is responsible for managing the event from registration to submission of final reports (other than the Observer Report), and ensuring the event meets all guidelines in this document. 

    • The TO must not be a referee or another staff member, to ensure their availability for all other responsibilities or issues that may arise during the tournament. 

  • The tournament must have adequate referees who are able to properly enforce and apply tournament rules.

    • A head referee must be appointed who has the final say over rules adjudication and enforcement.

    • A set of dedicated floor referees (non-playing) at a minimum ratio of 1 floor referee per 8 tables (head referee included in total).

    • Referees must be  fair and impartial and apply a consistent judging ruleset to all players.

    • While the TO is able to decide whether the referees should have a more active or passive approach to judging, the referees should at a minimum be in the room with players, watching the room for issues, and responding quickly to any raised hand. Players should never need to raise their voice or leave their seats to get a referee’s attention.

  • Neither the tournament organizer nor any tournament referees may play in the tournament.

  • A minimum of three staff members must be available as substitutes in case of player absence (these cannot be  referees who are filling the minimum referee requirement) and to ensure that all players can play in every round without byes. 

    • A staff member who plays the entire event as a substitute for a single player may be considered as a full competitor. They will not be considered a full competitor if they fill in for multiple different absent players across the tournament games.

Tournament Observer

  • All tournaments must have one player designated as the Tournament Observer, who will fill out a form provided by ARA to provide impartial feedback on the event.

  • The Tournament Observer should not be a member of the hosting organization, to avoid conflicts of interest.

    • A participating competitor may volunteer as an observer.  

    • If necessary, the observer is randomly selected among the competitors.

  • The organizer must submit the name of the competitor to the ARA Board prior to the tournament date.

  • The observer must be announced to the competitors prior to start of gameplay, and other competitors may be contacted regarding issues during the event.

  • The observer must fill out an Observer Report and submit it back to ARA.

  • The hosting organization will have an opportunity to review the Report and submit any comments prior to its publication.

Venue

  • The chosen site must be physically accessible to people with disabilities. Additionally, the space must be safe and appropriate for the number of competitors.

  • The venue must be maintained in a hygienic and clean way to promote player health and create an orderly atmosphere for the event.

  • There should be a clock or timer visible from every table in the event, so players can easily self-monitor the time left in a round without utilizing personal devices.

  • The venue should be at a low or silent volume level so that players can concentrate during their matches.

Play Equipment

  • Tables accommodating a square playing surface are highly recommended. If tables are not provided by the venue, the host organization is responsible for acquiring tables.

    • The tables should be of a size that allows comfortable play for all body types (e.g. a round table that is too large will make it difficult for a player of smaller stature to reach the tiles in the wall across from them)

  • Tiles must be clean and unmarked. It is recommended that new tiles be used if possible. If using new tiles is not possible, it is recommended that the sets used be of the same make and typeface for consistent player experience, if possible.

  • Tiles must have distinct front and back faces (e.g. an all black set, where the back face is indistinguishable from the white dragon, may not be used)

  • Colored scoring sticks are recommended if possible. If white sticks are used and some sticks are modified to act as 500 point sticks, the modification must be clear and secure.

  • Playing surface must be clean and have sufficient space for the tiles. Use of mats for a soft playing surface and space to hold points are recommended. Junk Mats are commonly used, but other mats may be used as well.

  • The event must provide equal play equipment for all competitors in each competitive grouping.

    • Autotables and hand-shuffle tables should never be both used at the same time in the tournament. 1 autotable and 5 hand-shuffle tables in a 6-table scramble will result in an unequal play experience. However, the final “top” table of 4 using an autotable while the remaining players use 5 hand-shuffle tables to play for placements 5 – 24 is not unequal as the players are split into separate competitive groupings and each grouping has equal play equipment.

    • Autotables should have equal functionality for all players in the event. Scoring and non-scoring autotables should similarly not be utilized at the same time. If some tables are unable to deal an automatic starting hand (haipai), or lack the functionality of checking the point difference between players with a button, those features should be turned off or covered so players have the same experience at all autotables.


Tournament Rules and Settings

  • Tournaments are highly recommended to use any professional grade ruleset, such as the following:

    • Current or past WRC rulesets

    • M-League

    • Mahjong Saikyousen (最強戦)

    • Japanese Professional Mahjong League (JPML)/Nihon Pro Mahjong Renmei (日本プロ麻雀連盟)

    • Saikouisen (最高位戦)

    • Nihon Pro Mahjong Kyoukai/NPM2001 (日本プロ麻雀協会)

    • Other professional organization rulesets (RMU, μ’s, etc)

  • Commonly used modifications are automatically accepted:

    • Red 5s

    • Nagashi mangan

    • Kazoe yakuman

    • Use of any uma and oka utilized in a professional ruleset (other uma settings should be submitted for review)

    • Multiple ron

    • Abortive draws

    • Reduced penalties

    • Busting / tobi

    • Other modifications are subject to review

  • Deviations from the time limits as stated in the selected ruleset are allowed:

    • An additional hand after time is called may be added

    • For hand shuffle 60 - 90 minutes per round

    • For automatic tables 55 - 90 minutes per round

    • For automatic tables using auto haipai 50 - 90 minutes per round

    • After a cut, different or no time limits are permitted.

    • If you plan on running a tournament with no time limits or time limits outside the bounds stated, please include that in your certification proposal.

  • Any ruleset and/or modifications not listed are to be specified and reviewed.

  • Tournaments are expected to follow the rules and standards as noted in the selected ruleset, if applicable, in addition to the standards noted herein. Any deviations from these standards will require advance approval from ARA to have the event approved.

Pairing Method Parameters

  • The organizer must submit the pairing method to be used for the tournament. 

  • Any pairing method may be used provided:

    • It is open source, i.e. the algorithm used is fully disclosed.

    • It minimizes repeat encounters between any two players.

      • Pairing systems that do not seek to minimize repeat encounters should detail their pairing method for approval in their application.

    • If the pairing method includes wind assignments, any two competitors who have a repeat encounter must be seated differently relative to each other.

Game Proceedings and Standards

  • Staff should give players a verbal time warning at a minimum when there are 30 minutes remaining and 5 minutes remaining. 

  • At the beginning of South 1, it is recommended that players do a score check by laying their point sticks on the table and clearly announcing their points to the other players. At the beginning of each all-last hand (South 4 or any hand after time is called), points should be counted and written down for reference during the hand.

  • Headphones or sunglasses may not be worn at the table.

  • Usage of phones, smartwatches, and similar electronic devices are not permitted once a game has started until the conclusion of the game.

    • As an exception, if a tournament is scoring hands via an approved application such as the Pacific Mahjong League scoremj website, use of a smartphone is allowed but only for that purpose. 

  • Foreign objects such as notebooks and racks are not permitted at the table.

    • A small notepad or post-it may be provided by the organizer for competitors to record their scores from previous games when competitively necessary, such as in set play formats or multiple hanchan playoffs.

  • Tile racks and other objects used in cases of disability are permitted, but competitors should notify the organizer prior to the event.

  • Smoking and tobacco products in any form are not allowed at the table.

  • Organizers must keep track of all game scores and post results following each round in an accessible location or website available to all competitors, so that they know their standing and score prior to each round.

Playoffs

  • It is not required for a tournament to have a playoff. For instance, full scramble events from start to finish are acceptable.

  • There are no set playoff formats, and organizers are free to submit their own playoff format.

  • For qualified competitors in the playoffs, they are now competing only against the other competitors in the playoffs and cannot place below the lowest playoff seed. (e.g. Anyone in a Top 8 with a playoff cannot fall below 8th place)

  • If points are carried over from the qualification session, players’ scores can be halved, quartered, or some other mathematical decrease, before carrying over to the playoffs. A player’s final score is the sum of this carried score plus their scores from the playoff round(s).

  • If points are not carried over, then there must be a minimum of two rounds between cuts.

Tournament Prize(s)

  • Tournaments may or may not offer a prize.

  • With regards to prize money, organizers should consult with state gambling laws on appropriate prize pools.  Each state has different laws pertaining to gambling and games of skill.

Tournament Reporting 

  • After the event, the organizer must submit the following to ARA containing:

    • A list of the players in the event.

    • The results for each player in each round.

    • The final standings.

    • Anonymous listing of tournament chombo, dead hand, and other penalties.

    • Comments about how the event ran.

    • A report on any significant incidents or disturbances.

    • A full report on any serious infractions of the rules, including any disqualifications.

    • The player list, results, standings, and significant instances must be submitted within 72 hours of the event. The remaining elements must be submitted within 14 days of the event. 

  • Results must be uploaded into the ARA Database.

  • In case of ambiguity or disagreements about how to apply the rules, the organizers must make a good faith effort to interpret the rules to the best of their ability. We recommend such cases are documented as they occur for recordkeeping and clarification from ARA.

Denial or Rescindment of Certification

  • If a request for tournament certification is denied, the ARA board will schedule a call with the petitioning Tournament Organizer to review what aspects of their tournament caused it to be denied, and give them an opportunity to petition their case, or revise their tournament format to meet certification standards. 

  • A certified tournament may have their certification rescinded if and not limited to:

    • The standards listed in this document are found to have not been met in an egregious way during the event

    • Results are fraudulent; for example, a listing of fake names, etc.

    • The tournament rules were drastically changed to a non-approved ruleset on the day of the tournament, without informing the general public and ARA.

    • A competitor was proven to have cheated, but the host refused to disqualify them.

  • If the certification for a tournament is at risk of rescindment, the ARA board will reach out to the TO to open dialogue on the matter prior to its rescindment. Rationale will be provided and there will be an opportunity to make a case against rescindment.