Does the new change to Section 2.12 of the MTR mean that players cannot use electronic devices to track life totals at Competitive REL events?

Correct. The new policy precludes all uses of electronic devices when players are seated for their match, which includes life total tracking.

Would failure to abide by this new policy fall under TE - Outside Assistance?

The Section 2.11 of the MTR also allowed players to look up Oracle text
electronically if they did so publicly. Is that also disallowed under the
change?

No. It would be Outside Assistance only if they're actually receiving outside assistance via their phone. If they're using their phone for some innocent purpose (like keeping life totals), it's just a general violation of the tournament rules, which doesn't have a specific infraction associated with it.

The remedy would simply be to educate them about the rules and ask them to put their phone away. If they do it again, we're into failing to follow a direct instruction territory (which is now USC-Minor and a Warning).

Originally posted by Tomas Sukaitis:

The Section 2.11 of the MTR also allowed players to look up Oracle text
electronically if they did so publicly. Is that also disallowed under the
change?

Toby addressed this one in the IRC - it's fine at Regular, but at Competitive or Professional, it's prohibited just like any other use of an electronic device that isn't specifically authorized.

Edited Dan Collins (April 28, 2014 05:04:52 PM)

In multilingual games, this policy seems to put a huge burden on judges that could potentially slow the tournament down. Players that are wary of CPV will call a judge every time their opponent asks what their foreign language Scavenging Ooze does.

Are there any clever ways to mitigate this?

Judges with portable Oracle and mad phone skills are ubiquitos these days (Ryan Stapleton, this is part of YOUR legacy!). I don't see this being the problem it was just a few years back…

So just to clarify, this means that players can't listen to music while
playing a match, right?

Assuming that the music is produced by an electronic device….they cannot
listen to it

Originally posted by Scott Marshall:

I don't see this being the problem it was just a few years back…

When it wasn't really a problem either ;)

So…
1. taking photo of the decklist for sideboarding purpose is okay
2. referring to the said photo is okay before and after the match
3. referring to the said photo is NOT okay during the match and between games

All three above is true ?

I think you can refer to it between games if you have a printer handy . . .


Are we encouraging players to join this kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1686304142/the-mini-mobile-robotic-printer?

Originally posted by Charlotte Sable:

So just to clarify, this means that players can't listen to music while playing a match, right?

Hand cranked phonographs are, of course, acceptable.

Originally posted by Shing Nien Fong:

So…
1. taking photo of the decklist for sideboarding purpose is okay
2. referring to the said photo is okay before and after the match
3. referring to the said photo is NOT okay during the match and between games

All three above is true ?

Seems correct. Generally, there is no reason to reference the decklist photo until the match is over and you're getting your deck reset for a new match, so this doesn't seem like a problem. :)