When is a Match Loss penalty applied?

A Match Loss penalty is applied when an infraction occurs during an ongoing match, impacting the game's integrity or fairness. This ensures that the consequences of the infraction directly affect the match currently in progress, rather than applying penalties in ways that could disconnect the outcome from the infraction that caused the penalty.

For instance, if a player commits a serious infraction, the immediate context of that infraction is crucial for determining the appropriate penalty. This prevents players from potentially benefiting from rules violations if the penalty were to apply after the match has concluded or affect future matches instead of the current one.

In contrast, once a match has concluded, applying a Match Loss might not address the circumstances that led to the behavior since the match's outcome is already decided. Similarly, penalizing the next match would not be appropriate as the situation should address the current match context. Lastly, allowing a judge to apply a Match Loss at their discretion without regard for the ongoing match would undermine the structured enforcement of rules necessary for fair play.