About FIIM Rules

Author: Vitaly - mr. Koteo (Brisbane Mafia Club)

What FIIM Is

FIIM (The Federation of Intellectual Games “Mafia”) is the international governing body that standardises the rules, procedures, and competitive system of the Sport Mafia.

If you think of chess having FIDE, tennis having ITF, and boxing having WBA/WBC — Mafia has FIIM.

Their responsibilities include:

• publishing the official rulebook

• defining judging standards

• regulating tournaments

• resolving disputes

• maintaining fairness and consistency across clubs

If a tournament anywhere in the world claims to follow “official Mafia rules,” they mean FIIM rules.

The rules you see in this book follow the July 2025 FIIM edition , translated and adapted for English-speaking players.

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Why FIIM Rules Matter

Mafia works only when everyone agrees on how the game is played.

FIIM rules exist to:

• remove ambiguity (“What happens if two players tie?” “Can Don check on Night 1?”)

• ensure fairness

• make games replayable and judgeable

• standardise tournaments across dozens of countries

• protect players from misunderstandings

• define the exact sequence of actions

If you change small details, the game becomes something else entirely. For example:

• The order of speaking matters.

• The specific gesture system matters.

• The meaning of “leaving the table” matters.

• The difference between a misfire and no kill matters.

• What happens when voting ties twice matters.

Without universal rules, two clubs can play completely different games under the same name.

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Where to Find the Rules

FIIM publishes and updates the rules on their official platforms. Updates may include:

• clarifications

• new penalties

• reworded definitions

• changes to procedures

• additional comments from the FIIM Rules Committee

The rulebook often includes commentaries (“СК ФИИМ comments”), which explain how to interpret tricky moments. Those commentaries are considered official guidance even though they are not part of the base text.

This book includes:

• A clean, reader-friendly explanation (Official game framework)

• Practical gameplay guidance (Mafia game in details, Role Fundamentals, Strategy Foundations)

• The official unmodified Russian rules in Appendix A (for reference)

You do not need to know Russian — everything relevant is translated and adapted.

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How to Read and Interpret FIIM Rules

FIIM rules are written legally, not pedagogically. They assume the reader already understands the game.

Here are some key principles for interpreting them:

1. Words like “moment,” “phase,” and “order” are extremely literal

For example:

• “The moment a player leaves the table is the moment of result announcement.” This affects speech rights, penalties, and Don/Sheriff actions.

2. “Night” and “Day” are procedural, not narrative

For example:

• Night 1 is not a “real night.” Roles are assigned during Night 1. Dark players meet only once. Sheriff does not check until Night 2.

(Exactly as described in the official rules, §4.1–4.2)

3. Judge gesture rules are strict

Judge gestures must follow official FIIM standards (§9). Improvisation is not permitted.

Table/Players gestures are more flexible.

4. Judge decisions follow a fixed algorithm

Judges do not “freestyle.” They follow required steps:

• order of speeches

• confirmation of nominations

• tie-breaking rules

• the exact sequence of night actions

• what happens if someone is disqualified

5. “Last word” is a guaranteed right

A player eliminated by voting or by night kill always receives a one-minute last word, except in certain disqualification cases.

6. Comments from FIIM (СК) resolve ambiguity

If a phrase feels unclear, check the commentary — FIIM has already explained nearly all edge cases.

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Common Misunderstandings

Even experienced players routinely get confused by certain FIIM rules. Here are the most common misconceptions — and their correct interpretation.

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Misunderstanding #1 — “Night 1 is a full night.”

Incorrect: People think Night 1 includes checks. Correct: Night 1 is ONLY:

• role assignment

• dark team introduction

• Don declaring order of future shots

• Sheriff confirming identity (no check)

(§4.1–4.2)

No checks happen on Night 1.

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Misunderstanding #2 — “Judge calls Don separately on Night 1.”

This was common in older rules.

Correct (2025 rules): Don wakes only with Mafia on Night 1, identifies themselves, and does not get a solo check on Night 1.

Solo checks start Night 2.

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Misunderstanding #3 — “Voting ties → remove both players.”

Sometimes players assume that a tie automatically removes everyone tied.

Correct:

When there is a tie for the highest number of votes:

1. Only the tied players give extra (short) speeches.

2. A second vote happens between the same tied players.

3. If it’s still tied:

   • The Judge/Game-master asks the table to vote on a proposal to eliminate all tied players.

   • If the majority supports this proposal, all tied players leave (except in specific forbidden cases like a 3-way tie on 9 players, or a 3-way tie at 3-handed endgame).

   • If there is no majority for eliminating all, nobody leaves and Night begins.

So:

Tie → extra speeches → second vote → if still tied, table votes whether to eliminate all tied players; if that fails, nobody leaves and Night starts.

We’ll go through the detailed edge cases and critical-count situations (like 9 players, 4 players, 3 players) in later chapters of this book.

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Misunderstanding #4 — “If someone leaves by disqualification, voting continues.”

Correct: If a player gets a 4th warning or a disqualifying foul, and they were not the one being voted on:

• Voting is cancelled

• Day ends

• Night begins

(§7.1–7.2)

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Misunderstanding #5 — “Shots must be pointed at a specific player.”

Incorrect: pointing fingers Correct: FIIM requires the pistol trigger motion:

• hand upwards

• wrist motion

• no pointing at players

(§4.5.3)

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Misunderstanding #6 — “If Mafia aim differently, judge decides which kill counts.”

Correct: If shots differ or a mafia member makes no shot → misfire → no one dies that night. No exceptions.

(§4.5.5)

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Misunderstanding #7 — The “Three-Player Raise” at Nine Players

This is the rule players misunderstand more than almost any other.

The misconception sounds like this:

“At 9 players, we can vote to remove all 3 tied players.”

FIIM explicitly forbids this.

At 9 players:

• You cannot vote to remove all tied players.

• You cannot conduct a “raise three” vote.

If a triple tie happens at 9:

• repeat speeches

• repeat vote

• if still tied → everyone stays, and night begins

(§4.4.12.3–4 and §7.8)

There is no scenario in FIIM where three players leave at 9-handed.

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Misunderstanding #8 — “Players can speak during relaxed seating.”

Correct: During relaxed seating (“свободная посадка”), players must maintain night behaviour:

• masks stay on

• no speaking

• hands above the table

(§4.2.4)

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Misunderstanding #9 — “Voting gesture doesn’t matter.”

The only legal vote is:

• vertical fist

• placed on the table

• immediately after the judge calls the candidate

• held until “Thank you”

Any deviation can be a warning.

(§4.4.5–9)

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Misunderstanding #10 — “Sheriff checks show color verbally.”

Correct: Checks are shown strictly via FIIM gestures:

• Red check → head turn + thumbs up

• Black check → nod + thumbs down

(§9.2–9.3)

No words are used.

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Preparing for the Next Chapter

Now that you understand:

• who creates the rules

• where they come from

• how to read them

• what players misunderstand

• what not to rely on at the table

…it’s time for the chapter most players wish they had on Day 1:

Next Chapter — FIIM Rules Simplified

In that chapter, we take the entire FIIM rulebook — dozens of paragraphs, procedures, exceptions, and technicalities — and condense it into:

• what you must know

• what you can learn later

• a simple glossary

• a beginner-safe checklist for not breaking rules

Think of FIIM Rules Simplified Chapter as the “driver’s license theory test” version of Mafia rules.