Pokémon TCG Tournament Rules (Play! Pokémon)

Thinking about entering your first Pokémon TCG tournament? Official events run under Play! Pokémon, and the rules are spread across two documents. The Tournament Rules Handbook covers every Play! Pokémon game, and the TCG Tournament Handbook adds the rules specific to the card game. This page sums up the basics from both. Both documents show a last revision date of May 21, 2026.

Deck rules

• Constructed decks must contain exactly 60 cards.
• A deck may not contain more than 4 copies of a single card, as defined by the card’s English language name. Basic Energy cards are the exception.
• Constructed matches are played for 6 Prize cards.
• Limited decks (Sealed and draft events) must contain exactly 40 cards and are played for 4 Prize cards. In Limited there is no limit on cards with the same name unless the card’s own text says otherwise.
• All Play! Pokémon Championship Series events require players to complete a deck list.
• Proxies may only be used in the specific situation the handbook allows. Otherwise, proxies may not be used at Play! Pokémon tournaments.

Formats

• Constructed formats: Standard, Expanded and Unlimited. Standard and Expanded legality is set by regulation marks and set lists in the handbook. Unlimited decks may contain cards from any Pokémon TCG expansion.
• Newly released cards become legal on the second Friday after that product’s US market release date.
• Limited formats: Sealed, Booster Draft and Build & Battle Draft. In Sealed, players have 30 minutes to build their decks.
• Age divisions: Play! Pokémon, where applicable, splits players into three age divisions: Junior, Senior and Masters. The birth years for each division change every season, so check the current handbook.

Match structure and time

• A match is a game or series of games played against a single opponent. Matches can be a single game, but most are played best-of-three.
• At Championship Series events, Swiss rounds can be single-game or best-of-three at the organizer’s choice. Single-elimination rounds in events that use Swiss plus single elimination must be best-of-three.
• Championship Series rounds must be given at least 30 minutes for a single game and at least 50 minutes for best-of-three.
• When time is called: games in progress do not end right away. Players have 15 additional minutes from when the timer hits 0 to complete an additional three turns (+3 turns). When those 15 minutes are up, the round ends.
• In Swiss rounds a game can end in a tie. In single elimination a winner is required, and unresolved games go to a tiebreaker game.

Sleeves and conduct

• Each sleeve must hold a single card in its entirety, and all sleeves in a deck must be the same color or design, condition, size and texture.
• Sleeve edges must be a single solid color, and sleeves must not be so reflective that they reveal card faces.
• The handbook strongly recommends sleeves with an opaque back.
• Players are expected to follow the direction of tournament staff, be respectful and courteous to all, avoid inappropriate language and inflammatory topics, and be free from the influence of mind-altering substances, including alcohol.

Penalties

The Tournament Rules Handbook lists these penalties. The separate Play! Pokémon Penalty Guidelines take priority over this summary.

• Caution: the most basic penalty. It is verbal and not reported to Play! Pokémon.
• Warning: a reported penalty for a minor issue.
• Double Prize Card Penalty and Quadruple Prize Card Penalty (TCG only): a competitor needs to take two or four fewer Prize cards to win their game.
• Game Loss: used when a mistake severely affects the integrity of the game state.
• Disqualification: the most severe penalty. The player is removed from the standings and cannot receive prizes.

Read the full rules

• Play! Pokémon TCG Tournament Handbook (PDF)
• Play! Pokémon Tournament Rules Handbook (PDF)
• Play! Pokémon Rules & Resources