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Compliance

Tournament Rules Compliance

Last updated: 23/06/2026

A single reference for organisers and judges: every Pokémon TCG tournament rule TopCut helps you monitor, mapped to its official rulebook citation, and how TopCut behaves in Official (sanctioned) events versus Casual events.

Use Official rules when you run a sanctioned event — TopCut then locks the official structure (Tournament Rules Handbook round-time floors, official pairing, birth-year age divisions) so the event matches handbook requirements. Use Casual for everything else — the same integrity engine still applies (penalties, disqualifications, result validation, final placement, tiebreakers), but configuration is left flexible for the organiser.

Yes — enforced by TopCut Partial — advisory or organiser-configured No — organiser responsibility / not built

Registration & eligibility

  • Age divisions by birth year

    Junior ≥2014 · Senior 2010–2013 · Masters ≤2009 (2026 season).

    Official source: TRH §5.1.3

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutDivision is derived server-side from birth year + season; a missing birth year blocks registration.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredOrganiser/player-set division; birth year is not enforced.

  • Decklist collection & deadline lock

    Championship Series events require decklists; lock after the deadline.

    Official source: TCG-HB §3

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutTemplates require decklists; staff lock them and missing lists block export readiness.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredOptional — organiser chooses whether to collect lists.

Deck legality

  • Standard regulation marks H / I / J

    G has rotated to Expanded-only for the 2026 Standard format.

    Official source: TCG-HB §4.1.1

    Official
    Official event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredDraft guidance only — never judge-authoritative; final legality is the staff's call.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredSame advisory check in both formats.

  • 60-card constructed (max 4 per name); exactly 40 for Limited

    Basic Energy is exempt from the 4-copy limit.

    Official source: TCG-HB §4 / §5.1.1

    Official
    Official event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredClient-side draft guidance; staff remain authoritative.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configured

  • Standard-legal promos by card number + legal date

    Specific SVP/MEP/SWSH promos are legal independent of regulation mark.

    Official source: TCG-HB §4.1.1

    Official
    Official event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredDated promo allow-list in the deck validator (advisory); date-gated promos are withheld until legal.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configured

Deck checks

  • Deck checks at Championship Series, ≥10% coverage

    Official source: TCG-HB §3.2

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutRandom-sample + targeted assignment, coverage tracker, and a readiness warning below 10%.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredAvailable, but optional for casual events.

  • A deck-check issue links to its penalty

    Official source: PG §4.1.1

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutRecording an issue raises the linked penalty (gated by the Head-Judge rule) and stamps the link.
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

Pairings & structure

  • Swiss pairing by record, no rematches

    Official source: TRH §5.5.1

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutOfficial TRH pairing is forced (manual pairing is locked on the floor).
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredTRH pairing by default, but the organiser may pair/re-pair manually.

  • Swiss round count & cut size by player count

    TRH Variant #2 / #3 round-and-cut tables.

    Official source: TRH §5.5.4.1

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutRecommended/auto-applied from the official bands for the player count.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredOrganiser sets rounds and cut freely.

  • Late entry permitted through round 3

    Official source: TRH §5.2.2

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutLate add with a round-1 match-loss (or bye-skip) per the handbook.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredOrganiser choice — round loss OR manual pair & play.

Round timing

  • Swiss round time floors (BO1 ≥30 / BO3 ≥50 min)

    Official source: TRH §5.5.6

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutEnforced at event creation — a shorter time is rejected.
    Casual
    Casual event: Not enforced by TopCutNo floor — organiser sets any duration.

  • Top Cut round time ≥75 min

    Official source: TRH §5.5.6

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutEnforced at event creation when a Top Cut is configured.
    Casual
    Casual event: Not enforced by TopCutNo floor.

  • End of round: time called → current turn + 3 more turns; tiebreaker game won by first Prize card; Tardiness Clause

    Official source: TCG-HB §7.4.3

    Official
    Official event: Not enforced by TopCutNot yet modelled — TopCut shows an overtime timer status only; judges apply the procedure manually.
    Casual
    Casual event: Not enforced by TopCutSame — manual.

Match results & scoring

  • Match points: Win 3 · Tie 1 · Loss 0

    Official source: TRH §5.3.2

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCut
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

  • Reported outcome must agree with the game tally

    The declared winner must have more games than the loser; a draw is equal.

    Official source: TCG-HB §7.4

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutServer rejects a result whose outcome contradicts the game count.
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

  • Game Loss / Match Loss penalties carry into the result

    Match Loss → the opponent takes the match. Game Loss → recorded against the game; it only decides the match if the game tally reaches the best-of majority (BO3, the event default: at 1-1 it ends the match, at 0-0 or 1-0 play continues; BO1 → the single game is the match). Prize-card penalties, cautions, and warnings are recorded only — no standings effect.

    Official source: PG §4.1.1.3 / §4.1.1.4

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutApplied through the result so standings reflect the consequence.
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

Standings & tiebreakers

  • Win % = wins ÷ rounds (a draw is not a win)

    Floored at 25%, capped at 100% (75% if dropped).

    Official source: TRH §5.3.3.1

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCut
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

  • Tiebreaker order: MP → Opp Win % → Opp-Opp Win % → head-to-head → random

    Game Win % is not a tiebreaker.

    Official source: TRH §5.5.1.1

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCut
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

  • Final placement reflects the Top Cut bracket, not the Swiss seed

    Official source: TRH §5.5.2.2 / §5.5.3

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutChampion / placement / TOM export reconcile with the single-elimination result.
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

Penalties & integrity

  • Penalty severity ladder: Caution → Warning → Prize Loss → Game/Match Loss → DQ

    Official source: PG §3.1–§3.7

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutAll severities recordable with category + reason, captured in the audit log.
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

  • Penalties above a Warning require Head-Judge confirmation

    Official source: PG §4.2

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutA Game/Match Loss or DQ requires high-trust (Head Judge / organiser) authority.
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

  • A DQ is prize-ineligible but retains historical standings

    DQ = Match Loss; the standings do not otherwise change.

    Official source: TRH §4.6.2 / PG §4.1.1.6

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutForce-drop + prize-ineligible marker; kept in standings.
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

  • Penalty records are tamper-evident (audited, RPC-only)

    Official source: PG §6

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutPenalties cannot be edited/deleted directly — every change is an audited RPC.
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

  • Every disqualification needs a Head-Judge report before reporting

    Official source: PG §6.2

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutAn unreported DQ blocks export; the package carries the report + a 7-day reminder.
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCut

  • Players may always appeal to the Head Judge

    Official source: PG §4.2

    Official
    Official event: Not enforced by TopCutNo in-product appeals workflow yet — handled off-platform by the Head Judge.
    Casual
    Casual event: Not enforced by TopCut

Top Cut

  • Top Cut size by player count (Top 2 / 4 / 8 / 16)

    Official source: TRH §5.5.4.1

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutRecommended from the official bands.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredOrganiser sets the cut size (or none).

  • Single-elimination bracket seeded from final Swiss standings

    Official source: TRH §5.5.3

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCut
    Casual
    Casual event: Enforced by TopCutApplies whenever a Top Cut is configured.

Reporting & export

  • Penalty Summary & Disqualification Reports for submission

    Submitted to Play! Pokémon within seven days of the event.

    Official source: PG §6 / §6.2

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutGenerated in the export package; TopCut does not submit to Play! Pokémon (use the official tool).
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredGenerated if penalties/DQs were recorded.

  • TOM-compatible results export

    Official source: TCG-HB §3

    Official
    Official event: Enforced by TopCutTOM export payload for official reporting; official submission stays in the required tool.
    Casual
    Casual event: Supported — advisory or organiser-configuredAvailable, but casual events are not reported to Play! Pokémon.

Conduct

  • Players & staff uphold the Standards of Conduct

    Official source: SoC (whole document)

    Official
    Official event: Not enforced by TopCutOrganiser/judge responsibility — enforced via penalties, not automated by TopCut.
    Casual
    Casual event: Not enforced by TopCutOrganiser responsibility.

Source & provenance. Citations reference the April 2026 Play! Pokémon documents — Tournament Rules Handbook (TRH), TCG Tournament Handbook (TCG-HB), Penalty Guidelines (PG), Standards of Conduct (SoC), League/Cup/ Prerelease Guide (LCC), and Store Handbook (SH). The official documents remain the authoritative text; always defer to the current versions on pokemon.com.

TopCut is an independent community platform — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Pokémon Company International or Nintendo, and not a source of official rulings or card legality. For sanctioned events, follow the official rules and use the required official tools (e.g. TOM / Play! Tools) where they apply. See our Brand Safety & Rights Holder Information page for more.