PokePopCast 6: Major Change to “Drawing an Extra Card Penalty” and Other Updates

Pokemon Organized Play has updated all of their tournament documents.  These documents can be found at the Rules and Resources page on the Pokemon website: https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/about/tournaments-rules-and-resources/

Below is a summary of the significant changes in those documents. We also have an analysis of the most important changes on the latest PokePopCast, focusing on the major change in the penalty for “Drawing an extra card. You can check out the PopCast here: https://youtu.be/uh–USnPcp4

So, what is new and different?

Tournament Operations Procedure

Section 3.1.3: Late Player Registration
If Championship Points are available from the event, then players cannot be added after the second round.
Section 4: Posting Pairings
Match Slips are now required at all Premiere Events (I’m sure they don’t mean Prereleases, but everything else that gives Championship Points)
Matches cannot be altered or corrected after the 2nd round following the occurrence. Players are required to check that their standings are correct when checking pairings and request corrections in a timely manner.

Tournament Sanctioning Regulations

Section 6: Maintaining Records
The contents of any player’s deck or team may be published by the Organizer at any time once the event has begun, provided that this information is publicly accessible, and that the publication of such data is part of an initiative that provides additional value to those attending or watching the event. [Note: This change is referenced in multiple documents. We will shortcut it as “Player Deck Contents” for the following documents.]

TCG Rules and Formats

Section 4: Deck Registration
“Player Deck Contents”, described above.
Section 5: Deck Checks
Players may be required to order their deck to match their deck list for deck checks. [Note: not really a new practice, but now documented]

General Event Rules

Section 5: Publishing Tournament Information
“Player Deck Contents”, described above.
Section 8: Note Taking
Players must translate notes in a foreign language if needed by the judge.
Section 10.1: Conceding a Match
Players cannot wait for other matches to resolve or check standings during their match to help decide whether to concede or draw. Those may be checked between rounds, but once the match has started, players cannot reference outside information to assist in this determination.

Penalty Guidelines

Section 7.1.2: Game Play Error Major
“Drawing an Extra Card” has been moved from Game Play Error Minor to Major with penalties increasing from Caution/Warning to Warning/Prize Loss for Tier 1/Tier 2 Events. Also, the fix has been changed from “Reveal and Replace” to “Reveal and Shuffle”.  [Huzzah!]
Section 7.4.1: Slow Play
Pokemon has directed that the penalty for Slow Play is to escalate to Prize Loss on the 2nd occurrence.
Section 7.4.2: Rushing
Judges are directed to determine if the Rushing is being used to distract or intimidate their opponent, which could lead to a Disqualification!
Section 9: Suspension
Pokemon has clarified that suspended players cannot even be a spectator at a Pokemon Organized Play event.