Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

How Strict Should I Be?

L

League Leader Terry

New Member
Right now, I'm running a relatively new League in Burlington, NC. At least half of the players are little kids. When I first got involved with this League, I noticed several things that would NOT be allowed in a real tournament:

World Championship cards
Only part of the deck sleeved
Different color sleeves on the same deck
Pile shuffling (think Yu-Gi-Oh cartoon)

How strict on them should I be on these issues? Should I treat the younger kids any different than the older ones?
 
You should tell the little kids nicely that those things are not allowed and tell them how do fix the problem/teach them how to shuffle correctly. They are little kids. They don't know something is wrong unless the are told.
 
there is nothing wrong with playing with the worlds deck cards at league. just let them know that those cards wouldnt be allowed in a tournament.
 
Let them use the Championship decks for league, but not tourny.

Pile Shuffle is not illigal in any of the tournys I have gone to, so let that be legal, just remind them to cut the deck.
 
League Leader Terry said:
World Championship cards
Only part of the deck sleeved
Different color sleeves on the same deck
Pile shuffling (think Yu-Gi-Oh cartoon)
Click to expand...

This should be in the news and gossip section, because it is a very important thread imo.


Anyway:

1. Allow it, just make sure to continuously tell them that the cards are not allowed in tournaments.

2. Big problem. Bring hundreds of penny sleeves to fix this.

3. Also a big problem. Once #2 is fixed, fixing this should be your #1 goal.

4. Not a problem. Just make sure they do it 2-3 times to get a good randomization.
 
By pile shuffling, I mean where they're just taking a fourth to a half of the deck and putting it on the bottom. They do that 2 or 3 times. It doesn't really change the randonization. Now, the ones who don't have sleeves, I'm loathe to riffle shuffle their decks, especially if they have holos. But something needs to be done.

World Championship cards are allowed in League? I didn't know that.

I appreciate the suggestions, guys!
 
in cases like this, I would set up a tournament, and announce it to your players a few weeks ( 3-4 sessions) before hand. then let the kids as a whole know what is tournament legal and what is not.
this gives the kids a reason why they want their decks to be legal, otherwise it's just an abstract concept with no real effect on them.

I would also make a sort of flyer for the tournament along with a check list of sorts that lets them know what they need to do with their decks. make sure their parents get them.

as the sessions before the tournament go on, you'll see who just needed to know what's what, and those who really need help.

A few tournaments with fun stuff they could win under their belt and you'll have all your leauge members tip top in no time.


-CattDreams
 
League Leader Terry said:
By pile shuffling, I mean where they're just taking a fourth to a half of the deck and putting it on the bottom. They do that 2 or 3 times. It doesn't really change the randonization. Now, the ones who don't have sleeves, I'm loathe to riffle shuffle their decks, especially if they have holos. But something needs to be done.
Click to expand...

Teach them to do a 6-pile shuffle followed by a 5-pile shuffle. It is probably the easiest and best way of randomization for kids.

You could set asside some spare time to teach them how to do REAL shuffling if it's a big problem.


World Championship cards are allowed in League? I didn't know that.
Click to expand...

I'm not positive, but this is LEAGUE we're talking about. My inclination says they are allowed.

You'll have to ask PUI for a difinitive answer, though.
 
For League, I tend to go with the "if it's printed, on a card, and in a card sleeve, then it's allowed" for my League. Tourneys, I have to be a little more strict about sleeves and legal stuff. For League, it's pretty much anything goes. That isn't to say I don't make *suggestions*, but certain things are to be let go every once in a while...
 
For the partial sleeved decks, i explain to them that having only certain cards sleeved is kind of like cheating - they know that the sleeved card is probably one of their good cards and if it is prized, that is going to be the first prize they take. Same for rainbow sleeved decks. I'd tell them that they should sleeve it so that everything is sleeved the same or nothing is sleeved. I will let them play after my explaination to them with those decks because usually those decks do not have that much of an advantage as they consist of 4 or 5 different Pokémon types with 1-1-1 lines and maybe 3 Trainers.

World decks are allowed at League - it is a good way for Leaguers to play with a tournament calibur deck. Just remind them that if they want to play in a sanctioned tourney, then they canno use those decks. And if they have some cards from a World deck in their deck, i give them the same explanation as above but i would probably still let them play with it just so they can play.
 
At our league, I allow any cards to be played, since league is supposed to be for fun. Most of they kids who play competitively will play their modified-legal decks at league. I find the kids seem to sort themselves out and play other kids of the same skill level and deck quality anyway. I try to pass on my extra commons and uncommons from the newer sets to the kids who play with the old cards so they get the idea that newer ones are available and can be played as well. Some of the kids will never go to a premier tournament because they can't get their parents to take them, or they just want to play causually, which is what league is for.
 
League should always be a more relaxed atmosphere, especially if you have a lot of younger ones. I don't know how many players you have, but if it's not all that many, perhaps you can even get a bunch of the really inexpensive clear sleeves and give them out as rewards for various things. I know at our store we can get like 100 of them for .89 or so. You can certainly explain to them why it's not good to have the various different sleeves, so that it makes sense to them. At our League we even let them use cards that they make up, as long as they show them to their opponent and they agree to it first. Let's them be creative. And as far a shuffling goes, perhaps some of the older ones can help teach the younger ones how to do it better. Maybe have a little reward if they learn how to shuffle better. It's all about the fun in the League, especially with the younger ones. Let them know how it's different for Tourneys, and by all means explain it to them, but keep the League more relaxed and casual. You'll find as they grow up with the fun of the League, their skill levels and desires to "do it the right way" will grow along with them. :thumb:
 
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