Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Sleeves

R

Reverse_Holo

New Member
What kind of sleeve is not allowed in official tournaments? Because I read about some sleeves that were not allowed because they were bright.
Is there other allowed sleeve than the pre-release ones? Because after some times shuffling, the borders get strange.

And is there any way to make these sleeves don't become, can't find the word, strange in the borders?
 
You can't use sleeves with designs that hit the edge of the sleeve. For example these wouldn't be playable.

You also cannot use sleeves that are in bad condition around the edge of the sleeves.
 
Reverse_Holo said:
What kind of sleeve is not allowed in official tournaments?
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Your answers can be found in the Tournament Rules.

14.2. Card Sleeves

Card sleeves are allowed to be used at Pokémon Organized Play events, provided that they meet the following requirements:

  • All of the sleeves on a deck must be the same color, condition, size, and texture.
  • The fronts of the sleeves are clear, clean, and free of designs, holograms, and emblems that may obscure card information.
  • The sleeves completely cover the entire card, leaving no portion sticking out of the open end.
  • The sleeves are not reflective enough to be used to clearly determine the faces of cards that remain in the deck. A reasonable degree of glossy finish on a sleeve is acceptable, but sleeves that create a mirror-like surface, where the card above it is clearly distinguishable, are not permitted.
  • Each card sleeve contains only one card.
  • The use of sleeves with any form of pattern or artwork on the back of the sleeve is strictly prohibited at all Premier Events, unless the sleeve is an official Pokémon sleeve, where the color along all four edges of the sleeve is identical.
  • The Head Judge of a non-Premier Event has the final say over whether or not art-backed sleeves may be used at that event. Inappropriate sleeve images (as determined by the Head Judge) are strictly prohibited.

The Head Judge has the final say regarding whether a player’s card sleeves may be used in an event.

Players should keep in mind that card sleeves are not a requirement at Pokémon Organized Play tournaments or events. Should a judge inform a player that their sleeves may not be used at an event, the player has the option of replacing the sleeves with more suitable sleeves, or playing without sleeves.
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Tombstoner said:
I've been wondering about bent corners and the such though...
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These are largely a judgment call by the Head Judge, but the key thing to consider is whether the sleeve wear creates a situation where a card can be identified from the back. If all the sleeves have similar wear, then it is less of a problem. The big question is whether the mark allows one to distinguish a specific card from the others.

A corner bend on only one sleeve is a major problem. The same corner bend on every sleeve is less concerning. Also consider thumb marks, scratches, and other distinguishing marks to determine if you should replace a sleeve. If you have any doubt, you are best to replace the sleeve. However, consider how worn your sleeves are when doing this -- if your sleeves are well-worn, putting in one or two brand-new sleeves is a distinguishing mark also! If this is the case, you are better off re-sleeving the entire deck. You can always consult a tournament judge if you think your sleeves have developed an issue.

The higher-level the event, the more pristine your sleeves are likely to need to be. In Seniors at Nationals this year, if a deck had more than 5 or 6 sleeves with noticeable thumb marks or scratches, the player was asked to re-sleeve the entire deck. More severe marks resulted in prize penalties, but re-sleeves were enforced regardless of the issuance of any game-altering penalty.

Reverse_Holo said:
Is there any suggestion of tournament legal sleeve that can be used long time? :confused:
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I am personally a fan of KMC sleeves from Japan (one place you can purchase them online is here). They are thick and hold up well.

But keep in mind, even the best sleeve will not stand up to the rigors of a large all-day tournament. So I personally recommend when going into an event:

  1. Always start the day with brand-new, never-played sleeves.
  2. Always come prepared with enough extra sleeves to re-sleeve your entire deck over the course of the event if it becomes necessary.
 
The challenge is when you have say a junior who has a hard time shuffling slippery new sleves. I was told by two higher judges to use sleves about a week or so to have them not be so slippery.
 
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Read the entire sentence regarding the use of Pokemon Sleeves.

... unless the sleeve is an official Pokémon sleeve, where the color along all four edges of the sleeve is identical....

Those are not identical on all four sides.
 
I have Ultra Pro Island Green Sleeves, that are slightly seethroughable in the back... Are those legal? Also, the Ultra Pro logo is in the front.. those are annoying...
 
Decisions regarding the legality of the sleeves is totally up to the HJ of the event.

The Tournament Rules are the law of what can / cannot be used. Individual cases, as long as they are following the rules, are the final word of the HJ.
 
My thing is this: Not everyone is able to get to a pre release to get "Official " sleeves, and for those of us just getting into the competitive aspect of the game, this becomes a very hard thing, because people want an arm and a leag for those when trading or buying them Is there any way you guys at go-pokemon.com could set up a web site to sell official merchandise, like the sleeves, deck boxes, etc. Like they do in Japan? It would make it so much easier for all us here in the U.S. I'm not complaining, just curious.

Thanks for reading and for answering in advance. :)
 
Pokemon Sleeves / Deck boxes are not required by anyone to be competitive.

Ultra Pro does sell several Pokemon themed items - Sleeves / Deck Boxes - that are legal for tournament use.

The sleeves pictured above are several years old and those, as well as others, are the reason for the specific rules regarding sleeves.

However, plain, opaque, non - shiny sleeves are just fine for event use as well.
 
most tourneys sell sleeves/ deck boxes i got sleeves at regionals for 3.50 a pack so you can get them at any tourney i beleive
 
You DO NOT have to have Prerelease sleeves or even "official Pokemon" sleeves to play in a sanctioned tournament.

In fact, you can go SLEEVELESS!

or...

You could use...

UltraPro, DragonShield, Max

Max makes a VERY nice "Tournament Sleeves" pack. The texture is insane!
UltraPro is like EVERYWHERE and is like the most popular grab-n-go tournament sleeve
(just avoid the shiny and sparkly metallic ones.. they're not gonna fly. Go for solid colors (non-metallic)
DragonShields = expensive, but they're dense. They are thicker and are known for quality and endurance.

Official Prerelease sleeves are, sometimes, great. It really depends on the year. Some are very shabby and will have you stressed out trying to swap out sleeves (when they Break during gameplay!)
Others last FOREVER ...ever... ever... ever... (or so it seems)

I don't know about you guys, but I'm STILL rockin' the eevee sleeves and the Regigigas sleeves are still takin' a knockin-and-keep-on-a-rockin too :)
 
butterfree67 said:
My thing is this: Not everyone is able to get to a pre release to get "Official " sleeves, and for those of us just getting into the competitive aspect of the game, this becomes a very hard thing, because people want an arm and a leag for those when trading or buying them Is there any way you guys at go-pokemon.com could set up a web site to sell official merchandise, like the sleeves, deck boxes, etc. Like they do in Japan? It would make it so much easier for all us here in the U.S. I'm not complaining, just curious.

Thanks for reading and for answering in advance. :)
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You don't need official PR sleeves, and if you had them, frankly I wouldn't use them anyway.

I trade for them and give them away to kids at league as a reward for playing exceptionally well, or just for my own kicks and giggles. They tend to stick and have irritatingly sharp corners.

Shell out the $8-10 for Dragon Shields. They're long-lasting, they feel wonderful from the first to their (sadly) last use, and completely legal. Having used a vast majority of the brands of sleeves out there, I'd go with these.
 
Ya dragon shields are very nice just don't shuffle super hard and don't get them dirty to the point where there are dirt marks on them ,and if you can't find them try ultra pro cheap and since you have to have 60 you have to buy 2 packs for a total of 100 wich gives you 40 extra in case some break or crack.
 
corrupti0n said:
I have Ultra Pro Island Green Sleeves, that are slightly seethroughable in the back... Are those legal? Also, the Ultra Pro logo is in the front.. those are annoying...
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I don't think this was answered, so if the card in the sleeve that can be seen through has any markings on the back or is Japanese, those sleeves aren't allowed, but otherwise they are.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys! I've been buying those pokemon sleeves that were shown above, because I thought the had to be that way, and that's all my local dealer carries, these, or those ones that are all shiny with the weird pics of dragons and sexy witches on them, etc. So I'll just stok up on those Dragon shields then! Thanx again! :)

I still think it would be cool if POP DID have a website set up to buy official merchandise, since the pokemon centers are gone, setting it up online just seems right! I could finally get my hubby the T-Tar Plush he's been searching for! LOL
 
Thanks everyone, I think I'll get the Dragon Shield one. And another question, about Play Mats, is there any rules for them? And is there a Pokémon play mat?
 
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