TCG Co. TCG Penalty Guidelines

V1.0 2019/02/23

1. Preface
1a. Outline
The purpose of this document is to outline the handling of issues that may occur during events that utilize TCG Co. card
games and products.
Many terms in this document are define din the TCG Floor Rules document. Please refer to that document if there is any
confusion about such a term.

2. Entry Contents
2a. Outline
During an event, if a participant purposefully or unconsciously causes a problematic event, the officials of that event mustassign a penalty befitting the misconduct as described by this document. The next chapter describes penalties in moredetail, the following segment outlines the contents listed in the remainder of the document.

2b. Contents
2b-i. Synopsis of Violations
Each item’s name in this section is a classification of infraction level, explaining each level by their resulting
punishment.

2b-ii. Violation Examples
This section provides examples of actions that would result in violation penalties outlined in section 2b-i.

2b-iii. Penal Regulations
This is what is applied to the violator(s) for their misconduct.

2b-iv. CorrespondenceThis is what is done when repairing the damage caused by misconduct. What is done depends on the particularinfraction.

3. Penal Regulations Details
3a. Outline
Penalties are assigned in proportion to the infraction in question. This section details what each type of penalty entails.

3b. Verbal Warning
Verbal warnings are given only at casual tournaments, or in the case of very minor infractions.
In casual tournaments, verbal warnings can be issued in most cases, excepting for things specifically recorded in the
Penal Regulations Details. Verbal warnings comprise of advice to a player to incite caution and greater effort to prevent asimilar such infraction in the future.
Verbal Warnings typically have no need to be recorded and are issued immediately as needed. However, the issuing official
should make sure that the misconduct was not done intentionally, and should watch to affirm that the infraction does not
happen repeatedly.

3c. Formal Warning
Formal warnings are the base level penalty for violations during competitive tournaments, and are issued similarly toverbal warnings in casual tournaments.
When issuing a formal warning, an official must record the statement.

3d. Game Loss
Game losses are a penal regulation assigned when a game’s progress has become impeded, or a game state has become
otherwise improper via the misconduct of a player or players.
When assigned a game loss during a game, the current game that player is playing immediately ends in their loss. If that
player is currently between games or between matches that player automatically loses the next game that they would
play in the course of the tournament. The issuing official must record this penalty.
In single game match formats, a game loss becomes a match loss.

3e. Match Loss
A match loss is a heavy penalty for non-intentional misconduct.
A player in the middle of a game immediately ends that game and the match that game is a part of ends with that player
losing that match. If the player is between matches they lose the next match that they would play in the course of thetournament. In three game match formats, a player who receives a match loss penalty is treated as having lost twice
during that match.

3f. Disqualification
Disqualification is a penalty for intentional misconduct or for serious unintentional infractions.
Players who receive a disqualification are removed from that tournament. Disqualified players receive no prizes or any
other such things that would be awarded to a player of their standing in that tournament. The entrance fee for adisqualified player is not refunded.
The head judge is responsible for compiling the claims of the penalized player and persons concerned and reporting themto TCG’s office.
Said report must contain the head judges name, the event name, event date, and the penalized person’s name. If relevant,the decklist, player’s personal information, testimonies from persons concerned, and any other information deemedworthy should be included. This report can be E-mailed to (info@tcg.best) with “Penalty Report” included in the subject
line.

3g. Penalty Elevation From Repeated Offenses
If a player repeats the same infraction, or repeatedly performs infractions of a similar nature they incur a penalty
elevation.
Players who have received their third formal warning for infractions that impede upon game progress, or second formal
warning for other repeated misconduct, have their penalty elevated to a game loss.
A player who repeats a game loss infraction, or indulges in misconduct similar enough that it would result in a second
game loss penalty, is elevated to a match loss.
Even if a player commits an infraction that would result in an additional match loss, that penalty is not elevated todisqualification.
In any of the instances described above, officials must investigate to ensure the repeated misconduct is not intentional. If
the infraction(s) is discovered to be intentional, disqualification is the appropriate penalty.

4. Infraction：Game Progress Violation
4a. Game Rule OversightDuring the progress of a game, a rule is overlooked or something is applied incorrectly. Overlooking the triggering of an
automatic ability is classified separately further down in the document.
Ex:⚫ An improper card is targeted for playing or resolving an ability.
⚫ An excess or deficiency was used to pay a cost, or specific elements for a cost were lacking.
⚫ Failure to perform a required action indicated by on a card.
Competitive：The violating player receives a formal warning.

General：Replace the improper action with a proper one. If there is no proper action to replace the improper one with,return the game to a point just before the improper action occurred. If an amount of time has passed in the game suchthat it would be too difficult or otherwise impractical to rewind the game’s state, it may be advisable to correct the
infraction as it relates to the current game state.

4b. Abnormal Game Situation
During the progress of a game, an improper game state is created.
Ex:⚫ Not choosing an option when a card presents options to choose as that card enters the field.
Competitive：The violating player receives a formal warning.
General：The game should be returned to a proper state. Cards should be changed to proper states or moved to properareas accordingly.

4c. Overlooked Trigger.
When an automatic ability’s triggering is overlooked or otherwise ignored. The controller of the card with that ability has
the responsibility of knowing exactly whether or not an automatic ability is triggered, and when.
Properly performing actions of automatic abilities like choosing something (Ex: Choose one) or visible zone movement (Ex:
Banishing a card) is not overlooking a trigger. Furthermore, properly acknowledging non-visible aspects of automaticabilities such as changes in ATK/DEF (Ex: Understanding that a card with 600 ATK deals 800 damage because it has theautomatic ability ‘Whenever this card attacks ⇨ It gains [+200/0] until end of turn.’) is not overlooking a trigger.
Ex:⚫ Not performing an action that should be performed “At the beginning of draw phase”.
⚫ Not performing an action that should be performed “When this card is put into a graveyard from the field”.
Casual: If there is anything that should be done in the game at this moment (cards or abilities on the chase), resolve allof those instances. Then play that automatic ability and continue the game.
Competitive：If the violating player fulfills all of the following conditions, they receive a formal warning.
* That automatic ability did not contain the phrase “you may”, meaning that the automatic ability is a compulsory
action.
* That automatic ability would, in some way, incur a negative upon the player who overlooked it.
If there is anything that should be done in the game at this moment (cards or abilities on the chase), resolve all of thoseinstances. Then the opponent of the player who overlooked the automatic ability decided whether or not to approve theplay of that automatic ability at that current point in time. If they approve, then it is played.
If that automatic ability is accompanied by a card moving to another area, play that automatic ability as normal.

4d. Viewing Excess Cards
When a player views the information of a card or cards that they should not be able to view.
Ex:⚫ The top card of a deck is turned face up.
⚫ Viewing a card that is removed from the game face down.
Competitive：The player who committed the infraction receives a formal warning.
General：The card that only the infringing player looked at is shown to all players.
If the seen card was part of a deck, all parts of the deck that do not have a set/known order, including the card that wasseen illegally, should be shuffled and then returned with the cards that do have a set/known order. (Ex. If a player sees
the top card of their deck illegally on their first turn after they put three cards on the bottom of their deck for theirmulligan, they would separate those three mulligan cards, shuffle the rest of the deck, then return it on top of the threemulligan cards.)

4e. Improper Private Card
A card(s) in a private/hidden zone is in an improper orientation or amount.
Ex:⚫ A player was supposed to draw two cards, but drew three.
⚫ Not revealing a card to one’s opponent when searching their deck for said card, despite being instructed to reveal it by
the searching effect’s text.
Competitive：The infringing player receives a formal warning.
General：The infringing player reveals all cards that are illegally in a private/hidden zone to all other players.
Then, if that hidden/private zone has more cards than it should, the infringing player’s opponent chooses a number ofcards equal to the illegal excess and they are moved to the zone they should rightly be in. (Ex. A player was supposed to
draw two cards, but drew three. That player receives a formal warning and reveals their hand to their opponent. The
opponent then chooses one card and the player puts that card on top of their deck.)

4f. Overlooking a Violation
Failure to notice an opponent’s infringement.
It is the responsibility of both players to ensure that the game is progressing in a proper way. A player who fails to pointout the violation of their opponent receives this penalty.
Competitive：A player to commit this infraction receives a formal warning. Repeated offenses to not result in a penalty
elevation. However, officials should observe and investigate to make sure that repeated offenses are not intentional.

5. Infraction: Tournament Progress Violation
5a. Casual Tournament Regulations and Announcement Violations
Players have the duty to uphold a tournament’s regulations and to obey any official announcements given during said
tournament. If a player commits an act that conflicts with these parameters they receive this penalty. This can be applied
to any aspect of the event.
Ex:⚫ Using electronic devices when they are prohibited.
⚫ Eating in an event space were announcement banning eating has been given.
Casual: Players should immediately abide by any instructions given.
Competitive: A player to commit this infraction receives a formal warning.

5b. Not Abiding By Specific Instructions Violations
Players receive this penalty when they do not abide by specific instructions given to them by an official.
Ex:⚫ A player is discovered after a number of rounds, to not have changed their dirty/damaged card sleeve after being
instructed to do so by an official.
⚫ An official instructs free play players to clear a table for the sake of event progression, and after five minutes they still
have not ended and cleaned up their game.
Casual: Players should immediately abide by official instruction. If the players refuse, they are immediately disqualified
and removed from the event space.
Competitive: That player receives a formal warning. If the players continue to refuse to abide by official instruction, they
are immediately disqualified and removed from the event space.

5c. Insufficient Randomization
Players receive this penalty when they fail to properly shuffle their deck.
Ex:⚫ player has only Hindu shuffled their deck once during their shuffling.

⚫ Shuffling and presenting a deck to an opponent before that opponent has taken their seat.
Competitive: That player receives a formal warning.
General: The deck in question must be shuffled properly.
Players have the responsibility to shuffle visibly in front of their opponent a sufficient number of times, using several
shuffling methods. Generally, players should use a combination of riffle shuffling or something similar (such as mash
shuffling) in combination with another kind of shuffling, doing each several times.
Players should shuffle a sufficient amount to properly randomize the cards, but should also not shuffle so long as tooccupy an improperly long period of time. Particularly, needlessly counting card numbers means that an official should
ascribe a Delay violation to the infringing player.

5d. Late or Incorrect Seating
Players have the responsibility to present requested forms and take their assigned seat when they are instructed to do soby an announcement. Players receive this penalty when they fail to do so on time.
Ex:⚫ Not presenting a form necessary for participation until time limit.
⚫ At the start of a round, a player still has not taken their assigned seat, or is sitting in an incorrect seat.
Competitive: Excluding lateness for the start of a round, the player receives a formal warning.
General: A player who has not taken their seat at the start of the round receives a game loss. 10 minutes after being
instructed to take their seats, a game loss is elevated to a match loss and that player is treated as having withdrawn fromthe tournament. Until the next round, the player in question may speak with an official to remove their withdrawn status,
and that official may choose to allow them back into the tournament again.
Seating assignments are strict and should not be disregarded. Players taking arbitrary empty seats or moving to arbitraryseats should be given a verbal warning by an official.

5e. Slow Progress
A player unintentionally slowing the progress of a game receives this penalty. A player intentionally slowing the progressof a game receives the Delay penalty.
Ex:⚫ A player considering the game state for a needlessly long amount of time, such that it halts the progress of the game.
⚫ Shuffling for a needlessly long amount of time.
Competitive: That player receives a formal warning.
General: An official should issue a verbal warning to push the game’s progress forward before giving a formal warning
about slow progress. After issuing the verbal warning, if the game still appears to be progressing slowly, an official should
issue a formal warning to the infringing player and await proper game progress. (It is highly likely that slow progress will
return to the game, so an official waiting for proper game progress is desirable.)

5f. Marked Card
A player with a card or sleeve that has a clear mark that allows a player to distinguish it from other face down cards
receives this penalty.
Ex:⚫ Certain card sleeves of a player are dog-eared or folded so as to be different from the rest of that player’s card
sleeves.
General: Officials must check to see if the card(s) in question can be distinguished from other face down cards. If thecard(s) in question cannot be distinguished from other face down cards, the player receives a formal warning. The player
is not required to obtain new sleeves for those cards, but an official may request that a player exchange the cards or
sleeves of their sideboard, or exchange a card in a sleeve.
If an official affirms that the card(s) in question can be distinguished from other face down cards, officials must thendetermine if this action was intentional or not. If the marked card(s) is judged to be non-intentional that player receives agame loss, and the infringing player must exchange all of their sleeves. If the marked card(s) is judged to be intentionalthat player receives the [7f. Intentional Violation] penalty.

5g. Outside AssistancePlayers must make decisions during a game on their own. Players who receive outside information or seek outside
information receive this penalty.
Ex:⚫ A spectator speaking about the game such that a player or players in that game can hear them.
⚫ A player checking notes they wrote before a match, during a match.
Competitive: During a match, the player who received outside information or sought outside information receives a gameloss.
General: If the observer who provided outside information isn’t a player, an official may instruct them not to observe
matches for the rest of the tournament.
”During a match” here means from the time match pairings are posted until the match proper ends. During other points oftime, players may freely discuss information.

5h. Communication Violation
Players who do not maintain a proper understanding between both players in such a way that it affects the game, receive
this penalty.
Ex:⚫ There is a difference between each player’s record of life points.
⚫ Realizing a card’s contents are different than when previously checked after the game has progressed.
Competitive: The player recognized as responsible (both players, if needed) receives a formal warning.
General: Both players have the responsibility to ensure the game progresses properly. When a player says something thatis unclear or incorrect, or does or says something that may cause a misunderstanding, that player is treated as
obstructing proper flow of the game.
An official checks the situation, and then restores the game to a correct state as much as possible. The game is thenallowed to continue after the official presents the repaired game to the players. If, and only if, an official is unable to repair
the current game state, the official may rewind the game state to a point when it was correct.

5i. Improper Dice Roll
In a game that uses dice, dice must be rolled properly. Players that do not roll their dice properly receive this penalty.
Ex:⚫ The dice did not roll an adequate amount when thrown.
⚫ Hiding dice with one’s hand, or otherwise preventing an opponent from seeing the result of the roll.
Competitive: The player receives a formal warning.
General: Dice should be observed to ensure they are shaken in the hand an adequate amount and roll on the table anadequate amount. An official may instruct dice to be rolled again if they do not roll an adequate amount.

6. Infraction: Deck Registration Violation
6a. Improper Deck List
If a player turns in a deck list with contents that are not allowed by the rules, they receive this penalty.
Ex:⚫ On a deck list, a card’s listed number of copies is below the number in the deck proper.
⚫ On a deck list, a card that is not part of the tournament’s format is written.
⚫ A player fails to write their full name on their deck list.
Competitive: That player receives a formal warning.

General: The player’s deck should be checked. If the deck is proper, the deck list should be revised to accurately reflect
the deck’s contents. If the deck itself is also improper, the player receives the [6b. Improper Deck] penalty.

6b. Improper Deck
A player that prepares a deck that does not follow the rules for the event, receives this penalty. Lost cards or cards fromthe side deck that have mistakenly not been returned, are handled under a separate section.
Ex:⚫ The number of cards in a deck is less than the deck minimum.
⚫ The deck includes a card or cards that are not permitted in the event’s format.
General: That player receives a game loss.
If that player’s deck list is correct, the player has until the next game to edit their deck such that it is identical to thecontents listed on their deck list.
If there is no deck list or the deck list is improper, the player receives a match loss instead of a game loss. Then theplayer removes any improper cards or any copies exceeding the maximum, then adds cards to create a proper deck. If
necessary, the player’s deck list should be updated to reflect this new, proper, deck.

6c. Lost Card(s)A player that realizes one or more cards from the deck they prepared are missing, receives this penalty
Ex:⚫ A player’s opponent from a previous match took a portion of the player’s deck.
⚫ A card fell out of the deck, and the deck’s total cards are insufficient.
General: If the player with the lost card calls a judge, they may search for the card, or find an identical replacement during
game set up time. If there is a deck list, an official should use it to check the contents of the deck.
If the card cannot be find within the game set up time, if that card is a card in the sideboard, the player may choose toplay the rest of the tournament without that card. If they do, there is no further penalty.
If it is a card in the deck that is missing, and the player cannot find a replacement within the game set up time, that player
receives a game loss. After they receive the game loss, they have an additional ten minutes to find a replacement. If theycannot, that player receives a match loss. Then, that deck should be treated the same as an improper deck.

6d. Forgetting to Return a Side Deck Card
Players who do not have their side board identical to how it was constructed during the first game in a three game match,
receive this penalty.
Ex:⚫ A player draws a card from their deck during the first game of a match that should be in that player’s side deck.
General: That player receives a game loss.
If a card that should be in the side deck is in a player’s hand at the start of the game, if that player immediately calls a
judge, an official may reduce the penalty to a formal warning. If so, the player then can correct their sideboard and start
the game over from the beginning. If this happens sometime into the progress of the game, this penalty reduction cannot
be applied.

7. Infraction: Illegal Act or Intentional Violation
7a. Instigation or Immoral Actions
A player who acts without proper manners or conduct, or instigates/provokes, receives this penalty.
Ex:⚫ Leaving refuse such as open plastic bottles or paper scraps on a table after playing.
⚫ scorn or disrespect an opponent’s playing.
⚫ Ripping cards in retaliation to losing⚫ Refusing to stop excessively shuffling after being asked to stop by an opponent.
General: That player receives a formal warning.

7b. Intimidation or Discriminatory Actions
Players who insult opponents or officials, intimidate them, or otherwise berate them for a racist/sexist reason, receive
this penalty.
Ex:⚫ Insulting an opponent based on their gender.
⚫ Threatening a judge for their ruling.
⚫ Giving vulgar gestures to an opponent.
General: That player is disqualified.

7c. Damaging Acts or Acts of Theft
Players who damage the property of the event space or other players or steal property of the event space or otherplayers, receive this penalty.
Ex:⚫ Stealing pens to be used for official recording.
⚫ Using a ticket or official document for life point recording instead of a player’s own paper.
⚫ Stealing an opponent’s bag as revenge for a loss.
General: That player is disqualified.

7d. Violence
Players who commit any kind of violent act receive this penalty.
Ex:⚫ Kicking away the chair a player is sitting in.
⚫ Grabbing or seizing a player in any way.
General: That player is disqualified.

7e. Match Results Manipulation
Players who attempt to alter or change the results of a match or matches receive this penalty.
Ex:⚫ Promising to concede in exchange for a portion of a prize.
⚫ Deciding the winner of a match via something like dice rolling.
General: That player is disqualified. However, if it is during Single Elimination Finals and both players agree, then they may
have one player concede and split the prize.

7f. Intentional Violation
A player that realizes that an infraction has been committed and continues to play regardless, or a player that
intentionally commits an infraction, receives this penalty.
Ex:⚫ A player draws a card that should be in their side deck during the first game of a three game match, and decides tokeep it because it is to their advantage.
⚫ Realizing that an opponent’s life point total is mistaken and going along with it because it is to a player’s advantage.
⚫ Intentionally drawing more cards than one is supposed to.
General: That player is disqualified.

7g. Lying or Concealing Information from Officials
A player concealing information by way of omission or lie because it is to their advantage, receives this penalty.
Ex:⚫ Not calling out a player’s infraction as it happens and instead waiting until a more advantageous point to call a judge.
⚫ Lying to a judge to influence the outcome of a ruling such that it is in a player’s favor.
General: That player is disqualified.

7h. Delay
Players who intentionally abuse time limits receive this penalty.
Ex:⚫ A player with a 1-0 lead in a three game match constantly checking graveyards as the time limit draws near.
⚫ A player who knows they will lose as the time limit draws near, spends a long time checking their hand, despite having
no means to win.
General: That player is disqualified.