Penalty There are 5 types of Penalties : Judges must use only these penalties , and may not create or implement new ones . A . Caution . A Caution can be used instead of a Warning , for Tier 1 events . The Caution is intended as a teaching tool for newer players , and does not need to be tracked on the Match Result Slip . Judges should share information on Cautions amongst themselves , to ensure players are being properly educated . Cautions may not be used for Tier 2 events such as Regional Qualifiers and Yu - Gi - Oh ! Championship Series tournaments . A Caution is given to a player at a Tier 1 event who commits a minor infraction . A Caution is given if the judge believes the infraction to be minor and unintentional ( See Unsporting Conduct for exception ) . A Caution should always be followed by a brief education of the player , explaining why the penalty was handed out and that a further infraction can lead to an upgrade . An upgrade to a Caution is a Warning . B . Warning . A Warning is the most commonly utilized penalty . A Warning is given to a player who commits a minor infraction . A Warning itself does not have a large impact on a player or a tournament , but it serves as a training tool for players and allows tournament staff to track a potential problem . A Warning is given if the judge believes the infraction to be minor and unintentional ( See Unsporting Conduct for Exception ) . A Warning should always be followed by a brief education of the player , explaining why the penalty was handed out and that a further infraction can lead to an upgrade . An upgrade to a Warning is a Game Loss . C . Game Loss . A Game Loss is given out when a player has committed an infraction which is not severe enough to forfeit an entire Match or to be removed from the premises , but has a significant impact on the game . A Game Loss is appropriate for situations where a game state is irreparable due to the actions of the player receiving the penalty . If a Game Loss is given out during a game , the player forfeits the current Game . If this penalty is given out in between Games of a Match , the player forfeits the upcoming Game . If the penalty is given out before a Match , the player forfeits the first Game of the upcoming Match . In the case where a Game Loss is applied before a Match , neither player may use their Side Deck prior to the beginning of the first played Game . If a Game Loss is applied during a Match and the Match winner has not been decided , both players may use their Side Deck prior to the next Game . This penalty is given if the judge believes the infraction was unintentional ( See Unsporting Conduct for exception ) . A Game Loss should always be followed by a brief education of the player , explaining why the penalty was handed out and that a further infraction can lead to an upgrade . An upgrade to a Game Loss is a Match Loss . D . Match Loss . This penalty is given for an infraction that seriously impacts the game , but does not require the player to be removed from the tournament . Only a Head Judge may give out a Match Loss penalty , with the exception of a Match Loss tardiness penalty . If the Head Judge feels that applying the Match Loss penalty to the current round is not severe enough ( player commits the infraction as he is about to lose a Match , for example ) , they may apply the penalty for the upcoming round . If a player simultaneously commits two infractions , one of which merits a Match Loss and another which merits a Game Loss , the judge should give the Match Loss penalty first , followed by the Game Loss . This penalty is given if the judge believes the infraction was unintentional ( See Unsporting Conduct for exception ) . A Match Loss should always be followed by a brief education of the player , explaining why the penalty was handed out and that a further infraction can lead to an upgrade . An upgrade to a Match Loss is a Disqualification . E . Disqualification . A Disqualification is the most severe penalty that can be given . A Disqualification is given for severe infractions that require the player to be removed from the event or the venue . A Disqualification is usually given when a player intentionally breaks tournament rules , or as an upgrade from previous penalties . Judges will need to investigate carefully to determine whether or not a player is intentionally breaking a rule . All attendees at a tournament may be considered to be players , and are subsequently subject to the same penalties and infractions . Therefore , attendees are not exempt from a Disqualification penalty . An attendee does not need to have been enrolled in a tournament in order to be disqualified from that tournament . The infraction does not need to have occurred inside the venue as long as it impacts upon or connects to a Sanctioned event . KDE reserves the right to suspend players from KDE ’ s Organized Play program for misbehavior not connected to a specific event . There are two types of Disqualification penalties : Only the Head Judge may disqualify a person from an event . If a person is disqualified , a written statement must be filled out by any and all persons involved , including opponents , spectators , judges , tournament officials , etc . It is the Head Judge ’ s responsibility to collect these written statements from those involved and send the statements to Konami ’ s Card Business Tournament Data department within 7 days of the event . Only the KDE Penalty Committee can suspend players from KDE Organized Play . F . Upgrading and Downgrading Penalties . Only the Head Judge of an event may upgrade or downgrade a penalty . Upgrades should only be given to a player repeating the same infraction during the course of the same event . A Head Judge may downgrade a penalty under extreme circumstances , but should follow these guidelines in order to remain impartial and consistent . A Head Judge may choose to be a bit more lenient in the upgrade process during a Tier 1 event , choosing not to upgrade the penalty after the second infraction . If an event extends across more than one day , all days should be considered to be the same event , and penalties should continue to be upgraded . " Click here to return to Tournament Penalty Guidelines . "