Card Legality A . Forbidden & Limited List . The Yu - Gi - Oh ! TCG utilizes an evolving Forbidden and Limited list which Duelists must follow when creating their Advanced or Traditional format Decks . This list is updated 3 times ( previously twice ) per year and the most current list can be found here . B . Sets . Cards released in sets are legal upon the official release date of the booster packs , or in the case of Turbo Packs , on the start date for the prizing product . Yu - Gi - Oh ! TCG expansions become tournament legal at different times , depending upon where they are released . A set only becomes legal once it has been released in a specific country . Legality dates will differ for North America , Latin America , Europe , and Oceania – Duelists should always verify that cards are legal for play in their specific region , and not rely on legality dates for other areas . C . Promotional Cards ( excluding SHONEN JUMP and Yu - Gi - Oh ! Graphic Novel ) . Video Game promo cards are legal starting with the official “ on sale ” date for that video game within that Continent . Yu - Gi - Oh ! Championship Series ( YCS ) prize cards become legal on a Continent once a YCS or WCQ awarding that card has been held on that continent . A Continent is defined by the World Championship Qualifier ( WCQ ) that a Duelist ’ s Regional Qualifier feeds into . D . SHONEN JUMP and Yu - Gi - Oh ! Graphic Novel Promotional Cards . Promo cards from SHONEN JUMP Magazine , SHONEN JUMP Alpha subscription , and the Yu - Gi - Oh ! - related graphic novels are legal only on Continent ( s ) where they have been officially released . If a promo card is reprinted ( such as in a booster set , Structure Deck , Tin , etc . ) then it becomes legal for use , no matter how it was originally released . E . Preview Cards . Cards from an upcoming set that are distributed before the set is released become legal on the official release date of the tin . F . Duel Terminal Cards . Cards obtained from the United States Duel Terminal sets are only legal if they have been released in another product . Cards exclusive to the Duel Terminals are not legal for play in sanctioned events . G . Reprints . Individual cards that are reprints of cards that are already legal ( whether or not the artwork or rarity is different ) are legal for play as soon as they are available . H . Foreign Language Cards . TCG cards printed in English , French , German , Italian , Portuguese , or Spanish are legal for play in Sanctioned tournaments within all TCG territories . If a Duelist wants to use a foreign language card , he or she must verify that the card was printed for the TCG ( and not the OCG ) . When using a card that is not in a local language , a local - language version of the card or an accurate card translation must be available outside of the Deck to show to an opponent or tournament official . Duelists are responsible for providing an accurate reference , and may incur a penalty if they provide an incomplete or inaccurate translation . Cards used for translations may not be kept inside the Deck box . In Spanish - speaking Latin American countries , translations of card text are not required if a Duelist is using English or Spanish language product . If the Duelist is using cards in any other languages , they must still provide an English or Spanish language translation . In Brazil , Duelists are not required to show translations of card text if using Portuguese or English language cards . I . OCG Cards . Cards printed for the Asian version of Yu - Gi - Oh ! TCG ( which is called the “ Yu - Gi - Oh ! Official Card Game ” or “ OCG ” ) are usually printed in Japanese or Korean , and are legal for play only in Sanctioned events in Japan and parts of Asia . While OCG cards are sometimes available in other languages , including English , they are not legal for Sanctioned play in TCG territories ( such as North America , Central America , South America , Europe , New Zealand , and Australia ) . Duelists can tell the difference between a TCG card and an OCG card by checking the set number of the card : Asian English cards will include AE in their set name . J . Altered Cards . Cards that have been altered from their original appearance with surface decoration may be used for play only if the alterations do not obscure any portion of the card text , make the illustration difficult to recognize , affect the card ’ s thickness or texture , or make the card distinguishable from other cards in the Deck while it is face - down . If a card ’ s surface decoration renders the card unrecognizable , or alters the card ’ s thickness or texture , then the card is not allowed for tournament play . The Head Judge of the event has final arbitration on whether or not altered cards may be used at the tournament . Duelists are responsible for determining whether or not their altered cards are acceptable for use before the start of the tournament . Cards that have been modified ( by adding or subtracting foil , layers of paper , etc ) from the originally manufactured version of the card are not allowed for tournament play . Cards with any markings added on the front or back , may not be used in any Yu - Gi - Oh ! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship tournament . The “ Deck ” includes Main , Side , and Extra Decks . K . Misprint Cards . On extremely rare occasions , a Duelist may pull a miscut or misprinted card from a product . These cards are not considered to be tournament legal if they are distinguishable from other cards in the Deck while face - down . If the miscut or misprinted card is not distinguishable from other cards in the Deck while face - down , it is tournament legal assuming all of the information that the card should provide is readily available . The Duelist must play the misprinted card as if it had the correct information printed on it . The Duelist must provide an accurate , local - language copy of the correct card text , or a correct local - language copy of the card to show to opponents or tournament officials . Cards used to supply the proper card text must be kept outside of the Duelist ’ s Deck or Deck box . L . Counterfeit Cards . Counterfeit cards ( fake cards that are created by third - party companies that can resemble officially released cards ) cannot be used in your Deck in a Sanctioned tournament . If anyone has any information regarding the sale and distribution of counterfeit cards , they should e - mail all relevant information to us - opsupport @ konami . com ( North America ) , la - opsupport @ konami . com ( Latin America and the Caribbean ) or yugioh @ konami - europe . net ( Europe , South Africa , Australia , and New Zealand ) . " Click here to return to Yu - Gi - Oh ! TRADING CARD GAME Tournament Policy . "