Tournament Rules A . Sportsmanship . Players are expected to be respectful and behave in a polite manner towards all tournament attendees , players , judges , tournament officials , and spectators . Players who engage in unsporting conduct or behavior that endangers or detracts from the event , will be removed from the venue . Players should read the KDE Official Penalty Guidelines for a better understanding of acceptable behavior at tournaments . B . Reporting the Match Result . Players are responsible to accurately report the result of their Match . The outcome of a Match cannot be changed once the Match has concluded . The Match Result Slip cannot be altered once it has been submitted . C . Bribery & Collusion . The outcome of a Match may not be influenced by any outside incentives or additional prizes / compensation . Offering or accepting a bribe is against tournament policy and will result in a Disqualification from the event . D . Random Outcome . Players or tournament officials may not randomly determine an outcome of a match , such as flipping a coin or rolling a die . Failure to follow this rule will result in a Disqualification from the event . E . Tie - Breakers . The following are the tiebreakers used to determine a player ’ s ranking in the tournament . F . Note Taking . Note taking is not allowed in Sanctioned Konami tournaments , with the following exceptions : These notes should be taken quickly , so as not to disrupt the flow of the Game . Players may not use outside notes during a Match , which includes in between Games of a Match . Players may consult a copy of their Deck list between Matches , to ensure they have restored their Deck to the proper state . G . Game State . Players are responsible to accurately represent the Game State at all times , and truthfully answer questions about any aspect of the Game State that is considered to be public knowledge . Both players must indicate to one another all components of their Deck . Depending upon the game , this can include a Main Deck , Side Deck , and Extra Deck . Cards must be laid out according to the pattern established by a game ’ s Game Mat . Players may not create their own layouts unless it is deemed necessary by the Head Judge due to a disability , etc . All cards , including in - play cards , Decks , etc . , must be kept in their appropriate areas . Players may not shift the positions of cards once they have been played to the field , unless directed to do so by a card effect or game mechanic . If a player requires tokens or counters , the player should use a sufficient quantity of tokens or counters to accurately represent each game effect . Players should never use any object ( including cards ) for a token or counter if it could be mistaken for another game element . Keeping track of Life Points for the game must be done in view of both players . Players must keep their hands and cards visible and above the table at all times . H . Sleeves . A player may choose to use plastic card sleeves to protect their cards during the course of a tournament . All sleeves must be identical in terms of color , wear , and design , and all cards must be placed into sleeves in the same direction and manner . Players may not “ double sleeve ” their decks . Only one sleeve may be used on each card . Players may have only one card in each sleeve . Players may not have anything but that card in the sleeve . At Tier 2 events , the quality of player ’ s sleeves will be held to a higher standard . Any sleeves with noticeable patterns or wear may be subject to penalties . Sleeves with highly reflective backs are not allowed . Sleeves with artwork , provided they are all identical , are allowed . Sleeves with excessive wear , noticeable patterns , or other identifying characteristics may be disallowed by the Head Judge . If you have a question about the legality of your sleeves , the Head Judge is the final arbiter as to whether or not your sleeves can be used in that tournament . I . Shuffling . A player ’ s Deck must be randomized by using an accepted shuffling method ( riffle , pile , Hindu , etc . ) and then cut . This must be done at the start of every game , and whenever a game mechanic requires the player to shuffle their Deck . Each player must thoroughly randomize ( shuffle ) their Deck where the opponent can see . After the Deck is thoroughly randomized , it must be presented to the opponent . The opponent must randomize ( shuffle ) the Deck further and then return it to the original owner . The owner may then “ cut ” their Deck . If they do , they must present it to the opponent who must “ cut ” the Deck again and then present it back to the original owner . No additional randomization may be done to the Deck after this point . By presenting your Deck to your opponent , you agree that you have sufficiently randomized your Deck . J . Marked Cards . A card is considered to be marked if it can be identified without seeing the front of the card . This includes but is not limited to warping , creases , discoloration , card thickness or texture , and water - marks . Ifthe cards are sleeved , this includes but is not limited to sleeves with identifying marks or other unique characteristics that distinguish it from other cards in the Deck . Cards that have been physically altered to add or subtract layers of foil , etc , are not legal for Sanctioned tournament play . If players are using sleeves to protect their cards , they should take extra precautions to ensure that their sleeves do not become marked during the course of a tournament . The Head Judge may require a player to re - sleeve their Deck should they feel that the sleeves are marked . The Head Judge may require a player to replace a marked card ( s ) during the course of a tournament . If the player cannot replace the card ( s ) before their next Match begins , appropriate tardiness penalties at three minutes and ten minutes will begin to apply , as the player no longer has a Deck that matches their registered Deck list . The tardiness penalties are in addition to the penalties that were applied for Marked Cards . On extremely rare occasions , a player may pull a miscut or misprinted card from a product . These cards are not considered to be tournament legal if they can be identified without seeing the front of the card . If they cannot replace the card ( s ) , or choose not to replace the card by the 10 - minute mark in the Match , they will be marked as a no - show and dropped from the tournament . If the player does not wish to drop from the tournament , they must notify the scorekeeper . K . Proxy Cards . Proxies ( cards used to represent a different card ) are not allowed in Sanctioned events . Photocopies , cards that have been relabeled , etc . are considered “ proxies ” and cannot be used in your Deck in a Sanctioned tournament . 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 ) . M . Concessions . A player may concede a game at any time during the course of a Game or Match ( including during the opponent ’ s turn ) , provided he or she has not been offered or has accepted any sort of compensation for doing so . Once a Match has concluded , players may not concede to the opponent . Players who concede in exchange for cash , prizes , or other incentives are guilty of Bribery and Collusion , which violate the Konami Penalty Guidelines . " Click here to return to TRADING CARD GAME Tournament Policy . "