Click on a topic below to learn more about Organized Play for your child.  

What is Organized Play?

Organized Play (OP) is the programs developed by Konami to enable collectors and players to come together and play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Casual local leagues and tournaments of all sizes are hosted worldwide. This variety offers Duelists in many different areas and of all sorts of skill levels the chance to come together and play where they’re most comfortable.

Click on a topic below to learn more about tournaments.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a popular children’s franchise. It’s based on a universe in which characters challenge one another to a strategy card game to gain honor, settle disputes, and protect their loved ones.

Click on a topic below to learn more.

When: November 23 – 24, 2019 (check locations for dates**)
Where: Locations here

To commemorate the release of Mystic Fighters, there will be a special prize available this Yu-Gi-Oh! Day. An exclusive Mouse Pad matching the Yu-Gi-Oh! Day Game Mat design will be given to the top finishing Duelists with 10 or more cards from Mystic Fighters in their Main Deck (including reprints)! If you manage to finish in 1st Place while playing with 10 or more cards from Mystic Fighters, you will receive both the Mouse Pad and the Game Mat!

In Effect as of November 1st, 2019

BASIC INFORMATION

• What is Yu-Gi-Oh! Day?
• Where and when are the Yu-Gi-Oh! Day events?
• What is the attendance capacity for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Day?
• How much does it cost to enter the Yu-Gi-Oh! Day tournament?
• What are the prizes for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Day tournament?
• Will there be any perks for using any Mystic Fighters cards in my Deck for this event?
• What is the format for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Day tournament?
• What is the time limit for each Round for Yu-Gi-Oh! Day?
• Can I get a CARD GAME ID number (previously referred to as COSSY ID) at the Yu-Gi-Oh! Day tournament, or will I need to have one before I attend the event?
• Will I need to complete and turn in a Deck List?
• What cards are legal for play?
• Can I use OCG cards in my Deck?
• Can I use foreign language cards in my Deck?

PREPARING FOR THE TOURNAMENT

Duelists who wish to enter a Yu-Gi-Oh! Day must meet the following criteria

• Have a CARD GAME ID number (obtainable at the event) and be in good standing.
• Have read and understood the following documents. These documents can be found at http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/gameplay/
  • KDE-US Official Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME Tournament Policy
  • KDE-US Official Tournament Infractions and Penalties Policy
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME Official Rulebook

Any tournament official associated with or working an event cannot play in that specific event. This includes, but is not limited to, the Judge Staff, Scorekeeper, Event Staff, Store Owner, and Tournament Organizer.

Event Staff or Judge Staff who participate in a tournament for which they are listed as staff, will be subject to penalties, up to and including suspension from KDE-US Organized Play.

Duelists who have been suspended from Organized Play by KDE-US are not considered to be in good standing, and may not register for or compete in Official or Sanctioned events. A list of suspended players can be found at http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/suspended.html.

Suspended persons may not enter the venue of a Yu-Gi-Oh! Day event, no exceptions. If a suspended person is discovered at the venue, they may be charged with offenses including but not limited to trespassing, as well as an extension of their suspension.

If a Suspended Duelist’s name appears on the Suspended Player list, they are not allowed to be on the premises, even if they have reached their date of eligibility for reinstatement. Suspended Duelists are required to apply for reinstatement with the KDE-US Penalty Committee via us-penalty@konami.com. Once their applications have been reviewed, and their reinstatement accepted, their name will be removed from the list. Until that time, they are considered to be Suspended Players.

AT THE TOURNAMENT

• How long will the Yu-Gi-Oh! Day tournament last?
• What happens if I am not done with my Match after 40 minutes?
• Can I buy and sell cards from other participants at the event?
• I would like to provide feedback to KDE-US concerning the Yu-Gi-Oh! Day I attended, who should I contact?

What do I need to know about the game as a Parent?

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a popular children’s franchise. It’s based on a universe in which characters challenge one another to a strategy card game to gain honor, settle disputes, and protect their loved ones.

See our FAQ below to help answer some of your questions about the game!

Most parents begin with the more casual events, and let their child determine what he or she enjoys the most – you know your own child, and best understand his or her interests and social tendencies. Does your child prefer to relax and have fun with friends, rather than focus on serious competition? If so, you should look for Duelist Leagues, small local tournaments, Yu-Gi-Oh! Extravaganza events, and Sneak Peek events that cater to the casual fun of playing the game.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a popular children’s franchise. It’s based on a universe in which characters challenge one another to a strategy card game to gain honor, settle disputes, and protect their loved ones.

See our FAQ below to help answer some of your questions about the game!

First, help your child organize and store that collection!  Providing card boxes or binders keeps cards off the floor and in good condition, and easy to locate when needed. Organization is a good skill to learn, and maintaining a card collection is a great place to begin.

Second, encourage your child to learn about the value of his or her cards. There are lots of collectible magazines and online stores that list current prices. Your child doesn’t have to learn about every card, but having an idea of what his or her more appealing cards are worth will help your child make balanced decisions when trading. When your child adds up the values of different cards to make informed trades, your child is practicing important math and decision-making skills.

When your child is starting out, you might want to put limits on which cards can be traded—if your child has any valuable cards or cards given as gifts, you can let your child know that he or she should not trade them. Let your child know that he or she doesn’t have to trade if he or she doesn’t want to—sometimes children feel pressured into trades. Let your child know that it’s okay to turn down a trade if he or she doesn’t feel comfortable about it.

Almost all Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME players and collectors trade cards, so you can find kids for your child to trade with just about everywhere! If you’re having trouble finding kids for your child to trade with, you can take your child to one of Konami’s Organized Play events. At those events, there are usually lots of kids trading cards and playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME.

If some of the terms seem unfamiliar, you can check out our glossary, which provides a more detailed explanation of these terms.

What should my child bring to a tournament?

A Deck

Most tournaments are Constructed events. This means that your child will need to bring his or her own Deck in order to play. A Deck is not just a random handful of cards from your child’s collection – a well-built Deck includes good cards and strategies. In addition, the Deck must meet certain requirements in order to promote fair play. For his or her first Deck, your child will probably enjoy playing one that contains his or her favorite cards, perhaps with some strong cards recommended by other Duelists. You can also purchase a ready-made Starter Deck or Structure Deck that is ready to play right out of the box.

Most Duelists like to put card sleeves on the cards in their Deck to keep the cards clean and in good shape. Card shops and most other stores that sell trading cards carry these sleeves, as well as Deck boxes in which to store Decks.

If your child would like to build his or her own Deck, help him or her make sure that the Deck meets all the rules. You can do this by reviewing the Format List page. This format will change periodically to promote new Deck ideas and to keep the game exciting for Duelists. Click here for a link to the Format List page, which will explain which cards your child can use in a Deck.

Once you find a local Official Tournament Store, you will usually meet a judge, Tournament Organizer, or more experienced player who can give your child some additional assistance with his or her Deck.

Tournament Supplies

In addition to his or her Deck, there are a couple of other things your child should bring to an event.

First, your child should bring a Deck box in which to keep his or her Deck. A Deck box gives your child a place to store all of the cards in his or her Deck, so that the cards in his or her Deck are always together, and don’t get mixed in with the rest of his or her collection.  In a competitive tournament, the Deck that your child is playing with must be kept separate from the rest of his or her collection.

Second, your child might want to put the cards he or she brings to a tournament in card sleeves. Card sleeves help protect cards from becoming damaged as kids play with them. Although your child doesn’t need card sleeves or a Deck box to play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, most players have them, because using a Deck box and card sleeves is the best way for them to protect their cards from getting damaged, especially if they want to trade those cards later.

Third, your child should bring a pencil and paper. This will allow your child to keep track of each player’s Life Points. Using pencil and paper to keep track of changes in the score will make your child’s games go a lot more smoothly. Instead of using pencil and paper, some kids use a calculator.

Fourth, your child should bring any Tokens or dice that the cards in his or her Deck may require. Some cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME will put special “Tokens” on the field, or will require a player to roll a die. If your child uses any of these cards in his or her Deck, it’s always best to bring Tokens and dice to tournaments.

Finally, your child should keep all of these things in a bag or backpack which he or she can keep track of easily. For first events, your child doesn’t need to bring every card he or she owns – it can be hard to keep an eye on a lot of possessions at an event, and you don’t want your child to lose anything.

How can my child learn more about the rules and basic gameplay?

Before your child enters a tournament, it’s always a good idea to make sure he or she first understands the basic rules of the game. We have several online resources to help you and your child prepare for a tournament, by teaching about the rules and basic gameplay.

You can find the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Rulebook, along with a Learn To Play Demo, on the “Gameplay” section of this website:

www.yugioh-card.com/en/gameplay

Another excellent resource for learning more about the game is the KDE Strategy Site – there are new articles weekly to talk about Decks, card strategies, and more:

http://www.konami.com/yugioh/articles

How can my child and I learn about tournament policies?

While Duelist League and local tournaments are often very casual, there are guidelines in place for all Konami Organized Play events. These guidelines are designed to promote good sporting conduct and a fair play experience for all participants. It is a good idea to go over these polices with your child, so you will both know what is and is not allowed at a tournament.  This gives you a good opportunity to discuss the concept of rules with your child, and why it is important to understand and follow them. Tournament policies and rules are in place to help events run smoothly and fairly, not to target or punish the players indiscriminately.

Konami keeps current copies of all tournament policies online, where you can access them easily.  You will find them posted here.

How can I talk to my child about being a good sport?

Duelists are always expected to show good sporting conduct. Wins and losses should be given and accepted with good spirits and congratulations to the opponent, no matter what the Duelist’s age. Duelists, especially when they are starting out, shouldn’t be discouraged by or focus on losses, but rather learn from each Duel and think about enjoying the game. Talk to your child beforehand about good sporting conduct—discuss how to be gracious in wins as well as in losses. Games are meant to be fun!

How can I offer my child my support?

One of the best ways for a parent to stay close to his or her children is to learn about and share their interests. Take a little bit of time to learn about your child’s new hobby, so you can talk about it with him or her. Make some time in the family schedule to take your children to some Organized Play events. If your child has friends who are also interested, consider joining forces with their parents to arrange a carpool, so the children will have familiar company at the events.

The Basic Skills: Math and Reading

The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is designed for kids ages 6+. As long as your child can do basic addition and subtraction calculations and read the text on his or her cards, your child will be able to play the game.

In the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, players start each game with 8000 Life Points. Throughout the course of a game, players use cards that increase or decrease a player’s Life Points. A player wins by reducing his or her opponent’s Life Points to 0. Players must constantly calculate changes to one another’s Life Points, in order to keep track of how close they are to victory. While most players use pen and paper or calculators to keep track of Life Points, the fast pace of the game also requires players to make many calculations in their head, in order to best plan out their moves. These calculations help kids develop important basic math skills.

Every card in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME has a unique effect. Players need to read each card they see in order to understand its impact on the game. By reading and understanding the effect of each card, a player can strategize accordingly. Children who want to win will read and understand every card, building their reading comprehension skills.

All the while, children exercise important problem-solving skills. They understand the starting point of each game, and make it a goal to win. Throughout the course of a Duel, players are constantly thinking about the different ways to achieve that goal by using their cards.

Social Skills

The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME can’t be played alone; your child will need opponents to play against. As your child interacts with other Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME players, he or she will learn the importance of fair play, good sportsmanship, and competition etiquette. In addition, when your child engages in trades with other kids, he or she will gain experience conducting business-like transactions at a young age.

There are thousands of kids around North America that your child can face in a Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME Duel. In the search for opponents, many kids forge long-lasting friendships with peers who have common interests.

The Advanced Skills: Strategic Thinking

Although the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME was made for kids, many children who started playing it over a decade ago are still playing as they enter college and start careers. At a competitive level, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME requires deep strategic thinking in order to win.

Players who engage in critical thinking to develop complex strategies have an edge over the competition. During the course of a game, many of your opponent’s cards are concealed from you. By keeping track of your opponent’s moves throughout the game, advanced players can reason out which cards an opponent most likely has.

Players who have patience and self-discipline also have an advantage over opponents. Players must weigh all of their options when making a play, and think about the consequences of each possible play. They always need to plan ahead. An overly aggressive move may leave a player defenseless, causing his or her eventual loss. The best players are constantly evaluating whether or not the time is right to go on the offensive, and they wait until that time comes before pushing for the victory. While playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME and aspiring for victory, your child will learn the importance of having patience and planning ahead.

Even though the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is educational, it’s also fun! When kids play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, they don’t realize how much they’re learning. Kids who are eager to play and eager to win are constantly developing math, reading, and critical thinking skills, even though they aren’t aware of it.