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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.
How Can My Child Get Started In Organized Play?
Playing in a Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME Organized Play event is often as simple as showing up to a tournament and signing up to participate. Official Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG tournaments require participants to have a COSSY (Card Game Official Tournament Support System) ID number in order to participate, but any tournament that requires players to have a COSSY ID number will give out free COSSY ID numbers to new tournament players. COSSY is the global ranking system for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME. Using your child’s COSSY ID number, you and your child can track your child’s performance in sanctioned tournaments at the official COSSY website. Simply register on the COSSY website and then log in using your child’s COSSY ID number and password. Then, you and your child can see how your child’s ranking compares to the rankings of players around the world. If your child is under the age of 13, you’ll need to fill out a “Parental Consent Form” with your child’s personal information before your child can register on COSSY. Your child will be prompted with this form when he or she tries to register for COSSY and indicates that he or she is under the age of 13. If you have more than one child registering for COSSY, you’ll need to fill out a separate “Parental Consent Form” for each child.
Once you log in to COSSY, you can check out your child’s ranking and look back at your child’s tournament history to see how much your child has improved over time. Each official tournament that your child enters will contribute to his or her COSSY ranking. Every 3 months, the top ranked players are mailed an exclusive prize for their performance. Click here for more information about quarterly COSSY prizes!
Most Duelists like to start out in Organized Play by playing in the more casual events, developing their skills and meeting other Duelists, before taking on some of the more challenging tournaments. There are lots of different Organized Play events all around the world, so you and your child can pick out an event that best suits you.
Dragon Duel events, for instance, are one of the most popular Organized Play events for the younger player. “Dragon Duel” tournaments are special tournaments that only kids born after the year 2001 are able to enter during the 2014 season. At Dragon Duel tournaments, kids compete against other children their own age. This way, they can earn cool prizes in a competitive tournament, without being intimidated by the age and experience of older opponents.
When you’re ready to look for an Organized Play event in your area, you can use the convenient store listings on the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG website. You can navigate from the Events page to learn more about all of the Organized Play events we offer.
For an overview of the different Organized Play events with a description of what to expect at each type of event, click here.
How Can My Child Begin Trading Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards?
Trading is a big part of Trading Card Games – after all, it’s in the name! Trading is a great way for Duelists to expand their collections and exchange cards that they already have or don’t need for cards that they are looking for. Since the cards have different values, it can take a bit of practice and preparation to make the best trades. If your child is interested in trading, you can help him or her get the most out of the process. You will find that when your child trades to get the cards that he or she wants, he or she is engaged in an exciting and challenging social activity!
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.
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:
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:
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 in the Game?
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.