Preparing To Play

A. Players
To participate in a Sanctioned KDE tournament you need a Konami Player ID card with a COSSY barcode and number. If you do not have one, you may sign-up for one at the event. Do not lose your ID card, as it cannot be replaced. Players should make a photocopy of their 10-digit COSSY ID number or save the number in case all barcodes are lost. Please note that players at Sanctioned KDE tournaments will be referred to by their Konami Player ID number and their first name(s) and last name(s).

You must be in good standing and not on the suspended list to participate in Konami Sanctioned events. To remain in good standing, you must adhere to all player responsibilities outlined in this and other official documents. You must meet any age, nationality, and/or invitation requirements that apply to selected tournaments.

B. Ineligible Players
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, Registration Staff, and Tournament Organizer.

Individuals who have been suspended from Official Konami Tournaments may not play in Sanctioned events or Sneak Peeks. In addition, suspended individuals are prohibited from entering tournament venues.

A list of suspended players can be found here.


 * ● Players must have a COSSY number and be in good standing in order to compete in a Sanctioned event.
 * ● Suspended players are not considered to be in good standing, and may not register or compete in Sanctioned events.
 * ● Suspended players may not be on the premises of a Sanctioned event or a Sneak Peek event.
 * ● Suspended players are not automatically reinstated, they must request to be reinstated by e-mailing [mailto:us-penalty@konami.com us-penalty@konami.com] on or after the date they are listed as being eligible to do so. Even if their eligibility date has passed, they are still considered to be suspended until such a time as they request reinstatement, and then receive an e-mail from the KDE Penalty Committee informing them they are reinstated to Organized Play.

Individuals who are banned by the rules of the Tournament Organizer, venue, or by local law cannot participate in official events.

Employees of Konami Corporation and their immediate family members (children, parents, spouses, etc.) cannot play in Sanctioned Tier 2 events. There may be exceptions made to this rule, in the case of Bounty tournaments or other special events, which will be announced beforehand.

Employees of partner companies cannot play in Sanctioned Tier 2 events. These include, but are not limited to, VIZ Media, LLC. and 4K Media.

Employees of partner companies responsible for Organized Play (Devir, Amigo Spiel & Freizeit, etc.) cannot play in Sanctioned Tier 2 events taking place in the market they are responsible for. They may, however, participate in any event taking place outside of their market.

C. Head Judge
The Head Judge makes the final call for game play rulings or policy appeals. They require superior knowledge of rulings and tournament policy. No other individual, including the Tournament Organizer or a Konami employee can overturn a game play ruling or tournament policy decision made by the Head Judge.

The Head Judge is responsible for familiarizing themselves with the current and correct rulings and tournament policy, and should not create new ones.

The Head Judge must be physically present and available during the tournament, to deal with event issues and answer appeals promptly. The Head Judge must be adequately prepared to make sure that proper guidelines are followed. The Head Judge should clearly identify themselves to the players at the start of the tournament and make announcements to the players, informing them of tournament procedures, round start and end times, and any other information they may require.

The Head Judge should act as a mentor for the event’s judge staff, and should carefully consider individual judges’ strengths and weaknesses when building the staff list and assembling teams. Judges should also receive feedback and evaluation from the Head Judge, consisting of compliments on their strengths and suggestions on how to improve further.

The Head Judge is responsible for communicating accurate information throughout the tournament to both players and event staff.

Only the Head Judge may disqualify people from a Sanctioned event. The Tournament Organizer, Event Manager, or any other member of staff may not disqualify people from Sanctioned KDE events.

Only the KDE Penalty Committee may suspend players from Sanctioned events.

D. Floor Judge
Judges are expected to be courteous, professional, and on-task while staffing an event. While judging, judges should not engage in trading, long personal conversations, phone calls or other activities that would distract them from the tournament.

Judges may not wear their judge shirt when they are not judging an event.

Judges should respect the authority of their Head Judge and team lead, and must address other members of the tournament staff with respect. Judges must interact with players in a polite manner, and do so without compromising their authority.

Judges are required to adhere to the specific responsibilities assigned to them both on the floor and as members of a specialized unit such as a Deck check or pairings team. In addition, they must be prepared to assist other judges in tasks as they are assigned.

Judges should constantly observe players, and maintain the tournament area by removing trash, pushing in chairs and straightening tables. Judges should actively walk the tournament floor and observe the matches, rather than waiting for a player to call for a judge.

Judges are required to step in if they observe any violation of the rules or gameplay. Judges do not need to wait for a player to call for assistance.

When a player calls for a judge, the judge should approach the table, listen to the question, and provide a decision. If either player wishes to appeal the decision, the judge should notify the Head Judge immediately.

Judges are expected to seek out and complete certification tests to match their level of skill to the best of their ability, and should stay current with new rulings and new cards as they are released. Judges are also responsible for knowing the policy and guidelines documents for the games they wish to judge, and must keep themselves informed and well-versed in new documents as they are made available. Judges should actively seek out additional training, and are encouraged to assist their fellow judges in doing the same.

Apart from answering judge calls, judges should refrain from conversing with players engaged in a match, to avoid creating the impression of favoritism. This especially applies to conversations held in a language the opponent doesn’t understand.

E. Tournament Organizer
A Tournament Organizer is the person responsible for arranging and running the tournament. Anyone seeking to organize a Sanctioned event should procure a venue that can safely accommodate the expected number of attendees. Venues should be safe, clean, and in compliance with all applicable building and fire codes.

A Tournament Organizer is also responsible for providing staffing for the event and reporting the event results to KDE.

Sanctioned events are run at Official Tournament Stores or at venues chosen by approved Tournament Organizers.

Certain criteria must be met in order to run Sanctioned events. Those interested in becoming a Tournament Organizer for a specific event can request more information by e-mailing [mailto:us-opsupport@konami.com us-opsupport@konami.com] (North America), [mailto:la-opsupport@konami.com la-opsupport@konami.com] (Latin America and the Caribbean) or [mailto:yugioh@konami-europe.net yugioh@konami-europe.net] (Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand).

F. Scorekeeper
The Scorekeeper is responsible for creating accurate pairings and additional tournament information throughout the event.

The Scorekeeper is responsible for understanding the Konami Tournament Software (KTS) and all procedures relevant to scorekeeping an event.

G. Spectators
Spectating at an event is a privilege, not a right, for tournament attendees. It is a spectator’s duty to remain neutral while observing game play, and to make sure their presence does not disrupt the event.

Spectators should not speak to or communicate with players who are currently engaged in a match, in any way. However, if a spectator notices any violation of game play rules or Tournament Policy, he or she must alert a tournament official immediately.

Spectators must be prepared to move if their presence blocks judge access, throughways, fire exits, or any other paths identified by tournament staff. Spectators will be asked to move if their presence is distracting to any of the players. If a judge or tournament official instructs a spectator to move, he or she must comply.

H. Media
Members of the media who wish to attend any Sanctioned event to create written, photographic, audio, or video content must contact the Tournament Organizer and KDE in advance of the event. Media representatives should be prepared to provide evidence of their association with a news outlet or reputable entity in the gaming industry at the beginning of the event or before the event begins.

Any member of the media approved to cover an event agrees to provide, as well as assume liability, for all of his or her own equipment and employees. Guests from the media must abide by the same rules set for spectators, and are expected to defer to tournament officials and KDE employees.

Members of the media are required to obtain their own written releases from players and/or spectators.

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