Play! Pokemon updates Rules and Regulations for Q2 2024 — changes made to Tournament Rules Handbook and League Handbook

Play! Pokemon has unveiled the latest set of rules and regulations in competitive Pokemon for quarter two of 2024.

The division, which oversees the official competitive e-Sports arm of the Pokemon brand, announced the new rules and regulations on June 25th. The rules and regulations are reviewed periodically in order to "maintain competitive balance" for the Championship Series, and covers the Trading Card Game, Video Game Championships, Pokemon GO, Pokemon League, and Pokemon Club. The previous update was launched on March 18th.

Among the new updates that happened after quarter one are the legality dates of various promo cards, as well as the banned list and rule changes under Scarlet & Violet—Twilight Masquerade for the Trading Card Game; Video Game Rules, Formats, and Penalty Guidelines (last revised on April 30th, 2024); and more. The specific rule changes made for the quarter two edition are in the Tournament Rules Handbook and the League Handbook.

The changes made in the Tournament Rules Handbook are as follows:

• Section 2.5.5 - Definition of the role of 'Scorekeeper': The Scorekeeper is a tournament staff member who is responsible for the accurate recording of match results and generation of pairings as a tournament progresses on behalf of the Organizer. The Scorekeeper role is one that can be fulfilled by a Professor, a Judge, the Organizer, or another person who is tasked specifically with the role, but this person must hold the appropriate certification to operate tournament software.
• Section 3.2.2 - Regular League Sessions and Prerelease tournaments no longer need to be sanctioned 14 days in advance. However, it is recommended that they should be sanctioned as early as possible to allow players the opportunity to participate in the tournament.
• Section 4.3.1 - Requirements for a tournament to be considered "complete" have been reclarified.

The changes made in the League Handbook are as follows:

• Section 2.2.4 - July 1 is now the end of the League Cycle. League rosters will reset, with individuals needing to be added back onto the roster through regular League reporting.
• Section 3.2.1 - Guidelines on sharing Prize Packs between League locations have been updated. Stores must message their Marketing Development Manager when sharing Prize Packs.
• Section 7 - Section 7 is a new addition to the handbook, outlining Disciplinary Actions for a League or Professor violating the handbook's rules. These include, but are not limited to: the loss of eligibility to run Prerelease, Cups, and Challenges as well as suspension from the program. Players, Professors, or Leagues will be notified through a Notice of Disciplinary Action.

Read the full list of updated rules and regulations here.