[TCG] Tag Rules! (updated!)

Updated for YCS San Mateo!

Q: What are the rules for Tag Dueling?

A: Basic Rules

• The Match is between two teams; of two Duelists (designated Duelist A and Duelist B).  Teammates are seated next to each other with the team on the opposite side of the table.
  • For a tournament, each Duelist designation (A or B) is chosen at the start of the tournament and never changes.
  • Duelist A is the first name listed on the Team Registration Form. Duelist B is the second name listed on the Team Registration Form.
• Each Duelist has 5 Monster Card Zones
• Each Duelist has 5 Spell & Trap Card Zones.
• Each Duelist has their own Field Spell Card Zone.
• Each Duelist has their own Deck Zone & Extra Deck Zone.
• Each Duelist uses their own Deck (2 Decks per team).
• Each Duelist has their own Graveyard. (Duelists may use their teammate’s Graveyard as if it was their own.)

Examples	Duelist 1A activates Call of the Haunted. He may target a Monster Card in his teammate’s Graveyard.
	Duelist 2A has 2 different “Lightsworn” Monsters in his Graveyard. His teammate has 2 “Lightsworn” Monsters that are different than Duelist 2A. Either player (on their turn) is able to Special Summon Judgment Dragon as both players have 4 different “Lightsworn” Monsters.
	Duelist 1A has 1 LIGHT Monster in his Graveyard. Duelist 1B has 1 DARK Monster in her Graveyard. Either player (on their turn) may Banish both of the Monsters to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer.
	Duelist 1A has 2 DARK Monsters in her Graveyard. Her teammate also has 2 DARK Monster in his Graveyard. Neither Duelist can Special Summon Dark Armed Dragon as combined, both players have more than 3 DARK Monsters.

• The Team has a combined Life Point Total of 16,000. (if it reaches zero, the team loses)
• There can only be 1 Field Spell Card in play at a time, just like a 1-on-1 Duel.
• Each Duelist has their own Extra Deck.  (Duelists my only summon from their own Extra Deck and not their teammates.)
• Any member of a team may use any Monster Cards in play on their team’s side of the field for Tribute Summons, Ritual Summons, and Extra Deck Summons (Example: You may use your teammate’s monster for a Tribute Summon).

Examples	Duelist 1A has a face-up Level 4 Monster on his side of the field. His teammate may use that monster to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia.
	Duelist 1A has a set Monster on her side of the field. Her teammate may Tribute that monster to Tribute Summon Jinzo.

• Teammate’s may not activate Spell Speed 1 effects (Ignition Effects, Normal Spell Cards, etc) that are on their teammate’s side of the field.

Examples	Duelist 1A has a face-up Cannon Soldier on his side of the field. His teammate may not activate the effect of Cannon Soldier on his turn.
	Duelist 1A has a set Dark Hole on his side of the field. His teammate may not activate Dark Hole on his turn.

• Teammates may talk, compare hands, and share information freely and with each other.  Teammates must come to an agreement before making plays involving each other’s cards. Any communication must be verbal, in a language both teams can understand and loud enough for the other team to hear.
• A team loses if the team’s Life Points reach zero or either Duelist on the team cannot draw a card from their Deck when required to.
• If a Duelist reaches a special win condition (such as Final Countdown or Exodia the Forbidden One), that team wins.
• Limited Cards are counted per team and not per Duelist. So, for any given Limited Card, each team could include 1 copy in either Duelist Deck, making a total of 1 copy that team can use.

Examples

Duelist 1A has a copy of a Limited card in her Main Deck. Her teammate’s Deck (which includes Main, Side, and Extra Deck) may not contain that card.

• Semi-Limited Cards are counted per team and per Duelist.  So for any given Semi-Limited Card, each team could include 2 copies in any combination between the team’s Decks (Example: Duelist A can run 2 copies of Mirror Force, but Duelist B cannot run any copies. If Duelist A runs 1 copy of Mirror Force, Duelist B can run a copy as well, for a team maximum of 2 copies)

Examples

Duelist 1A has a copy of a Semi-Limited card in her Side Deck. Her teammate’s Deck (which includes Main, Side, and Extra Deck) may contain one copy of that card, so combined the team is running the maximum of 2 copies.

• Both Duelists on a team can have up to 3 copies of a card that is not on the Forbidden and Limited list. (Example: Both Duelists on a team may each run 3 copies of Mystic Tomato, for a total of 6 copies amongst the team).

Examples

Duelist 1A has 3 copies of a non-Limited card in his Deck. His teammate’s Deck (which includes Main, Side, and Extra Deck) may also contain 3 copies of that card.

• Turn Procedure

• Duelists on the same team sit next to each other, Duelist A sits on the right of Duelist B.  Team 1 is Duelists 1A & 1B and Team 2 is Duelists 2A & 2B.  The turn order starts with Duelists A of the team that is chosen to go first and then alternates between teams.
  • Duelist A from each team will always be the first two Duelists to play.
• The first Duelist who can make an attack is the Duelist who goes fourth.  (In the example below, Duelist 2B).

Turn order:

• Team 1 Duelist 1A
• Team 2 Duelist 2A
• Team 1 Duelist 1B
• Team 2 Duelist 2B
• Team 1 Duelist 1A

*Continue until one team wins

• Tag Dueling Matches are run in best-of-one Duels format.
• Tag Dueling rounds are 40 minutes in length.
• Tag Dueling rounds utilize the Tier 1 End of Match procedures.
  • Turn Duelist will end his/her turn, and each other Duelist will count as the (3) Extra Turns.

• Attacking

• The active Duelist can only attack with Attack Position monsters that are in their own 5 Monster Card Zones. Duelists may not attack with their teammate’s monsters.
• If there is a monster on the opponents’ side of the field (in either Duelist’s Monster Card Zones) then it must be attacked before an attack of their Life Points directly.

• Additional Rules

• During a Duelist’s turn, either opponent may activate Spell Speed 2 or higher effects (just as they could in a standard Duel). The teammate may also activate Spell Speed 2 or higher effects (as if it was an opponent’s turn).

Examples

Duelist 1A declares an attack on Duelist 2A’s face-up Monster with his own LIGHT Monster. Any of the 4 Duelists may activate the effect of Honest.

• When a Duelist activates an effect or performs an action, each other Duelist must be given the opportunity to add an effect to the chain or respond to the action before it is resolved. The order of Duelists who get to decide who responds next is the same as the turn order and all Duelists must pass in order to resolve the chain or resolve the action.

Examples

Duelist 1A activates a Spell Card. The first Duelist who is eligible to add to the chain is Duelist 2A, followed by 1B, followed by 2B, etc. If Duelist 2A chooses not to add any effects to the chain and Duelist 1B adds to the chain (Chain Link 2), Duelist 2B may not activate a Counter Trap Card to counter the effect in Chain Link 1.

• If multiple trigger effects activate at the same time, the turn Duelist’s effects will be added to the chain first, followed by their teammate’s effects, and finally the opponents’ effects (in an order of their choosing).
• Card effects that count turns count all appropriate turns.

Examples	Swords of Revealing Light is activated by Duelist 1A of Team 1. Team 2 cannot attack on Duelist 2A’s next turn (1 turn), Duelist 2B’s next turn (2 turns), and Duelist 2A’s turn after that (3 turns). Swords of Revealing Light will be destroyed at the end of that turn, because three opponents’ turns have passed.
	Final Countdown counts the turns of each individual player (all 4 Duelists).

• Card Effects

• If a card specifically states it affects an “opponent”, and any part of the card’s effect affects your opponent’s hand, Deck, Extra Deck, Graveyard, or Banished Zone, then the Duelist activating the card effect must choose the opponent sitting directly across from them.

Examples	Duelist 1A activates Secret Barrel. Only the cards for the opponent sitting directly across from him will count for its effect.
	Dueliast 1A activates Smashing Ground. Duelist 2A activates Dark Bribe. Once Dark Bribe resolves, Duelist 1B will draw the card off of the effect of Dark Bribe as Duelist 1B is the one seated directly across from Duelist 2A.

• If a card affects only your opponent’s side of the field, it affects the entire side, or both opponents.
• If a card specifically states it affects all Duelists, Monsters, Spells, or Traps, then it affects both Teams (all 4 Duelists.)
• If a card affects “both Duelists” or “each player,” then the Duelist activating the effect and the opponent sitting directly across from them are affected.

Examples

Duelist 1A has Hand Destruction and two other cards in her hand. Duelist 2A only has one card in hand but Duelist 2B (Duelist seated directly across Duelist 1A) has 2 cards in hand. Duelist 1A can activate Hand Destruction as it only counts the Duelist activating the card and the Duelist sitting directly across from him.

• If a card references another card that “you control” or “your” hand, Deck, Extra Deck, Graveyard, or Banished Zone, it counts cards in your teammate’s Zones as well as your own. In the same way, cards that reference a card “your opponent controls” count both opponent’s sides of the field.

Examples	Duelist 2A and 1A each have a Monster on their side of the field. Duelist 1B may not Special Summon Cyber Dragon as his teammate controls a monster.
	Duelist 1A has a face-up Vanity’s Emptiness. If a card is sent from Duelist 1B’s Deck or side of the field to the Graveyard, Vanity’s Emptiness is destroyed.
	Duelist 1A has a face-down Spell/Trap Card. His teammate may not activate the effect of Treeborn Frog that would Special Summon itself from the Graveyard as his teammate controls a Spell/Trap Card.

• A Duelist can allow their teammate to use monsters in their Monster Card Zones as Tribute Summons, Ritual Summons, Extra Deck Summons, or for other appropriate card effects.
• Cards Set by a Duelist can be viewed by the teammate, but they must be activated by the Duelist who Set them.
• “Owner” means the same thing as a standard Duel. The “owner” is the Duelist who’s Deck the card started in
• If a card effect prevents your opponent from performing an action, it prevents both opponents. If a card prevents you from performing an action, it prevents your teammate as well.

Examples	Duelist 1A has a face-up Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer on his side of the field. Neither Duelist 2A and 2B may Banish cards from their Graveyards.
	Duelist 1A activates Reckless Greed. His team will skip its next 2 Draw Phases.

Source: http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/2013/YCS_SanMateo_FAQ.html#b