Welcome to the second installment of this article series! Last week, I gave you a long list of things that you shouldn’t do when you’re getting ready to play in an event. I hope that you remember everything I told you, because this week we’re going to talk about what you shouldn’t do when the rounds are under way. Players accidentally do lots of things that could earn them a penalty or slow down an event, so even if you think you’re up to speed, it won’t hurt to read the list.

What Not To Do at a Tournament—When the Rounds Begin!

Wander Off as Your Event is Being Prepared

It’s easy to get bored while you’re waiting for an event to begin, Don’t wander off in search of something else to do, especially if several tournaments are being run in the same venue. You can’t depend on someone coming to find you and let you know that your event is starting. Plus, remember that a venue’s acoustics aren’t always reliable. If you’re in a spot where you can’t hear announcements, you might miss the start of your event. Since you’ve gone through all the trouble of getting to an event, don’t blow it by being careless.

Be Careless When Checking Your Pairings

Once the pairings go up, there’s going to be a large crowd of people who are all trying to read the list at the same time. Time is short, so you want to find your table as quickly as possible. However, don’t be in such a hurry that you don’t read the pairings carefully. If you get the wrong table number and don’t catch it in time, you’re going to get a penalty for playing the wrong opponent, which can end up being a match loss. If the event is large, the match slips might take a while to get to all of the tables. When you get the slip, check it to make sure that you’re at the right table and playing the right opponent. It also won’t hurt to ask your opponent for his or her name, just to make sure.

Be Late for a Round

There’s often not much time in between rounds, because TOs want to get rounds underway as soon as possible after the results are in from the previous ones. When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go—but remember that if you’re even three minutes late for a round, you’ll get a game loss. If you’re ten minutes late, you’ll get a match loss. Bringing your own snacks and drinks, where possible, might be a good idea if you usually play until the time limit.

Shuffle Carelessly

Tournament guidelines decree that you must shuffle your deck for ten seconds and then present it to your opponent so he or she can do the same. Always shuffle the deck while holding it above the table while holding the deck in such a way that you can’t possibly see the cards. If you look like you’re trying to manipulate the shuffle, your game will be delayed and you might be penalized.

Put Food or Drinks on the Tournament Tables

This is a difficult rule for players to remember, but please do not put food or drinks on any of the tournament tables. This is especially important when a match is going on, but in general you shouldn’t eat on any area where people have to play. Do you want to get greasy french fry residue or gross, yellow, imitation nacho cheese all over your cards? I didn’t think so. The event staff won’t be happy if you ruin a tablecloth, either, and making a mess can carry a severe penalty. During a match, if you spill food or drinks on cards, you’ll be penalized with at least a match loss. Don’t put food, drinks, or even a bottle of water on a tournament table.

Write on a Tablecloth

Writing on a tablecloth is defacing event property. Don’t ever write on the tablecloths! Most TOs will disqualify you if you do this. If you’re a habitual doodler, be sure to bring paper and watch what you do with your pen.

Clutter or Randomize Your Play Area

If you look at a Yu-Gi-Oh! playmat, it clearly shows where all the cards belong. There’s a place for everything, and you’re responsible for making sure that everything is in its place. When a judge walks down the aisles, he or she needs to be able to assess the state of each game at a glance. Your opponent also needs to know the exact state of your side of the field. Resist the temptation to find new and exciting ways to arrange your field. If you have any little mascots, set them far enough to the side to make it clear that they aren’t part of the game. If you have any cards that aren’t part of an active game, keep them separate from your in-game cards. You can be given a penalty for misrepresentation of the game state if your field is jumbled or out of order.

Leave Your Personal Belongings Strewn About or Lying in the Aisles

Pay attention to your belongings. It isn’t a good idea to drag a lot of things to a tournament, because you have other matters to focus on, and it’s easy to lose track of something. Judges are constantly picking up calculators, binders, cell phones, jackets, gloves, deck boxes, cards . . . you name it and we’ve picked it up. If a judge finds it first, you’ll probably get it back. If we don’t find it first, all bets are off. Likewise, don’t leave your jacket or backpack hanging over the back of a chair or lying in the aisle. Judges have to walk up and down between the tables, and we’re supposed to be looking at the players and their cards, not at the ground.
Get Up to Look for a Judge During a Game

If you need a judge, just raise your hand and call one. Don’t get up from your game and wander around looking for a judge. Also, e sure to call for a judge immediately when you’ve got a problem—we can’t do anything about an action that happened a few turns ago.

Let Your Hands Wander Under the Table

Keep your hands and cards above the table at all times. Whether you’re shuffling, deciding what to do next, or looking at your hand, make sure that your hands and cards are where your opponent can see them at all times. I know that this is hard to remember, but it’s part of the tournament guidelines. If you’re in the habit of keeping your hands under the table, you’ll need to train yourself. Sitting closer to the table might make it easier.

Neglect to Announce Game Phases or Ask Opponents if They’d Like to Respond

This causes a lot of problems. Judges absolutely hate this kind of scenario, because it’s invariably a mishmash of conflicting opinions about whether an opponent had time to respond, or whether a game phase or turn was over. Some players think that “narrating” the game is stupid, but communicating with an opponent in this way is part of the tournament guidelines. Plus, narrating your turn can save you a lot of trouble. Just do it.

Neglect to Bring All of the Required Materials

You’ll need your deck for a Constructed event. You’ll need sleeves if you’re going to use them, and be sure to bring extras just in case some get damaged. Having replacement cards can also come in handy. You should also bring a calculator, some pens, and paper, because it’s hard to keep track of life points without those things. If you are playing cards that require a die or counters, you should bring some of those as well. You’ll also need to bring a coin or die to determine who goes first in a game. Take a look at the tournament guidelines, which are posted right here, and you’ll find a list of the items that you are responsible for bringing. Asking a judge to give you an item that you should have brought can lead to delays, and ties up a judge who should be answering questions and supervising the event.

Let Your Opponent Keep Track of All the Life Points

This is such an amazingly bad idea, but players do it constantly. Then, they try to argue that the score isn’t accurate and that they did not lose. Trust me, a judge has more important things to do than go through each player’s graveyard, reconstruct attacks, and check math. If only one player keeps track of the scores, then that record is going to stand. Each player should keep track of both sets of life points, preferably on paper, since it’s easier to catch errors when each loss or gain is written down.

Keep Track of Life Points in Your Head

Judges aren’t mind readers. Players are required to keep visible records of their life-point gains and losses. You can keep track with a calculator, but it’s better to have a paper record. If you keep track of life points in your head and have to call a judge because there’s a dispute about who won or lost, I guarantee that you won’t enjoy the judge’s reaction. Write down your life points!

Neglect to Check Your Deck, Side Deck, Etc., After Each Round

Lots of effects can switch control of cards, so it’s easy to get your cards mixed in with your opponents’ cards, especially if your sleeves are similar. Cards can also get left behind on the tables or fall on the floor. If you lose a card from your deck and you can’t replace it, you’ll incur penalties for having an illegal decklist or an illegal deck, if your deck drops below 40 cards. If you can’t replace a lost card, you risk being unable to continue in the event, and that makes losing a valuable card even worse. This situation happens more often than you might think, so set aside a minute to check your deck after each round. If it makes things easier, keep a copy of your decklist with you.

I’ve brought you through the round and pointed out what can go wrong. No one wants to lose a match, and it’s even worse to lose because you weren’t paying attention or violated a guideline. Next week, I’ll talk about things that you shouldn’t do after the round is over, or at the event in general. See you then!