If you’re heading out to a Yu-Gi-Oh! event, your brain is probably filled with lots of things. You might be thinking about your deck, who’s going to be there, if you missed the exit off the highway, how well you’ll do against different matchups, how much time is left until registration closes, will you finally get interviewed on Metagame.com . . . you know, important things like that. Since there’s a lot on players’ minds, it’s not surprising that players don’t think much about tournament paperwork. However, one of the biggest reasons for tournament delays is problems with filling out the paperwork. Just think—if there are 200 people at your event, and each of them contributes one minute of delay due to not being careful with their paperwork, then it really adds up!

I know that you don’t want to be part of the problem, so this week’s article is all about filling out your forms correctly. Some of you might think, “Come on, this is so easy!” but I’m telling you, many players need a little push in the right direction. Let’s start with the piece of paper that can cause so many problems if it’s not done correctly—your decklist!

The Decklist

Everything but the most casual of tournaments (or Sealed Pack events) are probably going to require a decklist, and the judges are going to have to look them over. Making sure that the judge can read your decklist accurately will save time for both you and the judges, and it prevents tournament delays that can occur when the event staff needs to track you down and sort out problems. The best way to start is by using the right form. You can download a decklist from Upper Deck’s website by going to this page or you might be able to get one from the TO’s website. Either one should be acceptable, as long as it’s filled out correctly. If you can’t get a form ahead of time and would like to bring a completed decklist, then you can type or write it out on plain paper, provided you follow these basic guidelines.

Separate monsters, spells, and trap cards, and list the number of copies of each card.

Most decklists have labeled columns for the different types of cards. List each card once, and then put the number of copies you have next to the card name. Do this even if you only have one copy of some cards. Even if the card is limited and you think it should be obvious that you only have one copy, write the number down anyway. Unscrupulous players have been known to run two copies of Pot of Greed.

Use the full names for cards. Don’t abbreviate.

I know that it seems like it takes forever to fill out a decklist, especially if you were late to register for the event and the first round is about to start. Some Yu-Gi-Oh! cards have long names, and it’s tempting to say to yourself, “Oh, everyone will know what I mean.” Do the judges a favor, and write out the card names. Even though you think it should be obvious that “EBO” means Enraged Battle Ox, it’s not the correct way to fill out your decklist. If you mean Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, then don’t write Black Luster Soldier and then argue “Well, you know I meant Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning. No one runs Black Luster Soldier!” It slows down deck checks when the judges have to take time and figure out what you mean, and nine times out of ten you’re going to have to go up between rounds and explain the cards in your decklist. I have no idea what a Book of Book* is. When you’re writing out your decklist, make sure you pay attention!

If you aren’t using a side deck or a fusion deck, make a note of that on your decklist.

Instead of leaving those sections blank, write “No side deck” or “No fusion deck.” Nearly everyone plays with one these days, and I’ve seen players forget to write them down. Unfortunately, if they’re caught, that player will get a penalty, and he or she usually won’t be allowed to use the side or fusion deck for the rest of the event. This can be a fatal error. Judges want to avoid this, so they’ll often call up players with blank side or fusion deck sections on their decklists to double-check that the players aren’t using side or fusion decks. You’ll save a lot of trouble for everyone if you just go ahead and write on the form that you aren’t using a fusion or side deck.

Make sure you have a legal deck.

This sounds obvious, but plenty of people show up with 39 cards, cards from sets that aren’t legal yet, cards that are on the Forbidden list (at Advanced format events), or too many copies of limited or semi-limited cards. Count your cards and make sure that you have at least 40 cards in your deck and exactly fifteen in your side deck, and double-check that each card is written on your decklist. Check the Forbidden and Limited lists to make certain the cards that you have are legal for the format in which you’re playing. If you have an illegal deck at the event, you’ll incur some pretty harsh penalties.

Write clearly!

If you have horrible handwriting, get someone else to write your decklist for you. You could also consider typing it. Imagine having to read through 200 decklists that were all written by players in a hurry. You’ll come across some strange cards that you never knew existed. At my last event, I learned about Pork Butter, a powerful new fusion monster. (It turns out that the player meant Dark Balter the Terrible.) Ancient Bear Blast? Good heavens, that sounds amazing . . . oh, you mean Ancient Gear Beast.

Print your full name and UDE Tournament ID number on your decklist.

This one seems obvious, but there’s always at least one person at an event who forgets to do it. It’s a real pain to track down the owners of mystery decklists, so make sure you put your name on your decklist. Print it very clearly, too. On the off chance that a judge finds a problem with your decklist and has to call you up to the judge station, you’ll want to make sure you can recognize your name when it’s announced. Legibility is very important. Often there’ll be a box in the top right-hand corner of the list. You’ll be asked to write the first letter of your last name in that box for ease in alphabetizing the decklists. Make sure you put down the correct initial—the first letter of your last name. If you mix it up, your decklist might get filed in the wrong place, which will lead to problems when the judges need to find your deck list.

Have your list prepared ahead of time whenever possible.

It’s much easier to follow the above guidelines in the peace and quiet of your own home, rather than trying to write everything out at the event. You might end up standing in a long registration line and have only a few minutes to complete your decklist. Most decklist errors are a direct result of haste, so do what you can to eliminate that factor from the equation. Sure, there might be times when you plan on trading for cards or borrowing some, or you won’t have finalized your deck before you get to the event. Fill out what you can—name and tournament ID number, fusion deck if that’s settled, the cards you know you’ll be running—and do the rest at the event as soon as you can.

When you register for the event, ask when the decklists will be collected. Some TOs collect the lists at registration, but others collect them at the start of the first round. It’s not a bad idea to find this out ahead of time, so you don’t end up holding up the event while you’re racing to write out your 40-card fusion deck in full, and legibly to boot.

Now you know all about the right way to fill out your decklist. Just think—if everyone followed these guidelines, all the time spent sorting out errors would be saved. Tournaments would end earlier, judges would smile more**, players wouldn’t get penalties for illegal decklists, and the world would be a better place. It all begins with your decklist.

Next time, I’ll have some more paperwork tips for you. Let’s keep working on reducing tournament delays!

*Yes. The player really did write “Book of Book.”

**Although, I did laugh for about four minutes about “Ancient Bear Blast.” It just struck me as funny.