Tournament rules

These are the ZUTOMAYO CARD floor rules, version 1.0.2, last updated 4 August 2026. The official rules are in Japanese, and this English version is an unofficial translation: if they differ, the Japanese is correct. The official rules are on the official site.

These floor rules are set so that every player taking part in ZUTOMAYO CARD events and tournaments can play fairly and enjoyably. Aim for events where everyone plays with respect and good manners.

For the rules of the game itself, see the rules.

• Official ZUTOMAYO CARD tournaments
• Authorised ZUTOMAYO CARD tournaments

Types of event

• Official tournaments: tournaments organised and run by ZUTOMAYO, or by a company ZUTOMAYO has appointed.
• Authorised tournaments: tournaments organised by shops or others that ZUTOMAYO has authorised.

These floor rules are the policy for running tournaments, but things don't always have to be handled exactly as written. Use them as a guide to respond flexibly to whatever situations come up, and handle them appropriately.

Some tournaments also have their own rules or guidelines. These apply alongside, or take priority over, these floor rules, so check each set of rules carefully before taking part.

These rules may be changed or adjusted from time to time, without notice.

Everyone taking part in an event should respect each other and treat each other with consideration. When it comes to manners during games, players must keep the following in mind.

1. Greet your opponent before and after the game, and respect them.
2. Make your declarations clearly during the game, and answer your opponent's properly.
3. Keep your cards and game items (the Chronos medal, HP counter and so on) tidy and laid out so your opponent and the judge (or staff) can follow the game easily.
4. Handle your opponent's cards with care. Always ask permission before touching them.
5. Unless a card says so, don't look at your opponent's hand, deck and so on.
6. Unpleasant behaviour during games (insults, shouting, interfering and so on) isn't allowed. This applies to everyone at the event, not only players.
7. If you need to leave your seat during a game, get permission from your opponent and the judge.
8. If you have a question about the rules, you can call a judge to check there and then. You must follow what the judge decides.
9. If a player breaks the rules of good manners, or does something that looks like cheating, during a game, call a judge.
10. If you have a problem during a game that isn't a rules question, call a judge to deal with it too.
11. During a game, put anything not needed for the game under your chair or in your bag, and don't touch it.

When watching a tournament, spectators should watch from the area the tournament sets, with good manners, so they don't get in the way of games or of running the tournament.

1. Don't comment on, give advice about, or interfere with games. If this isn't followed, the judge (or staff) may ask you to stop watching.
2. If you notice a game being played against the rules while watching, don't interfere yourself, call a judge.
3. Some events don't allow watching, whether or not you're taking part in the tournament. As this differs between events, check with a judge on the day if you want to watch.

Rules on the format and running of a tournament are set separately for each tournament, and players must follow them. These include:

1. How games are played
2. Number of rounds
3. Game time and extra time
4. What happens when time runs out
5. Whether decklists must be submitted, and how
6. What counts as being late
7. How rankings are decided
8. Automatic drops

The tournament organiser can also change these rules without notice.

Running an event or tournament involves these roles:

• ① Tournament organiser
• ② Judges
• ③ Staff
• ④ Players
• ⑤ Spectators

The tournament organiser has the final say at the event or tournament, including over managing results and responsibility for them. Some of the organiser's authority may be delegated to staff.

To run the event smoothly, the tournament organiser is responsible for:

• Finding a place for the event.
• Promoting the event before the day.
• Gathering the staff needed to run the event.
• Providing the items needed to run the event.
• Reporting the event's results to ZUTOMAYO.

Judges have the following responsibilities and authority.

• Judges' responsibilities
  Judges must keep to the rules, follow the tournament organiser's instructions, and work with everyone taking part and the staff, so the tournament runs fairly and smoothly.
  Judges are also expected to act courteously, as an example to every player.
• Judges' authority
  Judges can't directly help players decide what to do in a game, but they can answer questions about the rules and card effects, and tell players a card's official text. If they find a rules error, or a player cheating or doing something that looks like cheating, they can step in to point it out and correct it.
  However, if a mistake is only found after the game has moved on, the game may simply continue.
  When a player asks about a possible "mistake under the game rules", any judge can hear from both players, not just one, give a ruling so the game can continue properly, and put the game back as it should be.

Judges and the tournament organiser have the final say on rulings and rules decisions during the tournament. Their final decisions can't be overturned.

Players taking part in the event must follow the rulings and rules decisions of judges and the tournament organiser.

The tournament organiser and judges are also event staff, and the tournament organiser may gather other staff who don't fit any of the roles above.

Staff follow the tournament organiser's instructions and help the tournament run smoothly.

Players have the following duties and rights.

However, ZUTOMAYO and the official ZUTOMAYO CARD staff can suspend or cancel a player's eligibility for events without notice.

• Players' duties
  Players must follow the ZUTOMAYO CARD ground rules and floor rules, and the tournament rules set by the tournament organiser.
  Players must follow what the judge (or staff) decides.
  Players must keep to the tournament's start time and time limits.
  Players must bring what they need to play, such as a deck, markers and a field mat.
  Players must also tell a judge if they're offered a bribe or asked to fake a result, or if they find a mistake in the tournament's results.
  Ignoring these duties may lead to a penalty.
• Players' rights
  If a question about the rules comes up during a game, players can call a judge to check it. If they disagree with the judge's ruling, they can ask a different judge.
  If a player sees another player breaking the rules, they have the right to tell a judge.

• Spectators must watch from the area the tournament sets, with good spectator manners, so they don't get in the way of games or of running the tournament.
• Players taking part in the tournament must also follow spectator manners when watching, the same as other spectators.
• Spectator manners means holding back on talking, reacting, cheering and so on, so players in a game can concentrate.
• If spectator manners aren't followed, the judge may give a penalty or stop someone watching.

Players need to bring what they need to play. This differs between tournaments, but includes for example:

• A deck
• A field mat
  A night/day marker is needed when using a half field mat.
• A Chronos medal
• An HP counter
• Anything else the tournament asks for

Players can use whatever equipment they like, as long as it doesn't go against the tournament's rules or manners. Equipment that could affect the fairness of the tournament, seriously infringes copyright, goes against public decency, or otherwise strays from the tournament's rules or manners can't be used.

The tournament organiser has the final say on what equipment can be used.

• Players use the cards allowed by each tournament's rules.
  At any tournament, counterfeit cards (including copies and handmade stand-ins) can't be used.
• Cards with signatures, symbols, drawings or anything else written on the front, back or edges can't be used at tournaments.
• Cards with scratches, marks, dirt, bends or similar on the front, back or edges that set them apart from the other cards in the deck may not be allowed, at the judge's (or staff's) discretion.
• As a rule, "limited cards", whose rarity says UR+, SR+, R+, N+ or similar, can't be used at official or authorised tournaments, unless the tournament's or event's rules allow them.

• A stand-in for a damaged card (a proxy card) is only allowed when the judge (or staff) decides that accidental damage to a card makes a fair game impossible.
• Proxy cards must be issued or approved by a judge. A player using a proxy card must tell their opponent beforehand that their deck includes one.
• During the game, keep the original card at hand so it can be checked straight away.
• While the proxy card's front can be seen by the opponent, show the original card if the opponent asks to check it.
• If the original card isn't available, the proxy card can't be used.

• Use sleeves within each tournament's rules. If a tournament sets which sleeves can be used, use sleeves that follow those rules.
• Sleeves with scratches, marks, dirt or similar on the front, back, edges or inside that set them apart from the other cards in the deck may not be allowed, at the judge's (or staff's) discretion.
• When using sleeves, keep all the cards facing the same way.
  You can use up to 3 sleeves on each card. If you do, use the same sleeves, the same number of them and the same layering on every card in the deck.
• Clear sleeves printed with a logo or other design, such as the "ZUTOMAYO CARD SLEEVE 50 SET (OVER SLEEVE)", should have the logo on the back of the card, and the design mustn't cover the card's text.
• If a judge decides a sleeve can't be used at a tournament, the player can choose to change to more suitable sleeves, or to play without sleeves.
• If a judge decides sleeves aren't suitable for play, the judge may give a penalty.
  Some tournaments require sleeves chosen by the tournament organiser.

• Players can use a field mat.
• A night/day marker is needed when using a half field mat.

• Players can use a clock or watch to keep track of the game time.
• However, at tournaments that don't allow electronic devices during games, smartphones, smartwatches and other electronic devices can't be used instead of a watch.

• Unless the tournament's rules say otherwise, players can't take notes or otherwise record information during a game, or between games when a match is made up of several games.

Once both players are seated, they should start getting ready straight away. When both are ready, the game starts when a judge or staff member signals, or at the time set by the tournament's rules.

Getting ready means these steps (see also rule 4.2):

1. Greeting
   Check you have the right opponent, and greet each other.
2. Deciding the night and day sides
   Play rock-paper-scissors. The winner is on the night side, and sits on the side of the field mat with the moon on it, or turns the field mat round. When using a half field mat, set the night/day marker to the night side.
3. Placing your deck
   Shuffle your deck well. Then hand it to your opponent and ask them to shuffle it again. Put your deck in your deck zone.
4. Drawing 5 cards
   Draw 5 cards from your deck as your hand.
5. Redrawing
   After drawing your first hand, you can redraw, once. Choose any number of cards in your hand and tell your opponent how many you're redrawing. Put the chosen cards face down somewhere easy to see on the field. Then draw that many cards from the top of your deck, put the face down cards back in your deck and shuffle it well again.
6. Setting a card in the battle zone
   Choose a card from your hand and put it face down in your battle zone.
7. Starting the game
   Both players say "嫌 (やぁ, yaa)", turn the set cards over at the same time, and start the game. If a turned over card isn't a character, put it straight in the power charger or abyss, depending on whether it has SEND TO POWER.

To shuffle a deck or hand means to shuffle it well, until it's random enough that neither player knows the order of the cards.

Right after being told to shuffle cards, such as shuffling your deck when the game starts, they must have been shuffled until random enough.

If a game goes on with cards that weren't random, both players may be given a penalty. Cheating while shuffling can lead to a severe penalty.

How to shuffle cards

1. Shuffle your cards.
   Shuffle them until they're random enough.
2. Hand your cards to your opponent and ask them to shuffle them again.
   If your opponent thinks the cards are already random enough, they can skip shuffling again. Once your opponent has shuffled them again, or skipped it, you can't shuffle them yourself (unless they've become your hand).

Things to watch out for when shuffling

• Shuffling your own cards
  You can shuffle until you're happy the cards are random enough.
  However, do it where your opponent can see, within a reasonable time, and take care not to damage the cards or look at them.
• Shuffling your opponent's cards
  Take care not to damage the cards or look at them, and do it within a reasonable time.

Judges shuffling cards

• Judges can shuffle a player's cards when a player asks, or when they decide to.
• If a player feels either player's cards haven't been shuffled randomly enough, or weren't shuffled following the steps, they can call a judge and ask them to shuffle the cards. Once a judge has shuffled the cards, the players can't shuffle them.

This chapter covers how matches are decided, including when time runs out and in Best of 3 matches.

• Who wins a match is decided by each tournament's rules.
• Depending on the tournament's rules, a match may be made up of several games.
• Depending on the tournament's rules, there may be a time limit for each match.

• Under the ground rules, a player whose HP becomes 0 loses the game, and the other player wins.
• If no winner has been decided when time runs out, the game is decided by these steps:

1. The player with more HP remaining wins (if it's the same, go to the next step).
2. The player on whose side the Chronos medal is at the end of that turn (the priority player) wins.

• A turn counts as over once both players have battled, damage has been calculated, effects that say "at the end of the turn" have been resolved, and each player has drawn as many cards as they played from their hand that turn.

• If the match still hasn't been decided when its time runs out, even after deciding the game, it's a draw or a loss for both players, depending on the tournament's rules.
• Unless the tournament's rules say so, the result can't be decided randomly, such as by rock-paper-scissors or tossing a coin.
• Depending on the tournament's rules, for example in a knockout tournament, there may be extra time.

• Some tournaments use Best of 3 ("BO3") matches. In BO3, players play up to 3 games against each other, and the first to win 2 games wins the match.
• In BO3, once the night and day sides have been decided while getting ready, every game in that match is played with the same sides.

• If there's a time limit, 25–30 minutes per match is recommended for BO3.
• If a BO3 match hasn't been decided when time runs out, it's decided as follows.

1. Time runs out during game 1
   • The game is decided by deciding who wins a game, and its winner wins the match.
2. Time runs out during game 2
   • If game 2 hasn't started, the winner of game 1 wins the match.
   • If game 2 is decided by deciding who wins a game, and it's the same winner as game 1, that player wins the match.
   • If game 2 is decided by deciding who wins a game, and both players have won the same number of games, it's a draw or a loss for both players, depending on the tournament's rules.
3. Time runs out during game 3
   • If game 3 hasn't started and both players have won the same number of games, it's a draw or a loss for both players, depending on the tournament's rules.
   • Otherwise game 3 is decided by deciding who wins a game, and the player who reaches 2 wins wins the match.
4. After game 3, one win and two draws
   • The player who won a game wins the match.
5. Extra time
   • Extra time is played when a result has to be decided, for example in a knockout tournament.
   • In extra time, even in BO3, one more game is played, and its winner wins the match.
   • Follow the judge's (or staff's) instructions for the time limit in extra time.
6. Anything else
   • If there's still no result after extra time, or if no result has been reached some time after time ran out and it's thought this could disrupt running the tournament, the result is decided in a way the tournament organiser chooses.

• If the tournament's rules ask for a player's and their opponent's signatures with the result, for example on a result slip, a result can't be overturned once both have signed it.
• When results are entered with an app, a result can't be overturned once it's been entered.
• When results are entered with an app, the match winner enters it and checks it with their opponent.
• Even after a game, if cheating is found and confirmed, or there's concern it would seriously affect running future tournaments, the tournament organiser may correct the result and take away any rights that came with the original result.
• If it's decided the result is hard to determine, the judge and tournament organiser may decide it.

• A player can concede (admit they've lost) until the result has been entered, or until a judge has checked the situation with both players and decided the result. A concession can't be overturned either.
• Depending on the tournament's rules, a concession may only be accepted if it's made within the time limit.

A player who wants to drop out partway through a tournament must do so in the way the tournament organiser sets.

As a rule, they must tell a judge (or staff) and get permission.

A player who decides to drop after their opponent has been announced, but before the game starts, loses that game by default, and has then officially dropped out of the tournament.

At some events and tournaments, players who drop may not be able to receive mementos and similar.

At any tournament, players mustn't decide or change a result by agreeing it with their opponent.

Fixing or deciding a result unfairly, such as by rock-paper-scissors or tossing a coin, can lead to a severe penalty.

Players also mustn't fix a result in exchange for money or anything else.

If these floor rules, or a tournament's own rules, aren't followed, a judge (or staff) may give a penalty.

The judge decides the penalty based on the level of the event or tournament, and how serious the rule breach was and the situation.

If rules keep being broken after a penalty, a more severe penalty may be given.

The examples of penalties below are only examples. For a similar breach, the judge may give a lighter (or heavier) penalty.

A penalty recorded for each player for one match. For a "mistake under the game rules", the judge puts the game back as it should be as far as possible, and gives a caution depending on how serious the mistake was.

Several cautions may be upgraded to a warning.

Examples

• Drawing an extra card by mistake.
• A player in a game asking a spectator for advice.
• A spectator speaking to a player in a game, or passing on information about the game with gestures or other ways.
• Sleeves or similar, other than the deck, not meeting the tournament's rules. In this case, the sleeves, card loaders and so on must be made suitable by the next game.

A penalty recorded for each player for the whole event, given for breaches that aren't very serious.

Several warnings may be upgraded to a game loss or disqualification.

Examples

• Continuing to play so slowly that the game won't finish in the set time.
• Plays that don't change anything (such as repeatedly just showing cards for no reason, checking the power charger or abyss, or repeating loops that don't change the result).
• Giving your opponent false information.
• Taunting or insulting your opponent.

Given for deliberate breaches, or when a breach makes it impossible to continue the game.

When a game loss is given, the game ends immediately.

Only the tournament organiser, and judges the tournament organiser has allowed to, can give a game loss.

Examples

• A deck that doesn't meet the deck building rules (fewer or more than 20 cards, and so on).
• Going against the tournament's rules, such as using sleeves the tournament doesn't allow.
  For items needed to play, the tournament organiser or staff may lend one or similar so the game can continue.
  For a wrongly built deck, the player may be allowed to keep taking part once the deck has been fixed.

Given for very deliberate breaches, behaviour that harms the whole event, and seriously unsporting behaviour. When a judge or staff member disqualifies a player, that player loses their current game, can't take part in any further games, and can't receive prizes for their results so far.

Spectators can also be disqualified, and must then leave the venue.

Examples

• Agreeing with an opponent to unfairly fix a game or its result. In this case, the opponent who made the deal is also disqualified.
• Deliberately and unfairly looking at information you shouldn't see, such as your opponent's deck or hand, to gain an advantage.
• The same person creating, using and managing several user accounts to take part in the tournament.
• Changing the contents of a deck when swapping decks isn't allowed.
• Deliberately cheating by unfairly handling or swapping cards, such as in either player's deck or hand.
• Deliberately cheating by getting or adding more cards than allowed to the hand, power charger or abyss.
• Deliberately cheating by moving the Chronos medal further than allowed.
• Arguing with, acting aggressively towards, or insulting judges, staff, players or spectators.
• Not following the instructions of judges or staff.

Mainly at official tournaments, if a player is judged to have committed a breach even more serious than one deserving disqualification, behaviour that harms the whole event, or seriously unsporting behaviour, they may be disqualified and also suspended from future tournaments, banned from the official Discord server and have their accounts suspended.

In this case, the event organiser takes no responsibility for any disadvantage or loss to the player who broke the rules.

Examples

• Committing theft, robbery, fraud, extortion, damage to others' property or other criminal offences, or similar unlawful acts.
• Giving or receiving money or goods based on game results, rankings, mementos and so on, or similar gambling or helping with gambling.
• Doing anything that could harm the fairness of games. This includes proposing, negotiating, discussing or agreeing to arrange results with other participants to affect who wins or the result of a game, or to share mementos, money or other benefits whatever the result. The organisers take no responsibility for, and won't get involved in, any trouble, loss or claim between players arising from these acts or suspicion of them.
• Violence, threats or intimidation towards other players, staff, judges or visitors, or stalking or excessive contact.
• Deliberately destroying, damaging or taking property belonging to the organiser, the venue or other players.
• Forging identification, transferring or lending ZUTOMAYO CARD accounts, or pretending to be someone else.
• Seriously slandering or attacking particular people, groups, event organisers, products or services.
• Making discriminatory remarks based on race, gender, physical characteristics or similar, or acting against public decency.