Ruling Playmat layout.

PokeKid Brandon

PM for free stupid...
Member
Is there any rules that say that I have to have my deck on teh right side along with my discard? Do both my deck and discard have to be on the same side or can I say have my deck on the right side and my discard on the left side or vice versa? Also does my deck have to be pointing up and down? Or can it be sideways?

If I could get these answered it would appreicate it.
 
Yeah I'd like to know that too, because I always have deck sideways beside my active pokemon and my discard pile way over to the side.
 
All that I know is that your deck can be on either side and so can your discard pile I believe. They just have to be on the opposite side of your prizes. Also I think that the discard has to be next to your deck but I'm not sure on that one.
Here is what the compendium sez:
Q. I like to keep my deck and discard pile sideways to help me keep them separate from my bench. Is that OK?
A. Your deck must be oriented vertically, to avoid revealing information during handling or cuts. You may turn your discard pile 'sideways', to help you distinguish it from your bench. (Oct 16, 2008 PUI Rules Team)

Q. Can I separate my discard pile in two stacks to make it easier to count energy?
A. No, you have to have a single neatly stacked discard pile. You may sort or turn cards neatly in that pile if it helps the game go more quickly, but they must all be touching. (Oct 16, 2008 PUI Rules Team)

The first is about the deck orientation and the discard orientation.
The second is specifically about the discard.

Hope it helped a little.
 
You can put the discard in any fashion you want according to the ruling.
All the cards must be touching though. So the DISCARD can be sideways or vertical, it just matters that all the cards are touching.
However the deck cannot be sideways. It can be turned either way, but cannot be turned to the side. So the deck must have the short side of the card facing the player. Like this:
_____
l-----l
l-----l
l ___ l

and not this:
____________
l--------------l
l--------------l
l ___________ l

So the side doesn't matter for the deck. Just orient the deck like the pictures. And the discard can be I think in front of, beside the deck, or behind the deck. I couldn't find a ruling on that one though. Make sure the deck and discard are away from the prizes.

EDIT: I added the dashes because spaces won't let me seperate the deck sides from each other.
 
At tournaments, judges expect your playing field to be easily identified. This means, deck vertical, with the discard pile underneath it, prizes on the opposite side of the deck, and the Lost zone turned horizontally face up above prizes. If your field doesn't look like this in the tournament setting, you will likely be asked to reorient your playfield.
 
Sometimes when a player is left handed, a judge would allow the player to have their deck and discard pile on the left and the prizes on the right. In either case of right or left handed, deck and discard pile must be on the same side.
 
Everyone in this thread has told you the only hard and fast rules for the layout of a game. Your deck and discard must be on the opposite side of the playing field as your prizes and your deck must be vertically oriented, but your discard (as long as it remains one pile) can be oriented either way.

There are very few other rules as far as setup goes. I would add slots for Supporter/Stadium/Lost Zone if you want, but they might just add to the clutter.
 
Back
Top