16. Card Sleeves
Card sleeves are allowed to be used at Pokémon Organized Play tournaments, provided that they meet the following requirements:
All of the sleeves on a deck must be the same color, condition, size, and texture.
The fronts of the sleeves are clear, clean, and free of designs, holograms, and emblems that may obscure card information.
The sleeves completely cover the entire card, leaving no portion sticking out of the open end.
The sleeves are not reflective enough to be used to clearly determine the faces of cards that remain in the deck.
o A reasonable degree of glossy finish on a sleeve is acceptable. For example, if a player can identify the card by type, due to the contrast in card frames between Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards, the sleeves are permitted for use. However, players and judges should take extra precautions to ensure that no advantage is gained by this reflection.
o Sleeves that create a mirror-like surface, where the exact card above it is clearly distinguishable, are not permitted. For example, if the player can identify the exact card using the reflection from the sleeve below it, those sleeves are not permitted.
Each card sleeve contains only one card.
The use of sleeves with any form of pattern or artwork on the back of the sleeve is strictly prohibited at all Premier Events, unless the sleeve is an official Pokémon sleeve, where the color along all four edges of the sleeve is identical.
The Head Judge of a non-Premier Event has the final say over whether or not art-backed sleeves may be used at that tournament. Inappropriate sleeve images (as determined by the Head Judge) are strictly prohibited.
The Head Judge has the final say regarding whether a player’s card sleeves may be used in a tournament.
Players should keep in mind that card sleeves are not a requirement at Pokémon Organized Play tournaments or events. Should a judge inform a player that his or her sleeves may not be used at an event, the player has the option of replacing the sleeves with more suitable sleeves or playing without sleeves.
Players are responsible for ensuring that their cards and/or card sleeves are not marked in any way. A card is considered marked if some aspect of the card makes it possible to identify it without seeing its face, including scratches, tears, discoloration, bends, and so forth. Players must ensure that their sleeves remain legal throughout the course of the event, not just during initial deck checks.
If a player’s cards are sleeved, the sleeves are considered to be part of the cards, so the cards must be examined while in the sleeves to determine if there is a marked-card situation.
Cards with different backs or a different cut from the other cards in a deck do not cause a marked-card situation as long as the entire deck is placed in non-marked, completely opaque-backed card sleeves.
The Head Judge is the final authority in determining whether a card or sleeve in a player’s deck is considered marked.
