TEAM DUELING RULES

Basic Rules
・ The match is between two teams; of two players each (designated player A and player B). Teammates are seated next to each other with the other team on the opposite side of the table.
For a tournament, each player’s designation (A or B) is chosen at the start of the tournament and never changes.

・ Each player has 5 Monster Card Zones.

・ Each player has 5 Spell & Trap Card Zones.

・ The zones from both players on a team create 1 large side of the field. So there are 2 sides of the field, Team One’s side of the field and Team Two’s side of the field.

・ Each player uses their own Deck (2 Decks per team).

・ Each player has their own Graveyard (you cannot use your teammate’s Graveyard as if it was your own).

・ Each team has 1 Life Point total of 8000 (if it reaches zero, the team loses).

・ There can only be 1 Field Spell Card in play at a time, just like a 1-on-1 Duel.

・ Each player has their own Fusion Deck (you cannot use your teammate’s Fusion Deck for your Fusion Summons or card effects).

・ Each player has their own Side Deck to use only with their Deck.

・ Limited Cards are counted per player, not per team. So, for any given Limited Card, each player on a team could include 1 copy in their Deck, making a total of 2 copies that team can use. However, one player cannot include 2 copies of a Limited Card, even if the other player doesn't include any.

・ Teammates may talk, compare hands, and share information freely with each other. Teammates must come to an agreement before making plays involving each other’s cards. They should make their decisions in a timely manner as to not delay the game.

・ A team loses if either player on that team cannot draw a card from their Deck when required to.

Turn Procedure
Players on the same team sit next to each other, player A sits to the right of player B. Team 1 is players 1A & 1B and Team 2 is players 2A & 2B. The turn order starts with player A of the team that is chosen to go first and then alternates between teams.

The first player who can make an attack is the player who goes fourth. (In the example below, player 2B.)
Turn the Turn Player
----------------------------------------------------
1: Team 1 Player 1A
2: Team 2 Player 2A
3: Team 1 Player 1B
4: Team 2 Player 2B
5: Team 1 Player 1A
Continue until one team wins.

Card Effects
・ If any part of a card affects your opponent’s hand, Deck, Fusion Deck, Graveyard, or Removed Zone, then the player activating the card effect must choose 1 of their opponents to apply the entire effect of the card to.
EXAMPLES: “Confiscation,” “Memory Crusher,” “Soul Release,” “Secret Barrel,” “Crush Card Virus.”

・ If a card affects only your opponent’s side of the field, it affects the entire side, or both your opponents.
EXAMPLE: Player 2A activates “Lightning Vortex.” It destroys player 1A and player 1B’s face-up monsters.

・ If a card affects “both players,” all 4 players are affected.
EXAMPLE: “Dark World Dealings” is activated. All 4 players will each draw a card, then each discard a card.

・ If a card references another card that “you control,” it counts cards in your teammate’s Zones as well as your own. In the same way, cards that reference a card “your opponent controls” count both opponent’s sides of the field.
EXAMPLE: Player 1A has “The Six Samurai – Zanji” on the field and Player 1B has “The Six Samurai – Irou” on the field. Player 1A can Special Summon “Great Shogun Shien” from his hand because his team controls 2 or more “Six Samurai” monsters.

・ A player can allow their teammate to use monsters in their Monster Card Zones as Tributes, Fusion Materials, or for other appropriate card effects.
EXAMPLE: It is player 1A’s turn, and player 1B controls a “Gravekeeper’s Spy.” With permission, player 1A Tributes that “Gravekeeper’s Spy” to Tribute Summon his “Jinzo.”

・ Cards Set by a player can be viewed by the teammate, but they must be activated by the player who Set them.

・ “Owner” means the same thing as a standard Duel. The “owner” is the player who’s Deck the card started in.

Attacking
・ You can only attack with monsters you control (in your 5 zones) during your turn. You cannot attack with your teammate’s Attack Position monsters.

・ If there is a monster on the opponents’ side of the field (in either player’s Monster Card Zones) then you must attack it before attacking their Life Points directly.
EXAMPLE: Player A has “Elemental Hero Sparkman” in Attack Position. Player C has no monsters, but Player D has “Dark Magician” in Attack Position. Player A cannot attack directly, because the opponents have “Dark Magician” on the field.

Additional Rules
・ During a player’s turn, either opponent may activate Spell Speed 2 or higher effects (just as they could in a standard Duel). The teammate may also activate Spell Speed 2 or higher effects (as if it was an opponent’s turn).

・ When a player activates an effect, each other player must be given the opportunity to add an effect to the chain before it is resolved (starting with an opponent and then alternating between teams).

・ If multiple trigger effects activate at the same time, the turn player’s effects will be added to the chain first, followed by their teammate’s effects, and finally the opponents’ effects (in an order of their choosing).

・ Card effects that count turns count all appropriate turns.
EXAMPLE: “Swords of Revealing Light” is activated by Player A of Team 1. Team 2 cannot attack on Player C’s next turn (1 turn), Player D’s next turn (2 turns), and Player C’s turn after that (3 turns). “Swords of Revealing Light” will be destroyed at the end of that turn, because three opponents’ turns have passed.