Judge Discretion Removed from Time Limit

It looks like time really is up for Rule 28.2! After the news we’d get 20 minute games this season to reduce the chance of matches going to time, we’ve learned that the ambiguity that made this rule so unevenly applied will no longer be the case. The rules document used to state:

Any mid‐game effects, such as selecting a move or retreating Pokémon, are to take place in a reasonable amount of time. If a judge feels that a player’s pace is unwarranted, that player will be subject to the Game Tempo section of the POP Penalty Guidelines.

It has now been updated to say:

Any mid-game effects, such as selecting a move or retreating Pokémon, are to take place within the 60 seconds allocated per turn.

No other changes have been made to the video game rules. If you are a judge, we ask that you please let the rest of your staff know about this change. It can be very stressful to have someone hovering over and rushing you along in a high stakes match. With a discrete, game-controlled, time limit, we can avoid these situations and free up staff for other duties!

About the Author

Firestorm is one of the co-founders of Nugget Bridge and the Community Manager for eSports Tournament Platform Battlefy. He has been playing Pokémon since 1999, competitively since 2007, and attending tournaments since 2010. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with a degree in Interactive Art & Technology + Communications. You can follow him on Twitter at @rushanshekar.