Standard Ruleset for 2015 VGC Season Updated
The Standard Ruleset has been updated. All tournaments that are a part of the Pokémon Video Game Championships (VGC) will use these rules starting January 1st, 2015. As many have predicted, it will mirror the ruleset used in the ΩR/αS League Doubles ladder on Battle Spot. For those who need a refresher, that means:
Standard Ruleset
- All matches are played in the Doubles format.
- Pokémon above Level 50 will be brought down to 50 for the match while those below 50 will stay as is.
- Players choose 4 of their 6 registered Pokémon after team preview.
- Pentagon Rule: All Pokémon must have the blue pentagon on their stats page indicating they were caught, bred, or received as an official gift in Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, or Alpha Sapphire.
- Species Clause: No two Pokémon on your team can share the same Pokédex number.
- Item Clause: No two Pokémon on your team can hold the same held item.
- The following items are banned:
- Soul Dew
- The following moves are banned:
- none
- The following Pokémon are banned (all forms):
- Mewtwo
- Mew
- Lugia
- Ho-oh
- Celebi
- Kyogre
- Groudon
- Rayquaza
- Jirachi
- Deoxys
- Dialga
- Palkia
- Giratina
- Phione
- Manaphy
- Darkrai
- Shaymin
- Arceus
- Victini
- Reshiram
- Zekrom
- Kyurem
- Keldeo
- Meloetta
- Genesect
- Xerneas
- Yveltal
- Zygarde
- Diancie
For full rules, download the rules document here.
Additional Rule Clarifications
Headphones
You are allowed to use headphones while playing as long as they are wired and plugged into your 3DS. The cord must be visible.
Time Limits at Premier Challenges
Due to the longer than normal timers when using the Player Search System, Premier Challenges and other tournaments where you don’t have your Battle Box locked and rules downloaded at registration can have time limits enforced manually by a judge. Time limits may also be extended if the organizer sees fit. Changes should be communicated at the beginning of the tournament alongside the number of rounds and top cut size.
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.
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126 Responses to Standard Ruleset for 2015 VGC Season Updated
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Guys, headphones!
time to use hoopa
Only mons numbered 1 – 719 are allowed, and Hoopa’s 720, so nah.
Also, there was one time when they accidentally forgot to put Jirachi on the ban list, but you still couldn’t actually use it, so yeah. Use common sense.
I know it’s a little late for this, seeing as the world championships are over and all, but I just need a confirmation: do the Pokémon on your team need to have your OT or does it not matter, as long as they have the blue pentagon? Thanks! :3
Nah, they can have any OT.
Remember that some dodgy looking names like ‘Legit’ can be suspicious. So be careful if you’re trading a lot