Standard Format Rules, Rotation & Legal Cards | DECK / divider
Complete guide to Standard Format in the Pokémon TCG. See currently legal regulation marks, deck construction rules, and banned cards.
Active Regulation Marks: H, I, and J
For the 2026 competitive tournament season, Pokémon TCG Standard format decks are legally restricted to cards bearing Regulation Marks H, I, and J. Cards bearing Regulation Mark G officially rotated out of Standard play on April 10, 2026 for in-person Play! Pokémon Championship Series events, and on March 26, 2026 for Pokémon TCG Live.
The "Legal Via Reprint" Rule
Under official Play! Pokémon tournament rules (§2.4), any older card (including Scarlet & Violet Base, Paldea Evolved, Obsidian Flames, Paradox Rift, or vintage prints) remains 100% tournament legal in Standard if an identical English name and text version is currently active with Regulation Mark H or later. This includes staple Trainers like Ultra Ball, Nest Ball, Rare Candy, Super Rod, Arven, Iono, Professor's Research, and Boss's Orders.
Official Banned Cards List
There are currently zero (0) cards banned in the Pokémon TCG Standard format for the 2026–2027 tournament season. All legal cards meeting Regulation Marks H, I, and J criteria may be played in full 4-copy allotments (excluding Basic Energy which is unlimited, and ACE SPEC / Radiant cards which are strictly 1 per 60-card deck).