This guide is designed for players both new and old, to help you prepare for your upcoming Pokémon GO Tournaments.

 

Event preparation:
Below are tips and resources to better help you prepare for your tournament before it even starts.

 

• Before you can even attend an event, you need to make sure that you are registered for an event. Before registering for a tournament on RK9.gg, you need to make sure you have set up your profile completely and accurately. If it is not, you will be delayed in registering for your event, and may not even be able to register due to the high demand for events. If you need assistance creating your profile, please check out our article on “How do I edit my profile?”

 

• Get familiar with event deadlines and requirements before you attend the event by going to your Player Dashboard, selecting the event you registered for, and reviewing the Tournament Milestones on your Player Tournament Dashboard. Here you find your confirmation, your team list submission deadline, and when round one of your tournament starts. You will be using this page throughout your event.
  • Step 1: After going to the Player Dashboard, select the event you registered for.
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    • Step 2: On your Player Tournament Dashboard, review your Tournament Milestones for important event information.
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• Before submitting your team list, ensure that the team you plan to use during the event is utilizing the correct tournament format.
  • For more information about tournament regulation formats, review section 2 Team Construction found in the Play! Pokémon Pokémon GO Tournament Rules. Due to this document being updated frequently due to regulation changes, it is highly recommended to review the document by going to the Rules & Resources page on pokemon.com.

 

• Make sure to submit your team list to RK9.gg before the submission deadline (which can be found in your Tournament Milestones for the event).
  • For more information about submitting your team list, please make sure to read the article “Submitting your Pokémon GO Team List”.
  • You can submit any number of new lists prior to the submission deadline, but you must play the most recent list you have submitted when the submission window closes.

 

• It is required (per section 2.1 Battle Setup in the Play! Pokémon Pokémon GO Tournament Rules) that you create a special “Tag” for the Pokémon you have decided to utilize during the event in order to make it easier for you and the staff to find your team. If you are unfamiliar with how to create “Tags”, follow the directions below for more information. Please note that all examples will be utilizing an iPhone as these are the devices provided at large Premier Events like Regional, International, and World Championships. 
  • Login to the Pokémon GO account that you intend to use at the event and select the “Poké Ball Main Menu” button at the bottom of your screen.
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  • When in the “Main Menu”, select “POKÉMON” in the bottom left side of the screen to access all of your Pokémon.
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  • When on the “Pokémon” screen you will see three tabs located at the very top (TAGS|POKÉMON|EGGS). Swipe your screen to the right to access the “TAGS” menu (you may also tap the “TAGS” tab at the top of the screen to access it as well).
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  • On the TAGS screen you will see a “+” button on the bottom left side. Press that button to create a new “Tag”.
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  • Next, you will label your “Tag” by giving it a name and color. It is recommended that you create a unique “Tag” name for the event so that it can easily be identified.
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  • Once you create the name of your “Tag” and choose your color, confirm your selections then press “DONE” at the bottom of the screen.
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  • Next, you will select the Pokémon you designated on your team list as wanting to use. There are two methods to do this. Follow the instructions below and choose which one works best for you:
    • OPTION 1
      • Go to the “Tag” you created under the TAGS screen. When you are in the designated “Tag” screen, on the bottom left side, you will see a “Pikachu +” button. Press this button to go to the selection screen.
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      • After pressing this button, it will take you to the full list of Pokémon you have under the POKÉMON screen. Here you can select all the Pokémon you intend on using at the tournament all at once.
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      • After you have selected all the Pokémon you listed on your team list, press the SELECT button found at the bottom of the screen.
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      • Finally, confirm you have all of the required Pokémon labeled.
      • Please note that even though this is a faster method of “Tagging” your Pokémon, there is room for error as you are unable to see the Pokémon’s stats and are only able to see their CP. Since multiple of the same Pokémon can have the same CP, you may end up selecting the incorrect Pokémon on accident which will result in a penalty at the tournament. Please use this method with caution and double check your selections.
    • OPTION 2
      • Go to the POKÉMON screen where all your Pokémon are located and select the Pokémon you wish to add to the “Tag”.
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      • When on that Pokémon’s screen, verify the stats of that Pokémon to ensure you selected the correct one (as stated on your team list) then press the pop-up menu located on the bottom right side of the screen.
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      • After pressing the pop-up menu, a menu will appear. From that menu select TAG.
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      • After selecting TAG, a new screen will appear with the Pokémon you selected at the top and the “Tag” options below it. Select the “Tag” you wish to give that particular Pokémon.
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      • After selecting the “Tag” you wish to give the Pokémon, confirm you selected the correct “Tag” by locating the green checkmark located next to the “Tag” that was selected. If the correct “Tag” was selected, press the DONE button located at the bottom of the screen.
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      • After pressing the DONE button, you will return to the Pokémon’s screen and you should see the “Tag” you gave it below its name.
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      • In order to confirm you “Tagged” all the correct Pokémon for this event, go back to the TAGS screen, where you created your “Tag”, and select the “Tag” you created. Here you should see all the Pokémon you selected for the event. You are able to check the stats of each individual Pokémon by selecting the Pokémon you wish to view.
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• Since Pokémon GO Regionals utilize the Challonge online tournament software to report matches and display the pairings bracket, it is highly recommended that you take time to get familiar with this online software. This will make finding your pairings and checking your score easier during the event.

 

• Finally, it is recommended that you review the Play! Pokémon Pokémon GO Tournament Rules as they will go over all the important information you will need to know for the day of the event including instructions on how to participate in a match. This document is updated regularly and can be found on the Rules & Resources page on pokemon.com.

 

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While at the Event:
Below are tips and resources to better help you prepare for your tournament before it even starts.

 

 

• Make sure to arrive on time for the players meeting on the day of the event as the event Lead will go over all the important details you will need to know for the event including how many double-elimination pods will competing that day, when they will start, and what pod you may be participating in. Please note that if you are in a later pod, you are not required to remain in the tournament hall, but make sure you are back when the event Lead says your particular pod will begin. Failure to show on time may result in penalties or even removal from the event.

 

• Some organizers may display either a QR code or a link to the bracket on Challonge so that you may be able to view it from your mobile device. It is important to frequently check this as matches may resolve rather quickly.

 

• When you arrive at your match, confirm that you are sitting across from your opponent before you start. This simple task will help you avoid playing against the incorrect player and possibly receiving a penalty.

 

• After being seated, you will be provided with your official "opponent view" team sheet. 
  • You should check that the information on your team sheet is correct. If there are any errors, contact a professor to assist you.

 

• Be careful to look after your sheet as it is required to be shown to your opponent at the start of each tournament round.
  • If you notice that during your game, your opponent is playing with a Pokémon or an in-game aspect that was not provided on their “opponent view” team sheet that you viewed, call for a judge immediately.
  • DO NOT LOSE THIS SHEET! Failure to provide this sheet to your opponent may result in a penalty. If you notice that your sheet is missing, please notify a judge immediately. 

 

• Before the start of any match, please go through the checklist below:
  • Provide your opponent with the Preview Team List sheet of your team that you were provided with during Round 1. You should also receive their sheet.
  • Ensure the device you’re provided with at the table is on and plugged in.
  • Open the Pokémon GO app on the device if it is not already open.
  • After opening the app, make sure you are prompted to log in to your account. If not and another player is still logged in, log the previous individual out of their account then log in. If you are not comfortable doing this, do not hesitate to contact a judge to assist you.
  • At this time you may start to screen record your match. If you are unsure how to start or stop a screen recording on an iPhone, do not hesitate to call a judge over to assist you.
  • Start your battle! Instructions on how to do this can be found under section 5.2 Beginning the Game in the Play! Pokémon Pokémon GO Tournament Rules, which can be found on the Rules & Resources page on pokemon.com.

 

• At the conclusion of the match, the winner will need to report the score. How to report your match may differ based on the event, so make sure you receive that information during the players meeting or you can simply call over a judge if you do not know how to report. It is the winner’s responsibility to report the match.

 

• If at any point before the end of the tournament you would like to no longer participate in the event, you are allowed to “drop” from the tournament without penalty, but you will need to notify the tournament staff at the scorekeeping area and answer any questions they may have before confirming your “drop” from the tournament.

 

• If for any reason you question a play during your match, have questions about an interaction, or feel uncomfortable for any reason (including the need to use the restroom during a match), please call for a Judge immediately, as they will be able to best assist you. If you are an experienced player and you may know how the judge may rule or fix the situation, DO NOT take it upon yourself to fix it, call a judge immediately.
  • If you do not like how the Judge ruled a penalty when you called them over, you are allowed to appeal to the Head Judge. Every judge is supposed to ask you if you would like to request this at the end of every ruling. If they forget, please know that this is available to you.
  • If you do not like how the Head Judge ruled when called over for an appeal or if they were the one that handled your call, DO NOT argue with them. If you disagree with them, their ruling is FINAL, but you can submit a support ticket to support.pokemon.com and notify them of your situation in detail. Arguing with a judge may result in a penalty.
  • If you noticed that during the event you received a ruling by accident, please notify the judge staff immediately so that they may be able to rectify the situation promptly.

 

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Participating in a GO League Challenge/Cup:
At larger Premier Events like Regional, International, and World Championships, they may host smaller Premier Events like a GO Challenge and/or GO League Cup. These events use a different tournament structure and have different tools to utilize. Below are important instructions to help guide you through the tools and systems used at these events as they are run differently than a GO Regional Championship.
 

• Before the start of the event, make sure to have your Player Tournament Dashboard up on your mobile device. This is where you will be updated as the tournament progresses.
  • ​​​​​​​Step 1: After you login to rk9.gg, click the dropdown menu button found on the top right corner of your screen.
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  • ​​​​​​​Step 2: Select Player Dashboard after the dropdown menu appears.
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  • ​​​​​​​Step 3: Select the event you are participating in.
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• During Swiss rounds, you will be assigned a table and opponent for each round. You will be able to find your opponent and table by going to your Player Tournament Dashboard as described above. An announcement will be made at the tournament when the next round pairings have been posted online. If you lose cell service in the hall, organizers often post paper pairings so you will be able to find your opponent and table for that round.
  • Here is what pairings will look like on your mobile device when you go to your event page on your Player Tournament Dashboard. Note: Make sure to refresh your web browser when a new round has been announced.
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  • Pairings for the entire tournament are found in your Player Tournament Dashboard by clicking on the View pairings link.
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• After being seated, you will be provided with your official "opponent view" team sheet. 
  • You should check that the information on your team sheet is correct. If there are any errors, contact a professor to assist you.

 

• Be careful to look after your sheet as it is required to be shown to your opponent at the start of each tournament round.
  • If you notice that during your game, your opponent is playing with a Pokémon or an in-game aspect that was not provided on their “opponent view” team sheet that you viewed, call for a judge immediately.
  • DO NOT LOSE THIS SHEET! Failure to provide this sheet to your opponent may result in a penalty. If you notice that your sheet is missing, please notify a judge immediately.

 

• At the end of each round, you and your opponent will fill out the match slip that was placed at your table. The match slip is where you will mark and confirm your match results that will be handed to “paper team/scorekeepers” in order to report your match results. DO NOT FORGET TO COMPLETELY FILL THIS OUT AS NEGLECTING TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN TOURNAMENT DELAYS.
  • This box is where any penalties or time extensions will be marked by the judge, but is also where you and your opponent may keep track of your game wins. This is not necessary for the scorekeepers, but may help keep track of your games in a “Best of 3” match. You may use the checkboxes, but leave the lines next to them blank for the judges.
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  • At the conclusion of the match both players will need to agree on the winner by the winner of the match circling WINNER under their name. If the match ends in a tie, then the “TIE” in the center box will need to be circled instead of “WINNER”.
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  • In order to confirm the results and be able to hand in the match slip, both players will need to initial above their name, below the area that says “Initial below:”. Failure to do so will result in tournament delays and possible penalties.
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  • Once everything has been filled out accurately at the end of your match, it is the match winner’s responsibility to return the slip to the paper team/score keepers at the designated area.

 

• When the rounds are announced, but before the start of the announced round, it is the player’s responsibility to ensure that the result entered the previous round was correct. If it is not, it is the player’s responsibility to go to the designated scorekeeping area to let the staff know the result for the previous round was entered incorrectly. It is recommended that you stay in that area until it is resolved in case staff have questions you may need to answer. You will be able to review your match results on your Player Tournament Dashboard under pairings.
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• As always, if you have any questions or concerns during the event please do not hesitate to let a member of the event staff know so they may be able to assist you.