What is Standard Format?

In the world of Trading Card Games, a format is defined as a "specific rule set that determines which cards players are allowed to use in their decks." In other words, depending on the format you choose to play, certain cards are legal for use while others are not. At the Greenwich Pokemon Card Club, all of our tournaments follow the Standard Format.

Standard is the most common and widely played format globally. In this format, players are restricted to using only more recent Pokémon cards. To determine which cards are legal, we look at the Regulation Mark in the bottom-left corner of the card. A Regulation Mark is a symbol—usually a letter of the alphabet—that distinguishes whether a card is legal for tournament play. Simply put: if the letter is legal, the card is legal. Before switching to the alphabet, the Pokémon TCG utilized specific set symbols to identify card legality, but that system was retired in favor of this more streamlined and user-friendly solution.

These letters represent different release windows, identifying when the cards are legal for play. Once a year, a rotation takes place that shifts out the oldest Regulation Mark to make room for a new one. On April 10, 2026, cards with the "G" mark will no longer be allowed in Standard play. This means all cards featuring the "G" mark must be removed from your decks and replaced with H, I, and/or J cards. Players have until April 10th to update their decks to remain tournament-legal.

However, there is one important exception: any older card that is technically "out of rotation" but has the same name and effect as a newer card can still be used! That’s right—your older copies of Ultra Ball, Switch, and Rare Candy remain legal because they have newer versions with current regulation marks. There is no need to swap your old favorite copies for newer ones.

Players tend to gravitate toward this format because it is the most competitive, and strategies constantly shift as new cards are introduced. Standard is also excellent for new players because it keeps everyone on a level playing field. It is one of my personal favorite formats because the play styles are always evolving, and new strategies are invented with every release!

Sources:

https://play.pokemon.com/en-us/resources/rules/

Pokémon Trading Card Formats Explained: There really is something for everyone! By Pokémon

2026 Pokémon TCG Standard Format Rotation Announcement By Pokemon.com

Images - https://www.tcgplayer.com/content/article/2026-Pok%C3%A9mon-Standard-Rotation-Guide