Rulings
The rules that work differently in Goat Format.
Goat Format is ruled the way a head judge would have ruled it in 2005. Most rules are the same as modern Yu-Gi-Oh!. If something is not listed here, assume it works the modern way.
The big differences
- The player going first draws a card. You start your first turn with six cards.
- Your Fusion Deck has no size limit, and Fusions go to your Main Monster Zones.
- Only one face-up Field Spell can exist. A new one destroys the old one, even if your opponent controls it.
- When a monster is replayed, it is a new attack, not the same attack redirected.
- Search effects can fail to find. You can activate them with nothing left to search.
- If you take control of an opponent's monster, you can change its battle position that turn, even if it was just summoned.
- If two Attack Position monsters with 0 ATK battle, both are destroyed.
- There are no match draws. A match ends when someone wins two duels.
Priority
After a chain or summon resolves, the turn player acts first. In Goat Format that includes Ignition Effects, not only Quick Effects. If you summon Tribe-Infecting Virus, you can use its effect before your opponent can activate Book of Moon.
- You don't need to call priority. It is part of the game state.
- Priority has nothing to do with Trigger Effects.
- There is one window to respond to a summon. If you say no to the summon, you can't Torrential Tribute it after.
The Damage Step
Only one chain can happen in each part of the Damage Step. You can't use Quick-Play Spells, Normal Traps or Continuous Traps to negate something there. Only monster effects and Counter Traps can negate.
Continuous Traps
A Continuous Trap with an ignition-like effect must already be face-up to use it. You can't flip Royal Oppression in response to Scapegoat and negate it in the same chain.
Playing online
Online, players don't reveal their hands or decks to check that an effect resolved correctly. If something looks wrong, check the replay after the duel.
Specific cards
Search the rulings database for individual card rulings. Each card page lists its rulings too. Still stuck? Ask on the Goat Format Discord.
For the card pool and banlist, see History & Banlist.
