2025-26 Standard format (TCG)

The 2025-26 Standard format of the Pokémon Trading Card Game is the Standard format that is used for Play! Pokémon organized play and in most sanctioned tournaments worldwide from April 11, 2025 to April 10, 2026. It was also used in Pokémon TCG Live from March 27, 2025 to March 26, 2026.

Play period

The 2025-26 Standard format was announced on January 9, 2025. This format rotates out cards with the regulation mark, effectively removing all non-reprinted Sword & Shield Series cards from the Standard format.

Pokémon TCG Live: March 27, 2025 to March 26, 2026
Official Tournaments: April 11, 2025 to April 10, 2026

Rule changes

Cards with the regulation mark are rotated out. Cards with a , , or later regulation mark remain legal.

Overtime rules for tournament matches were changed following the 2025 Pokémon World Championships, effective September 1, 2025.^[1] With this change, the player whose turn it is when time is called is allowed to finish their turn (Turn 0), and their opponent is allowed 1 additional turn afterwards. These turns are played with a 10-minute overtime clock. Following significant community pushback, on January 26, 2026, this change was announced to be reverted effective February 13, 2026, coinciding with the 2026 Pokémon Europe International Championships.^[2] Overtime is once again played with 3 additional turns following Turn 0, starting and ending with the Turn 0 player's opponent. These turns are played with a 15-minute overtime clock.

On January 28, 2026, the timeframe in which new expansions become legal for play was redefined.^[3] Expansions are now legal for play two weeks following the release of their Sleeved Booster Packs, Booster Bundle, or Booster Display Box, whichever comes first. Special expansions, which do not have Sleeved Booster Packs, are instead legal two weeks following the release of their Booster Bundle or Elite Trainer Box, whichever comes first. This change was made due to product availability concerns with the Ascended Heroes expansion. Due to the delay of the Erika and Larry Ascended Heroes Collections in the United States and Canada, players from those regions had few options to obtain new cards from the expansion in time for EUIC.^[4] As the Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box released on February 20, 2026, the expansion became legal on March 6, 2026 rather than its intended date of February 13, 2026.