Competitive Clauses & Tiers

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Competitive Clauses

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n competitive Pokémon, there are several standard rules used in every match. These rules are called clauses, and they serve to stop some over-powerful strategies, reduce the role that luck can play in a match, and overall just make the game more enjoyable. If you are playing on a simulator, these rules will be enforced automatically; in wi-fi play, activating any one of these clauses will usually result in disqualification.


Evasion Clause
Moves that boost evasion (i.e. Double Team and Minimize) are not allowed.

Freeze Clause
Two or more Pokémon on a team cannot be frozen at the same time.

Sleep Clause
Two or more Pokémon on a team cannot be asleep at the same time. Self-induce sleep via rest does not activate Sleep Clause.

OHKO Clause
One-Hit KO moves are not allowed.

Species Clause
Two or more of the same Pokémon may not be used on the same team.

Self KO Clause
If both players have only one Pokémon left, moves which KO both the user and the opponent are not allowed (e.g. Explosion, Destiny Bond). If recoil damage would cause a tie, Self KO Clause does not activate, and the player who last attacked is the winner.

Item Clause
All Pokémon on a team must hold different items. This is not a standard clause in competitive play, but it is used in Nintendo tournaments.


Other Important Clauses


Hacks Clause
Sometimes people use Hacked Pokemon. Sometimes people allow them in battle, but sometimes people don't want to have anything to do with hacks, so this clause will be in effect a lot. Most battles have this clause.

Status Clause
This clause means that you are not allowed doubles of any status effect like Burn, Poison, Confusion etc. Self inflicted status effects caused by things like the Toxic Orb do not count towards this. Also side effects of moves like Ember, Water Pulse, Ice Beam etc; do not count either as they are side effects of damaging moves which just happen to enflict the Status Condition.

Focus Item Restricting Clause
There are two items called Focus Items. They consist of the Focus Sash and the Focus Band. They allow your Pokemon to survive on 1HP. These are not allowed in battles with this clause.

Arceus Clause
Arceus is an Uber Pokemon, but sometimes it's not allowed in Uber Battles either due to it's extremely overpowered strength and amazing stats.

Hax Item Clause
Items which require luck to use are banned in battles with this clause in affect. These are the Brightpowder, Quick Claw and King's Rock. And in battles without the Focus Item clause, but have this clause.. The Focus Band is banned too as it is Hax Item.

Soul Dew Clause
Ever since Latias moved to standard, some people still claim it is too strong with the Soul Dew attached. So in some battles, both Latias and Latios cannot hold the item Soul Dew with this clause in affect. This clause is not in effect in an Uber Battle.

Garchomp Allowance Clause
Though it's not an official clause, this is used in many battles outside of Smogon due to the Garchomp Uber controversy. This clause basicly means that Garchomp is counted as a Standard Pokemon in that match.


Standard Clauses:

These clauses are in effect in a Standard Match:

Species Clause
Sleep Clause
OHKO Clause
Hacks Clause
Evasion Clause
Soul Dew Clause

NON-standard Clauses:

These clauses are not in effect in a Standard Match, but can be added to the match:

Status Clause
Freeze Clause
Item Clause
Arceus Clause
Focus Item Restricting Clause
Self-KO Clause
Hax Item Clause
Garchomp Allowance Clause

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Tiers

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The tiers serve a dual purpose. The first is to promote balanced gameplay and the second is to create an environment where weaker Pokémon can be used. A Pokémon may only be used in a tier equal or above its situated tier. Click on the blue names of the tiers to see a list of what Pokémon belongs to that tier.


Uber

Ubers are Pokémon that are considered too powerful for the OU metagame. The Uber tier is not meant to be a balanced tier, and therefore isn't the main metagame. Every Pokémon is allowed in this tier.


OU

OverUsed is the main metagame and used for most competitive battles and tournaments. It is the balanced tier that bans as few Pokémon as possible. However, placement in OU is based on usage rather than power, because power is difficult to gauge objectively. A Pokémon is OU if it shows up in 1 out of every 20 teams in the standard metagame.


BL

Borderline is a non-competitive tier that has a function similar to that of Ubers. It is to include Pokémon that aren't used sufficiently to be considered OU, but are too powerful to be used in UU.


UU

UnderUsed is a lower competitive metagame than OU and is generally composed of Pokémon that aren't powerful enough to compete in OU. It is also based on usage.


NU

NeverUsed is the lowest tier in the system and denoted Pokémon that are extremely weak. It is based on usage and doesn't exist in RBY or GSC, due to there not being enough Pokémon.


LIMBO

Limbo serves as a place where Pokémon that do not have a decided tier yet are put.