Smogon-wide Clauses
There are several clauses that apply to most official Smogon XY tiers.
Species Clause
A player cannot have two Pokemon with the same National Pokédex number on a team.
- For example, using a team with two Koffing would break this clause.
- Using different formes on the same team, such as Rotom-W and Rotom-C, also breaks the clause since they share the same Pokédex number (#479).
Sleep Clause
If a player has already put a Pokemon on his/her opponent's side to sleep and it is still sleeping, another one can't be put to sleep.
Evasion Clause
A Pokemon may not have either Double Team or Minimize in its moveset.
OHKO Clause
A Pokemon may not have the moves Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, or Sheer Cold in its moveset.
Moody Clause
A team cannot have a Pokemon with the ability Moody.
Endless Battle Clause
Players cannot intentionally prevent an opponent from being able to end the game without forfeiting.
- For example, a Slowbro holding a Leppa Berry can create an endless battle using the moves Recycle, Heal Pulse, Slack Off, and Block. To do so, Slowbro traps one of the opponent's Pokemon, PP stalls it, and heals Struggle damage indefinitely using Heal Pulse and Slack Off.
Swagger Clause
Players cannot use the move Swagger.