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These clauses are the most-often used and are straight out of TPL's Most Common Battle Clauses list.

Also, stickied, thanks for bringing this issue up.

Here are many clauses, but only the ones that are actually valid become used in the mainstream. Exampled of highly used clauses, and are practically considered part of the Standard Rules for competitive battling are:


- Uber Clause: Basically states that no ubers shall be used in the battle. Ubers are mainly legendaries that are insanely powerful, as well as wobbufette, who for various reasons is unfair to use. Tyranitar is oftentimes debated to be an uber, especially with the many potential benefits his practically permanent sandstorm brings, and his legendary level stats. However, due to his weaknesses, and the fact that he hasn't really hindered higher skill level players from winning has kept him off of the uber list.


- Sleep Clause: The sleep clause means that you cannot put 2 enemy pokemon to sleep at the same time. This means, if you put my Gengar to sleep, and I switched out for Arcanine, you cannot put Arcanine to sleep until Gengar has woken up. However, if you KO the sleeping pokemon, or it wakes up, feel free to use your sleep moves again. Please note, that pokemon who have induced their own sleep, commonly through using Rest, then that does NOT count towards the clause.


- Evasion Clause: One of the most questioned clauses, but it's right up there with uber and sleep for importance. Basically, this clause means you cannot use evasion increasing moves like Double Team and Minimize. This clause has appeared due to the fact that any pokemon who can use TMs can learn double team, and there's no way to get rid of the evasion bonuses except through the move Haze, or if the opponent switches out. Further leading to the unfariness of double team is the fact that after 2 uses, only about 60% of your attacks can hit the foe at all... and to finish it off, double team can be baton passed to a stronger or faster or sturdier pokemon....

Just imagine this... you know those annoying blisseys/skarmorys/rhyperiors/other walls? Not only will it take multiple hits to take them down ((most of the time at least)) but now you can only hit them about 60% of the time.... Don't even get me started on how dangerous it is when you start giving that to sweepers... especially Garchomp, who can further increase his evasion through his sand veil ability.


- 1HKO move clause: Another biggie. Most people refuse to play if 1HKO moves ((sheer cold and the such)) are used because it's a 30% of auto killing. The only surefire counter to 1HKO moves is to have a focus sash, have an ability that prevents them, or to not get hit. While some may argue there's only a small chance of getting hit by them, this only makes it even more frustrating when a player that's better than another loses, or performes poorly, because he was hit by a sheer cold.

- Self KO Clause: This clause basically means that if your last pokemon self KOs or Destiny Bonds against your opponents last pokemon, your opponent wins, and not you. This is really more so to be fair.


- Luck "hax" items: Hax refers to when something unlucky occurs to you. Most of the time this is that 30% chance to freeze from ice beam, or something like that, and it's just the way the game goes. Although, when hold items, such as quick claw have that small chance of completely turning the game around... just out of sheer chance... it's frustrating and very simular to the 1HKO clause.

- Species Clause: Clause that means you can't have more than 1 of the same pokemon on your team. This is mainly used just because it's kind of annoying to see 4 Garchomps or something ridiculous like that. This clause is oftentimes not used, but will normally be active during tournament play.