Monster Zone

Monster Zone
Japanese	モンスターゾーン Formerly: モンスターカードゾーン
Japanese (romanized)	Monsutāzōn Formerly: Monsutākādozōn
English	Monster Zone Formerly: Monster Card Zone
Other names French: Zone Monstre Formerly: Zone Carte Monstre German: Monsterzone Formerly: Monsterkartenzone Italian: Zona Mostri Formerly: Zona Carte Mostro Korean: 몬스터 존 Monseuteo Jon Formerly: 몬스터 카드 존 Monseuteo Kadeu Jon Portuguese: Zona de Monstros Formerly: Zona dos Cards de Monstro Spanish: Zona de Monstruos Formerly: Zona de Cartas de Monstruos Traditional Chinese: 怪獸區 Guàishòuqū / Gwaai3 sau3 keoi1 Formerly also: 怪獸卡牌區 Guàishòukǎ Páiqū / Gwaai3 sau3 kaat1 Paai4 keoi1

Monster Zones (モンスターゾーン Monsutāzōn), formerly Monster Card Zones (モンスターカードゾーン Monsutākādozōn), are the 5 Zones where monsters are placed on the field.

Cards on the field are treated as monsters if and only if they are in a Monster Zone. Monster Cards on the field are not treated as monsters if they are in other Zones (such as the Pendulum Zone or Spell & Trap Zone). Likewise, Spell and Trap Cards in the Monster Zones are treated as monsters (although Trap Monsters are treated as Trap Cards as well, so they also require a Spell & Trap Zone but are placed in the Monster Zone). Xyz Materials are not considered to be in a Monster Zone.

If all 5 of a player's Monster Zones are occupied, then monsters cannot be Summoned to their side of the field, unless the monster is Summoned by removing monsters from the field. As such, a monster can be Summoned while all the Monster Zones are occupied by Tributing a monster(s) on that side of the field for a Tribute Summon or Ritual Summon, using a monster(s) on that side of the field as Material (Fusion, Synchro or Xyz), or by otherwise removing a monster(s) from the field for that Summoning procedure.

The player who performs the Summon or Normal Set, not the player who controls the Summoned monster, decides which Monster Zone the Summoned/Set monster is placed in. A monster can be Summoned/Set in any unoccupied Zone (unless the Zone has been rendered unusable by a card like "Ojama King"). The Zone into which a monster will be Summoned/Set is decided before the Summon negation window. Monsters cannot be moved between Zones, except by a card effect like "Senet Switch".

On game mats, they are located in the upper-middle and are often colored brown.