Competitive · Plastic / HMS · PLA / HMS

Updated September 5, 2026

Plastics and HMS

Plastics and HMS is the WBO's format rulebook for the original Plastic Generation and Heavy Metal System Beyblade eras, played with Hasbro, Takara and Sonokong tops, spring or winder launchers, and dedicated BeyStadiums. It covers how a Match is won, how Beyblades and launchers are chosen, inspected and launched, and a long, part-by-part list of legality rulings specific to these two systems. What sets it apart from later generations is its focus on physical inspection, strict incompatibility between Plastics and HMS gear, and highly specific historical rulings for named Beyblades such as Magical Ape MS and Wolborg 2.

96WBO events tagged with this formats in our archive
17outright bans, 2 limits or conditions
2stadiums allowed

The numbers

Beyblade Selection time limit: 3 minutes
Match victory threshold: 3 to 5 points, set by the Match Type
Legal launch release height: under 20cm above the stadium floor
Relaunch/review allowance: 1 per Battle, plus judge discretion
Incident dispute filing window: 7 days after the tournament
Launcher power tolerance: within 0.5 rotations of the listed figure
Dual Shooter rotations: 5.5
EZ Shooter (Left & Right) — Short Winder rotations: 4-4.5
EZ Shooter (Left & Right) — (Neo-)Dragon Winder rotations: 6.5
Duotron Launcher — Short Winder rotations: 4.5
Duotron Launcher — (Neo-)Dragon Winder rotations: 6.5
Double Shooter / String Shooter / RC Shooter / EZ Shooter Power Custom rotations: TBD, not yet published in the source document
Tornado Ridge placement fallback distance: approximately 3cm from the BeyStadium wall
Metal Ball Base steel-ball limit: up to four 1/4" Steel Balls in the pockets, plus up to two more optionally in the underside holes
SG Metal Ball Base steel-ball limit: up to four 1/4" Steel Balls in the pockets only
Fortress Base steel-ball limit: up to two 1/4" Steel Balls in the pockets only
G Special Base steel-ball limit: up to four 3/16" Steel Balls in the pockets
SG (G Ball Version) steel-ball limit: zero or one 3/16" Steel Ball
SG (Grease Ball Version) steel-ball requirement: one 1/4" Steel Ball in the SG Core cartridge

How you score

Finish	Points	Note
Opponent's Beyblade stops spinning	1	Recommended value; the exact award for each Win Condition is set by the separate Match Types Guide, and total victory needs 3 to 5 points depending on the Match Type chosen.
Opponent's Beyblade exits the BeyStadium	1	Recommended value; being knocked out of the stadium is defined further under Knocked-Out in the Gameplay Appendix.
Opponent's Beyblade separates	1	Recommended value; a Bit Chip popping off a Plastics Beyblade does not count as a separation for scoring.

Match types

Type	How it works	First to
P3C1	One of the rulebook's Multiple Beyblade Match Types; this document names it but does not itself define its structure. Like the others, every Beyblade, launcher and accessory is locked in during a deck-building phase ahead of the event.	—
3on3	One of the rulebook's Multiple Beyblade Match Types; this document names it but does not itself define its structure. It follows the same deck-building and launcher-lock rules as the other Multiple Beyblade Match Types.	—
5G	One of the rulebook's Multiple Beyblade Match Types; this document names it but does not itself define its structure. It follows the same deck-building and launcher-lock rules as the other Multiple Beyblade Match Types.	—
Deck Match Type	The rulebook's umbrella term, alongside P3C1/3on3/5G, for a format built around a pre-registered deck of multiple Beyblades rather than one combo picked per Battle.	—

Stadiums

Stadium	Maker	Status	Note
Burst Stadium Standard Type		legal	Shown in the Gameplay Appendix's Fig. 1 to illustrate the Battle Zone and Over Zones.
Hasbro Pro Series Elite Champions Stadium	Hasbro	legal	Shown in the Gameplay Appendix's Fig. 2 to illustrate the Battle Zone and Over Zones.

Building and launching

Beyblades and parts

Combinations may only mix parts a series was designed to fit together with — the Part Stress rule cites forcing Wolborg 2's SG (Bearing Version 2) tip inside Burning Kerberous' Customize Bearing Base as an example, since the pairing damages the tip instead of fitting cleanly.
Cosmetic painting or clear-coating is fine as long as the coat stays light, non-textured and performance-neutral; deliberately changing performance this way risks disqualification.
Launcher grips and accessories can be painted, decorated or entirely custom-built as long as the launcher's own mechanics stay unaffected and the opponent's launch isn't obstructed.
Worn launcher parts may be swapped for an identical replacement, a thin shim can be added at the entry wall against skipping, and a small amount of non-petroleum lubricant is allowed on gears, all without exceeding stock performance.
A single line or dot marked in pen is allowed on a part so a Blader can identify it or restore assembly order if a combination separates.
Multiple Beyblade Match Types (P3C1, 3on3, 5G, Deck) require every Beyblade, launcher and accessory to be chosen during a deck-building phase before the event.
Dual Shooters with a Bit Protector grip fault may be fixed by unscrewing the base to expose the black prongs, softening them in hot water to adjust the pinch, then setting the plastic again under cold water.

Launchers

A legal launch enters the Launch Area released from under 20cm above the stadium floor.
Winder-based launchers fire by pulling the winder out, never by pushing it in.
Launcher rotational power should stay within 0.5 rotations of the figure listed for that launcher.
Dual Shooter (HMS) spin direction can change between Battles but locks once a Beyblade is attached; stalling opponents must turn around and pick in secret.
Double Shooter (Plastics and HMS) needs prongs matching the format, allows either prong set, and only fires one Beyblade per Battle; the Duotron Launcher (Plastics) follows the same either-prong, one-Beyblade rule.
The V-Force Arcade Challenge 5-in-1 Main Unit converts into a standard BeyUltimate-style launcher by swapping its ridged plate for spin-direction-correct prongs.

Bans, limits and conditions

Part or practice	Rule	Note
Painting or coating that alters performance	banned	A Foreign Substance changing how a part or launcher performs is illegal; doing so intentionally means disqualification and a possible future ban.
Physical modification outside battle wear, launching, correct assembly, or hand-given displacement	banned	Other reshaping is illegal unless a judge approves an accidental change, such as a drop.
Broken parts	banned	Any part broken in any way is illegal unless this rulebook explicitly allows it; see Breakage During Play for mid-Match procedure.
Bearing Gyros Parts other than the Gyro Defense Attack Ring	banned	Product Restrictions list.
Electronic Beyblades and RC Beyblade Blade Bases	banned	Product Restrictions list.
Bakutenryu/Hidden Spirits figure parts other than the Tip used by Hayate Base	banned	Product Restrictions list.
Kelloggs Promotional Beyblade Base Spinner Part	banned	Product Restrictions list.
Sideline or promotional products incompatible with mainline tops	banned	Product Restrictions list.
Mixing parts across systems, e.g. HMS parts with Plastics parts or an HMS Launcher with a Plastics Customize Grip	banned	Two named exceptions: the HMS Double Shooter's Plastics prongs on that launcher, and a Plastics Attack Ring on Magical Ape MS' Gyro Mode.
Stadiums with cracks in the playing surface	banned	Illegal for WBO play no matter how it's repaired.
Stadiums with cracked outer walls	conditional	Acceptable only when the crack is repaired with tape on the stadium's underside.
More than one Weight Disk per combination	limited	Only one Weight Disk total may be used; the source only states either-orientation legality for Plastics Weight Disks, not HMS ones.
Customize Weight Disk without a plastic CWD part	banned	Heavy Metal System ruling.
Metal balls placed in pockets not designed to hold them, including a Heavy Metal Core's center	banned	Parts that are designed to hold balls each have their own size/count limit — see keyNumbers.
Rubber Weight Core in Gimmick Mode	banned	Round Shell MS ruling.
Battle Change Core without its plastic CWD part	banned	Samurai Changer MS ruling.
Magical Ape MS' three interchangeable Gimmick tips	banned	Gyro Mode ruling.
Bit Chip Figure/Power Spirits Bit Chip without its metal piece	banned	Must also face pole-in toward the Beyblade.
Special-function Bit Protectors, such as the one holding Shining God MS' RC together	banned	A standard Bit Protector must be used instead.

A match, step by step

A coin flip, dice roll or rock-paper-scissors decides who picks a side of the BeyStadium; that side holds for the whole Match.
Bladers turn their backs and choose their Beyblade(s) in secret within 3 minutes, and may take outside coaching or equipment help until this point.
Each Blader announces 'set,' hands the launcher and preferably-unassembled Beyblade to the judge for inspection, and states the Beyblade's spin direction.
Once set, no further equipment changes or outside help are allowed for either Blader.
The judge calls '3-2-1 Go Shoot!'; both Bladers launch at the same instant, and the Battle starts once both Beyblades have touched the Launch Area.
The Battle runs until a Win Condition is met; a Blader may request one relaunch or one review call per Battle during or right after the countdown.
Both Bladers wait for the judge to announce the winner before touching their Beyblade or voicing an opinion.
Battles repeat until one Blader reaches the points required by the Match Type in use, which is 3 to 5.

Penalties

Intentionally altering equipment performance through an illegal coating or modification disqualifies the Blader and can carry a ban from future Events.
Spying on the opponent's pick, leaving the stadium area, turning around early, or swapping gear after announcing 'set' during Beyblade Selection is forbidden and judge-enforceable.
Touching your Beyblade before the judge's call, or trying to sway the judge's decision, breaks the Battle Results conduct rule.
Taunting or booing, throwing a Match on purpose, disrupting an in-progress Match, or touching another Blader's equipment without permission can lead to disqualification by the event host and a possible future ban.

Optional rules an organiser may add

Rule	Effect
Optional Rules (general)	WBO-approved banlist and ruling variations that organizers may opt an event into for ranked play; usage varies event to event and is listed on the event page when active.
Alternative Deck Construction Rule	Named in this rulebook as worth checking before running any Multiple Beyblade Match Type; its full text sits in the separate Optional Rules Guide, not reproduced here.

Words the rulebook uses

Battle Zone: The stadium floor and space above it, bounded by walls and exits, where a Beyblade counts as in play.
Over Zone: An exit gap, a covered area with no floor beneath, or a pocket structure that a Beyblade must clear to be knocked out through it.
Launch Area: The floor a Beyblade must be launched into: the area bounded by the stadium walls, or under a shroud, the floor beneath its top opening.
Knocked-Out: A Beyblade permanently leaving the Battle Zone, or hitting a foreign object anywhere except the floor directly under an Over Zone.
Spinning: A Beyblade whose top half is still visibly turning the direction it launched in; once it stops, a later restart never reopens a Battle that has already ended.

Section by section, in our words

The document's outline

How to Win

Victory needs a running total of 3 to 5 points, whichever threshold the chosen Match Type sets.
Points are recommended at 1 each for the opponent's Beyblade stopping, exiting the BeyStadium, or separating.
A Bit Chip knocked off a Plastics Beyblade is not treated as a separation for scoring purposes.
Exact point values per condition are ultimately set by the separate Match Types Guide.

Beyblade Selection

Fair means such as a coin flip, dice roll or rock-paper-scissors decide who picks a stadium side, which holds for the whole Match.
Bladers turn their backs and choose their Beyblade(s) in secret within 3 minutes, and may take coaching or equipment help during this window.
A Blader who suspects the opponent got outside help can ask, must be told truthfully, and can then request extra selection time.
Announcing 'set' and handing the preferably-unassembled Beyblade and launcher to the judge ends the Selection Phase and all outside help.
Once set, no equipment can be swapped, and both spin directions must be declared before the Match begins.
Leaving the stadium area, turning around early, spying on the opponent's pick, or switching gear after 'set' is forbidden for Bladers and helpers alike.

Launching

The Battle begins on '3-2-1 Go Shoot!' once both Beyblades have touched the Launch Area at least once.
Both Bladers must launch at the same moment the word 'shoot' is called.
A legal launch enters the Launch Area released from under 20cm above the stadium floor.
Launchers must stay within the shooter's own half, and a Blader can't shoot mid-air into the opponent's Beyblade or touch the stadium.
Winder-based launchers fire by pulling the winder out rather than pushing it in.

Relaunching

An obstructed or underpowered launch caused by something outside a Blader's control can prompt a relaunch request, which immediately voids the current Battle.
Where video review is available, a Blader can instead call for a review after the Battle to check if the result should change, without voiding it.
Typical relaunch grounds are launcher malfunction or being bumped; typical review grounds are early contact or suspected outside interference.
Each Blader gets one relaunch or one review call per Battle, though judges may grant extra ones for a genuine concern.
The request must come during the countdown or right after, and a judge can refuse it if they think it's unfounded.

Battle Results

Neither Blader may touch their Beyblade until the judge has announced the winner.
Bladers and spectators must hold back their own opinion of the outcome until the judge has ruled.

Optional Rules

Optional Rules are WBO-approved banlist and ruling variations organizers can opt into for ranked play.
They differ from event to event and, when used, are listed on that event's page.
The full catalogue is kept in a separate Optional Rules Guide.
Anyone running a Multiple Beyblade Match Type should check the Alternative Deck Construction Rule there first.

Legal Equipment

Hasbro, Takara and Sonokong's Plastic Generation and Heavy Metal System products are the recommended equipment, alongside Takara Tomy MFB Light Launcher 1 Winders, Hasbro MFB Winders and Hasbro MFB Electronic Tops for the Plastics format.
Coatings or paint can't change performance, and physical changes are limited to normal battle wear, launching, correctly-fitted assembly, or hand-given give; anything else needs judge sign-off.
Broken parts are illegal outright, mismatched combinations that stress or risk disassembling parts are illegal, and only a part's intended tip surface may contact the floor.
Stickers must sit exactly where a product's instructions allow, never on a spot where two parts touch each other.
A defined list of products — most Bearing Gyros parts, Electronic and RC Beyblades, most Bakutenryu/Hidden Spirits figure parts, the Kelloggs spinner part, incompatible sideline items — is banned outright, and Plastics/HMS gear can't cross systems except two named exceptions.
Cosmetic paint or clear-coat, minor identifying marks, and custom-decorated grips, accessories or launchers are all allowed short of touching performance or blocking the opponent; worn parts, entry shims and light lubrication are allowed up to stock performance.

Launcher Rulings

Every launcher's power should land within 0.5 rotations of its listed rotations-per-launch figure.
The Dual Shooter (HMS) lets spin direction change between Battles but locks it once a Beyblade is attached, with stalling resolved by a secret simultaneous choice.
The Double Shooter (Plastics and HMS) needs format-correct prongs, allows either prong set, and fires only one Beyblade per Battle; the Duotron Launcher (Plastics) follows the same either-prong, one-Beyblade rule.
The V-Force Arcade Challenge 5-in-1 Main Unit can convert into a standard launcher by swapping in spin-direction-correct prongs for its ridged plate.

Part-Type Rulings

A Bit Chip knocked off or loosened during a Battle stays put and play continues; it can then be removed for the rest of the Match or reseated correctly, and using one at all is optional.
Attack Rings/Blade Bases with a Sub-AR slot need a Sub-AR fitted, which can come from a different AR/BB and be inverted within Part Stress limits, except that Dual Dragon, Bound Attacker, Bound Defenser and Sparkling Attacker's Sub-Ring pieces count as fixed to their main ring.
Spin Gears must have every slot filled aside from an optional Metal Weight Ring in Regular SG Shells, Cores/Casings can swap between Spin Gears that fit, and bearing slots need a properly fitting ABS, POM, Metal or MR52ZZ Shielded Steel Ball Bearing.
Engine Gears may be launched wound to any degree or fully unwound, and Base Clips or Engine Gear Blade Base Clips can move between compatible Blade Bases.
Blade Bases with Support Part slots must carry Support Parts, which can face either way and, for two-part Support Parts, may even mix two different ones per Blade Base.
Only one Weight Disk total may be used, a Customize Weight Disk needs its plastic CWD part, and metal balls may only go into pockets a part was designed to hold, each with its own size and count limit.
Tips and shafts may cross between Blade Bases only where the tip counts as part of the Spin Gear or as its own independent piece (several named examples are listed), never where the tip and Blade Base are considered a single fused part.

Beyblade/Part-Specific Rulings

Magical Ape MS' Gyro Mode is placed rather than shot: set at the Tornado Ridge (or roughly 3cm from the wall) and released by hand during 'shoot,' it counts as spinning while the outer shell visibly turns, its lower bearing can't be swapped, and its three interchangeable Gimmick tips are banned.
Gyro Engine Gear combinations (Flame Pegasus, Thunder Pegasus, Capricorn Strike G) count as spinning while the metal Gyro part turns, stop counting once fully inverted, and can be launched by launcher alone in Right Spin, by hand-spinning the Engine Gear alone, or by combining both.
Rubber Weight Core can't be used in Gimmick Mode, and Battle Change Core needs its plastic CWD part.
Bunshin Core Beyblades (Phantom Fox MS) count as spinning while either half still visibly turns, and a stopped half must be left alone mid-Battle.
Several named tip/base pairs — Wolborg 2's SG Bearing Version 2 Casings, Seaborg's Defense Grip Base, Dragoon S' Storm Grip Base, Gabriel/Cyber Dragoon's SG Wing Base, Gaia Dragoon's G Special Base — may be inverted or cross-fitted with a listed partner tip as long as the fit stays secure.
The Bit Chip Figure/Power Spirits Bit Chip needs its metal piece and must face pole-in; Magne Weight Disk can lose its plastic shells mid-Battle without penalty and later be re-glued; Hayate Base's Weight Ring and Blade Base only pair with each other.

Event Code of Conduct

WBO events run on volunteer judges, and Bladers are expected to follow the rules, play fair and act with integrity.
Always: be honest with judges, ask before doing something borderline, stay respectful, and welcome newer Bladers.
Never: taunt or boo, throw a Match on purpose, disrupt any Match in progress, or touch another Blader's gear without asking.
Breaking or dodging these rules can get a Blader disqualified by the event host and possibly banned from future Events.

If you disagree with a judge's decision ...

A Blader can dispute a call but must still accept the judge's ruling in the moment.
Lingering disagreement goes through the Tournament Incident Report Form, with any photo or video evidence emailed to events@worldbeyblade.org.
A dispute tied to a specific Match result must be filed within 7 days of that tournament.

Gameplay Appendix

The Play Area is the whole stadium, split into the Battle Zone (floor and space bounded by walls and exits) and Over Zones (exits, covered gaps with no floor, or pockets).
The Launch Area is the floor bounded by the stadium walls, or under a shroud the floor beneath its opening, including sloped entry ramps like the Beystadium Triple Battle Type's.
A Beyblade is Knocked-Out when it permanently leaves the Battle Zone or hits a foreign object anywhere except the floor under an Over Zone; one stuck on a Battle Zone element stays in play.
Spinning means the top half still visibly turns the launched direction; a restart after stopping never reopens an already-concluded Battle.
If a part or launcher breaks mid-Battle, that Battle is voided and the owner must swap in an identical part to continue, or if none exists both Bladers restart Selection from the current score; 'identical' just means the same-named part regardless of color or release.
Multi-mode parts can't have their mode changed via disassembly, only between Battles or before the Match, while gimmicks that trigger on their own may simply be reset after each Battle without counting as a mode change.

Photography Policy

Attending an Event means accepting the chance of being photographed or filmed by staff, organizers or other attendees.
A Blader who'd rather not appear can ask the host to pass word along, though total exclusion can't be guaranteed.
Anyone shooting photo or video at an event should do so respectfully and stop if asked to.

Notes on this digest

Rotations-per-launch for the Double Shooter, String Shooter, both EZ Shooter Power Custom winder types and the RC Shooter are listed as TBD in the source document — not yet published by the WBO.
This document references a separate Match Types Guide and Optional Rules Guide (including the Alternative Deck Construction Rule) for details it doesn't itself spell out.
The copyright line dates the document to 2021 (Fighting Spirits Inc. / World Beyblade Organization); it was captured 2026-09-05, so some rulings may since have changed on the live WBO pages.