Effects Act Only on Cards in the Zone They Specify
An effect can only interact with a card that is currently in the location the effect names. "from the Graveyard," "in your hand," "you control," "on the field," and "banished" are not interchangeable. If a question states a card's current location, that stated location governs which effects can reach it — the card is not silently assumed to be wherever an effect would need it to be.
This is the location counterpart to Card Zone Transitions: a transition decides where a card goes, and this rule decides what can touch it once it is there.
The current location is a fixed premise
When a player says "I have X on the field" or "X is in my Graveyard," that is the card's current location. An effect that operates on a different location cannot be applied to that card without first moving it there by some stated effect.
- A "Special Summon 1 monster from the Graveyard" effect cannot Special Summon a monster that is on the field — it is not in the Graveyard to be Summoned.
- A "return 1 card from the hand" effect cannot return a card that is in the Graveyard.
- A "you control" or "your opponent controls" clause checks current control, not who originally summoned the card.
Stated-location-versus-required-location conflicts
If the stated current location contradicts the location an effect requires, the action is impossible from the stated state. Do not "fix" the contradiction by assuming the card is in the zone the effect needs. The honest responses are:
- Rule that the action cannot happen because the card is not in the required zone, or
- If the question is genuinely ambiguous (the player may have misstated the location), ask which is true before ruling.
Never quietly relocate the card so a clean ruling becomes possible. Quietly relocating it answers a different question than the one asked.
Worked examples
"I have Monster A on the field. My opponent activates an effect that Special Summons 1 monster from my Graveyard. Can they take Monster A?"
— Answer: No, not as stated. Monster A is on the field, not in the Graveyard. A "Special Summon from the Graveyard" effect can only Special Summon a monster that is currently in the Graveyard. If the player actually meant that Monster A is in the Graveyard, that is a different board state and should be clarified before ruling.
"My monster is banished. Can I revive it with a 'Special Summon from your Graveyard' effect?"
— Answer: No. A banished monster is not in the Graveyard. Only an effect that Special Summons from banishment can return it.
Judge calls to watch for
- Read the effect's location phrase precisely: "from the GY," "in the hand," "on the field," "that is banished," "from the Deck" are distinct and non-interchangeable.
- A monster stated to be on the field is not a legal target for a Graveyard-only revival effect, and vice versa.
- Original-summon history does not change current location: a monster summoned "with" another card is still wherever it currently is, not back in its prior zone.
- When the stated current location and the effect's required location conflict, surface the contradiction; do not assume the location the effect needs.
Sources
- Konami Rulebook v10 "Locations / Card Zones"
- see also 15_zone_transitions_field_gy_banish_deck_hand.md and 14_properly_summoned_revival_extra_deck_ritual_nomi.md