Tapping & untapping
Zones & actions
Turning a permanent sideways to use it — and what that does and doesn't do.
How it works
Tapping turns a permanent sideways, usually to pay a cost or attack; untapping returns it upright (normally during your untap step). A tapped creature can't attack or block.
Tapping and untapping are just status changes — they don't remove a creature from combat or change what it is.
Common confusions
“Tapping an attacker to 'remove' it from combat.”
Doesn't work. Once a creature is attacking, tapping it later doesn't take it out of combat — it stays an attacker and deals damage.
“Summoning sickness and tapping.”
Summoning sickness stops a creature from attacking and from using {T} abilities, but other effects can still tap it, and it can still block.
“'Doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.'”
The permanent stays tapped through your untap step; you'll need another way to untap it.