Esports Tower Rulebook

Effective date:  December 1, 2022 

1. PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT

• Know and abide by all Esports Tower rules.
• Attend training sessions and matches at times advised by the Club and their assigned coach. If unable, for a valid reason to do so, players will inform their assigned coach as soon as is practical.
• Act respectfully toward Esports Tower staff and players of their own and opposing Clubs, Teams, and Pods.
• Treat all players and staff with respect, as you would want them to treat you.
• Abusive language is unacceptable.
• Avoid individual or collective behavior, which may reasonably be held by spectators to be offensive.
• Avoid all acts likely to incite spectators to violence or disorder.
• Abide by the Rules & Regulations and the Competition Rules of the Esports Tower League and Esports Tower Rumble.
• Do not use remarks based on race, religion, gender, or ability. Many such comments are politically incorrect and such remarks affect and let down those around you.
• Do not use information technology to make or post inappropriate comments against players, clubs, and esports tower staff, which is discriminatory or offensive. Information technology includes, but is not limited to email, instant messaging, text messages, phone messages, digital images, website postings (including social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs).
• Maintain control of your emotions, avoiding the use of abusive language or profanity, humiliating remarks, and gestures of ill temper upon another player or Esports Tower staff member at any time.
• Follow all Discord server rules and regulations. This includes all Esports Tower servers (Esports Tower, Esports Tower Rumble, ET Recruitment Network, ET Staff).
• Realize, accept, and practice the principle that a team’s/pod’s reputation is built not only on its playing ability but also on the sportsmanship, courtesy, and manners of each individual player.

2. DISCORD RULES

• Treat everyone with respect. Absolutely no harassment, witch hunting, sexism, racism, or hate speech will be tolerated.
• No NSFW or obscene content. This includes text, images, or links featuring nudity, sex, hard violence, or other graphically disturbing content. PROFILE PICS MUST FOLLOW THIS RULE.
• If you have to ask if a meme is appropriate to post, then it’s most likely not.
• No spam or self-promotion outside of the #promotion channel. This includes, but is not limited to, server invites, advertisements, looking for players or looking for team posts (LFP/LFT), social media channels, etc.
• Server invites or advertisement posts must be approved by Esports Tower Staff before being posted on the #promotion channel.
• No political or religious talk. Esports Tower servers are not the place for those topics. Please move elsewhere, such as DM's or another server.
• If you see something against the rules or something that makes you feel unsafe, let the staff know. We want our servers to be a welcoming space!

3. ESPORTS TOWER RUMBLE RULES & REGULATIONS

 

ESPORTS TOWER RUMBLE 2021 OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

3.1. Introduction

 

The following rules are tailored to the Esports Tower Rumble (“Rumble”) by Esports Tower, LLC. These Esports Tower Rumble Official Rules (the “Official Rules”) form a contract between all Teams and Players (“Participants”), on the one hand, and Esports Tower, LLC and its affiliates who are engaged in operating the Rumble, on the other hand. These Official Rules establish the general rules of tournament play, including rules governing participant eligibility, tournament structure, points structure, and player conduct. These Official Rules also contain limitations of liability, license grants, and other legally binding contractual terms. Each Participant is required to read, understand, and agree to these Official Rules before participating in the Rumble.

 

3.1.1 Players

     3.1.1.1 Eligibility. To be able to compete as a “Player” in the Rumble, you must:

     3.1.1.1.1 be an active member of one of Esports Tower’s club programs.

     3.1.1.1.2 be invited by an Esports Tower coach or staff member.

     3.1.1.2 Player Streaming. Participants who are competing in a Rumble match are prohibited from streaming their own gameplay.

     3.1.1.3 Player Rules

     3.1.1.3.1 Participants can leave and join teams so long as they maintain eligibility per Section 3.1.1.1.

     3.1.1.3.2 Participants can only compete on one team at a time.

     3.1.1.3.3 Participants can substitute for teams only within their division and below so long as they maintain Eligibility per Section 3.1.1.1.

 

3.1.2 Teams

     3.1.2.1 Roster Requirements

     3.1.2.1.1 Active Players. Each team must maintain a roster no larger than +2, the size of what the game title allows in game (Overwatch = 6-8, Valorant = 5-7, Rocket League = 3-5, Fortnite = 3-5). These
     participants must be listed as invited by a tournament admin or Esports Tower staff member.

     3.1.2.1.2 Inactive Players. Players not invited or approved by a tournament admin or Esports Tower staff member cannot play in any Rumble matches.

     3.1.2.1.3 It is the responsibility of both teams to check participant eligibility before the start of play. Teams who play with ineligible rosters may receive a penalty pending Tournament Administrator ruling.

 

* If you are unsure of a participant’s eligibility before a match starts, request administrator support before playing your match. Teams can substitute Active Players between maps/arenas. No substitutions may be made during maps/arenas unless permitted otherwise.

 

3.1.3 Structure and Schedule

     3.1.3.1 Forfeits & No-Shows. Teams who forfeit their match will receive a 0-3 match loss. Teams who receive forfeit wins will receive a 3-0 match win.

     3.1.3.1.1 Automatic Forfeiture. Teams who fail to show up for their match 15 minutes after the designated start time will receive an Automatic Forfeit.

     3.1.3.2 Match Schedule. Match days are Saturdays at 4:00 PM ET.

     3.1.3.3 Results. All results and disputes must be sent to the Rumble administrators immediately after the scheduled match time.

     3.1.3.4 Number of map wins. The team with the highest number of map wins is ranked above teams with fewer map wins. Draws do not count as a map win for either team.

     3.1.3.5 Disputes. Proof of results are required for all disputes. Screenshots and/or recorded video may be used as evidence in case of disputes.

     3.1.3.5.1 Alert administrators before start-of-play for all roster and game settings disputes. Contacting administrators after a game has already been agreed upon and played by both teams may result in
     staying as the game of record, regardless of correct or incorrect game settings, at the tournament administrators’ discretion.

 

3.1.4 Time Zone:  The official time zone of the Rumble is the Eastern Time Zone, designated (ET). All Rumble announcements and web pages regarding Rumble competitions and scheduling will always display time in the Eastern Time Zone unless otherwise stated.

 

3.1.5 Disciplines:  The games that are currently offered by Esports Tower LLC and, therefore, the Rumble are:

• Overwatch by Activision Blizzard for PC
• Rocket League by Psyonix for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One
• Valorant by Riot Games for PC
• Fortnite by Epic Games for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One

* Please note that all titles and platforms on this list may not be available as competitions at all times at the discretion of Rumble administration.

 

3.2. General Tournament Rules

 

3.2.1 Liability:  All participants are expected to know and uphold the rules while associated with the Rumble. Participation in official tournaments constitutes acceptance of these rules.

 

3.2.2 Administration List

Tony (DonTony) Baccaro - Tournament Commissioner

Casey (APOLLO) Clayton - Tournament Commissioner

Jake (RakeRL) Reinhardt - Tournament Commissioner

Sameed (Zykoma) Mohammad - Tournament Commissioner

Esports Tower Coaches - Tournament Coordinator

 

3.2.3 Rule Changes:  The Rumble or its designee reserves the right to add, remove, or otherwise amend all rule sets without prior notice. However, Rumble or its designee will use its best efforts to provide reasonable notice prior to any significant rule changes.

 

3.2.4 Participant Accounts: Clean Accounts. Esports Tower LLC defines a clean account as an account that is not banned from the game titles competitive play, is clear of vulgar or inappropriate content, and is at least 15 days old (exempt for the first 2 weeks of each event). Participants who have unclean accounts are prohibited from participating in all Rumble events.

 

3.2.5 Delay of Match Start: If either team opens a support ticket, matches should not start or continue unless given confirmation by a Tournament Administrator to do so. Teams must inform their opponents immediately after opening a support ticket.

 

3.2.6 Match Reporting: One team member must report the results of the match, including map wins, on the respected channel in the “Esports Tower Rumble” discord server.

 

3.2.7 Patch: All matches will be played on the most up-to-date live server patch.

 

3.2.8 In-Game Rules

     3.2.8.1 Pauses

     3.2.8.1.1 Each team is allowed up to 10 minutes of emergency pause time per map/arena for a total of two maps/arenas. Esports Tower LLC, in its sole discretion, may authorize an additional amount
     of pause time in extraordinary circumstances.

     3.2.8.1.2 Pauses are only for emergencies such as player disconnects, hardware failure, and internet connection issues.

     3.2.8.1.3 Lobby Hosts must pause the game immediately after requested by any participant in the server, within reason.

     3.2.8.1.4 Pauses used to contact tournament administrators for disputes will not be counted against the time bank.

     3.2.8.1.5 After the time bank is up, teams must forfeit or continue play, unless there is a dispute being sent to tournament administrators.

     3.2.8.2 Game Restart. In case of a server crash or other unforeseen circumstances, a tournament administrator may assess a game restart, which will be communicated to each Team Captain.
     Examples may include but are not limited to:

          3.2.8.2.1 Incorrect game settings.

          3.2.8.2.2 Server crash.

 

3.3. Valorant Rules

 

3.3.1 Team Responsibilities:  Teams will be responsible for inviting all members of their team to the lobby.

 

3.3.2 Anti-Cheat Client:  All participants are required to follow the VALORANT anti-cheat rules.

 

3.3.3 Structure and Schedule

     3.3.3.1 Pool Play.

     3.3.3.2 Round Robin Format. Each team will play every other team in their group. There will be a single match each week for 4 weeks. Teams will play a best-of-5 maps/arenas match for all Rumble matches.

 

3.3.4 Game Creation and Settings

     3.3.4.1 Custom Match Settings. Each match will be played with the default 5v5 custom game settings.

     3.3.4.2 Map Pool

     3.3.4.2.1 The left team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) must pick the first map and host the tournament lobby. The right team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) can pick the side.

     3.3.4.2.2 The losing team from each map will pick the subsequent map and can host the lobby if requested. The winning team from each map will pick which side they play of the subsequent map.

     3.3.4.2.3 The Active-Duty maps are:

• Bind
• Split
• Haven
• Ascent
• Icebox

     3.3.4.3 Server Host. Matches must be played on a Game Server in the North American region.

 

3.3.5 Overtime:  Matches will utilize the standard single round overtime format.

 

3.4. Rocket League Rules

 

3.4.1 Team Responsibilities:  Teams will be responsible for inviting all members of their team to the lobby.

 

3.4.2 Structure and Schedule

     3.4.2.1 Pool Play.

     3.4.2.2 Round Robin Format. Each team will play every other team in their group. There will be a single match each week for 4 weeks. Teams will play a best-of-5 maps/arenas match for all Rumble matches.

 

3.4.3 Game Creation and Settings

3.4.3.1 Custom Match Settings:

• Default Arena: DFH Stadium
• Team Size: 3v3
• Bot Difficulty: No Bots
• Mutators: None
• Match Time: 5 Minutes
• Joinable By: Name/Password
• Platform: Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Steam, or Xbox
• Server: US-East

3.4.4 Arena Pool

3.4.4.1 The left team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) must pick the first arena and host the tournament lobby. The right team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) can pick the side.

3.4.4.2 The losing team from each arena will pick the subsequent arena and can host the lobby if requested. The winning team from each arena will pick which side they play of the subsequent arena.

3.4.4.3 The Active-Duty arenas are:

• Aquadome
• Champions Field
• Champions Field (Day)
• DFH Stadium (Day)
• DFH Stadium
• DFH Stadium (Stormy)
• Forbidden Temple (Standard)
• Mannfield
• Mannfield (Night)
• Mannfield (Stormy)
• Neo Toky
• Salty Shores (Day)
• Salty Shores (Night)
• Starbase ARC
• Urban Central
• Urban Central (Dawn)
• Urban Central (Night)
• Utopia Coliseum
• Utopia Coliseum (Dusk)

3.4.5 Server Host:  Matches must be played on a Game Server in the North American region.

 

3.4.6 Controllers:  All standard controllers, including mouse and keyboard, are legal. Macro functions (e.g., turbo buttons) are not permitted.

 

3.4.7 Overtime:  Matches will utilize the standard overtime format.

 

3.5. Overwatch Rules:  Overwatch Rumble coming soon…

 

3.6. Fortnite Rules:  Fortnite Rumble coming soon...

 

3.7. Technical Issues:  Teams are responsible for any of their own technical issues, including hardware, software, or internet issues. Matches are to be continued as normal if these issues arise. Pause time can be used, but no additional pause time for technical issues will be awarded.

 

3.8. Player Conduct

 

3.8.1 Competition Conduct

     3.8.1.1 Reporting Disruptive Behavior. Participants and teams are responsible for reporting any misconduct, unsportsmanlike behavior, cheating, or other disruptive behavior to the tournament administrators.           3.8.1.2 Competitive Integrity. Teams are expected to play at their best at all points during any Event game and will maintain behavior consistent with the principles of good sportsmanship, honesty, and fair play.
     Unfair conduct includes but is not limited to Collusion, Hacking, Exploiting, Intentional disconnection, or other cheating methods. Tournament administrators maintain the sole right in judgment for violations of
     these rules and standards of integrity for competitive play.

     3.8.1.3 Profanity and Hate Speech. A participant may not use language that is obscene, foul, vulgar, insulting, threatening, abusive, libelous, slanderous, or otherwise offensive or objectionable. Likewise,
     participants may not promote or incite hatred or discriminatory conduct during the Event.

     3.8.1.4 Disruptive Behavior. Participants may not take any action or perform any gesture directed at another participant, event official, fan, or any other party or incite others to do the same which is abusive,
     insulting, mocking, or disruptive.

4. ESPORTS TOWER LEAGUE RULES

 

4.1. Introduction

 

The following rules are tailored to the Esports Tower League (“ETL”) by Esports Tower, LLC. These Esports Tower League Official Rules (the “Official Rules”) form a contract between all Teams and Players (“Participants”), on the one hand, and Esports Tower, LLC and its affiliates who are engaged in operating the ETL, on the other hand. These Official Rules establish the general rules of tournament play, including rules governing player eligibility, tournament structure, points structure, and player conduct. These Official Rules also contain limitations of liability, license grants, and other legally binding contractual terms. Each Participant is required to read, understand, and agree to these Official Rules before participating in the ETL.

 

4.1.1 Players

     4.1.1.1 Eligibility. To be able to compete as a “Player” in the ETL you must:

     4.1.1.1.1 be an active member of one of Esports Tower’s club programs.

     4.1.1.1.2 be a paying member and/or confirm that you will continue with one of Esports Tower’s club programs after your trial period ends.

     4.1.1.2 Player Streaming. Players who are competing in an ETL match can stream their own gameplay with at least a 1-minute delay.

     4.1.1.3 Player Rules

     4.1.1.3.1 Players can leave and join teams so long as they maintain Eligibility per Section 3.1.1.1.

     4.1.1.3.2 Players can only compete on one team at a time.

     4.1.1.3.3 Players can substitute for teams only within their division and below so long as they maintain Eligibility per Section 3.1.1.1.

 

4.1.2 Teams

     4.1.2.1 Roster Requirements

     4.1.2.1.1 Active Players. Each team must maintain a roster no larger than +2 the size of what the game title allows in game (Overwatch = 6-8, Valorant = 5-7, Rocket League = 3-5). These players must be
     listed as “Active” on the Battlefy.com team roster to compete in ETL matches.

     4.1.2.1.2 Inactive Players. Players listed as “Inactive” on their roster, or any other player not substituting for the team, cannot play in any ETL matches.

     4.1.2.1.3 It is the responsibility of both teams to check player eligibility before the start of play. Teams who play with ineligible rosters may receive a penalty pending Tournament Administrator ruling. If you
     are unsure of player eligibility before a match starts, request administrator support before playing your match. Teams can substitute Active Players between maps/arenas. No substitutions may be made
     during maps/arenas.

     4.1.2.1.4 Team Staff cannot spectate matches unless given written permission by both Team Captains before start of play.

 

4.1.3 Structure and Schedule

     4.1.3.1 Groups. Teams will be placed into groups of 4 within each of their divisions.

     4.1.3.2 Round Robin Format. Each team will play every other team in their group. There will be a single match each week for 4 weeks. Teams will play a best-of-5 maps/arenas match for all ETL matches.

     4.1.3.3 Lobby Host. The team that Battlefy.com displays on the left will be the dedicated lobby host. If both teams agree, then the lobby host can be switched to the opposing team.

     4.1.3.4 Forfeits & No-Shows. Teams who forfeit their match will receive a 0-3 match loss. Teams who receive forfeit wins will receive a 3-0 match win.

     4.1.2.4.1 Automatic Forfeiture. Teams who fail to show up for their match 15 minutes after the designated start time will receive an Automatic Forfeit.

     4.1.3.5 Match Schedule. Match days are Saturdays at 4:00 PM ET. See the Battlefy.com tournament pages for more details.

     4.1.3.5.1 Rescheduling. Teams can agree to move their match to a different time and day by making an official reschedule request within the Battlefy.com tournament website. Teams can only reschedule
     between their Saturday match and the Thursday before their next Saturday match.

     4.1.3.6 Results. All results and disputes must be sent to the ETL administrators immediately after the scheduled match time.

     4.1.3.6.1 Number of map wins. The team with the highest number of map wins is ranked above teams with fewer map wins. Draws do not count as a map win for either team.

     4.1.3.7 Disputes. Proof of results are required for all disputes. Screenshots and/or recorded video may be used as evidence in case of disputes.

     4.1.3.7.1 Alert administrators before start-of-play for all roster and game settings disputes. Contacting administrators after a game has already been agreed upon and played by both teams may result in
     staying as the game of record, regardless of correct or incorrect game settings, at the tournament administrators’ discretion.

 

4.1.4 Time Zone:  The official time zone of the ETL is the Eastern Time Zone, designated (ET). All ETL announcements and web pages regarding ETL competitions and scheduling will always display time in the Eastern Time Zone unless otherwise stated.

 

4.1.5 Disciplines

The games that are currently offered by Esports Tower LLC and, therefore, the ETL are:

• Fortnite by Epic Games
• Overwatch by Activision Blizzard for PC
• Rocket League by Psyonix for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One
• Valorant by Riot Games for PC

* Please note that all titles and platforms on this list may not be available as competitions at all times at the discretion of ETL administration.

 

4.2. General Tournament Rules

 

4.2.1 Liability:  All participants are expected to know and uphold the rules while associated with the ETL. Participation in official tournaments constitutes acceptance of these rules.

 

4.2.2 Administration List

Tony (DonTony) Baccaro - League Commissioner

Casey (APOLLO) Clayton - Tournament Coordinator

Jake (RakeRL) Reinhardt - Tournament Coordinator

Sameed (Zykoma) Mohammad - Tournament Coordinator

 

4.2.3 Rule Changes:  The ETL or its designee reserves the right to add, remove, or otherwise amend all rule sets without prior notice. However, ETL or its designee will use its best efforts to provide reasonable notice prior to any significant rule changes.

 

4.2.4 Participant Accounts:  Clean Accounts. Esports Tower LLC defines a clean account as an account that is not banned from the game titles competitive play, is clear of vulgar or inappropriate content, and is at least 15 days old (exempt for the first 2 weeks of each event). Players who have unclean accounts are prohibited from participating in all ETL events.

 

4.2.5 Delay of Match Start:  If either team opens a support ticket, matches should not start or continue unless given confirmation by a Tournament Administrator to do so. Teams must inform their opponents immediately after opening a support ticket.

 

4.2.6 Match Reporting:  One team member must report the results of the match, including map wins, on their Battlefy.com match page.

 

4.2.7 Patch:  All matches will be played on the most up-to-date live server patch.

 

4.2.8 In-Game Rules

     4.2.8.1 Pauses

     4.2.8.1.1 Each team is allowed up to 10 minutes of emergency pause time per map for a total of two maps/arenas. Esports Tower LLC, in its sole discretion, may authorize an additional amount of pause
     time in extraordinary circumstances.

     4.2.8.1.2 Pauses are only for emergencies such as player disconnects, hardware failure, and internet connection issues.

     4.2.8.1.3 Lobby Hosts must pause the game immediately after requested by any player in the server, within reason.

     4.2.8.1.4 Pauses used to contact tournament administrators for disputes will not be counted against the time bank.

     4.2.8.1.5 After the time bank is up, teams must forfeit or continue play, unless there is a dispute being sent to tournament administrators.

     4.2.8.2 Game Restart. In case of a server crash or other unforeseen circumstances, a tournament administrator may assess a game restart, which will be communicated to each Team Captain. Examples may
     include, but are not limited to:

          4.2.8.2.1 Incorrect game settings.

          4.2.8.2.2 Server crash.

 

4.3. Valorant Rules

 

4.3.1 Team Responsibilities: Teams will be responsible for inviting all members of their team.

 

4.3.2 Anti-Cheat Client: All players are required to follow the VALORANT anti-cheat rules.

 

4.3.3 Game Creation and Settings

     4.3.3.1 Custom Match Settings. Each match will be played with the default 5v5 custom game settings.

     4.3.3.2 Map Pool

     4.3.3.2.1 The left team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) must pick the first map and host the tournament lobby. The right team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) can pick the side.

     4.3.3.2.2 The losing team from each map will pick the subsequent map and can host the lobby if requested. The winning team from each map will pick which side they play of the subsequent map.

     4.3.3.2.3 The Active-Duty maps are:

• Bind
• Split
• Haven
• Ascent
• Icebox

     4.3.3.3 Server Host. Matches must be played on a Game Server in the North American region.

 

4.3.4 Overtime: Matches will utilize the standard single round overtime format.

 

4.4. Rocket League Rules

 

4.4.1 Team Responsibilities:  Teams will be responsible for inviting all members of their team.

 

4.4.2 Game Creation and Settings

     4.4.2.1 Custom Match Settings:

• Default Arena: DFH Stadium
• Team Size: 3v3
• Bot Difficulty: No Bots
• Mutators: None
• Match Time: 5 Minutes
• Joinable By: Name/Password
• Platform: Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Steam, or Xbox
• Server: US-East

     4.4.2.2 Arena Pool

     4.4.2.2.1 The left team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) must pick the first arena and host the tournament lobby. The right team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) can pick the side.

     4.4.2.2.2 The losing team from each arena will pick the subsequent arena and can host the lobby if requested. The winning team from each arena will pick which side they play of the subsequent arena.

     4.4.2.2.3 The Active-Duty arenas are:

• Aquadome
• Champions Field
• Champions Field (Day)
• DFH Stadium (Day)
• DFH Stadium
• DFH Stadium (Stormy)
• Forbidden Temple (Standard)
• Mannfield
• Mannfield (Night)
• Mannfield (Stormy)
• Neo Tokyo
• Salty Shores (Day)
• Salty Shores (Night)
• Starbase ARC
• Urban Central
• Urban Central (Dawn)
• Urban Central (Night)
• Utopia Coliseum
• Utopia Coliseum (Dusk)

     4.4.2.3 Server Host. Matches must be played on a Game Server in the North American region.

 

4.4.3 Controllers:  All standard controllers, including mouse and keyboard, are legal. Macro functions (e.g., turbo buttons) are not permitted.

 

4.4.4 Overtime: Matches will utilize the standard overtime format.

 

4.5. Overwatch Rules

 

4.5.1 Team Responsibilities:  Teams will be responsible for inviting all members of their team.

 

4.5.2 Game Creation and Settings

     4.5.2.1 Custom Match Settings.

• Presets: Competitive
• Modes, All: Kill Cam Disabled
• Modes, All: Skins Disabled
• Modes, All: Game Mode Start – Manual
• Heroes, Hero Roster: Disable any heroes not currently available in Competitive Play 
• “Invite Only” must be selected within the Custom Game Lobby.
• Failure for the hosting team to select “Invite Only” may result in forfeiture of map at the tournament administrators’ discretion.

     4.5.2.2 Map Pool

     4.5.2.2.1 The left team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) must pick the first map and host the tournament lobby. The right team (when viewing the match on Battlefy.com) can pick the side.

     4.5.2.2.2 The losing team from each map will pick the subsequent map and can host the lobby if requested. The winning team from each map will pick which side they play on the subsequent map.

     4.5.2.2.3 Any maps that are currently available in Competitive Play are active

     4.5.2.2.4 In the case of a tie after 3 maps, a 4th map will be played to determine the winner of the match. The tiebreaker will be a Control map that has yet to be played in the match. The same rules apply per
     section 4.5.2.2.1 & 4.5.2.2.2.

 

4.5.3 Server Host:  Matches must be played on a Game Server in the North American region.

 

4.6. Technical Issues:  Teams are responsible for any of their own technical issues, including hardware, software, or internet issues. Matches are to be continued as normal if these issues arise. Pause time can be used, but no additional pause time for technical issues will be awarded.

 

4.7. Player Conduct

 

4.8 Competition Conduct

     4.8.1.1 Reporting Disruptive Behavior. Players and teams are responsible for reporting any misconduct, unsportsmanlike behavior, cheating, or other disruptive behavior to the tournament administrators.

     4.8.1.2 Competitive Integrity. Teams are expected to play at their best at all points during any Event game and will maintain behaviors consistent with the principles of good sportsmanship, honesty, and fair play.
     Unfair conduct includes but is not limited to Collusion, Hacking, Exploiting, Intentional disconnection, or other cheating methods. Tournament administrators maintain the sole right in judgement for violations of
     these rules and standards of integrity for competitive play.

     4.8.1.3 Profanity and Hate Speech. A player may not use language that is obscene, foul, vulgar, insulting, threatening, abusive, libelous, slanderous, or otherwise offensive or objectionable. Likewise, players may
     not promote or incite hatred or discriminatory conduct during the Event.

     4.8.1.4 Disruptive Behavior. Players may not take any action or perform any gesture directed at another player, event official, fan, or any other party or incite others to do the same which is abusive, insulting,
     mocking, or disruptive.

5. ESPORTS TOWER ROCKET LEAGUE OUTSIDE TOURNAMENT RULES

 

This competition is not affiliated with or sponsored by Psyonix LLC or ROCKET LEAGUE Esports.

 

5.1 Introduction:  These Rules have been designed to ensure the integrity of competitive play of Rocket League (the “Rocket League”) in connection with the Tournament and are intended to promote vigorous competition and to help ensure that all competitive play of Rocket League is fun, fair, and free from Toxic Behavior (as defined below). These Rules may be translated into other languages. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between any translated version of these Rules and the English version of these rules, the English version shall prevail, govern, and control. Entry into this Tournament does not constitute entry into any other tournament, competition, contest, or sweepstakes.

 

5.2 Acceptance:  To participate in the Tournament, each player must agree (or, if a Minor (as defined below)), such player’s parent or legal guardian must agree on such player’s behalf) to follow these Rules at all times, including the Code of Conduct in Section 5 (“Player”). A Player (or, if a Minor, such Player’s parent, or legal guardian) must accept these Rules as part of the Tournament registration form, available at EsportsTower.com. By participating in any Game or Match (each as defined below) that is part of the Tournament, a Player is confirming that he or she (or, if a Minor, his or her parent or legal guardian) has accepted these Rules pursuant to this Section 3.1.2.

 

5.3 Enforcement:  Esports Tower and collegiate partners will have primary responsibility for enforcing these Rules for all Players and may, working with the Tournament Administrators (as defined below), hand out penalties to Players for violations of these Rules.

 

5.4 Amendments: Esports Tower may update, revise, change, or modify these Rules from time to time. For each Player, his or her participation in the Tournament after any update, revision, change, or modification to these Rules will be deemed acceptance by such Player (or, if a Minor, such Player’s parent, or legal guardian) of these Rules as updated, revised, changed, or modified.

 

5.5 Tournament Structure

     5.5.1 Gameplay Dates

     5.5.2 Seeding: Seeding will be done prior to the tournament by admins. Tournament Admins keep track of tournament performance and the MMR relationship to the player. A modifier is appropriately applied to
     the team and is averaged. As a result, up to sixty-four teams will be seeded and will be grouped into standard double-elimination brackets in groups up to sixty-four.

     5.5.2.1 Bracket Structure:

 

* Example of one bracket grouping above. Every round is a best of five, until the final two teams meet. That match is played in a best of seven format. 5.5.2.1.1 Match Observation: Esports Tower and all college partners may live record, live broadcast, or record past matches for their streams or content.

 

5.6 Game Play Rules: This Section sets forth the “Game Play Rules” governing play during the Tournament.

 

5.6.1 Match Settings

5.6.1.1 Game Settings:

• Default Arena: DFH Stadium
• Team Size: 3v3
• Bot Difficulty: No Bots
• Mutators: None
• Match Time: 5 Minutes
• Joinable By: Name/Password
• Platform: Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam, or Xbox
• Server: US-East

* Teams may only play on US-East, unless unanimously agreed upon prior to play by ALL members of both teams AND Tournament Admin. (3.2.3)

 

5.6.2 Controllers:  All standard controllers, including mouse and keyboard, are legal. Macro functions (e.g., turbo buttons) are not permitted. Note that wireless controllers are not permitted at any in-person Tournament events. At any in-person Tournament event, all controllers are subject to approval from Psyonix and/or the Tournament Administrators.

 

5.7 Arenas:  All Games are played on DFH Stadium by default. In all other stages of the Tournament, the map rotation will be chosen from the eligible arenas, chosen by Tournament Administrators at their sole discretion, or unanimous decision by both teams prior to play. For broadcast matches, Teams may request to avoid an eligible arena due to performance issues and are required to submit a detailed request to Tournament Administrators prior to match. The Tournament Administrators reserve the right to reject for any reason, in their sole discretion, any request made by Teams to avoid an eligible arena. The following eligible arenas may be selected:

• Aquadome
• Champions Field
• Champions Field (Day)
• DFH Stadium (Day)
• DFH Stadium
• DFH Stadium (Stormy)
• Forbidden Temple
• Forbidden Temple (Night)
• Mannfield
• Mannfield (Night)
• Mannfield (Snowy)
• Mannfield (Stormy)
• Neo Tokyo
• Salty Shores (Day)
• Salty Shores (Night)
• Starbase ARC
• Urban Central
• Urban Central (Dawn)
• Urban Central (Night)
• Utopia Coliseum
• Utopia Coliseum (Dusk)
• Utopia Coliseum (Snowy)
• Wasteland • Wasteland (Night)

5.8 Match Procedures

 

5.8.1 Hosting and Team Colors: Tournament Administrators will specify which Team is blue and which Team is orange. In all other stages of the Tournament, a Tournament Administrator will host the Match.

 

5.8.2 Re-Hosts: Between Games in a Match, Teams may request that the Match be re-hosted on the same server region due to connection issues. During a Main Event, before either (a) a goal has been scored or
(b) fifteen (15) seconds have elapsed (whichever is sooner), Teams may mutually agree to cancel the current Game of the Match and re-host the Match with approval from Tournament Administrators.
Tournament Administrators reserve the right to suspend and invalidate the current Game of the Match for a re-host at any time.

 

5.8.3 Servers: Players may request to “test” a server prior to a recorded/highlighted match. This would be a one minute “golden goal” test with one applied mutator. Players will unanimously agree on said server
or request to try a new one. After three (3) attempts, the third will be utilized.

 

5.8.4 Game Start: Players may not join their designated side until three Players from each Team have joined the Game. In Main Event matches, Players may not join their designated side until instructed by a
Tournament Administrator.

 

5.8.5 Substitutions: A “Substitution” is defined as changing the Player line-up after a Match has started.

 

5.9 Group Play/Match Play

 

Substitutions are not allowed during a Match in the Group Play/Match Play except in the event of a disconnect. Teams may start a Match with any combination of three (3) Players from their registered Roster (as defined below).

 

5.9.1 Main Events:  Substitutions may only occur in between Games in a Match or before a Match, and Teams are limited to one Substitution per Match. Teams must inform Tournament Administrators of any change in lineup between Matches.

 

5.9.2 Reporting Scores:  After a Match is completed, the winning Team must submit the Match result to Tournament Administrators in #results or to the Tournament Admin’s other requests. The losing Team must also confirm the Match result. Taking a screenshot of the results screen or saving the replay file of the Match is required in case of disputed results. If a Team disputes a Match claiming a win and submits proof of its claim, the other Team must submit proof of its claim to avoid an automatic forfeit of the Match. Any Teams or Players found to be submitting false or doctored results will be permanently banned from the Tournament and future tournaments.

 

5.9.3 Guest Accounts:  Players may not compete using guest accounts. All participants must have a unique and valid Epic Games Account, Steam, Microsoft® Account, Nintendo Account, or PlayStation™ Network ID, and appropriate access levels to Epic Games Store, Steam, Xbox Live™, Nintendo™ Network, or the PlayStation™ Network as applicable.

 

5.9.4 Observers:  Outside agreed upon in-game observers are not allowed except for Tournament Administrators and their designees. Teams that are found to have shared lobby details for the purposes of allowing an unauthorized observer into the Match will be subject to disciplinary action. * Upon request and approval by Esports Tower, a Player shall be permitted to stream live coverage of his or her Gameplay streaming platform (e.g., Twitch, YouTube, etc.).

 

5.9.5 Bugs and Glitches:  In the event of a bug or glitch that affects Gameplay, the full Match should be played out. If a Team calls for a rematch due to a bug or glitch, they must save the replay and submit it to the Tournament Administrators for review.

 

5.10 Team Rosters

 

5.10.1 Team Captains:  Each Team must declare one member of their Roster to be the “Team Captain” who represents the Team for all official decisions and serves as the main point of contact for the Team.

 

5.10.2 Rosters:  Teams may only use Players who are on their Roster for a Match. Upon registering for the Tournament, Rosters must have at least three (3) Players, but no more than four (4) (i.e., three starting Players and one reserve Player who may be used as an alternate). An individual may not simultaneously be part of more than one Roster at a time.

 

5.10.3 Roster Submission:  Starting Rosters for each Tournament Day must be submitted to Tournament Administrators (Battlefy) at least one (1) hour prior to the start of Gameplay for such day.

 

5.10.4 Player or Team Names:  Players or Teams may not change their Usernames, in-game names, or Team Names without approval from Tournament Administrators. All such names must comply with these Rules and Tournament Administrators may request that they be changed at any time. A Roster shall not contain duplicates of the same name, names that consist only of symbols, or names that are difficult to distinguish from one another.

 

5.11 Match Obligations

 

5.11.1 Punctuality:  All Teams must have three Players physically present or in the online Match lobby by the designated Match start time. Teams that do not have three Players ready to play after five (5) minutes of the Match start time are subject to penalties including a possible Match forfeiture. During Main Event matches, the Team Captain must be responsive in the designated discord chat at least ten (10) minutes prior to the designated Match start time. Match start times may be adjusted by Psyonix and/or Tournament Administrators, in their sole discretion, depending on any Tournament accelerations or delays.

 

5.11.2 Forfeits:  Teams may not voluntarily forfeit a Match without prior authorization from Tournament Administrators and, even with authorization, are subject to further penalties for forfeiting. Such penalties may result in a disqualification under erroneous circumstances.

 

5.11.3 Communications:  Teams will communicate with their opponents and Tournament Administrators (as applicable) in a designated discord chat during all online stages of the Tournament.

 

5.11.4 Match Disruptions

 

5.11.5 Disconnects

 

5.12 Group Play/Highlighted Match:  If a disconnect occurs, the shorthanded Team will continue to play out the single Game within the Match series. The disconnected Player may rejoin during the Game that the disconnect occurred in or in between Games of a Match series but may not join in the middle of subsequent Games in the series. After a disconnect, if the Player cannot rejoin during the same Game, the Player will have five minutes to rejoin before the next Game of the Match series begins. If the disconnected Player is unable to join the Game prior to the next Game in the series, the Player’s Team may substitute another Player from their roster if this is the first disconnect for the Team during the series.

 

5.13 Player Eligibility

 

5.13.1 Player Age:  To be eligible to participate in the Tournament, a Player must be at least 13 years old (or such other age, if greater, as may be required in such Player’s country of residence). If a Player is under 19 years of age or the age of majority as defined in such Player’s country of residence (a “Minor”), such Player must have permission from a parent or legal guardian in order to participate in the Tournament.

 

5.13.2 Students Grade Level:  All students participating must be currently enrolled in high school (grades 9-12) and at least 13 years of age. All Esports Tower members are exempt from the grade and age requirements.

 

5.13.3 Ineligible Players:  Ineligible Players who mislead or attempt to mislead Tournament Administrators by providing false eligibility information or, if a Minor, a forged parental consent will be subject to disciplinary actions.

 

5.14 Rocket League EULA (End User License Agreement):  Each Player must follow the Rocket League End User License Agreement (“Rocket League EULA”) (https://www.psyonix.com/eula/). These Rules add to, and do not replace, the Rocket League EULA.

 

5.15 Team and Player Names, Logos, Avatars, and Branding Restrictions

 

5.15.1 Code of Conduct:  All Team and individual Player names must follow the Code of Conduct in Section 1. Psyonix and the Tournament Administrators each may restrict or change Team and individual Player tags or screen names for any reason.

 

5.15.2 Team or Player Name:  The name used by a Team or Player may not include or make use of the terms Rocket League®, Psyonix, or any other trademark, trade name, or logo owned by or licensed to Esports Tower.

     5.15.2.1 The name used by a Team or Player cannot be an impersonation of another Team, Player, streamer, celebrity, government official, Esports Tower employee, or any other person or entity.

     5.15.2.2 Prior to the start of the Tournament, Esports Tower and/or Tournament Administrators will work directly with all invited Teams and Players to determine a suitable display name for use in connection
     with the Tournament. Teams and Players must use this are orange or blue for the duration of the Tournament.

     5.15.2.3 Psyonix and/or Tournament Administrators each reserves the right to prohibit or restrict the use of any in-game item during Tournament Gameplay (including, without limitation, prohibiting the use of
     any third party copyrighted materials in a manner that indicates, suggests, or could be interpreted as representing association or affiliation with such third party).

     5.15.2.4 Such prohibitions include: professional organization decals, professional NFL, MLB, NHL, or NBA logos, Universal Decals that lock a car color that cannot properly indicate Orange or Blue side (i.e..
     Ranked Rewards Decals, Event Decals, etc.).

 

5.16 Good Standing:  Players must be in good standing with respect to any Psyonix accounts registered by said Player, with no undisclosed violations. Players / Teams must also be free of or served fully any penalties from previously breaking any official Psyonix rules.

 

5.17 Additional Restrictions:  The Tournament in all parts is open to eligible Players who reside in the Eligibility Area but is void wherever restricted or prohibited by applicable law or in any country disallowed by U.S. law. Without limitation of the foregoing, the Tournament is not open to individuals in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe.

 

5.18 Competitive Integrity:  Each Player is expected to play within the spirit of Rocket League and these Rules at all times during any Game or Match. Any form of unfair play is prohibited by these Rules and may result in disciplinary action. Examples of unfair play include the following:

• Collusion (e.g., any agreement between two or more Teams or Players on different Teams to predetermine the outcome of a Game or Match), match fixing, bribing a referee or match official, or any other unfair or illegal action or agreement to intentionally influence (or attempt to influence) the outcome of any Game, Match, or Tournament.
• Hacking or otherwise modifying the intended behavior of the Rocket League game client.
• Playing or allowing another Player to play on a Psyonix account registered in another person’s name (or soliciting, encouraging, or directing someone else to do so).
• Using any kind of cheating device, program, or similar cheating method to gain a competitive advantage.
• Intentionally exploiting any game function (e.g., an in-game bug or glitch) in a manner not intended by Psyonix in order to gain a competitive advantage. • Using distributed denial of service attacks, swatting, or similar methods to interfere with another Player’s connection to the Rocket League game client.
• Using macro keys or similar methods to automate in-game actions.
• Intentionally disconnecting from a Match without a legitimate reason for doing so.
• Accepting any gift, reward, bribe, or compensation for services promised, rendered, or to be rendered in connection with unfair play of Rocket League (e.g., services designed to throw or fix a Match or Game).
• Interfering with the operation of the Tournament, the Rules Website, or any website owned or operated by Esports Tower or the Tournament Administrators.
• Engaging in any activity that is illegal in the jurisdiction where the affected Player is located.
• Making any modification to Rocket League that has not been disclosed to and authorized by the Tournament Administrators.
• Using any Tournament facilities, services, or equipment provided or made available by the Tournament Entities to post, transmit, disseminate, or otherwise make available any communications prohibited by the Code of Conduct.
• Disconnecting from the in-game Lobby before being dismissed by Tournament Administrators. • Changing in-game Player or Username to a name other than Player’s registered Username.
• Otherwise violating these, Rules.

5.19 Wagering:  Players shall not (a) conduct or promote betting, wagering, or gambling on the Tournament or any portion thereof, or (b) benefit, either directly or indirectly, from betting, wagering, or gambling on the Tournament or any portion thereof.

 

5.20 Harassment

 

5.20.1 Players are prohibited from:  engaging in any form of harassing, abusive, or discriminatory conduct based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other status or characteristic protected under applicable law.

 

5.20.2 Any Player who:  witnesses or is subjected to harassing, abusive, or discriminatory conduct should notify a Tournament Administrator. All complaints reported pursuant to Section 5.20.1 will be promptly investigated and appropriate action will be taken. Retaliation against any Player who brings forward a complaint or cooperates in the investigation of a complaint is prohibited.

 

5.21 Publicity:  Esports Tower reserves the right to use the name, tag, likeness, audio, video, Gameplay statistics, and/or Psyonix account ID of any Player, for publicity purposes prior to, during, or after the Tournament end date, in any media, throughout the world, in perpetuity, but only in connection with publicizing the Tournament or other Rocket League events and programming without any compensation or prior review unless specifically prohibited by law.

 

For any questions about this rule book or our privacy practices, please contact us at privacy@esports.com or via postal mail at:

 

Esports Tower LLC

Attention: Privacy Team PO Box 497

Windermere, FL 34786 United States