Competition rules

Competition format

Season 4 runs an open ladder. The eight teams holding the most ladder points at the close of the season receive an invitation to the Summit Finals. There is no entry fee at any point in the season, and no buy-in to compete.

At the Finals the eight teams are split into two groups of four and play a single round robin, best of three. Group placement seeds all eight teams into a single elimination bracket. Quarterfinals are best of three; semifinals and the grand final are best of five.

Eligibility

• A team must have competed under the same organisation name for the final six weeks of the ladder season.
• A player may appear on only one Season 4 roster. Players removed from a roster after the invitation date may not join another invited team for the Finals.
• Players must be able to attend Coldspur Hall in person for the playoff block. A team that cannot field a legal five on site forfeits its matches for that day.
• Members of the tournament administration and the broadcast crew may not compete.

Rosters

• A roster is five starters and up to two substitutes, locked at the invitation date.
• A substitute may be brought in between matches, not between maps inside a match.
• Role assignments (Vanguard, Breaker, Warden, Courier, Anchor) are declarative and may be changed freely; they exist for the broadcast, not as a restriction.
• An emergency replacement outside the locked roster requires administration approval before the match begins.

Match rules

• Map selection alternates bans, then picks, with the higher seed choosing whether to ban first.
• A match starts within ten minutes of its scheduled time. A team not ready after fifteen minutes forfeits the first map.
• A pause may be called for a technical fault only. The administration may extend or end any pause.
• If a map is compromised by a confirmed fault, it is replayed from the start unless both captains and the administration agree otherwise.
• Results are provisional until confirmed by the administration at the end of each playoff block.

Conduct

Players, coaches and team staff are expected to treat opponents, officials and the audience with respect. Cheating, use of unauthorised software, deliberate disconnects, match manipulation of any kind, harassment and discriminatory language are grounds for map forfeiture, match forfeiture, or removal from the event and the ladder. The administration may act on conduct that occurs away from the stage where it affects the competition.

Shares are paid to the registered organisation, which is responsible for distribution among its players and staff, and for any taxes that apply where it is based. Payment is issued within sixty days of the grand final once placement is confirmed.

Administration and disputes

A captain may raise a dispute with the administration up to thirty minutes after the match in question ends. Disputes are heard before the next block begins where possible. The administration's ruling is final for the event in progress. These rules may be amended between seasons, and any amendment applying mid season is published on this page before it takes effect.