1. General

1.1. Player

Each contestant has to be a registered ESL user, must not have more than one ESL account, and is allowed to play only if there are no active barrages on their ESL profile.

1.2. Gameaccount

Each contestant is required to have their up-to-date gameaccount attached to their ESL profile. Outdated or missing gameaccount is not a reason to be disqualified, however ESL Admins hold the right to delay the cup and demand updating/adding it. Refusal to this request leads into direct disqualification. Additional penalties apply according to Penalty Table. Gameaccount is also your Summoner Name.

1.3. Team

A team has to consist of at least 5 contestants, with their gameaccounts properly set up, excluding inactive and honorary members. If it turns out that a team is using inactive and/or honorary members, or players that are not members of the team, additional penalties apply according to Penalty Table.

1.4. Sponsors and partnerships

The ESL administration reserves the right to prohibit or remove teams with sponsors or partners that are solely or widely known for pornographic, drug use or other adult/mature themes and products from partaking in ESL Play events at any time.

1.5. Contacting the ESL Admins

There are 2 official ways you can use to get in touch with ESL Admins.

• Through our Discord Server
• Through a support or protest ticket

2. Settings

2.1. Server

All matches should be played on the server that the respective cup is organized for. If both teams agree, it is possible to use another game server, but only with an ESL Admin agreement.

2.2. Tournament Code

It is mandatory to play all the matches, using provided Tournament Code. In case the Tournament Code is missing, please contact an ESL Admin immediately.

2.3. Screenshots

Are only mandatory if:

• The Tournament Code is missing, and therefore the match was played by creating a custom game.
• The match did not close automatically, and the score is not visible on the match page.

A screenshot of the scoreboard at the end of the match must be taken and uploaded to the match page as match media. The screenshot must contain clear evidence who won the match. Manipulation of a screenshot, such as hiding champions, and/or editing it the way that it shows wrong result leads into direct disqualification. Additional penalties apply according to Penalty Table. In case a match has been played by hosting a custom game lobby, and a screenshot of the result is missing on the match page, the result is decided by the Admin Team.

3. Match rules

3.1. Play mode

All matches should be played using Tournament Draft pick mode in BO1 format (if not stated otherwise).

3.2. Play side

A team with higher seed (lower number, where seed 1 is the highest possible) holds the right to choose a side to play (blue/red).

3.3. Failure to appear

Each team has 15 minutes to show up to a match (match date + 15 minutes). If a team fails to show up or is missing members after this time, it leads into a default loss of the match. If a team is missing only a few members, the ESL Admins may decide to grant them a few additional minutes. If both preceding matches in the bracket are already finished, the match time is moved to last preceding match finish time + 15 minutes.

3.4. Game provisions

3.4.1. Technical issues

All problems that might occur should be resolved before a match starts. All participants are responsible for their connection or hardware problems.

3.4.2. Communication

All agreements between teams and players have to be posted as match comments.

3.4.3. Participants

All participants should be a part of corresponding team before joining the cup. Usage of players not belonging to the team results into punishments according to Penalty Table.

3.4.4. Placeholders

Each team is allowed to use 2 placeholders during a tournament. In case you need to use placeholder, you have to advise your opponents using ESL Chat before the champion gets locked in. Placeholders can only be used in case a player doesn't own a champion his team intends to pick. The player is allowed to pick a random uncommon champion as a replacement. It should be always clearly explained that the picked champion is a placeholder for another champion, which has to be named. When opponents are informed, the champion can be locked in, and picking phase should be continued. When picking phase is finished, the player who used a placeholder has to take a screenshot of the game client, then upload it as match media to the match page, and then leave the champion select, and rejoin match lobby. Afterwards, champion select should be restarted, and each player has to pick/ban the same champions as before, but the player who used a placeholder is now obligated to pick correct champion. It is prohibited to use placeholder for a champion that has been banned in certain match.

3.4.5. Player change

• Changing a player after the picking phase has started is allowed only under an agreement of both teams.
• It is allowed to change players between rounds and matches.

3.4.6. Number of players

The match should be played with all 5 participants playing on each side. However, it is allowed to play 4on5, 4on4 etc. if both teams agree.

3.4.7. Abortion of match

It is not allowed to abort a match. In case a player failed to reconnect, and a team has ran out of pause time, the match should be continued 4on5.

3.4.8. Ringer & faker

It is not allowed to have another person play from your account during an ESL match. In case of suspicion leading to proof of it, player and team will be punished according to the Penalty Table. Punishment includes direct disqualification.

3.4.9. Pausing match

• Using the pause is allowed only with an obvious reason, such as connection issue or hardware problem.
• Each team is granted a total of 10 minutes pause during a match.
• It is obligatory to advise ESL Admins if pause time exceeded 5 minutes for any of the teams.
• ESL Admins hold the right to request to pause during the match in case of any other issues. The time used to pause the match will not count for the team it was requested to.
• In case of needing a longer time period, the team is obligated to contact an ESL admin to agree upon it. The opponent team can also give out the agreement before contacting an admin, but any complaints further on will not be taken into account when the team has given an agreement to prolong the pause time.
• Abusing the pause time can lead into punishment or direct team disqualification. Screenshots to prove of the abuse all have to be uploaded into the match page.

4. In-game behaviour

4.1. Sportsmanship

All participants are obligated to remain sportsmanlike. ESL Admins hold the right to disqualify a team which conduct has been seen to be unsportsmanlike.

4.2. Insults & harrassments

All participants are obligated to maintain professional behaviour when playing an ESL match. In cases of insults and harassments a support ticket containing proof of the situation should be opened.

5. Spectators

5.1. Spectators in game lobby

• Spectators are only allowed if both teams agree.
• ESL Admins and official ESL Casters are always allowed to spectate, and it can't be refused to invite an ESL Caster to a game if requested by an ESL Admin.

5.2. Casting

Casting an ESL match is only allowed under ESL Admin agreement. To get an agreement, please write a support ticket. ESL matches that are being casted by an official ESL Caster can never be casted by other parties.

5.3. Personal streaming

If a match is not being casted by an official ESL Caster, players have the right to stream it. However, a 3 minute delay has to be added in the settings.

5.4. Coaching

• Coaches are allowed in champion picking phase only, and only under an agreement of both teams.
• During the game the coaches and any other person outside of the game, is not allowed to guide or give out information about the game. Violations against this will lead into direct disqualification.

6. Illegal actions

6.1. Deception

All attempts to deceive ESL Admins or other participants with wrong or fake statements, information, media or data will not be tolerant, and will lead into a punishment according to Penalty Table.

6.2. Fake result

Providing wrong match result will lead into a punishment according to Penalty Table.

6.3. Fake match media

Any manipulation of provided screenshots is prohibited, and will lead into a punishment according to Penalty Table.

6.4. Cheating

All forms of cheating in ESL matches are forbidden. Any cheating attempts will lead into direct disqualification and additional punishments according to Penalty Table.

7. ESL Admins

• ESL Admins hold the right to override the rules in the sense of sportsmanship if they feel it is necessary.
• ESL Admins' decisions and statements are always official and all participants are obligated to follow their instructions.

8. Penalties

In general a player is innocent unless proven guilty, but in case of clear violation against the ruleset provided, it will lead into punishment. A team can receive up to 6 penalty points per match, unless a single violation has a higher punishment, but a team will only receive punishment once per violation, regardless of the amount of players to violate the ruleset. There are different clearance periods depending on the amount of points:

• 1-2 penalty points: 2 months
• 3-6 penalty points: 3 months
• 7 penalty points: 6 months
• 12 penalty points: 2 years

In addition to penalty points, players and teams will be barred when obtained a certain amount of penalty points:

• After obtaining 4 penalty points: 1 week barrage
• After obtaining 8 penalty points: 2 weeks barrage
• After obtaining 10 penalty points: 1 month barrage