Bracket Play

1. Single Elimination: After losing a match, teams will be eliminated from the bracket.
    
2. Default Start Time: All round one (1) matches have the same default start time. After round one (1), all Matches have a unique default start time that is dependent upon the time at which the teams’ previous round results were submitted. Matches must be started by their default start time and played until completion. Postponing matches is only at the discretion of Online Tournament staff.
    
3. Double Forfeit: If a match is not played and neither team submits a ticket requesting the forfeit win, or both teams otherwise forfeit a game/match, the game/match win will be awarded to the higher seeded team.
    
4. Seeding: Teams will be randomly seeded at of the close of registration. Seeds are done in ascending order. The higher seed is determined by the team with the seed closest to zero (0). 
   • Example: Seed four (4) is a higher seed than seed ten (10).

All Matches

1. Warm-up: No warm-up or practice games are permitted once the match’s first game has begun. If a match is played before the scheduled time, it will not be considered a warm-up and will count as the official results.
    
2. Delays: Teams may not delay the start of a match beyond its scheduled start time, without the approval of a tournament official. Teams may delay a match between games for up to five minutes. Teams can request that a tournament official enforce this five minute time limit. After five minutes of a tournament official enforced delay, if the delaying team does not have the minimum required players, they will forfeit the match.
    
3. Minimum Required Players: Teams may be short handed by one player in order to start a game. A Team will Forfeit the Match if they are missing all of their players 15 minutes after a Match’s default start time (Grace Period). Teams will be forced to start a Game at the end of a Grace Period as outlined in the No Show proceedure.
    
4. Lag: As the game is hosted on dedicated servers, replays will not be issued for lag.
    
5. Disconnections: If a player does not get into the game lobby before the start of the game, all players should back out and re-form the party.
   • If a player disconnects/leaves the game after the game has launched, their kills at the time of the disconnection (proof must be provided in the case of a disagreement) will be added to the kills of their teammate and the remainder of the game will continue.

Reporting

1. No Shows:  All no shows must be verified by a tournament official. The No Show grace period time is 15 minutes after the match's original start time. For example, if a match is scheduled for 10:00 PM, the no show time for this match would be 10:15 PM. In order to contact a Tournament Official use Live Support. If a tournament official isn’t available, a ticket must be submitted immediately. The ticket must include proof that their opponent did not show. To dispute your match, select "I'm reporting: my opponent did not show" under “report problem” on the match page.
    
2. Time Limit: Both teams must report the match results within 10 minutes of its completion. Failure to report the match results on time or respond to any messages that you receive from a tournament official may result in your team receiving the loss. 
    
3. Report Match Score:  Please report the match results on your match page .To report the match results, teams must report the match score accurately, with overall Games won being reported. For example, the match score can be reported as 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1, or 3-2 depending upon the match length. Reporting the individual points for each game is optional.
    
4. Cheating: Breaking any rule and any form of cheating, glitching, abusing in-game mechanics, or unsportsmanlike behavior may result in a forfeit of a game, match, or ban from GameBattles. Cheating, glitching, and abusing in-game mechanics accusations must be verified by a tournament official. In order to contact a tournament official use Live Support. If a Tournament Official isn’t immediately available, a Ticket must be submitted immediately, along with proof, screenshot or video, of the cheating. Punishable unsportsmanlike behavior includes, but is not limited to, excessive use of foul or degrading language. For all cheating claims, the burden of proof is on the accuser.
    
5. Proof:  We highly recommend that proof is taken with the console's built in recording system to gather proof. At least one member of each team should take a video or screenshot(s) of each game’s results in case proof is needed for a dispute. All proof should be clearly visible and contain the players names', if they are dead, and their number of kills.
    
6. Disputes: In order to dispute game results, players/teams must notify a tournament official, via Live Support or Ticket submission, that they would like to protest the game before a new game has begun. In order to dispute match results, players/teams must notify a tournament official, via Live Support or Ticket submission, that they would like to protest the match no longer than 15 minutes after the end of the Match.
    
7. Concessions: Teams may request that they be allowed to concede victory of a game. Teams may request that their opponent not receive a forfeit penalty. A tournament official must be contacted with these requests. In order to contact a tournament official use Live Support.
    
8. Dispute Evidence: In the event of a dispute, please provide your video / screenshot proof to tournament live support. In the event that you are not able to access tournament live support, a Match: Scores Dispute ticket should be created  The URL for the image(s)/video must be attached to a dispute ticket. The issue must be clearly stated as well as the time in the video in which the issue occurred, and/or what the tournament official should be looking for in the picture/video.

Support

1. Tickets & Live Support: Tournament support can be requested by creating a Support Ticket or Live Support. For issues with registration, missing tournament achievements, and general tournament questions, a “Tournament Question/Issues” Ticket should be created. For all tournament match issues, a “Solve My Dispute” Ticket should be created.
    
2. Live Support Limit: Only one (1) Player per team should use Live Support for in-game issues and that player should stay on live support until a tournament official answers their call.
    
3. Listen for Instructions: If a tournament official is called into a custom game, players must keep the tournament official un-muted at all times.
    
4. Abuse: Verbal and/or written abuse of a tournament official will not be tolerated through any medium. This includes, but is not limited to, voice communications in game, voice messages, live support chats, written messages on GameBattles, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Violators of this rule may be disqualified from the Tournament.
    
5. Technical Issues: If you are having technical issues, please contact support@mlg.tv.
    
6. Decisions Are Final: Tournament staff have the final decision in all matters related to this competition. If a player feels the decision is unjust and/or goes against the rules listed for this competition, an Arena: Staff Report Ticket should be submitted for review. Please include any information and proof pertinent to the issue.

Penalties

1. Evading a Tournament or Servere Site Ban: Any player found evading a severe site ban or one related to Online Tournaments will be disqualified from this competition. If that player participates in any part of the match during the first tournament round, that team will forfeit the games that were played. If that player participates in any part of a match after the first tournament round, that team will be disqualified from the competition. The offending player(s) will be suspended from GameBattles for up to ninety (90) days.
    
2. Account Recovering XBL or PSN Accounts: Tournament participants are forbidden to allow others to play in this competition in place of them by sharing XBL or PSN accounts. The offending the team forfeit the entire match. The offending players will be suspended from the site for up to thirty (30) days.
    
3. Modified Console/Hacks/Mods: Use of a modified/jail broken console, in game hacks, and/or mods will result in the immediate disqualification of that team. The player(s) using the modified console, hacks, and/or mods will be suspended from GameBattles for up to seven hundred and thirty (730) days. The rest of the team will be suspended for up to ninety (90) days.
    
4. Evading a Ban: If a player is found evading a ban the team will be disqualified from this competition. The offending player(s) will be suspended from GameBattles for up to ninety (90) days.
    
5. Lack of Cooperation: Failing to comply with Support Staff's directions and/or requests may result in the forfeit of round(s), a map, or the entire match.  Verbal or written abuse of a staff member will result in a suspension from GameBattles for up to twenty (20) days.
    
6. Failure to Report a Tournament Match: Any team leader/captain that fails to report their tournament match within ten (10) minutes after the conclusion of their match or upon receiving notification from support staff to do so, may be suspended from the site for up to twenty-four (24) hours.
    
7. Warnings: Tournament Officials may issue a Warning for infractions including, but not limited to, the use of profane words or phrases, discussion of controversial religious topics, threats/implied violence, lack of punctuality, and failure to follow tournament staff instructions. All warnings and penalties are given to the team, not the individual player. Teams may also be warned or incur a penalty for repeated warnings in regards to the same rule. Depending on the severity of the action or conduct by a player, multiple warnings may be handed out for a single infraction, up to and including bypassing warnings and resulting in an immediate penalty.
    
8. Penalties: After a maximum of three (3) warnings, post-warning penalties, including but not limited to the following, may be enforced: A Game Forfeit, a Match Forfeit, and a GB/MLG Site Ban for a specified duration. Penalties may also be combined with other penalties.
    
9. Disqualification: Some infractions may result in warnings and penalties being bypassed with immediate disqualification from the remainder of the Tournament being enforced. Examples of behavior or actions that could result in this are physical acts violence, cheating, collusion/manipulating the bracket, drug/substance abuse on-site, any illegal activities, betting or gambling on a tournament or match results, hate speech, and harassment.

General

1. Rules: The rules may be updated and modified at any time, for any reason. Rulings may be made outside the scope of these Rules in order to preserve fair play and tournament integrity. Participation in this Tournament constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Rules, the Official Rules on the Prize tab, and Tournament Official decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to this tournament. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
    
2. Eligibility: Residents of the United States, United Kingdom, or Germany only. Not valid in Maryland, Arizona, and Connecticut. Employees of MLG, the Tournament's participating sponsors and their advertising agencies, and members of the immediate family of any such persons, are not eligible to participate and win. For the complete list of restrictions/limitations, please visit the prize tab. Any team found using a restricted player may be disqualified from the tournament without a refund of credits.
    
3. Players: Players must utilize their own unique Username for competing on GameBattles. This unique Username must have been registered on GameBattles personally by the user. The registered Username must contain the correct and complete Name, Address, and Email of the user. If a false Name, Address, or Email was entered, the user voids the privilege to participate in this Tournament and/or receive any prizes. As a user, you are personally responsible for accepting any invitation to a Team. If you receive a paid invite to a team, you accept the credits used for entry as your own in order to participate in this competition. If you do not personally accept a Team invitation, you may be disqualified from the Tournament and Forfeit any prize. All players must have an Xbox Live Gold account in good standing and be signed into Xbox Live for all Games. All MLG/GameBattles accounts, teams, roster spots and crowns are property of Major League Gaming Inc. Any advertising of, or attempts to buy, sell, trade, or exchange any aforementioned item is strictly prohibited. This also includes offering to forfeit matches in exchange for any item or service. Violators will be removed from all MLG/GameBattles online properties and all related accounts terminated. Furthermore, MLG reserves the right to deactivate, reset or temporarily suspend any account or team, without notice, that violates our Terms of Use.
    
4. Definition of Non-Amateurs: Players that have won a cash prize from any Online Tournaments or Ladders for the game and console on which the tournament is being held. If a player takes credits in place of a cash prize, they are still no longer considered an amateur and are ineligible to play in amateur tournaments for the game/console. If any player is found playing on a team that falls into one of the above categories, the whole team will be disqualified and credits will not be refunded. Anyone living in the same household as a Non Amateur player will also be considered non Amateur and are not allowed to participate in Amateur Tournaments. Additionally, players found evading amateur status are subject to being banned for up to thirty (30) days. 
    
5. Team Management: If leadership of a tournament team is transferred to another member of that team, that person gives up all team editing privileges(adding/removing players, disbanding team, ect.). This includes any player/team "credit sponsors". As a warning, credits will not be refunded for any players the "credit sponsor" pays for if he/she is removed from the roster after leadership is transferred.
    
6. Valid Gamertags: All gamertags on a team’s roster must be valid. Each user on the Roster must legitimately own their gamertag. A Gamertag’s spelling and spaces must be exact, but the correct case is not necessary. Gamertags may not contain foul language, disparaging remarks, hateful or racist names. Any changes to a team roster after the tournament has been seeded is at the discretion of tournament staff. This includes changes to Xbox Live Gamertags, PSN IDs, Battle.net IDs, etc. Players may only be added to a roster (username and gamertag) up until the end of that team's first match. Gamertags must be linked to a player's GB/MLG Account before the start of the tournament bracket play.
    
7. Privacy & Impersonation: Individuals are prohibited from sharing account information stored on GameBattles with another person for any reason. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: usernames, passwords, gamertags, email accounts, etc. Individuals may not use another Player’s XBL Account in a Game. Individuals may not allow another Player to use their XBL Account in a Game. Players who break this rule may be disqualified from the Tournament. In game IP checks will be administered at the discretion of the Online Tournament Staff. This will ensure no one is account recovering and attempting to play on another person's account. However, IP checks will not be be given after the match has been completed.
    
8. Third Party Communication: Third party communication is allowed for this tournament. (i.e. skype, TeamSpeak, Party Chat, etc.).
    
9. Definitions:
   • Game - One (1) competition played on one (1) round of battle-royale between two (2) teams
   • Match - a series made up of multiple games
      
10. Team Content: The Leader of a team can change the team name, blast message, logos, avatars and website links. The images/information submitted must be appropriate and cannot violate our Forum Rules. Attempting to bypass the automatic censor by misspelling, inserting spaces or symbols, transposing letters, using look-alike symbols, or any other method is not allowed. Teams that attempt to bypass the censor will be subject to penalties.
     
11. Prizing and Bracket Size: Tournament bracket size and prize are subject to change based on the total number of eligible teams at the end of registration.