1. Ladder Rules

In a ladder any participant may challenge any other. In ladders with more than 20 participants compulsory challenges are activated. A challenging participant from the newcomer pool (unranked) is considered as being at the bottom of the ladder. Means the last 20 ranked participants in the ladder will be punished for rejecting a challenge by a newcomer. Participants that have more than 5 outstanding challenges in a ladder, no matter if the matches are confirmed or not, may not take on any further challenges. This is scripted into the ESL system and cannot be changed.

1.1. Normal compulsory challenges

1 penalty points for the challenged if he is positioned within 20 places above the challenger in the same ladder.

1.2. Intense compulsory challenges

Intense compulsory challenges only become active in ladders with more than 20 participants. 2 penalty points for the challenged if both participants are positioned within the top 10 of the same ladder.

1.3. Agreements

Certain agreements between participants are allowed to slightly differ from the ESL rules. Agreements that differ greatly from ESL rules are however not allowed. Please note that the ESL rules were made to ensure a fair match for all participants. You are not allowed to file a protest after the match if you think that the agreements made before the match in the end resulted in a disadvantage for your or your team.

All arrangements between participants, made in addition to the ESL rules have to be written down in the match comments. The other participant has to confirm the arrangements also in the comments. To avoid abuse of the edit function, a third comment must be written.

Please also keep screenshots and/or logfiles of your arrangements. If you do not fulfil these requirements, any protests or supports concerning arrangements will be rejected.

The following rules may never be changed by arrangement:
- Entering results for matches that have not been played
- Allowing players to play that are barred because of penalty points, or are barred in the league due to a ban
- Allowing players to play that in leagues with premium requirement that are barred for not having Premium

1.4. No Match agreement within 7 days

Both players cannot agree on a date within the deadline of 7 days. Only in extreme cases the general way will be: There are three solutions cleared in a protest (if opened):
(1) Players/teams agree on deleting
(2) Players/teams agree on a new, obligatory date
(3) A obligatory date is forced by an Admin
If it turns out that the challenge was just made to avoid other (compulsory) challenges, Penalties may be given according to rule Unsportsmanlike Behaviour. So better play your matches in time!

1.5. Challenges within the same ladder

You can challenge an opponent each 3 days on the 1on1 Ladder, and 5 days on the 5on5. You are not allowed to challenge the same player/team while a challenge in the respective ladder is already open. Violations are rated as flood challenges and can lead to one or two penalties for repetitions. In extreme cases this violation can lead to a ladder exclusion. Random matches like Instant/Soft/Auto- Challenger matches are not affected by this rule.

1.6. Different teamsize (5on5 Ladder)

If agreed by both teams, you can play a 4v4 or 3v3 (Untill a 3on3 ladder will be opened). If one team is missing one or more players and the match is open, the teams can agree to play the match another time, or the match has to be played with the amount of players that are available (e.g. 5v4). If the team with less players doesn’t agree to play, a no show will be used. (see 1.2)

2. Matchmedia

All match media (screenshots, demos, etc) must be kept for at least 14 days. In general, you should upload the match media from a match to the match page as soon as possible. Faking or manipulating match media is of course forbidden and will result in severe penalties. Match media should be named clearly based on what it is. It is not possible to file a protest or write a support ticket to complain about bad match media naming. However, if an admin is hindered in their work because of bad match media names then it can be punished for.

2.1. Screenshots

Every player has to upload at least 4/8 screenshots after every match. If a player does not upload any screenshots within 48 hours, an admin may punish this with +1 penalty-point. We recommend to use ESL wire for this.

2.2. Model Screenshots

At the start of each map every player needs to take a modelscreenshot. This screenshot has to contain the players weapon with a crosshair, and a teammate or an enemy. This modelscreenshot does not have to be uploaded, but if the opponent wishes to see it it has to be uploaded.

Example of correct modelscreen: http://screenshot.xfire.com/s/121805751-3.jpg
Wrong: http://screenshot.xfire.com/s/116744800-3.jpg ( no score table )
Wrong: http://screenshot.xfire.com/s/117650510-3.jpg (no crosshair )

When rejoining a server due to a crash or another reason, you have to take another modelscreenshot.

2.3. Score Screenshots

It is necessary that screenshot is taken after each halftime. It doesn't matter which team takes these screenshots, but it’s recommended that everyone takes these screens, so that none are missing. Both teams are responsible for uploading the screenshots. A score screen MUST contain the score table.

Example of score screen: http://screenshot.xfire.com/s/121807089-3.jpg

3. Settings

3.1. ESL Wire

In every ladder and cup match ESL Wire has to be used during the complete game in order to have a maximum of anticheat protection. If players play without ESL Wire, they will get punished by penalty points, so make sure you added CoJ to your ESL Wire. In this news you can find all information about how to add CoJ to ESL wire http://www.esl.eu/eu/coj/news/203869/.

3.2. Serversettings

- Dedicated Server - Friendly Fire: ON - Hit Registration : ON

Special for 1on1:

- Max 10 Minutes - 0 Sec respawn time

• If there is no dedicated server available, It's allowed to host a server yourself. Then it can be played 50/50, or 100% at ones host.

If there is a dedicated server available, then this rule does not apply.

3.2.1. Round settings

Matches will be played in a “MR10” mode. This means that each team will play 10 rounds on each side. When 10 rounds are played, the half has ended and the map has to be restarted or the next map has to be launched. Example scores from one half are : 5-5, 6-4, 7-3, etc.

In total 40 rounds are played. When a team won more than half of this (21), It means that they won the match. When screens are available as proof, a team is allowed to leave when one team has reached the 21 points. If both teams want they can continue playing till they reached 40 in total. (Example end scores: 21-14, 21-19, 20-20, 26-14, etc.)

3.2.2. Round Time

Round time has to be set on 3 minutes.

3.2.3. Wrong Serversettings

Each player/team must check the serversettings before the match starts. If you found something wrong tell the server owner to change it , if he won't change the wrong settings you must open a protest. Protests after the match has finished will be automatically declined.

3.3. Playersettings

3.3.1. Playername

Everyone has to play with the nickname they use in the ESL.

3.3.2. Mods/Cheats

All changes of models, crosshairs, HUD or other files are forbidden. Changes of the game graphic or textures with graphics card drivers or other tools of that kind are also forbidden. Programs allowing these changes are strictly forbidden and lead to 6 penalty points or a cheating barrage depending on the severity. Programs and config-settings allowing strong advantages are also strictly forbidden and lead to 6 penalty points or a cheating barrage depending on the severity. The responsible admin decides, if the match is going to be rated or not.

This means that editing weapons, skins from players and maps and any other kind of editing is not allowed.

4. Match Rules

4.1. Server Choice

Every team/player has the right to play one side (map/round) on their server. This right can be demanded at any time, yet under the conditions that the second map has not yet been started and the alternative server fulfills the rules of ESL.
Players and Teams from countries outside of Europe lose their right to play on their own server if it is hosted outside of Europe and their opponents can provide a server. (unless both teams agree to play on that non-Europe server)

4.1.1. Map and Side Choice

A match is played over two maps, one picked by each clan in the challenge form. The clan with the lower ranking on the ladder can choose which map is played first. Each clan may choose which side they start on their opponents map. If a player/team is ranked with 0 (newjoin) he can choose which map is played first. In the case both teams are unranked the challenging team can choose which map is played first.

4.1.2. Alternative Choice

The two clans can also decide in another way what map is played first. One round will be played as kickfight in any map. The winning team from this kickfight can choose what map will be played first. Each clan may choose which side they start on their opponents map.

4.2. Illegal actions (Bugusing, Selfkills)

Self-kills by console or by any other ways are strictly forbidden. Bug using of any kind is strictly forbidden. If a bug was used within a match an admin will decide about the punishment after a protest has been filed. Outmap is NOT allowed.

4.3. Servercrash

In case of a servercrash, both parties have to rejoin the server and play the outstanding rounds with the exact same playerselection that was alive before the server has been crashed. Replacing the surviving players after a rejoin to the server is not allowed. Its necessary both parties wrote a match comment with the score before the crash took place.

4.4. Playerdrop

If a player drops during a game, the team can call a timeout (5 minutes). When the team calls a timeout during a round, that current round still has to be played. You can also decide to continue playing until you reached the half time. Each team has 1 timeout per side.

If more then one players drops from one team the round will be played until the end. then you're forced to make a break. The dropped player is allowed to rejoin on anytime.

4.4.1. Under Terrain/Crash

If a player has an under terrain bug or a crash, the opponent is forced to make a /killme , or the server owner has to restart the round and wait till the crashed player returns. If a player is AFK the 4.1.4 rule is used.

4.4.2. Changing Players

Players can be changed between rounds or between match halfs, max. 3 times in a match. When a player switch is not caused by a crash, the opponent does not have to make a /killme if it happens during a round.

4.4.3. Tactical Disconnect

In case of an obvious abuse of disconnection, the opponents team can write a protest to this on the ESL. Due to the diversity of each case an admin will then decide about the treatment of the case, after checking all accessible evidence.

4.5. Spectators

Spectators are not allowed, exceptions can be admins or authorized person for example caster.

A list with exceptions can be found here:

Walker AzraeL FiGhteR Naruto

4.6. End of a match/match abort

After the match, the score has to be entered as was played. Default wins do not exist in ladders! If a team/player should not appear for a match, this can be entered in the score mask.

If a team/player leaves the server abortively, a protest has to be opened immediately. Scores that differ from the actual played points can be counted and punished as manipulation of score. During a match abort the admin team reserves itself to give the remaining points to the team which did not leave the server, also the admin team can delete the match. This is only an admin decision!

4.7. Overtime (Cups only)

In case there is a draw in a cup, the following rules apply:

1) In case of a deathmatch 1on1, 3 more minutes have to be played to decide who is the winner. If there is still no winner then, 3 more minutes are played again.

2) In case of a skirmish match, 3 rounds on each side of each map have to be played. If there is no winner still, again 3 rounds have to be played on each side of each map.

5. Penalty points

In general, a player (and the team) can receive up to 6 penalty points per match, unless a single violation has a higher punishment. Where a player or (and the team) receives penalty points for multiple violations, the penalty points are added together.