Just click on the question from the left side and the answer can be found here.

Detailed information about the date, the format, the game mode and all other details of a Cup can be found in a news posting in the respective game section. A short overview about all currently hosted Cups can be found in the Cup Portal. Besides the game and the date of the Cup you can find the link to the respective Cup announcement news of every section.

In case of problems during a Cup you can ask the respective game admins. You can find them in the game specific IRC channel (like #esl.cs @ quakenet). If you are not able to find any admin then you also can ask an admin in #esl.cups. Of course you can send in a Support Ticket any time.

Several Cups use the so called "Check-In System". This system makes sure that a player who signed up will also appear to the game. This is assured by a participation confirmation short before the Cup starts. This little chart will explain how the Check In- System works:

1st phase - Reservation (green)

After clicking on the sign up button a slot in the cup is reserved for you. You have to confirm that slot during the second phase otherwise you lose the slot again.

2nd phase - Confirmation (yellow)

30 minutes before the Cup starts you have to confirm your participation by clicking on the "Check In" button to be found at the Cup page. After confirming you obligatory joined the Cup.

3rd phase - Late Sign Up (red)

When you missed phase 2 or when you were not able to get a slot during phase 1 you have the possibility to do a late sign up. Of course the slots are very limited to the maximum size of the respective Cup. The 3rd phase starts 20 minutes before the cup start and does not need any confirmation. After doing a late sign up you obligatory joined the Cup.

Only non-blocked accounts are allowed to take part in ESL hosted cups. All accounts which are blocked for whatever reason are not allowed to participate. For more details or exceptions check the cup specific rules of the respective game section..

If you receive a barrage during a cup you are allowed to finish the Cup. Same counts for team-based cups. The only exception is being banned for cheating.

The mandatory waiting time can differ from cup to cup and from game to game. Therefore we recommend reading the announcement news or looking up that rule in the game-specific cup rules.

If you cannot get in contact with your opponent make a match comment to document that you are available and ready to play. After the specific mandatory waiting time you can inform an admin (e.g. via IRC) in order to get a default win.

Entering anything at the match result page is not allowed and can be rated as a 'Fake Result'(and accordingly be punished).

A default win is winning a game without playing. The reasons for that can be various. Common reasons are: Opponent is too late , opponent quits the cup or is not allowed to play. Default wins can be given retrospectively too. For example: Getting penalty points which justify a match annulment. Just contact an admin via IRC or support ticket in order to get a default win.

Entering anything at the match result page is not allowed and can be rated as a 'Fake Result'(and accordingly be punished).

1st Case: Cup did not start yet
Contact an admin as fast as possible and tell him that you cannot take part in the cup. Often you or your team can be removed and the slot be offered again.

2nd case: Cup started and is not finished yet
Generally you cannot leave a cup which already started. If you still do so you can receive penalties for being absent.

3rd case: Cup was finished
A finished cup is followed by a final news. You have to wait at least till this news is published. Nevertheless you have to stay in the cup for at least one week. When the cup was archived you automatically left the cup.

If you want to leave a cup immediately you have to send in a Support Ticket. The ticket must contain the reason why and the link to the cup (team-based cups: team link is needed as well).

The ESL does not host any game servers. It is up to the players (teams) to arrange that. If you have no available server you can ask a friend or somebody else for example in the game specific IRC channel.

If your game supports Wire Anti Cheat (WAC) you have to use WAC. In this case playing matches without WAC is not allowed even if both players agree (for example in the match comments) to play without WAC.

If you have problems with WAC contact an admin via IRC or support ticket.

This is determined by the specific cup rules. Generally you have to upload all needed match media (demos, screenshots, replays etc) within 48 hours.

Note: The time frame for uploading WAC data can differ from section to section. So sometimes you have to upload the WAC data within 48h or directly after the match.

That is why you should check out the game specific cup rules.

Yes you can and the protest period is the same like in the ladders (72h).

We recommend to inform an admin as soon as possible that you have opened/ going to open a protest that the following rounds of the cup are not delayed that much.

Yes. Results shall be entered and confirmed as soon as possible after the match was finished in order to avoid delays. .

You still have the chance to protest via your command center (Write a Match Protest)

All match media (screenshots, demos, WAC files etc) must be kept for at least 14 days and must be presented to the admin on request. If it should come to a protest, the media must be kept until 14 days after conclusion of the protest.

Generally all matches must be played till the end but in some special cups the matches are just played till the result is fixed. For example during night cups the time is not wasted by playing every match till the end if the winner was already determined during the previous round(s).

Having a look into the announcement news will clarify this question.