Qualified Teams

The six best Counter-Strike 1.6 teams in the UK & Ireland, as determined by the ESL Amateur Series, that have qualified for the ESL Pro Series are:

Team-Dignitas	Reason Gaming	diamondZ
theimperial	vitalsigns	Afterlife Gaming

Qualifier Teams

The following teams are eligible to play in the three qualifier cups to determine the further six teams that will play in the ESL Pro Series:

Turn Up & Win	Flattering to Deceive	straightsix
team-mighty.uk	zzz123	cLip
eMpathy.cs	locked and friends	Virtuoso.cs
Never Ending Pain	jog on	clanONE
Brothers in Arms	Everything or Nothing*	mind, body & soul*
Free Agents*

* As only 13 teams were eligible, to fill the cups we have also taken the next 3 closest to eligible teams. They will be seeded last in the cups.

Qualifiers

The top two teams from each qualifier will also qualify for the ESL Pro Series, bringing the total number of teams up to 12.

Aequitas will of course be absolutely compulsory for all players. Missing Aequitas will be punished with forfeits of maps where possible, or entire matches.

We strongly urge all teams to thoroughly check their Aequitas is working in good time before the match.

We also strongly urge all teams to have substitute players available to play in case any of their players are suddenly unavailable to play.

A player cannot change from the last team they played for in the Amateur Series if they played an Amateur Series match from the last 2 weeks of January. New players that have never played in the Amateur Series are of course allowed. At all times the team must use 3 players that played for them in the Amateur Series.

At all times teams must use 3 players that reside in the UK or Ireland.

Once a player has played for a team in an EPS Qualifier match, they may not play for any other team for the remainder of the EPS Qualifiers.

Format

The three qualifier cups will remain single elimination but will be played best of three maps.

The map pool will be the standard five - de_dust2, de_inferno, de_nuke, de_train and de_tuscan

Teams will take it in turns eliminating a map each, then picking a map each, the remaining map will be the decider. A coin flip will decide who gets to pick first.

Schedule

The schedule has further changed since last announce due to the later than expected end of the Amateur Series.

All match times are fixed and may not be rescheduled except to be played earlier, with approval from the admin team.

All teams should be in #esl.uk.cs at least 15 minutes before each match and be ready to play at the match time.

Cup 1. Brackets

Round 1. Monday 8th February, 8pm
Round 2. Tuesday 9th February, 8pm
Round 3. Wednesday 10th February, 8pm

Cup 2.

Round 1. Monday 15th February, 8pm
Round 2. Wednesday 17th February, 8pm (regular EAS matches will begin again on Tuesday)
Round 3. Thursday 18th February, 8pm

Cup 3.

Round 1. Sunday 21st February, 2pm
Round 2. Sunday 21st February, 4.30pm
Optional 1 hour break. 7pm
Round 3. Sunday 21st February, 8pm

Your Admin team