Tournament Rules

Official Rulebook

Esports Gauntlet Rules

Welcome to the Esports Gauntlet! To ensure fair play, good sportsmanship, and an enjoyable experience for everyone, please read and understand the following rules. Participation in the tournament signifies your agreement to these rules.

Table of Contents

  1. General Rules
  2. Tournament Structure
  3. Team Registration & Management
  4. Game Rules & Formats
  5. Match Procedures
  6. Conduct & Fair Play
  7. Technical Requirements
  8. Streaming & Content
  9. Prizes & Recognition
  10. Contact Information

1. General Rules

Eligibility

  • At least 5 team members must be from Reading University (or the university the team represents)
  • All members must be currently enrolled at a university
  • Current university ID may be requested if eligibility is questioned

Sportsmanship

  • Compete with good sportsmanship and respect towards opponents, teammates, and organizers
  • Zero tolerance for harassment, toxicity, discriminatory language, or disruptive behavior
  • This applies to in-game chat, voice chat, and all tournament-related communications

Tournament Authority

  • All organizer decisions are final
  • Rule changes may be made for tournament integrity and will be announced immediately
  • Disputes must be reported immediately with evidence (screenshots, recordings, timestamps)

Punctuality

  • Teams must be ready at scheduled match times
  • 15-minute grace period - failure to be ready may result in forfeit
  • Repeated delays may result in disqualification

2. Tournament Structure

Overview

  • Duration: 6 weeks total
  • Week 1: Seeding Battle Royale (Call of Duty: Warzone Mini Royale)
  • Weeks 2-5: Best-of-Three (Bo3) matches with game selection
  • Week 6: Finals - Best-of-Five (Bo5) match

Week 1: Seeding Battle Royale

The opening week determines seeding for the entire tournament through Call of Duty: Warzone Mini Royale matches.

Results determine seeding for all subsequent weeks.

Weeks 2-5: Regular Season Matches

  • Format: Best-of-Three (Bo3) series
  • Game Pool: 7 games available each week
  • Game Selection: Ban/Pick phase between teams (detailed in Game Rules section)

Week 6: Finals

  • Format: Best-of-Five (Bo5) series
  • Same game pool and selection process as regular season

3. Team Registration & Management

Registration Requirements

  • Registration Period: [Insert dates - e.g., January 15-22, 2025]
  • Method: Google Form submission via society Discord
  • Team Size: Exactly 7 players per roster
  • Roster Lock: [Insert date - e.g., January 25, 2025, 11:59 PM]

Team Composition

  • 7 registered players total per team
  • Team Captain required (primary organizer contact)
  • No roster changes after deadline except for documented emergencies
  • Additional Substitutes: If an extra substitute beyond the 7-player roster is needed, teams must request authorization from organizers at least 30 minutes before tournament start, with current university ID required for the new participant

Player Information Required

  • Full legal name
  • University and student ID
  • Primary in-game name (IGN)
  • Game-specific IGNs (if different)
  • Discord username
  • Emergency contact information

4. Game Rules & Formats

Available Games Pool

  1. Marvel Rivals (6v6)
  2. Valorant (5v5)
  3. Counter-Strike 2 (5v5)
  4. Rocket League (3v3)
  5. League of Legends (5v5)
  6. Rainbow Six Siege (5v5)
  7. Overwatch 2 (5v5)

Game Selection Process

Regular Season (Bo3)

  1. Higher seed bans 1 game (6 remaining)
  2. Lower seed bans 1 game (5 remaining)
  3. Higher seed picks Game 1 (4 remaining)
  4. Lower seed picks Game 2 (3 remaining)
  5. Higher seed bans 1 game (2 remaining)
  6. Lower seed bans 1 game (1 remaining)
  7. Remaining game becomes Game 3

Finals (Bo5)

  1. Higher seed bans 1 game (6 remaining)
  2. Lower seed bans 1 game (5 remaining)
  3. Higher seed picks Game 1 (4 remaining)
  4. Lower seed picks Game 2 (3 remaining)
  5. Higher seed picks Game 3 (2 remaining)
  6. Lower seed picks Game 4 (1 remaining)
  7. Remaining game becomes Game 5

Week 1: Call of Duty Warzone - Mini Royale

Format Details

  • Game Mode: Mini Royale (Trios)
  • Team Split: Each 7-player roster splits into 2 teams of 3 (1 substitute)
  • Matches: 3 Mini Royale matches per sub-team
  • Platform: PC, PlayStation, Xbox (cross-platform enabled)

Scoring System (Golf Scoring - Lower is Better)

  • Each sub-team receives points equal to their placement (1st = 1 point, 5th = 5 points, etc.)
  • Team total score = Sum of all 6 sub-team match scores
  • Lower total score = Higher seeding

Example Calculation

  • Sub-team A matches: 3rd, 1st, 4th = 8 points
  • Sub-team B matches: 2nd, 6th, 2nd = 10 points
  • Team total: 18 points

Tie-Breaking

  1. Best single sub-team placement across all matches
  2. Second-best single sub-team placement
  3. Organizer discretion/coin flip

Game-Specific Rules

Marvel Rivals (6v6)

  • Mode Selection: Team that didn't pick Marvel Rivals chooses game mode
  • Map Selection: Team that picked Marvel Rivals chooses map
  • Hero Selection: Standard competitive draft
  • Platform: Cross-platform supported for custom games - teams can mix PC and console players

Valorant (5v5)

  • Mode: Competitive (Spike Plant/Defuse)
  • Map Selection: Team that didn't pick Valorant chooses map
  • Agent Selection: Standard competitive draft

Counter-Strike 2 (5v5)

  • Mode: Competitive (Bomb Plant/Defuse)
  • Map Selection: Team that didn't pick CS2 chooses map
  • Map Pool: Active Duty maps

Rocket League (3v3)

  • Mode: Standard 3v3
  • Arena Selection: Team that didn't pick Rocket League chooses arena
  • Settings: Standard competitive settings
  • Platform: Cross-platform supported - teams can mix PC and console players

League of Legends (5v5)

  • Map: Summoner's Rift (Tournament Draft)
  • Side Selection: Team that didn't pick LoL chooses side for Game 1
  • Champion Selection: Standard competitive draft (5 bans per team)

Rainbow Six Siege (5v5)

  • Mode: Bomb (Standard Competitive)
  • Map Selection: Team that didn't pick R6S chooses map
  • Side Selection: Team that didn't pick R6S chooses starting side
  • Operator Selection: Standard competitive draft
  • Platform: Cross-platform supported - teams can mix PC and console players

Overwatch 2 (5v5)

  • Format: Role Queue (1 Tank, 2 DPS, 2 Support)
  • Mode Selection: Team that didn't pick Overwatch chooses objective type
  • Map Selection: Team that picked Overwatch chooses map
  • Hero Selection: Standard competitive draft
  • Platform: Cross-platform supported - teams can mix PC and console players

5. Match Procedures

Pre-Match

  • Check-in: 15 minutes before scheduled time
  • Lobby Creation: Team that picked the game creates lobby
  • Technical Issues: Must be reported immediately to organizers

During Matches

  • Match Start: 15-minute grace period from scheduled time
  • Breaks: 2-minute break allowed between games in a series
  • Pauses: Technical pauses up to 10 minutes per team per match (organizer approval required)
  • Substitutions: Allowed between games using registered roster players, not during games
  • Emergency Substitutions: Additional substitutes beyond the 7-player roster require organizer authorization at least 30 minutes before tournament start, with current university ID required

Post-Match

  • Result Reporting: Immediate reporting to organizers required
  • Evidence: Screenshots/recordings may be requested
  • Disputes: Must be filed within 30 minutes of match completion

6. Conduct & Fair Play

Prohibited Behavior

  • Cheating: Unauthorized software, exploits, ghosting, stream sniping
  • Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Harassment, toxicity, discriminatory language
  • Technical Violations: Inappropriate IGNs, intentional disconnections

Consequences

  • Warning: Minor infractions
  • Game/Match Forfeit: Moderate violations
  • Tournament Disqualification: Serious violations
  • Society Ban: Severe misconduct

Fair Play Requirements

  • Use appropriate in-game names
  • Maintain respectful communication
  • Report technical issues honestly
  • Follow game-specific competitive rules

7. Technical Requirements

General Requirements

  • Platform: PC primary (console allowed for Warzone Week 1)
  • Internet: Stable connection required (disconnections won't warrant rematches)
  • Game Versions: Latest competitive patch
  • Communication: Discord for team coordination

Game-Specific Requirements

  • All games must be updated to current competitive patch
  • Appropriate system specifications for chosen games
  • Ability to create/join custom lobbies
  • Recording/streaming capability recommended

8. Streaming & Content

Participant Requirements

  • Recommended: Stream or record matches from at least one team member's perspective
  • Usage: Footage may be used for dispute resolution and highlights
  • Guidelines: Specific streaming platform requirements will be provided

Official Tournament Stream

  • Organizer Authority: Tournament organizers may spectate any match
  • Official Broadcasts: Selected matches may be officially streamed
  • Stream Delay: Official streams will have delay to prevent competitive advantage

9. Recognition

Tournament Recognition

  • Champion team names added to society records
  • Individual recognition on society social media and Discord

10. Contact Information

Primary Contacts

  • Discord: [Insert Discord channel or organizer handles]
  • Email: [Insert tournament email address]
  • Emergency: [Insert emergency contact method]

Support Hours

  • During Tournament: Immediate response expected
  • General Inquiries: Response within 24 hours
  • Technical Issues: Report immediately via Discord

Quick Reference

Important Dates

  • Registration Opens: [Date]
  • Registration Closes: [Date]
  • Roster Lock: [Date]
  • Week 1 (Seeding): [Date]
  • Tournament Ends: [Date]

Emergency Procedures

  1. Technical Issues: Immediately contact organizers via Discord
  2. Player Unavailability: Use registered substitute
  3. Emergency Substitutes: If additional substitute beyond 7-player roster needed, contact organizers at least 30 minutes before tournament start with current university ID
  4. Disputes: Report within 30 minutes with evidence
  5. Rule Clarifications: Ask in #tournament-support before matches

Good luck, and have fun!

Reading Esports Society

Disclaimer

THIS EVENT IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, OR ADMINISTERED BY EPIC GAMES, INC.

THE INFORMATION PLAYERS PROVIDE IN CONNECTION WITH THIS EVENT IS BEING PROVIDED TO EVENT ORGANIZER AND NOT TO EPIC GAMES, INC.

BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PLAYERS AGREE TO RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS EPIC GAMES, INC., ITS LICENSORS, ITS AND THEIR AFFILIATES, AND ITS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, CONTRACTORS, AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS, ACTIONS, LOSSES, LIABILITIES, AND EXPENSES RELATED TO THE EVENT.