1. ELIGIBILITY


1.1 REQUIREMENTS
1.1.1 Every team must read, understand and agree to the rules for participation in the Paladins Community Competitive League (the "Rules"). Thereafter, each team is expected and required to abide by the Rules, and any failure to follow them will result in punitive measures, including but not limited to all items listed in Section 4.7.
1.1.2 Each player may only use their own account.
1.1.3 Each player’s account must be level 5 or higher in order to participate in the Paladins Community Competitive League.
1.1.4 Each player must be thirteen (13) years of age or older pursuant to the Paladins Terms of Service.
1.1.5 Each team is required to only play Matches with members rostered on their team, unless Ringers are approved by an administrator.


1.2 RESTRICTIONS
1.2.1 Teams and players may only participate in the Paladins Community Competitive League season that is within their own region.  For the purpose of this tournament, NA will include the LatAm region and EU will include CIS.
1.2.2 Players may only compete in one (1) Paladins Community Competitive League division at one time.
1.2.3 Champions, Cards, or other In-Game content may be banned throughout any time of the Paladins Community Competitive League season(s). Teams will be made aware of such bans at the earliest convenience of an administrator.
1.2.4 Players may not change their In-Game names or team names at any point from the official start date of a season to the official end date of the same season, unless signed to salaried organizations or in the rare case that Hi-Rez changes the in game name internally.
1.2.5 Administrators have the right to deem any name inappropriate. If a name is flagged inappropriate, teams or players must change it to something that is approved before they may be able to compete.
1.2.6 The Paladins Community Competitive League holds the right to deny any representation of unwanted sponsors which can include, but is not limited to: Gambling Sites, drugs, illegal activity, pornography, tobacco, competitors.
1.2.7 Teams must hold an appropriate name. Any team attempting to sign up with a name deemed unsuitable will be asked to create a new team name in order to participate.

1.2.8 Players participating in the Paladins Premier League or reaching the semifinals of the Paladins Global Series or who have done so in the past six (6) months are forbidden from playing in PCCL.


2. SEASON FORMAT


2.1 GENERAL
2.1.1 The Paladins Community Competitive League seasons will be four (4) weeks long. Each Match will consist of a "Best of Five (5)" format.
2.1.2 The default dates and times are as follows.
2.1.2a NORTH AMERICA: PST = Saturdays at 4:00pm, CST = Saturdays at 6:00pm, EST = Saturdays at 7:00pm.
2.1.2b EUROPE: WEST = Saturdays at 5:00pm, CEST = Saturdays at 6:00pm, EEST = Saturdays at 7:00pm.
2.1.2c OCEANIA: AWST = Sundays at 4:00pm, ACST = Sundays at 5:30pm, ACDT = Sundays at 4:30pm, AEST = Sundays at 6:00pm, NZST = Sundays at 8:00pm.

2.1.2d South East Asia: UTC +6 = Sundays at 4:00pm, UTC +7 = Sundays at 5:00pm, UTC +8 = Sundays at 6:00pm, UTC +9 = Sundays at 7:00pm.
2.1.3 The map choices for the regular season and playoffs will be announced by the administrators. Teams must play on the maps assigned.
2.1.4 Failure to comprehend with the assigned maps will result in the Match not officially being counted.
2.1.5 It is permitted for a default date and/or time to be changed, as long as it is agreed upon by both team leaders. If there is no agreement, the Match must take place at the default date and time.
2.1.6 If an agreement has taken place to change the date and/or time, a leader must send a screenshot of the conversation to an administrator.
2.1.7 Failure to send a screenshot of the agreed upon conversation discussed in section 2.1.6 will result in disapproval of the Match taking place at a date and/or time other than the default date and time.
2.1.8 Matches must be played no later than forty-eight (48) hours after the default date and time. If you are unable to play your Match by this time, please contact an administrator as soon as possible. Matches reported after this deadline will not be accepted.  If you have played a game earlier than the scheduled day, you must still respond to the check in request from an administrator.
2.1.9 At the end of a four (4) week season, the top four (4) (subject to change) teams in each division will enter a special playoffs period, which will take place for an additional two (2) weeks at the end of each season.
2.1.10 The playoffs will consist of single-elimination brackets, and will be played in a "Best of Seven (7)" format. The first week of playoffs will be known as the "Semi-Finals". The second week of playoffs will be known as the "Finals".
2.1.11 Check-In times are every Saturday, thirty (30) minutes before the default match date and time for the entire four (4) weeks of the regular season and every additional week that may or may not be added due to playoffs.
2.1.12 Matches must be played on either a North-American, European, South East Asia or Oceanic server, dependent on your team's region in the Paladins Community Competitive League.
2.1.13 The Match game mode will be Siege, Competitive. If this ever changes, an administrator will notify your Team Leader.
2.1.14 A Game cannot end in a tie.
2.1.15 The following first pick rules will apply when custom games are created. For Game 1 of Match 1, Team A will receive first pick. For Game 2 of Match 1, Team B will receive first pick. For Game 3 of Match 1, the loser of Game 2 from Match 1 will receive first pick. For Game 1 of Match 2, Team B will receive first pick. For Game 2 of Match 2, Team A will receive first pick. For Game 3 of Match 2, the loser of Game 2 from Match 2 will receive first pick. For Game 1 of Match 3, the loser of Game 3 from Match 1 will receive first pick. For Game 2 of Match 3, the loser of Game 3 from Match 2 will receive first pick. For Game 3 of Match 3, the loser of Game 2 from Match 3 will receive first pick. Failure to comprehend with these guidelines will result in punitive measures.
2.1.16 Additional restrictions may be added at any time before or during a Game or Match by an administrator if a known or “Game breaking” bug is found.
2.1.17 Each player shall use his or her best efforts to report any bugs found immediately at the end of each Game. Any player knowingly using one (1) or more bugs to his or her advantage will be immediately removed from the Paladins Community Competitive League for the rest of the season. Any player knowingly using one (1) or more bugs to his or her advantage after being removed for a first offense in this matter will be immediately banned from the Paladins Community Competitive League permanently.


2.2 DIVISION PLACEMENT
2.2.1 Ultimate division placement will be decided by an administrator.
2.2.2 General placement guidelines are as follows.
2.2.2a Gold - The official top division. Rosters will be expected to be a mix of players with experience on established Gold teams and players from high Silver teams.
2.2.2b Silver - The seeding division for Gold. Rosters will be expected to be a mix of players with experience on established Silver teams and players from high Bronze teams.
2.2.2c Bronze - The lowest skill division. This division is for those who are newer to the world of competitive and/or the PCCL. Rosters will be expected to be a mix of players with experience on low Silver teams and established Bronze teams.


2.3 REPORTING SCORES / TEAM RANKINGS
2.3.1 In order for a team to maintain their rank in the Paladins Community Competitive League, teams must follow the Roster Rules in section 3.3.
2.3.2 In order for a Match to be counted, teams must follow all Rules listed in section 2.1.
2.3.3 In order for a Match to be counted, the winning Team Leader must fill out the official Paladins Community Competitive League report form. The link to this specific webpage will be revealed in an announcement through Discord. The form must contain all of the information specified in each section required based upon your Match.
2.3.4 A report that doesn't include any one (1) of the items required will result in the Match not officially being counted.
2.3.5 Reports must be completed within twenty-four (24) hours of when the match took place. Failure to report within the allotted time frame will result in the Match not officially being counted, and any requests to report afterwards must be brought to an administrator with good reason.
2.3.6 Team rankings are based on wins, losses, total Match score, total Game score, and individual Game score per Match.
2.3.7 Should a team forfeit a Match for any reason, the opposing team will receive points in accordance to their current ranking. The forfeiting team will not receive any points.


3. SEASON RULES


3.1 PLAYERS
3.1.1 Teams and players are required to be available to play at any time between your team's "ready-up" confirmation and until the Match is over and all scores have been reported.
3.1.2 Teams may not start a Match before the confirmation of a Paladins Community Competitive League administrator unless agreed upon pursuant to section 2.1.5.
3.1.3 High standards are expected from every player competing at all times. Each player must follow the Paladins Terms of Service that he or she agreed to upon signing up for an account, including Item 12 (Online Rules of Conduct). Failure to abide by the Paladins Terms of Service may result in punitive measures, including but not limited to, suspension for the rest of the ongoing season, and/or a permanent ban from the Paladins Community Competitive League.
3.1.4 Each player must display well-mannered behavior throughout the entire duration of any Paladins Community Competitive League season. This includes before, during, or after each Match. Good behavior is expected in all public areas of interaction which include but are not limited to Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and the In-Game Paladins Client. You may also refer to Section 4.5 for additional rules on player behavior.
3.1.5 Poor or negative behavior towards any Paladins Community Competitive League administrators, moderators, or other players will not be acceptable and punitive measures will be assessed.
3.1.6 Harassment and sexual harassment towards any player or Paladins Community Competitive League administrator will result in punitive measures pursuant to section 4.7.
3.1.7 Cheating is strictly prohibited. No player should be manipulating game files, using unapproved game modifications, or any other method by which one may gain an unfair advantage over another player.
3.1.8 Any players found cheating are subject to removal of all Paladins Community Competitive League related events as well as a permanent ban.
3.1.9 If any player is found using such cheats or injectors during competitive play, all Games that were affected due to cheats will be subject to forfeiture and/or other potential penalties.
3.1.10 Collusion, intentionally losing a Game, or any other action of a similar or reprehensible nature will not be tolerated. Each player shall use his or her best efforts to compete in a sportsmanlike manner.
3.1.11 A player is not allowed to use another player’s account (smurf) or multiple accounts of their own for any reason whatsoever. Players in violation of doing so will result in punitive measures including and not limited to the team being disqualified from the season and a potential banning of those accounts.
3.1.12 If a player account is suspended for at least six (6) days or is permanently banned (even if the suspension/ban does not overlap the season period), he or she will not be allowed to participate unless written permission is granted from the Paladins Community Competitive League head administrator "hugh".
3.1.13 Players must use the names that their team leader checked them in as at the start of the season.
3.1.14 A player may not change his or her name in the middle of an ongoing season. Once the first Match of the season begins, they must maintain the same name that they played under from the start of the season to finish, including the additional playoffs.


3.2 TEAM LEADERS
3.2.1 Each team must designate one person as the main point of contact for the administrators before, during, and after the season (the “Team Leader”), whereupon such appointment shall be permanent for the entire Paladins Community Competitive League season. The leader will be the main point of contact for administrators to deliver any information regarding the team but not limited to, rosters, team availability, team / player information, and seasonal communications.
3.2.2 A team representative that is playing in Games that day must be online in Discord at all times between that team's "ready-up" confirmation and until the Match is over and all scores have been reported.
3.2.3 Every Team Leader is responsible for updating the administrators with any information pertaining to his or her own team as well as making sure that any requested information is provided to the requesting administrator(s) in a timely fashion.
3.2.4 Winning Team Leaders are responsible for providing all information discussed in section 2.3.4.
3.2.5 Each Team Leader must be available at all times to the administrators for the entire duration of the season.
3.2.6 Team Leaders are required to use Discord to communicate with the administrators. Check-Ins as stipulated by the rules are to be done via this VOIP software. Leaders may be contacted via direct messages through this software and will be held accountable for information passed through this medium. 


3.3 ROSTER AND RINGER RULES
3.3.1 Rosters must include a minimum of five (5) players who are all signed up in order to be considered for participation.
3.3.2 Players may only be active on one (1) Paladins Community Competitive League team at a time.
3.3.3 If a player is checked in on multiple rosters, said player will be asked by an administrator which team they are playing for. If the player(s) fail to answer, they will only be eligible to the team they play with first.
3.3.4 In order for a team to use a player not rostered on their team (otherwise known as a "Ringer") in the middle of a Match, they must notify the opposing team leader before the start of the next Game. The Ringer must be approved by the opposing team leader before the start of the next Game in order to be used.
3.3.5 Said Ringer must not be rostered on a team that is more than one (1) division higher than the team requesting the usage of the Ringer.
3.3.6 Said Ringer must be located in the same region as the team requesting the usage of the Ringer.
3.3.7 There is a maximum of ten (10) spots available for each team.


3.4 PAUSE AND STOPPAGE OF TIME
3.4.1 Each team is allowed a maximum of one (1) pause per Game. Pauses cannot exceed more than five (5) minutes, unless an administrator approves otherwise. Once the issue is resolved, the teams must confirm with an administrator that each is ready to unpause. Only at that point does the pause timer stop. Any additional pauses may be provided by the administrators.
3.4.2 Teams may only use the allowed pause time for their own use.
3.4.3 A player may only pause the Game if any of the following criteria are met -- one (1) or more players have disconnected from the Game due to any form of network disconnect or computer crash, one (1) or more players are experiencing technical malfunctions related to hardware or software problems, and/or one (1) or more players are experiencing severe illness.
3.4.4 The Team Leader must immediately send a direct message to an administrator via Discord when a Game has been paused. Upon pausing, the leader must give the In-Game time as well as the reason for the pause.


3.5 ADMINISTRATOR RULES
3.5.1 Each and every pause and un-pause must be approved by an administrator pursuant to Section 3.4.
3.5.2 Each administrator reserves the sole discretion to determine the final outcome and results of any Game and/or Match he or she is presiding over. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Paladins Community Competitive League head administrator "hugh" may override any administrator decision.


3.6 SETUP TIME
3.6.1 “Setup Time” is the time in between Games and Matches. The designated time will be the moment shortly after the completion of a full Game or Match to the time right before the next Game or Match begins.
3.6.2 During Setup Time, every team should ensure each player’s computer and peripherals are working appropriately, and use the bathroom or attend to other personal needs.
3.6.3 Setup Time should take no longer than fifteen (15) minutes.



4. MATCH AND GAME RULES


4.1 GENERAL RULES
4.1.1 A “Game” is defined as an instance of competition where the outcome is determined by either the completion of the objective, a team surrendering, or a team being disqualified.
4.1.2 A “Match” is defined as a full set of Games (i.e., a Best of Three (3) series) that is played until a team wins a majority of the Games.

4.1.3 The entire season will be in a Best of Five (5) format, with the "Semi-Finals" and "Finals" being a Best of Seven (7) format. Games must be created as stated in Section 2.1.
4.1.4 When a team is disqualified from a Game, Match, or season, said team will automatically be given a loss for the discussed Game or Match, as well as potentially being removed from the remainder of the season.
4.1.5 Any team that refuses to play Games and/or Matches in the Paladins Community Competitive League season will result in penalties that will be assessed by an administrator.


4.2 PUNCTUALITY OF PLAYERS AND TEAMS
4.2.1 Each Match is expected to start within five (5) minutes of the confirmation given by a Paladins Community Competitive League administrator. If a Match does not start within the five (5) minute period, any teams present must contact an administrator immediately.


4.3 DELAY OF GAME
4.3.1 We allow a fifteen (15) minute delay between Games, as discussed in section 3.6.3. This allows the players to take a break and prepare for the next Game.
4.3.2 Team Leaders are required to get an administrator's approval for delays that will last more than fifteen (15) minutes.
4.3.3 During the season, some Games may be requested to be held or gated based on the season schedule.
4.3.4 In the case of a player’s client loading slowly or a Game crashing upon loading, an immediate free pause may be issued until all ten (10) players successfully load in and connect. The applicable Team Leader shall notify an administrator of this process immediately upon pause.


4.4 PLAYER DISCONNECTS
4.4.1 If a player fails to load into a Game or disconnects during a Game where no character kills have occurred, the following shall apply.
4.4.1a Either Team may request a remake of the Game. Any remake must be approved by an administrator. Players must continue playing the original Game until an administrator approves the remake. Remake requests from an individual team will only be awarded once per Game, unless otherwise determined by an administrator.
4.4.2 If a player disconnects during a Game where character kills have occurred, there will be no remake unless otherwise determined by an administrator.
4.4.3 A Ringer who is checked in pursuant to Section 3.3 may be used between remakes, provided it is approved by an administrator.
4.4.4 In the event of a remake, both teams must pick the same champions as in the previous Game. However, players may exchange which characters they are playing within their own team.
4.4.5 If a team fails to follow the conduct of section 4.4.4, report it in detail to an administrator immediately.


4.5 UNFAIR / MANNERED PLAY
4.5.1 The following are considered unfair play:
4.5.1a The use of any type of injector, cheat, map hack program, or any other third party program or device as further described in section 3.1.7.
4.5.1b Intentional pausing, as further described in Section 3.4, or disconnecting.
4.5.1c Unsportsmanlike conduct, including but not limited to inappropriate actions directed toward other players, administrators, or other Paladins Community Competitive League personnel, or inappropriate actions directly affecting the Game such as intentional feeding or collusion as further described in Section 3.1.10.
4.5.1d Violating the Paladins Terms of Service as further described in Section 3.1.3.
4.5.2 Private messaging another player during a Game is strictly prohibited.
4.5.3 Each player shall use his or her best efforts to act as a well-mannered individual throughout the season. Examples of poor manners include, but are not limited to, the following:
4.5.3a Verbally taunting another team or player.
4.5.3b Sending unnecessary messages to an opponent before, during, or after a game.
4.5.3c Spamming any unnecessary pinging in game, including during a pause.
4.5.4 If a team shows signs of not trying or not putting forward the best roster for their team, the administrators reserve the right to evaluate the situation and disqualify said team.


4.6 GAME VICTORIES
4.6.1 Each Game must be played until the final objective is completed or until a team surrenders in order to receive a victory.


4.7 VIOLATION
4.7.1 If any player or team violates a rule contained herein, the player or team as a whole may be subject to disqualification, suspension, and/or a permanent ban from the Paladins Community Competitive League.
4.7.2 Rules are to be enforced and handled by the Paladins Community Competitive League administrators and each Team Leader. Teams do not have the option to decline any penalties being assessed onto their opponents.


5. RULES DISCLAIMER

5.1 All rules are subject to an administrator’s interpretation. The Paladins Community Competitive League reserves the right to modify, add, or delete rules at any time, without prior notice and/or reason. Unless otherwise stated, all decisions made by an administrator pursuant to these rules are final and binding upon all applicable parties. If you do not agree with all of the rules and stipulations listed above, you may not participate in any events provided by the Paladins Community Competitive League. By requesting entry, you represent and warrant to the Paladins Community Competitive League that you have read, understand, and agree to these rules and stipulations, and promise to act in compliance with such rules and stipulations at all times.

PCCL Official Rules