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  1. League Member Code of Conduct
    1. Play fairly and within the rules of the VR Master League.
    2. Treat your fellow gamers, teammates, competitors, spectators, and League officials with respect and dignity.
    3. Discriminatory language, hate speech, threats, doxxing, and other forms of harassment or unlawful behavior will not be tolerated.
    4. Team Captains may be held responsible for their team's behavior.
    5. Accusations of impropriety or foul play are taken seriously and should be brought to the attention of the League Moderators.
  2. Regions & Participation Requirements
    1. The League is separated into three regions: North America (NA), Europe (EU), and Oceania/Asia (OCE). The list of countries per region can be found here.
    2. The NA region is a “Challenger Cup Eligible Region.”  EU and OCE are “Challenger Cup Ineligible Regions.”
    3. Teams must consist entirely of players from one region, and must also compete in that region. Mixed teams are not allowed.
    4. A League Substitute may only play for a team if both the League Substitute and the team needing a substitute are registered in the same region.
    5. Your country's flag is required on your VRML profile and should represent where you live and play the game from. Providing false information about this can result in a ban from VRML. Your nationality flag is totally optional.
    6. Ping cap details
      1. Within a region, a player is only allowed to participate if their ping, as displayed on the scoreboard, is consistently below the ping cap:
        1. America = 150
        2. Europe = 150
        3. Oceania/Asia = 250
      2. If, during a match, a player's ping is continually higher than the ping cap for their region, they are no longer eligible to play in the match, and must be replaced with another player (either a different rostered player or a League Substitute) whose ping is within acceptable limits. Alternatively, if both teams agree, the match may be played on a different server in order to lower the offending player's ping to within acceptable limits.
      3. When the situation is unclear, the "pause" button should be pressed and a League Moderator invited to the match to make a ruling. If the teams continue to play without informing a League Moderator, the conditions under which the match is played are considered to be accepted by both team captains and the result will be valid.
        1. If a player on a team is in violation of the ping cap for the region, they should pause the match and fix the issue. If the team with high ping does not pause, the other team may pause and request a Moderator be brought into the match. In this case, the team with high ping will use their timeout. 
        2. If a moderator is brought in to assess ping complaints and finds no problems, the pause used to call the mod will be counted as the once-per-match pause for the team that brought the moderator in.
      4. VRML strongly encourages the use of Spark (https://ignitevr.gg/spark) so a League Moderator can join your match quickly, if necessary. If you are not using Spark, pay close attention to Discord so an invite to your match can be sent as soon as requested.
      5. If a League Moderator does not respond to your ticket request for ping monitoring within 15 minutes, continue play.
      6. To contest the results of a match after it ends, a recording will need to be provided, in a ticket, as evidence.
        1. Tickets of this nature will only be considered if an official request was made for a League Moderator to come into the match to monitor ping, by the members of the competing teams, while the match was being played, and no League Moderator responded within 15 minutes of the posting of the request.
        2. If evidence does not indicate a ping problem (e.g. a screenshot of high ping is insufficient, could just be a spike), the pause taken to address this issue is still permitted. However, if the opposing team opens a ticket and is able to show evidence that the reporting team paused under the pretense of needing mod assistance but actually just wanted an extra pause, AP will be assigned for the illegal pause(s).
      7. If play was paused to address ping cap issues and no action was taken by the teams to either substitute out the offending player(s) or switch servers, points penalties may be assigned for each instance of lag the League Moderators deem to have affected play, based on any relevant video evidence provided.
    7. If a player has to be replaced during a match due to a violation of the Ping Cap rule, the team needing a replacement must use a timeout (see Technical Issues & Timeouts below). The timeout, in this instance, may be extended up to 15 minutes. The 15 minutes begins when the decision is made to look for a replacement. If the allotted 15 minutes passes without a replacement player having joined the match, play must resume 3v4 or the offending team forfeits one round. If another 15 minutes passes without play resuming, the offending team forfeits two rounds. (see Scoring System below)
    8. OCE/APAC: Matches involving two teams in different parts of the region (OCE, JP, ASIA) are to be played on a Singapore server unless either of the teams requests a serverscore (see 8.3). In order for a team to qualify as JP/Asia, 4 or more of their rostered players must be located outside of AUS/NZ.
      1. Compliance to a serverscore request (see 8.3) is mandatory; refusal to cooperate will result in a forfeit and AP may be applied.
      2. Both teams need to provide 4 players under the 250 ping cap for both servers for the server scoring; failure to do so will result in a forfeit.
        1. For ASIA/JP v OCE teams should compare Singapore & NA West servers. For Asia v OCE Japanese servers may be compared as well.
        2. If everyone’s ping on both servers is under 150, the original server score command may be used.
      3. Teams must be transparent to the other team and provide evidence for their pings on both servers when requested. Any attempts to manipulate/abuse the serverscore will result in a forfeit and AP being applied.
      4. Teams must give notice at least 4 hours before the match if they wish to request a serverscore.
  3. Matches Organization
    1. The League will generate match-ups each week of the regular season.
    2. The matches are generated on Mondays.
    3. When weekly matches are generated, any team with fewer than four (4) rostered players will be turned inactive and not be allowed to play the current week.
    4. Teams are responsible for scheduling their matches. VRML recommends the use of a scheduling tool like LettuceMeet or When2Meet, which allow teams to clearly present their availability for the week, rather than suggesting times and then waiting for a response before suggesting another. While the use of such a tool is optional, when scheduling failures occur, the ruling may favor a team that provided their complete availability at the beginning of the week.
    5. Players must reach out to the other teams using DISCORD to schedule their matches by Friday 1600 UTC of the week it is to take place. A reminder will be sent if teams have not scheduled their matches by then.
    6. Matches must be scheduled via the website.
    7. Matches must be scheduled at least one hour prior to their start time.
    8. A match's scores must be submitted within 24 hours of its scheduled start time.
    9. All matches must be played and have the scores submitted by 1500 UTC on the following Monday.
    10. Teams are responsible for reporting the correct scores on the website. Mistakes made when reporting scores will not be corrected by Moderators except for Master Tier matches or matches between teams in the top 30 of their region played in the final week of the cycle where the error in score reporting changes the overall winner of the match.
    11. Teams will play a minimum of two matches per week during the season,except as indicated in the following rules:
    12. Once per season, any team (excluding Master Tier teams in Challenger Cup Eligible regions) may elect to become inactive (indicated by the team appearing grayed-out on the standings page) for one week without penalty. On subsequent inactivity (not necessarily consecutive weeks), said team will receive a weekly recurrent MMR penalty until it becomes active. Master Tier teams can not take an inactive week.
      1. If an existing team is inactive at the first match generation of the season, that first week will be counted as the penalty free inactive week for that team.
      2. If a team's status is set to "inactive", they will not be assigned matches on the following Monday and will not receive their allotment of challenges for that week. Inactive teams are still expected to complete matches that have already been assigned and/or scheduled.
    13. Match Postponements
      1. Once per season, when a match isn’t already scheduled and scheduling is deemed to be excessively difficult or impractical, one of the two teams may use their “team postponement” to postpone one match without penalty, to be scheduled and played the following week.
      2. Each team may only use one team postponement per season.
      3. A match may not be postponed more than once.
      4. Postponement requests must be made by opening a support ticket and following all automated directions from the ticket system before Sunday at 1500 UTC.
      5. Ladder Teams
        1. Ladder Teams in Challenger Cup Eligible Regions may not postpone matches generated during the last week of a cycle.  
        2. Teams in Challenger Cup Ineligible Regions may do so for any cycle except the last cycle of the season.
      6. Master Tier Teams in Challenger Cup Eligible Regions
        1. In addition to their “team postponement,” Master Tier Teams in Challenger Cup Eligible Regions, twice per cycle, may use a “mutual postponement” if both teams agree to postpone the match.  
        2. Master Tier Teams in Challenger Cup Eligible Regions may postpone matches generated during the last week of a cycle, but those matches must be played and the scores submitted by 1500 UTC on the following Wednesday.
    14. Once a match is scheduled on the VRML website, it may not be rescheduled or postponed to another week. It may be rescheduled to a different time within the same week if both teams agree.
    15. Occasionally, there may be significant events or circumstances, outside of player control, which affect all teams' ability to play a scheduled match (e.g. a patch is released that makes the game unplayable). In such an event, the match may be rescheduled to the following week, pending League Moderator approval.
    16. In the event that a team becomes inactive or drops out before playing any matches in the current season, and a match was created for that team, the match is canceled (not forfeited) and their opponent will be allowed an extra challenge match in compensation. The players on the team that dropped out will be on cooldown for one week.
    17. The scheduled times are according to local time. For example, EST in winter and EDT in summer.
  4. Challenges
    1. The League offers a "Challenge" option which allows teams to play an additional match in a given week. Barring special circumstances, teams are not allowed to play more than one challenge match per week. Challenges may be rejected without penalty.
    2. Barring special circumstances, a team, in order to be able to challenge, must have been active when the weekly matches were generated.
    3. In the event the League is unable to assign a weekly match to a team, that team will be permitted additional challenge(s) for that week as replacement(s).
    4. Challenge matches must be scheduled, played, and have their scores recorded on the website no later than the following Monday at 1600 UTC.
    5. A challenge match may be canceled, without penalty, after it is scheduled, but only if notification of the cancellation is given to the other team, via Discord, prior to 24 hours before the match is to take place. If a challenge match is canceled within 24 hours of its scheduled time, it may be considered a forfeit by the team that cancels.
  5. Matches Format
    1. Once a match begins, it must be completed in one session.
    2. The maximum amount of time between rounds is five minutes, i.e. four minutes plus the standard one minute break between rounds. However, if one team is searching for a substitute because of the ping cap rule, the timeout can be extended up to 15 minutes. If the time between rounds is delayed beyond the allotted time, either team may unpause the game to continue play.
    3. A match is to be played as best-of-3 (Bo3) rounds. If one team wins the first two rounds, the match is officially over, and no scores should be reported for the third round.
    4. Matches are to be played 4v4.
      1. 4v3 may only be played if a League Substitute could not be found in time to play the match.
      2. 3v3 is only allowed if both teams need a League Substitute, but one or both can't find one. In this case, 3v3 is mandatory. Both teams must attempt to find a League Substitute.
      3. Teams must start each round with a minimum of three rostered players.
      4. A team can not play with more than one League Substitute at a time.
      5. If a team drops below three rostered players during a round, that team may use their timeout, if available, to get the player back. Otherwise, they must continue the round at a player deficit. A rostered player can rejoin at any time during that round.
      6. From the time a match begins until it ends, at no point are there allowed to be five members on one team while the game clock is running.
        1. During a Game Clock stoppage, teams may have five players in the arena for up to 30 seconds, solely for the purpose of making a substitution.
        2. If a substitution must be made while the Game Clock is running, teams must wait for the player being substituted to fully leave the match before inviting their substitute.
        3. Reports pertaining to violations of this rule (5.4) need to be filed within 48 hours of the scheduled start time of the match in which the alleged violation(s) occurred, and will require video evidence to substantiate.
    5. Check the settings before the round starts. By starting the round, both teams accept the settings and the results will be valid for matches that are not casted. For casted matches, failure to set the rules as listed below may result in AP, and/or forfeits as determined by the League Moderators. The only exception to this is teams have the option to enable “Goalie Ping Advantage” and disable “self-goaling” if they agree to do so (see 5.5.7). When loading into an arena, the default match parameters are already correct. In case of question, they should be set, on the podium, as follows:
      1. Page 1
        1. MINUTES = 10:00
        2. SECONDS = 00:00
        3. BLUE SCORE = 0
        4. ORANGE SCORE = 0
      2. Page 2
        1. DISC LOCATION = MID
        2. GOAL STOPS TIME = False
        3. RESPAWN TIME = 00:03
        4. CATAPULT TIME = 00:12
      3. Page 3
        1. ROUND COUNT = 3
        2. ROUNDS PLAYED = BEST OF
        3. ROUND WAIT TIME = 00:59
        4. CARRY POINTS OVER = False
      4. Page 4
        1. BLUE ROUNDS WON = 0
        2. ORANGE ROUNDS WON = 0
        3. OVERTIME = ROUND END
        4. STANDARD CHASSIS = TRUE
      5. Page 5
        1. MERCY ENABLED = True
        2. MERCY SCORE DIFF = 20
        3. TEAM ONLY VOICE = True
        4. DISC CURVE = False
      6. Page 6
        1. SELF-GOALING = True
        2. GOAL PING ADV = False
      7. Players may activate the "Goalie Ping Advantage" setting and/or deactivate "Self-Goaling" if and only if both teams agree, in writing, prior to the scheduled start of the match. Any form of pressure intended to coerce or "guilt" a team into these settings changes will be considered harassment, for which punitive actions may be administered, including but not limited to match forfeiture or suspensions.
    6. Teams must not voluntarily forfeit any match.
    7. Forfeits, Accumulated Penalty Points (AP), and other forms of punitive actions can only be given out by League Moderators and League Governors. Any team, player, or captain attempting to force another team to accept penalties due to perceived rule violations may result in punitive actions being taken against one or both team captains. If a rule is violated, players can report it to the League Moderators through the ticket system in Discord.
    8. Engaging in any improper action that influences the outcome of a game or match by any means is strictly prohibited. "Improper actions" include, but are not limited to: playing with only headbutts, self-goaling without strategic intent, playing without the intent to win, etc.
    9. Master Tier (Challenger Cup Eligible Regions only)
      1. Promotion/Relegation seasonal format: Master Tier teams will play in a Round Robin format while other teams play in the Ladder system. The season will consist of three cycles of four weeks, each cycle followed by a Challenger Cup in the fifth week. The Challenger Cup will pit the bottom two Master teams against the top six Ladder teams to determine which two teams will play in the Master Tier and which six teams will play in the Ladder for the next cycle. On the same weekend, the top eight Master teams may play in a single elimination tournament called the Elite Cup. The teams in the Master Tier after the last Challenger Cup will play in the Finals tournament.
      2. If a Master team does not maintain at least half of their roster throughout a cycle, they will be considered a different team for the purposes of eligibility for Master Tier. Both adding and removing players are considered changes to a roster.
      3. Any Master team that forfeits a match voluntarily or due to lack of players will be considered to have dropped out of the Master Tier.
      4. Master teams are expected to maintain a roster of four players  Any Master team with less than four players on the first or last day of a cycle will be removed from the Master Tier.
      5. Master teams that change their team name or team logo in the two weeks before a Challenger Cup, or in the five weeks before a Finals tournament, may be removed from the Master Tier.
      6. Any Master team that makes use of league substitutes more than twice in a cycle will be removed from the Master Tier. 
      7. Master team players that change their VRML name in the two weeks before a Challenger Cup, or after the roster lock date preceding Finals, may be disqualified from playing in any tournament.
      8. In the event a Master team disbands or otherwise drops out, due to the disruptive influence such an occurrence would have on the Round Robin format, the players involved will be on cooldown for much longer than the standard one week, per Moderator discretion.
      9. Due to Master teams having nine matches to play in four weeks, they will have a "flex match" assigned to them in the first week of the cycle. They will play their regularly assigned two matches each week of the cycle, and may play this flex match any week they choose during the cycle (up to 1500 UTC on the Wednesday before a Challenger Cup of the fifth week) without it counting toward their postpones allotment.
      10. Master teams have one team postponement per season and two mutual postponements per cycle, but are therefore expected to play all of their matches. In the event of a match that truly cannot be played, a forfeit of 40-0 (20-0 per round) will be assigned to BOTH teams. If there is evidence that a team is abusing this, AP and punishments for a voluntary forfeit may be applied.
      11. Teams and players in Master Tier are required to maintain a professional image on the VRML website and in public branding, including having profile pictures, team names/logos, bios, and fan art that meet a reasonable standard of professionalism, enforceable at moderator discretion.
    10. Tournaments
      1. If a team does not maintain at least half of their roster throughout a cycle, they will be considered a different team for the purposes of eligibility for VRML tournaments. Both adding and removing players are considered changes to a roster.
      2. In order to maintain eligibility for VRML tournaments, teams requesting an MMR recalculation must do so by opening a support ticket requesting the recalculation no later than 1500 UTC on the Saturday of the first week of the cycle immediately preceding a tournament (or tournaments). Newly formed teams are given MMR recalculations automatically.
      3. In order to play in the Challenger Cup, a player must have been rostered on the team they are playing on for the final four games of the preceding cycle.
      4. Any Ladder or Master team player in a Challenger Cup Eligible region that changes their VRML name in the two weeks preceding any Challenger Cup will not be eligible to play in that Challenger Cup.
      5. Any Ladder or Master team player that changes their VRML name on or after the roster lock date preceding the Finals will not be eligible to play in any end of season tournaments.
      6. If a team confirms their participation in a tournament, they are expected to participate with four eligible players. If they do not and did not communicate this prior to the event, the members will not be eligible to participate in the next tournament they qualify for. This applies whether these members stay as the same team or move on to new teams.
      7. Teams may be disqualified from all VRML tournaments, including Challenger Cup, Elite Cup, and Finals, for any of the following reasons:
        1. A team has less than four eligible rostered players;
        2. A team adds a player to their roster after the roster lock date on the calendar (if indicated on the official calendar);
        3. A team changes its name or logo in the five weeks preceding the Finals tournament(s);
        4. A team makes use of league substitutes more than twice in the cycle immediately preceding that tournament (or tournaments);
        5.  A Ladder team plays a Challenge Match during the last week of the cycle immediately preceding that tournament (or tournaments);
        6. A Ladder team postpones a match from the second to last week of the regular season into the last week of the regular season;
        7. For tournaments occurring during or after the last cycle of a season, a Ladder team has played less than 12 matches in the regular season;
        8. A Ladder team receives an MMR recalculation after the match generation of the second week of the cycle immediately preceding that tournament (or tournaments);
        9. A Ladder team is inactive in the last week of the cycle immediately preceding that tournament (or tournaments);
      8. Teams in Challenger Cup Eligible regions will be disqualified from the Challenger Cup for any of the following additional reasons:
        1. A Ladder team postpones a match from the second to last week of a cycle into the last week of a cycle;
        2. A Ladder team plays less than six matches in the cycle;
        3. A Ladder team changes its name or logo in the two weeks preceding a Challenger Cup;
        4. A Ladder team, in the last cycle of a season, becomes ineligible for that season’s Finals;
      9. Master Tier Qualifier (Challenger Cup Eligible Regions only):
        1. At the beginning of each season, a 16 team preseason Master Tier Qualifier will be held to determine which teams begin the season in Master Tier.
        2. The teams that finished first and second in Finals of the previous season will be automatically placed in Master Tier so long as they have had no major roster changes (as defined in rule 10.15). If they have had major changes, they will receive an MMR recalculation and the next highest placed Master team(s) from Finals who did not have major changes will move up to take their place.
        3. Any remaining Master teams from the previous season that have not had major roster changes will automatically be eligible for the Qualifier.
        4. Other teams potentially eligible for the Qualifier are:
          • High ranking ladder teams from the previous season with no roster changes
          • Teams who must have MMR recalcs in order to be in the Qualifier
          • Master teams from the previous season that had major roster changes
          • All existing ladder teams with ANY roster changes
          • All newly formed teams whose members all have previous VRML experience (recalcs automatic for these teams)
        5. Qualifier spots will be filled by contacting teams in this order (i.e. previous Master teams with few changes, then by MMR) to confirm availability until all 16 spots are filled. 
        6. The eight teams that place the highest in the Qualifier will begin the season in Master Tier.
        7. In order to give enough time for needed MMR recalculations, a roster lock will be announced in advance of each season's Qualifier. Rosters must be finalized and recalculations must be requested by this announced date. Players added after the roster lock will not be permitted to play in the Qualifier. Additionally, to participate in the Qualifier, a team must have at least four players who are able to play in it (i.e. a team with four players who adds a new player and removes a player after roster lock has only three legal players, and cannot participate).
        8. Qualifier spots will be filled by contacting teams in this order (i.e. previous Master teams with few changes, then by MMR) to confirm availability until all 16 spots are filled.
  6. Scoring System
    1. Teams enter the score themselves. Both teams need to submit the score for the match to be accepted.
    2. The website requires users to enter the score for each round individually.
    3. If one team wins the first two rounds, do not enter scores for the third round.
    4. If one team gains a 20 point advantage over their opponent in a round, a mercy rule applies and the round ends with the score as it stands at that point.
    5. In the case where a forfeit is necessary, teams should submit a forfeit (10-0, 10-0, map set to Other/Forfeit). Teams should attempt to resolve forfeits on their own, and open a ticket in the case of a dispute. If moderators lock in scores at the following match generation, AP may be applied.
  7. Matches Forfeits
    1. In the event that a team is late to a match and does not start the match within 10 minutes of the scheduled time, the team that was late will be charged with using their timeout and can not use it during the live match.
    2. Teams have a 15-minute buffer from the scheduled match start time to be in the arena with their team members and ready to start the match. However, teams should do their best to start their matches on time.
    3. If one team is waiting for another team, the waiting team must post a message in Echo Arena VRML's Discord (tagging their opponent) or show other proof to League Moderators that they were ready at the scheduled time.
    4. Once the 15-minute buffer has elapsed, the team that is responsible for the delay forfeits the first round.
    5. If a further 15 minutes elapses without match commencement, the offending team is officially declared a 'no-show' and a forfeit should be submitted against the offending team. Proof of the no-show should be retained for the case of a dispute. See rule 6.5 regarding submitting forfeits.
    6. If a team forfeits one or more rounds, per 7.4 and/or 7.5, but the forfeited round(s) are subsequently played, the results of the rounds will be valid as played, and the scores must be submitted.
    7. In the case of a forfeit, the "forfeit" option should be selected from the dropdown box under "map" when submitting scores.
  8. Technical Issues & Timeouts
    1. Teams are responsible for all of their own technical issues. This includes, but is not limited to, hardware, software and internet problems.
    2. The process of resolving server disputes must be started at least 10 minutes in advance of the scheduled match start time. Refusal to participate in the resolution (e.g. refusal to serverscore, extreme delay, etc.) may be punished with AP. VRML recommends communication of server preference at the time of match scheduling. Any team failing to communicate a server preference at least one hour in advance, or not actively participating in the resolution of the server dispute at least 10 minutes early, will give up their right to dispute the server.
    3. To help mitigate server disputes, teams who can't agree on which server to use can type the following command in Echo Arena VRML Discord:
      1. !vrml serverscore X1,X2,X3,X4;Y1,Y2,Y3,Y4  (for OCE/APAC, use "serverscoreoce" instead of "serverscore")
      2. X1-X4 represents the individual pings of the players on Team A.
      3. Separate the individual pings with a comma, with a semicolon between the teams.
      4. Y1-Y4 represents the individual pings of the players on Team B.
    4. This will provide a score for the server. After checking scores for both servers, the server with the higher score must be used.
    5. If a team needs a timeout for any reason, including technical issues
      1. Players can press the "pause" button after the next goal for a timeout. A timeout can only be requested once per team, per match. If further issues arise, the players must decide to either continue the round with the players they have left or forfeit the round.
      2. The round continues if the issues aren't resolved within 5 minutes.
      3. If a pause is called illegally, or if one team's pause lasts longer than allowed by the rules, either team may unpause the match to resume play.
      4. If a player dropped but is able to rejoin the match they can do so at any time, as long as there are never more than four players in the arena, per team, at the same time.
      5. The "restart" button should only be used after a match is over, or if the match rules, as set on the podium, are found to be incorrect after the match has started.
    6. After Round one and after Round two, either team may initiate an extended break of up to five minutes before the start of the next round. This does not count against the "one timeout per match per team" rule, as stated above. The total break between rounds shall not exceed a total of five minutes; since the default rules already have a one minute break between rounds, that means the added break time should not exceed four minutes.
      1. Example 1: One team initiates a break lasting five minutes. The other team may not initiate an additional break before the start of the next round without using their timeout.
      2. Example 2: One team initiates a break lasting two minutes. The other team may then immediately initiate a further break of up to three more minutes.
    7. If Team A uses a legal timeout, and Team B unpauses before the timeout has exceeded its legal time limit, Team A may pause again to resume the timeout. Illegally unpausing a timeout may lead to punitive actions, including, but not limited to, round forfeiture or AP points being applied.
    8. If a player is found to be in violation of the Ping Cap rule, that player must leave the game and their team must search for a substitute. This counts as that team's timeout, but the length of the timeout may be extended for up to a total of 15 minutes. (see "Regions & Participation Requirements" above)
    9. A round begins once the game clock displays “10:00”. Pausing or restarting the round during the initial joust timer countdown is considered to be a use of a team’s timeout.
    10. During a legal pause, the captain (or acting captain at the time) of the team requesting the pause may change teams to explain the reason for the pause. If the pause is eligible to be extended up to 15 minutes, this must be disclosed to the other team. In the event of an illegal pause, the captain (or acting captain) of the team NOT requesting the pause may change teams to explain that the pause is not legal and that they will be unpausing. Note that unpausing a legal pause will result in AP. Changing teams for any other reason or lingering after explaining the nature of the pause is forbidden, and may result in AP.
    11. When playing a match longer than a standard Bo3, one additional timeout per team is permitted per two games above Bo3.
  9. Matches Defaults
    1. Where teams miss the match scheduling deadline (Friday 1600 UTC), but the match is organized and played subsequently, a warning will be given to the teams. League Moderators may impose a penalty on one or both of the teams, depending on the circumstances.
    2. In the event that a match has not been played during the allotted time frame, the League Moderators will review the circumstances and allocate the match points accordingly. Example resolutions may include the following:
      1. Where neither team made any arrangement efforts, the match will be considered a forfeit for both teams;
      2. If teams are unable to schedule a match, the match will be considered a forfeit for both teams. This does not apply to Master teams in Challenger Cup Eligible Regions or Top 30 Teams in Challenger Cup Eligible Regions during the final week of a cycle;
      3. If a team has made little/no effort to schedule a match by the scheduling deadline (Friday, 1600 UTC), a forfeit should be submitted in favor of the opposing team;
      4. Where facts do not permit a clear determination, the match is canceled and neither team gains or loses MMR.
    3. League Moderators may remove an inactive team from the League if the team has defaulted on two or more occasions and the League Moderators have good cause to believe this will continue.
  10. Teams & Players
    1. Players are not allowed to play under more than one VRML account, must not have more than one account registered with VRML, and must not have access to more than one VRML account.
    2. Players are not allowed to buy or sell Oculus/Echo VR accounts in order to trade VRML rewards. Players found doing this will be blacklisted from receiving VRML rewards.
    3. Players and teams must play using their registered VRML name. Do not hide your identity under another alias. Players using an in-game name not matching their VRML name may be considered ineligible for VRML matches.
      1. All content on a player's profile, and all content on a team's profile, must abide by the following rules. All content, including names, logos, and artwork, etc., is forbidden if it:
        1. Is protected by copyrights/royalties/third-party rights and the user has no written permission;
        2. Resemble or is identical to a brand/trademark, whether registered or not and the user has no written permission;
        3. Resemble or is identical to an Echo Arena community member other than themself;
        4. Resemble or is identical to a VRML representative (excluding the VRML representatives themselves using the name);
        5. Resemble or is identical to any Discord role in any of the VRML-managed Discord servers;
        6. Is deemed too hard to read, distinguish, interpret, or have multiple unnecessary characters;
        7. Contains any image that may be used to link or forward to an external location (for example, QR Codes);
        8. Is nonsense;
        9. In cases of team sponsorships and similar situations, specific exceptions to these guidelines may be granted or revoked by League Moderators discretion.
      2. In addition to the above, any profile content that is defamatory, pejorative, offensive, vulgar, obscene, anti-Semitic, inciting hatred, or offending against good manners, is forbidden. Using alternative spelling or gibberish in order to avoid the requirements mentioned above, is also prohibited.
      3. Team names must be unique and are first come, first served. Alternative spellings or otherwise attempting to use a name already taken by an active or otherwise occupied team by changing a small detail, whether intentional or incidental, is not permitted, enforceable at Moderator discretion.
        1. If a team is retired for the length of a full cycle (five weeks), their claim to the name is forfeit.
        2. Names can not be claimed by alt accounts.
        3. Previous VRL Championship Winners as well as any teams that earn 'Honors' in VRML are awarded Legacy Status. With Legacy Status the claims to these names are held perpetually by their original owner regardless of team status.
        4. If you change your team's name, you forfeit all rights and claims to your team's previous names. Exceptions may be made for team names entitled with Legacy status.
        5. Team and player names may not contain characters or be formatted in such a way that they may be interpreted and/or embedded as links in communication mediums used by VRML including, but not limited to, Discord, YouTube, and Twitch. Enforceable at Moderator discretion.
      4. The League Moderators reserve the right to suspend or ban any non complying player or team.
    4. Players are not to falsely represent a team for which they are not a rostered member.
    5. Players acknowledge and follow Echo Arena guidelines on age restrictions and Terms of Use.
    6. Players acknowledge and follow their headset's regulations. For example: Oculus Terms of Use and/or Meta Terms of Use.
    7. Players acknowledge and follow Discord Terms of Use.
    8. Additional regional regulations or guidelines, based on your location, may apply.
    9. In order for a team to go "active", a minimum of four rostered members of the team must:
      1. have their Discord accounts linked to their VRML website accounts;
      2. be members of the Echo Arena VRML Discord server.
    10. It is mandatory for Team Captains to join the VRML Support Discord server. It is not mandatory for Co-Captains, Players, or League Substitutes to join the server, but it is encouraged. AP may be applied to any Team Captain who is not in the VRML Support server. Any player who fails to join the VRML Support server within 48 hours after being prompted to do so by a League Moderator or League Governor may receive an AP penalty.
    11. The maximum number of players per team is six.
    12. Players and substitutes rostered on one team cannot substitute for another team.
    13. Only Official Substitutes, authorized by the League, can be used to fill empty slots in a match.
      1. When a team needs a Substitute, they must visit the Official Substitutes page in order to validate which Substitutes are available to them according to their team rank and region. As an alternative, the team captain or co-captain can make use of the discord VRML bot "sub" command to determine the top ranked eligible Substitutes.
      2. If less than 10 League Substitutes are within range for a team to use, the team may use any of the bottom 10 Official Substitutes within their region.
      3. League Substitutes, when logged in to the website, can check the Standings page to see which teams they are eligible to sub for. Teams the player can sub for will be shown with a vertical orange bar to the left of the team's rank. Alternatively, a League Substitute may use the discord VRML bot "sub" command to determine eligibility for a specific team.
      4. Master Tier teams may use any registered League Substitute.
      5. It is recommended to document (via uncropped screenshot, etc.) that the League Substitute used during a match is shown as eligible, on the website or via the discord VRML bot "sub" command, prior to the match beginning. Teams will not be penalized for using an overqualified League Substitute if they can prove the League Substitute was not shown as being overqualified, on the website, at the time they agreed to play in the match.
      6. If a League Substitute was used in a match, when submitting scores you should mark their participation by checking the "League Substitutes were used in the match" box under the score entry fields and selecting their name from the dropdown menu.
      7. If both teams used a League Substitute, a ticket must be opened with the Moderators to give appropriate credit. Do not enter both League Substitutes as playing for one team.
      8. A League Substitute cannot play for the same team more than twice per cycle.
    14. Sister teams are not encouraged. However, an individual can be in a team Discord server and not be on the official roster for counseling/friendship/coaching purposes.
    15. Team rosters, on the website, cannot change during a match.
    16. In the event that a team changes the majority of its roster (3/4, 3/5, 4/6); within a two week span, that team, when ready to continue playing, can, upon request, have its MMR recalculated by averaging each Player-MMR. In order to prevent abuse (notably when a championship is about to start), the recalculated MMR cannot be higher than it was before the players left the team.
    17. In the event that a group of players decide to create a new team from scratch, and most of them are considered "veteran" players, the new team will start with a higher MMR than would normally be attributed. That MMR initialization bonus follows the Player-MMR logic. Note that, like every new team, they will still have to do their mandatory three placement matches before officializing their MMR in the standings.
    18. Players who are rostered on a team on any Monday at 1500 UTC can play only for that team, not another, until the following Monday at 1500 UTC. Players can leave a team and join another, or register as a League Substitute, but players will be on cooldown for leaving a team and cannot participate in any VRML match until the next matches are generated on the following Monday. No cooldowns will be waived.
    19. Teams are encouraged to start looking for a League Substitute as soon as they know they will need one to have as much time as possible to find one. If a League Substitute agrees to play in a match but does not show up for the match without four hours notice in writing, they will receive AP.
    20. Badge requirements for Season 7:
      1. Players must receive credit for participating in at least 12 matches.
      2. League Substitutes must play one full round of a match to receive credit for the match.
      3. Players rostered on a team receive credit for a match, even if they don't play during the match, as long as they are rostered on the team at the time the match is played and are eligible to play (not on cooldown, suspended, etc.).
      4. Players rostered on a team that forfeits a match do not receive credit for playing that match.
      5. Credit earned by a player stays with the player. Example: Playing six matches as a League Substitute and then six matches rostered on a team means the player earned 12 matches.
  11. Streaming, Media, & Spectators
    1. An "Unofficial Observer" is any entity in spectator mode during an official match that is not an Official League caster, Moderator, or any other VRML personnel present in the match expressly for official purposes pertaining to VRML.
    2. VRML reserves exclusive rights to the coverage of VRML matches. VRML can assign the coverage rights of a match or of several matches to a third party. In this case, terms and conditions would have to be arranged with the VRML management before the match. No unofficial observers are allowed in a match being covered by VRML
    3. In general, VRML will contact any player or team if they wish to broadcast one of their matches. If no contact is made, and the match is part of the regular season, individual players are allowed to arrange their own broadcasts in accordance to the following:
      1. Both teams must explicitly agree to spectators in writing.
      2. NO team is obligated to allow unofficial observers during their match. Any refusal, without explanation, by either team, is enough to void the privilege of any unofficial observer to be present during a match. Any form of pressure to make a team use an unofficial observer will be considered harassment and punitive actions may be administered, including, but not limited to, match forfeiture or suspensions.
      3. When conflicting voices between teams occur on whether they agreed (or not) to allow an unofficial observer, screenshots of the agreement will be requested. Failure to provide the requested information will result in a forfeit.
      4. Teams agreeing to allow Unofficial Observers in their match accept the potential strategic risks inherent in allowing spectators.
    4. If VRML is covering a match, no additional spectators are permitted, for any reason, in that match.
    5. Matches cast by VRML must start on time. There is a grace period of 5 minutes (i.e. if a match is scheduled to begin at 5:00, no penalty is applied unless the match starts at 5:06 or later).
    6. VRML may ban specific individuals/entities from observing VRML matches.
    7. Using the "Spectate Me" function of Spark (formerly IgniteBot Personal) is considered an Unofficial Observer. However, using Spark to generate logs and replay files is allowed.
    8. Publicly posting join links (Spark, Atlas, etc.) for an official VRML match is forbidden. Join links for casters should be sent via Direct Message in Discord. Posting the link publicly may lead to AP points being applied.
    9. All teams must permit League-sanctioned spectators or Casters access to official matches.
    10. Recording of your personal perspective is recommended, regardless of whether your match is cast or not.
    11. Official casts will be streamed via the designated League Twitch channels.
    12. Master Tier teams and teams who qualify for special events such as the Challenger Cup may be required by the Production Leads to participate to a reasonable level (enforceable by moderators) in promotion of the league and/or their team. An example of this is that there may be mandatory interviews related to special events.
    13. League Casters must abide by the code of conduct maintained by the Casting Coordinator and approved by the League Moderators.
    14. League Moderators may permit a co-caster to stream on another private channel to assist with replay capture.
    15. The League Moderators may, subject to having good cause, require a particular player to stream or record their matches.
    16. Players are expected to act appropriately during an official VRML cast.
    17. VRML casted matches must be played using the settings described in rule 5.5.
    18. The ability to use and/or provide Spark links to enter an arena may be required for having a regular season ladder team match casted. All Master teams and any teams participating in VRML tournaments are required to be able to use and/or provide Spark links to enter an area.
    19. VRML may collect and retain logs and API data from matches being cast by VRML for the purpose of content production.
  12. Cheating, Exploits, & Breaches
    1. Any cheating, exploiting, or contravention of the foregoing rules must be brought to the attention of the League Moderators. League Moderators, with support from League Governors, have complete discretion on penalties imposed for violations. Examples of penalties are: Round forfeit, match forfeit, player suspension or team suspension.
    2. Offering, receiving, or agreeing to give or receive any sort of compensation related to improperly influencing the outcome of a match is strictly prohibited.
    3. Any attempts to intentionally and improperly manipulate the ladder standings or MMR system through any means is strictly prohibited.
    4. Any attempts to abuse the scheduling/score entry system in order to improperly manipulate match results and/or ladder standings is strictly prohibited.
    5. "Cheating" is intended to include the intentional or reckless manipulation of the game or its code in such a way as to confer an unfair advantage on one side or the other.
    6. "Exploit" is intended to include the intentional or reckless triggering of any code, attribute or in-game function that is otherwise not envisaged as a legitimate feature of the game by Ready At Dawn. Non-exhaustive examples include:
      1. Any action, not considered a legitimate mechanic, that moves the player faster than their intended top speeds;
      2. Going outside of map boundaries;
      3. Clipping inside solid objects/floors (using room-scale or not);
      4. Use of a VPN or any other network manipulation method, for the purpose of increasing lag or playing in a region other than the one in which the player currently resides. Use of a VPN is otherwise allowed, so long as the ping cap rule is being observed;
      5. Any other imaginative cheats;
    7. To provide a buffer zone for unintentional movement, a physical playspace of 4 feet by 4 feet is allowed. If a player exceeds the limits of this space with their feet, it may result in penalties being applied to the offending player or team.
    8. Any use of the spectate function by participants during official matches, either directly or indirectly, to obtain an advantage of any kind is classified as cheating.
    9. Any use of external media streaming (stream sniping) which pertains to the circumstances, content or any facts arising from the match is classified as cheating.
    10. The use of any object (except the floor, ground, or a playspace mat) to aid in physical motion is strictly prohibited. Banned objects include, but are not limited to: trampolines, couches, steps tools, staircases, beds, etc.
    11. Movement within the legal playspace bounds defined previously can allow players to add their real-life motion to their in-game motion for a small, brief increase in speed. We will call this a "legal step". It is also possible, while a player's in-game avatar is moving in a specific direction ("in-game vector"), for the player to rotate their avatar using pitch and/or roll so that real-life movement such as a duck or side-step adds momentum along their current in-game vector, when in their original orientation this real-life movement would have taken the player's avatar along a different vector. We will call this "half-cycling". The combination of a legal step with half-cycling is considered an exploit. However, due to the difficulty in determining, either from video or from Spark replay files, the difference between half-cycling with a legal step or half-cycling by itself, half-cycling is now illegal in general.
    12. API use is permitted only if the data being collected is:
      1. not being processed in real time, other than for use in:
        1. Spark (formerly IgniteBot Personal)
        2. ATLAS
        3. positional audio for team voice communication
      2. not being used to gain a real-time, in-game advantage over the other team and;
      3. disclosed between both teams before the start of the match.
    13. For the purposes of this rule, an orientation reset is when a player uses the in-game ability to instantly reset their avatar to the default orientation by holding down both thumbstick buttons. Players will receive penalties for performing an orientation reset if it provides a clear strategic advantage on review of the evidence (e.g. resetting while in possession of the disc will always be considered illegal). Players are advised, when reasonable, to use the same pitch/roll mechanics to reset that they used to change orientation in the first place.
  13. Decisions & Sanctions
    1. All League Moderator rulings must be made in a VRML-official Discord server, or the ruling may be considered invalid. Current VRML servers are: VR Master League HQ, VRML Support, Echo Arena VRML, Onward VRML, Pavlov VRML, Snapshot, Ultimechs, and Blaston (in League-specific channels). Any ruling made by a League Moderator outside of the servers listed here will be considered "unofficial" and can not be used. Exception: A ruling on ping during a VRML match, when a Moderator is called into the game to make such a ruling, and the ruling is made in the game.
    2. Contravention of any of the foregoing rules shall be sanctionable on review by League Moderators.
    3. League Moderators reserve the right to:
      1. Void or change scores for any match or challenge after it has been played;
      2. Enact disciplinary procedures for any alleged or perceived player misconduct and use the AP system where possible;
      3. Draft, edit, publish and interpret the intent of the rules of the League;
      4. Settle disputes and issue rulings;
      5. Make decisions on any subject not explicitly allowed or disallowed in the rules of the League.
    4. Formal disputes amongst League teams and their members are to be lodged directly with League Moderators via Discord. Unfounded and baseless accusations against players via any public medium are considered to be an act of misconduct.
    5. The League Moderators shall, with regard to developer input, decide issues based on the relevant facts. Due consideration will be given to the accounts of those involved. Amongst these considerations, the League Moderators shall give the most weight to the presence/absence of indicting or exculpatory evidence (e.g. in game footage, chat logs, etc.).
    6. Failure to comply with a request for match VODs, stream links or any other item covered in the above rules will disqualify a player or team from participating in any further League events until they are deemed compliant by the League Moderators.
    7. In relation to any of the above rules, when a majority of the League Moderators reach the conclusion that conduct unbecoming of the League has occurred, the League Moderators have complete discretion to administer an appropriate sanction.
    8. In the event of a conflict of interest, affected League Moderators shall recuse themselves from deciding, or otherwise commenting, on an issue in their capacity as League officials.
    9. Reports made regarding rule violations during a match must be submitted via the VRML Support Server within 24 hours of the match’s scheduled start time. Reports of this nature, made more than 24 hours after the triggering occurrence, will not be acted upon.
    10. Any player who does not treat VRML Staff with respect in the VRML Support Server may receive AP and/or their case closed and no action taken.
    11. Attempting to circumvent any of the VRML rules may result in AP and/or disqualification from VRML events and tournaments.
    12. Suspensions are applied weekly, within a 24 hour window before Match Generation, except when the rule violation may affect the outcome of upcoming matches. All suspensions end before Match Generation the week they are set to expire. Exceptions may be made if an appeal or review is requested. If these exceptions interfere with participating in a tournament, the suspension may be paused to allow participation. Suspensions can not be moved, unless it is Moderator error and affects a tournament. If an error is made, the Moderators will review when the suspension will take place.
    13. In the event a player receives a disciplinary action such as AP and would like to appeal, they must do so by making a ticket in the VRML Support server. AP can be appealed as soon as it is applied and at any time after. If you believe it has been applied in error, appeal as soon as possible after receiving notification of the AP so your case may be reviewed prior to your suspension being applied. You may still appeal after your suspension begins.
Last updated by PrincessAG @ 2023-01-18 05:23 UTC