1. League Member Code of Conduct.

1. Play fairly and within the rules of the VR Master League.
   
2. Treat your fellow community members, League Officials, and the Developers of the game with respect and dignity.
   
3. Discriminatory language, hate speech, threats, doxing, 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.
   
6. All participants are expected to maintain a high standard of respect towards their opponents at all times. This includes, but is not limited to, in-game actions, verbal communications, and any form of interaction within or related to the competition environment.
7. Violations of VRML rules and codes of conduct should be reported to the moderators using the Ticket tool in the  VRML Support Discord.

 

2. Players and Teams.

1. 1. The minimum age to play in VRML is Thirteen (13).
   2. Players acknowledge and follow VAIL guidelines on age restrictions.
   3. Players acknowledge and follow their headset's regulations. For example Oculus Terms of Use and Vive Terms of Use.
   4. Players acknowledge and follow Discord's Terms of Use.
   5. Additional regional regulations or guidelines, based on your location, may apply.
   6. The maximum number of players per team is 8.
   7. Players and substitutes rostered on one team cannot substitute for another team.
   8. Players will be prohibited from participating in matches if observed ping exceeds the limits definied below
      
      1. Ping Limits:
         • North America - 170
         • Europe - 170
         • OCE/ASIA - 270
         • Mandatory Server Location for Games in North America: NAE
         • Mandatory Server Location for Games in Europe: EUW
      2. Ping limits are enforced from the ping, as observed by other players in the lobby.  A player's ping, as viewed from their perspective, shall not be used to enforce this rule.
      3. In cases where there is conflict between a player's observed ping amongst other players in a lobby and thresholds are surpassed for at least one player.  Moderators will rule based on an average of observed pings and consistency over time. 
      4. Players may elect to play for teams in any region but can only participate in matches where their ping to the selected server is within limits
   9. Team rosters on the website cannot change during a match.
   10. Players are not allowed to play under more than one account, and must not have more than one account registered with VRML.
   11. Players and teams must play using their registered VRML name. Do not hide your identity under another alias.
   12. If a player has the ability to play in a VRML match under different platforms (e.g. Steam and Oculus) a ticket must be open and the player names must be submitted before any matches are played. This is only necessary if the accounts have different names. 
       • Player names, player logos, team names, and team logos are forbidden if they:
       • Are protected by copyrights/royalties/third-party rights and the user has no written permission;
       • Resemble or are identical to a brand/trademark no matter whether it's registered or not;
       • Resemble or are identical to a real person other than themselves;
       • Resemble or are identical to a VRML representative;
       • Are deemed too hard to read, distinguish, interpret or have multiple unnecessary characters;
       • Are nonsense.
   13. In addition to the above, any player names, player logos, team names, or team logos that are defamatory, pejorative, offensive, vulgar, obscene, anti-Semitic, inciting hatred, or offending against good manners are forbidden. Using alternative spelling or gibberish, in order to avoid the requirements mentioned above, is also prohibited.
   14. 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's discretion.
   15. Players are forbidden from modifying the display of their names to casters in-game (changing colors, adding italics or underscores, etc).
   16. Players are not to falsely represent a team for which they are not a rostered member.
   17. 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 Lead Moderator may receive an AP penalty.
   18. Sister teams are not encouraged. However, an individual can be in a team Discord and not be on the official roster for counseling/friendship/coaching purposes.
   19. The League Moderators reserve the right to suspend or ban the non-complying player or team.

 

3. Reservist/Substitute/Ringers.

1. 1. If teams have decided to play a match and either one has a roster with fewer than the other (or fewer than the standard player team count), they may request the addition of a reservist, which must result in an even player number count in each team or a smaller players difference between the two teams. In other words, teams’ sizes during a match shouldn't change to become even more unbalanced than it was.
   2. Teams must notify the opposing team before the match via Discord that they are using a reservist and who that reservist player is. If a reservist is needed in the middle of the match, the Teams must notify the opposing team as soon as the reservist is identified. 
   3. When submitting match results if a reservist was used, they must be listed on the website.
   4. Only Official Reservists, authorized by the League, can be used to fill empty slots in a match.
      • When a team needs a Substitute, they must visit the Official Substitute page in order to validate which substitutes are available to them according to their MMR.
   5. Official Reservists cannot play for the same team more than twice per season.
   6. Teams are allowed to use at most 1 reservist per match.
      
      

4. Reservist/Substitute/Ringer Scenarios.

1. 1. 5v4 can be played if the team with 4 couldn't find a reservist in time. (1 Reservist may be used by the team with 4 players)
   2. 4v3 can be played if the team with 3 couldn't find a reservist in time. (1 Reservist may be used by the team with 3 players)
   3. 5v3 can be played if the team with 3 couldn't find a reservist in time. (1 Reservist may be used by the team with 3 players)
   4. Any team that can not field at least 3 rostered players is declared a forfeit.

 

5. Cooldowns.

1. 1. Where a player leaves a team for any reason, that player will be subject to a "cooldown" period for the next 2 VRML weeks (that is the 2nd Monday if a player leaves a Monday-Tuesday and the 3rd Monday if a player leaves Wednesday or after). During this period, the player may become a member of the Reservists group or another team, but shall be prohibited from participating in a League match.
      • This rule is inactive during the off-season.

 

6. League Format.

• Definitions
  1. The League’s standings are defined by the MMR assigned to each team during the execution of a Season.
  2. Matchmaking Rating (MMR) is a rating number defined by the team or player’s results, with the objective of matching up similarly ranking teams during the duration of the competition.
  3. In the event that a team changes the majority of its roster (3/5, 4/6, 4/7, 5/8), within 2 weeks, that team, when ready to continue playing, can, upon request, have its MMR recalculated by averaging each Player-MMRs. In order to prevent abuse (notably when a championship is about to start), that recalculated MMR cannot be higher than what it was before the players had left the team.
  4. In the event that a group of players decides 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.

 

7. Matches Organization.

1. 1. The League will generate match-ups each week of the regular season.
   2. The matches are generated on Mondays around 2023-08-05 16:00 (Tuesday if you are located across the international date/timeline) APAC
   3. When weekly matches are generated, any team with fewer than five (5) rostered players will be turned inactive and not be allowed to play the current week.
   4. Teams are responsible for scheduling their matches.
   5. Players must reach out to the other teams using DISCORD to schedule their matches.
   6. Teams must schedule their assigned match by Friday 2023-08-05 16:00 of the week it is to take place. A reminder will be sent if teams are late to schedule
   7. The scores must be submitted within 24 hours after the conclusion of the last round of the match, and before Monday at 15:00 UTC of the following week. Matches under review through support tickets are exempted from this rule.
   8. Teams are responsible for reporting the correct scores on the website. Mistakes made when reporting scores will not be corrected by Moderators except where the error in score reporting changes the overall winner of the match.
   9. All matches must be played and the scores submitted by 2023-08-05 16:00 on the following Monday.
   10. Teams will play a minimum of 1 match per week during the season, with the exception of the following rules:
       • Once per season, a team 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 shall receive a weekly recurrent MMR percentage penalty until it becomes active.
       • If a team's status is set to “inactive,” they will not be assigned a match 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.
       • If a team chooses to use their free inactive week, they should open a ticket to let the League Moderators know.
       • Once per season, when scheduling is deemed to be excessively difficult or impractical, a team can postpone a match without penalty, to be scheduled the following week.
       • Teams can not postpone the last week of the season.
   11. Once a match is scheduled on the VRML website, it may not be rescheduled for another week.
       It may be rescheduled to a different time within the same week if both teams agree.
   12. Occasionally, there may be significant events or circumstances, outside of player control, which affects both 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.
   13. 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 who dropped out will be on cooldown for 2 weeks.
   14. The scheduled times are according to local time. For example, EST in winter and EDT in summer.
   15. Teams can not go inactive during the last week of the season.

 

8. Challenges.

1. 1. The League offers a "Challenge" option which allows players to play an additional match in a given week. Barring special circumstances, teams are not allowed to play more than 1 challenge match per week. Challenges may be rejected without penalty.
   2. The website determines the home/away side based on team history; it is not based on who initiated the challenge.
   3. Barring special circumstances, a team, in order to be able to challenge, must have been active when the weekly matches were generated.
   4. In the event that the League is unable to assign a weekly League match to a team, that team will be permitted additional challenge(s) for that week as a replacement(s).
   5. Challenge matches must be scheduled and played by 2023-08-05 16:00 on the following Monday. The scores must be submitted as soon as the game is over, as usual.
   6. 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 48 hours before the match is to take place. If a challenge match is canceled within 48 hours of its scheduled time, it may be considered a forfeit by the team that cancels.

 

9. Match Defaults & Forfeits.

1. 1. Where teams miss the match scheduling deadline (Friday 2023-08-05 16:00), 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:
      • Where neither team made any arrangement efforts, the match will be considered canceled;
      • A score of 27-21 may be awarded by default with the "win" attributed to the team determined to have been available on the most days.
        With a higher weighting given to weekend availability;
        Monday-Thursday will receive a weighted value of 1.0
        Friday-Sunday will receive a weighted value of 1.3
      • A score of 14-0 may be awarded to a team where their opponent has made little/no effort or been objectively determined to have frustrated the organization of the match; or
      • 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 2 or more occasions and the League Moderators have good cause to believe this will continue.
   4. Teams have a 10 minutes buffer from the scheduled match start time to be in the game lobby with their team members.
      • If a team is waiting for another team, the waiting team must post a message in VAIL VRML's Discord (tagging their opponent) or show other proof to League Moderators that they were ready at the scheduled time.
      • Once the 10 minutes buffer has elapsed, the team that is responsible for the delay forfeits the first map.
      • If a further 10 minutes elapses without match commencement, the offending team is officially declared a "no-show" and a score of 14-0 (total) will be awarded to their opponent.
      • In the case of a forfeit, the "forfeit" option should be selected from the dropdown box under "map" when submitting scores.
      • Any form of a map or match forfeit from teams may be punished if the moderators deem it actionable.
      • Forfeits, Accumulated Penalty Points (AP), and other forms of punitive actions can only be given out by League Moderators and Lead Moderators. 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.

 

10. Match Setup.

1. 1. A match consists of 3 maps. All maps must be played, as the overall scores affect traded MMR outcomes.
   2. The official game mode of League matches is “Artifact”
   3. The official player count is 5v5.
   4. Maps must be played on the day time setting.

 

Map Pool:   Suna Khidi Miru   The same map can not be played twice within a match. Maps can be played on only on day time setting. Match Setup: Teams can elect to choose a map or side  first or pick the map.  If Home chooses the map first, then Away chooses the side or vice versa.    Prior to match start, teams should reach out to each other in DM’s on discord with picks. Home must declare prior to start if they intend to choose Map or Side first. If they choose side first, then Away chooses a map. When a team chooses a side or map first, they must make the choice known before the other picks. For example, if Home chooses to pick Map, they must choose the map before Away choosing which side. Upon completion of a map, a new server can be created and code shared with the opposing team (and caster if casted).   Map 1: [Home] Chooses Server Location | Chooses map or side.  Map 2: [Away] Chooses Server Location | Chooses map or side. Map 3: [Home] Chooses Server Location | Chooses map or side. Server Region alternates every map unless teams agree to remain on the current server.

 

 

11. Timeouts.

1. 1. Between maps, a team may call a timeout for any reason.
   2. Teams are allotted 2 timeouts each per match.
      
      

      1st timeout	10 minutes
      2nd timeout	10 minutes

   3. Only one timeout may be used between Maps. Timeouts will last a full ten minutes unless both teams agree to start sooner. (Ex. Team A takes a timeout, Team B can not call for a timeout after Team A's ends however team A may not end their timeout early without Team B agreeing)
   4. Unless both teams agree to start immediately. There is an automatic 1-minute cooldown between maps.

 

12. Gameplay Clarifications and Restrictions.

1. 1. Global
      1. In offline (LAN) events, it is not permitted to use the "Snap-turn" feature.
   2. Maps
      1. No Map ban locations are in effect.
   3. Mandatory Recording
      1. Players are encouraged to record. However due to the current issues seen on Quest Native. Recording is not required.
   4. Player Skin Cosmetics
      
      1. Player body skin must be the Standard Issue skin.
      2. Colonist: Standard Issue Coat
      3. Reyab: Standard Issue Coat
      4. Player head skin must be the Standard Issue skin.
      5. Colonist: Standard Issue Helmet
      6. Reyab: Standard Issue
      7. Players are allowed to use any hand skin.
      8. Players are allowed to use any weapon skins.

 

13. Championship Rules: Post Season Specific Guidelines and Structures. 

1. Minimum Season Participation:
   To be eligible for the Post Season, a team must have participated in a minimum of 50% of the regular Seasons matches.
2. Active Participation:
   Teams must remain active and engage in matches during the final two weeks of the season to qualify for the post-season.
3. Active Challenges:
   Challenges will be locked last two weeks of the regular season.
4. VR Master League Official weapon skins are awarded the Final 8 Teams competing in the Quarterfinals.
5. Match Documentation:
   All players on a team are required to record the matches played. While teams are not mandated to submit video-on-demand (VOD) files, they must be prepared to provide them upon request. 
6. Timely VOD Availability:
   VODs must be available within 12 hours when requested by a Moderator. 
7. Overlay Approval:
   Xoverlays that obstruct or impede the viewing of gameplay are strictly prohibited. 
8. Unaltered Recordings:
   Recordings must include the full, unaltered video and audio of the gameplay. Any modifications to audio or video, such as adjusting audio levels, may result in forfeiture. The determination of permissible modifications lies with the discretion of League Moderators. 
9. Quality Standards:
   Streams or recordings must meet a minimum quality of 480p and should only include game and team audio communications. 

 

• • Championship Structure and Specific Guidelines. 
    Post Season will consist of 3 Stages. 
    • Challenger Cup - Swiss Tournament. (1 Match Swiss Tournament)
    • Quarterfinals - Single Elimination. (Best of 3)
    • Grand Finals - Single Elimination (Best of 3 and Best of 5)
      
      
    • Stage 1: Challenger Cup.
      
      • Eligibility: Open to all interested who meet the specified critereia. 
        Criteria: Maximum amount of participants: 16 Teams
        Competition Rounds: Swiss Tournament, 1 Round that is required and a CC Final match between the top 2. 
      • Start Times: 2023-08-05 17:00  Europe | 2023-08-05 22:00  North America
        
        
    • Stage 2: Quarterfinals. 
      • Invitations or Pre-Qualification: Participants are either invited by organizers or must pre-qualify through Challenger Cup. 
      • Limited Slots: Will be based on number of participants of a region (Ideally no more than 1% of a region should qualify for the post season.
      • Start Times: 2023-08-05 16:00  Europe | 2023-08-05 21:00  North America 
  •  
    • Stage 3: Grand Finals
      • Semi Finals (Best of 3)
      • Bronze Match (Best of 3)
      • Grand Finals (Best of 5)
      • Start Times: 2023-08-05 16:00  Europe | 2023-08-05 21:00  North America 

 

14. Cheating, Exploits

1. 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 Lead Moderators, have complete discretion on penalties imposed for violations. Examples of penalties: Round forfeit, map forfeit, match forfeit, player suspension, or team suspension.
   2. "Cheating" is intended to include the intentional or reckless manipulation of the game and its code in such a way as to confer an unfair advantage on one side or the other.
   3. "Exploit" is intended to include the intentional or reckless triggering of code, attribute, or in-game function that is otherwise not envisaged as a legitimate feature of the game by AEXLAB
   4. Non-exhaustive examples include:
      1. Going outside of map boundaries;
      2. Use of ziplines to breach map boundaries, or reach spaces that would otherwise be impossible to reach using typical game movement.
      3. Clipping, as a voluntary or involuntary action to hide a partial volume of the body inside a solid object in the game (such as both legs up to the waist, arm, and leg from the same side or any form of clipping of the torso). The League Moderators retain the right to determine if the occurring clipping is within acceptable limits or not;
      4. Peeking through solid walls or floors;
      5. Third-Party VR or Desktop overlays/applications that affect gameplay mechanics or aesthetics (Personal system monitoring/diagnostic overlays are allowed, provided they do not affect previously stated mechanics or aesthetics);
      6. Use of a VPN or any other network manipulation;
      7. Altering SteamVR’s World Scale setting outside of the default 100%.
      8. Planting of the Scanner in any way that makes it difficult or impossible to “Interrupt”.
      9. Use of any bug or exploit to relocate an active scanner.
      10. When rejoining a match a player may be put on the side of the opposite team, in this case:
          1. They must immediately suicide upon round start and click Swap Teams.
          2. They are forbidden from communicating with their team and must not use the death room spectate display.
          3. The opposing team should not pick up or utilize any of the items dropped by them and they must be left in spawn.
      11. Use of invisible walls or ledges that would be unrealistic/unintended by game developers is not permitted.
      12. Any other imaginative cheats.
   5. 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.
   6. 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.
   7. Players are forbidden from using the chat feature of an active cast if they are currently playing in the match being streamed
   8. Permitted actions not deemed exploits:
      1. Shooting player limbs that are clipping through walls or floors. It is a player’s responsibility to ensure that they are not exposing themselves through barriers.

 

15. Streaming and Media.

1. 1. The League Moderators and League Casters are responsible for authorizing the spectating or casting of league matches via the game's spectate function.
   2. All teams must permit League-sanctioned spectators or casters access to official matches upon request.
   3. Unofficial Observers/Spectators (Community Casters) may be used under the following conditions:
      1. Both teams must explicitly agree to an Unofficial Observers/Spectators in writing. 
      2. Community Casters must follow the pinned message in #community-cast on the VAIL VRML Discord Server and link their stream publicly. Privately streaming of matches is prohibited.
      3. Spectating a VRML match without publicly casting it is  also strictly prohibited
      4. Casters must have a 3-min delay set on their streams.
      5. Casters must have a VRML account in good standing with a linked Discord Account in the VAIL VRML Discord Server.
      6. Only Individuals with the community caster role may cast Official VRML matches. (Roles can be obtained in #links-and roles section on the VAIL VRML Discord Server)
      7. The VRML casting team reserves the right to override a community cast at any time.
      8. Community co-casters must follow the rules of a regular community caster.
   4. Official match casting must be streamed via the designated League Twitch channels.
   5. League Casters must abide by the code of conduct maintained by the Casting Coordinator and approved by the League Moderators.
   6. League Moderators may permit a co-caster to stream on another private channel to assist with replay capture.
   7. The League Moderators may, subject to having good cause, require a particular player to submit all recordings of their matches until such a time as specified by the League Moderators.

 

16. Accumulated Penalty Points.

1. 1. The process for getting an AP is as follows:
      1. A player or team violates a rule listed in the AP Table or official rules sheet on the VAIL VRML website.
      2. The penalty is determined according to this AP Table
      3. The penalty points are assigned to the person(s) responsible for the infraction.
      4. When a player accumulates a certain number of points, as determined by the threshold section of this table, a cooldown or disciplinary action is triggered.
   2. AP is tracked on the website, where players can view their AP total.
      1. AP is given by League Moderators and Lead Moderators.
      2. AP expires 180 days after the infraction occurred.
      3. AP tracks across all VRML Leagues.

 

17. Decisions and Sanctions.

1. 1. Contravention of any of the foregoing rules shall be sanctionable on review by League Moderators.
   2. League Moderators reserve the sole right to:
      1. Void or change scores for any match or after it has been played;
      2. Enact disciplinary procedures for any alleged or perceived player misconduct;
      3. Draft, edit, publish, and interpret the rules of the League;
      4. Settle disputes and issue rulings.
   3. Formal disputes among League teams and their members are to be lodged directly with League Moderators via Discord.
      1. Unfounded and baseless accusations against players via any public medium are considered to be an act of misconduct.
   4. 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..).
   5. 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 the appropriate sanction.
   6. Players may not "block " League Moderators.
   7. 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.
   8. 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, Breachers 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.
   9. 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 a Moderator error and affects a tournament. If an error is made, the Moderators will review when the suspension will take place.
   10. 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.