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CCA Summer Series 2024 Official Rules

Table of Contents

1. Introduction and Acceptance

1.1 Introduction

These CCA Summer Series 2024 Official Rules (“Rules”) govern all stages of the CCA Summer Series 2024 (“Tournament” or “CCA Summer Series 2024”), provided by College Carball LLC (“CCA”). These Rules have been designed to ensure the integrity of competitive play of Rocket League (“Rocket League”) in connection with the Tournament, and are intended to promote vigorous competition and to help ensure that all competitive play of Rocket League is fun, fair, and free from Toxic Behavior (as defined below). These Rules may be translated into other languages. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between any translated version of these Rules and the English version of these rules, the English version shall prevail, govern and control. Entry into this Tournament does not constitute entry into any other tournament, competition, contest, or sweepstakes.

1.2 Acceptance

To participate in the Tournament, each player must agree (or, if under 18 years of age or the age of majority as defined in such player’s country of residence (a “Minor”), such player’s parent or legal guardian must agree on such player’s behalf) to follow these Rules at all times, including the Code of Conduct in Section 7 (“Player”). A Player (or, if a Minor, such Player’s parent or legal guardian) must accept these Rules as part of the Tournament registration form, available at the Registration Website (as defined below). By participating in any game or match that is part of the Tournament, a Player is confirming that he or she (or, if a Minor, his or her parent or legal guardian) has accepted these Rules pursuant to this Section 1.2, including, but not limited to, the eligibility restrictions set forth in Section 5. These Rules also apply to each Team that has been authorized to participate in the Tournament and its manager (“Manager”) and coach (“Coach”) (as applicable). Participation in any Tournament by a Team is conditioned on the acceptance of these Rules by the Manager and Coach of the Team (as applicable).

1.3 Enforcement

CCA will have primary responsibility for enforcing these Rules and may, working with the Tournament Administrators (as defined below), impose sanctions on Players, Managers, Coaches, and Teams for violations of these Rules, as further described in Section 8.2.

1.4 Amendments

CCA may update, revise, change, or modify these Rules from time to time. Participation in the Tournament after any update, revision, change, or modification to these Rules will be deemed acceptance of these Rules as updated, revised, changed, or modified.

2. Tournament Structure

2.1 Definition of Terms

  • “Best-of-X”: means a Match that has X number of Games, and the Team that wins a majority of the Games is declared the winner. Once a Team wins the number of Games needed to reach the requisite majority, then that Team will be declared the winner of the Match, and any Games that have not been played at that point will not be played. For example, in a Best-of-Three Match, once a Team wins two Games, that Team will immediately be declared the winner of that Match.
  • “Bracket Reset”: means a scenario in which a Team that hasn’t lost a Match in a Double Elimination Bracket loses a Match in the Grand Finals.
  • “Conference”: means the East Conference and West Conference.
  • “East Conference”: means Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • “Eligibility Area”: means Canada (excluding Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon), Mexico, and United States (including Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands).
  • “Game”: means a single competition between two Teams.
  • “Match”: means Tournament play between two Teams that may involve multiple Games, as described in Section 2.3.
  • “Region”: means the RLCS server region in which a Player or Team competes.
  • “Registration Website”: means the website https://start.gg/CCAOpenSpring2024 or any subsequent URL which may replace it from time to time.
  • “Round Robin”: means a stage of the Tournament where each Team plays against every other Team.
  • “Rules Website”: means the website https://www.cca.gg/cca-summer-series-2024-official-rules/ or any subsequent URL which may replace it from time to time.
  • “Scholastic Award”: means an educational award as set forth in Section 4.
  • “Starting Player”: means a player who played at least 50% of a Team’s League Play (as defined below) Matches.
  • “Team”: means a group of Players who compete in the Tournament together as a unit. A description of Team requirements is provided in Section 6.
  • “Tournament Administrator”: means any CCA employee or member of the admin team, broadcast team, production team, event staff, or anyone else otherwise employed or contracted for the purpose of running the Tournament.
  • “Tournament Entities”: means CCA, the Tournament Administrators, any official sponsors of the Tournament, and each of their respective parent, subsidiary and affiliated entities, vendors, agents, and representatives, and the officers, directors and employees of all of the foregoing.
  • “West Conference”: means Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and Mexico.
  • “Winning Player”: means any Player that is officially declared a Winning Player as set forth in Section 4.  For the avoidance of doubt, no Player residing from a Scholastic Award Restricted Region (as defined below) shall be, at any time or under any circumstances, entitled to receive any Scholastic Award prizes from CCA in connection with the Tournament.

2.2 Schedule

As set forth more fully in Section 2.3, the Tournament consists of three (3) Tournament Stages (as defined below). The schedule that corresponds to each Tournament stage is outlined in this Section (such period referred to herein as the “Tournament Period”).

2.2.1 Tournament Dates

2.2.1.1 Open Qualifiers (“CCA Summer Series Qualifiers”, or “Open Qualifiers”)

  • Open Qualifier Registration
    • Qualifier 1: May 22, 2024 – June 11, 2024 (Closes at 7:00 PM ET on June 11, 2024)
    • Qualifier 2: May 22, 2024 – June 25, 2024 (Closes at 7:00 PM ET on June 25, 2024)
  • Open Qualifiers
    • Qualifier 1: June 15, 2024
    • Qualifier 2: June 29, 2024
  • League Play
    • Week 1: July 1, 2024 – July 7, 2024
    • Week 2: July 8, 2024 – July 14, 2024
    • Week 3: July 15, 2024 – July 21, 2024
    • Week 4: July 22, 2024 – July 28, 2024
  • Championship
    • Day 1: August 2, 2024
    • Day 2: August 3, 2024
    • Day 3: August 4, 2024

2.2.2 Rescheduling

CCA may, in its sole discretion, reorder the schedule and/or change the date for any Match or session of the Tournament (or change any Game mode to be played in connection therewith). However, if the Tournament schedule is so modified, CCA will inform all Players at its earliest convenience.

2.3 Tournament Stages and Format

2.3.1 Open Qualifiers

Teams will register for each Open Qualifier (“Open Qualifier”) for the applicable Conference. Teams may participate in up to two (2) Open Qualifiers, each of which is comprised of a Double Elimination Bracket (“Double Elimination Bracket”), meaning that a Team will not be eligible to advance if they lose two (2) Matches in the bracket. Seeding will be determined by CCA and/or Tournament Administrators at their discretion. All initial Matches in the Open Qualifiers will be Best-of-Three. Once the Open Qualifiers reach the Upper Semifinals and Lower Quarterfinal, the Matches will be Best-of-Five. The final eight (8) Teams that remain after each Open Qualifier will qualify to participate in League Play and will be ineligible to participate in any additional Open Qualifiers. If a Team has qualified for League Play in Open Qualifier 1, they do not need to participate in Open Qualifier 2.

2.3.2 League Play

League Play (“League Play”) is a sixteen (16) Team Round Robin with the sixteen (16) Teams that have qualified from the Open Qualifiers. The Teams will play one Best-of-Five Match against every other Team in their Conference. Rankings will be determined by comparing the total number of Match wins earned by a Team during the League Play. If a Team misses the start time for a given Match and/or is otherwise disqualified from a Match for any reason by the Tournament Administrators, the Match will be recorded as a 0-0 win in favor of the opposing Team. In certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, violations of the Code of Conduct in Section 7, a Match may be recorded as a 3-0 win in favor of the opposing Team at the Tournament Administrator’s discretion.

2.3.3 Championship

The top six (6) ranked Teams from each Conference following League Play for that Conference will compete in the Championship (“Championship”). The Championship is comprised of a Double Elimination Bracket. The first and second place Teams of each Conference’s League Play will advance to the Upper Semifinals and the third through sixth place Teams of each Conference’s League Play will advance to Lower Round 1. All Matches in Lower Round 1 and Lower Round 2 will be Best-of-Five. All Matches in Upper Semifinals, Upper Finals, Grand Final, Lower Quarterfinals, Lower Semifinals, and Lower Finals will be Best-of-Seven.

2.4 Tiebreakers

If two or more Teams in the Tournament achieve the same number of Match wins, resulting in a tie, the tie(s) will be resolved by applying the tiebreaking mechanisms listed below (i-v), in order of application. All calculations involve only Games from the Tournament (excluding the Conference Playoffs), as applicable.
  1. Overall Game Differential: The total number of Games won by a Team minus the total number of Games lost by such Team (“Game Differential”).
  2. Head to Head: Game Differential in Games between tied Teams.
iii. Game Differential Against Common Opponents: Calculate the Game Differential for tied Teams against the highest ranked team that is not a tied Team (“Included Teams”). If still tied, then the same process will be used, but will also include the second highest ranked Team outside of the tied Team, then the third highest ranked Team outside of the tied Team and so forth.
  1. Highest Goal Differential in Games between tied Teams: The total goals scored by a Team minus the total goals allowed by such Team (“Goal Differential”). Calculate the Goal Differential for the Included Teams. If still tied, then the same process will be used, but will also include the second highest ranked Team outside of the tied Team, then the third highest ranked Team outside of the tied Team and so forth.

3. Game Play Rules

This Section sets forth the “Game Play Rules” governing play during the Tournament.

3.1 Match Settings

3.1.1 Game Settings

  •   Default Arena: DFH Stadium
  •   Team Size: 3v3
  •   Bot Difficulty: No Bots
  •   Mutators: None
  •   Match Time: 5 Minutes
  •   Joinable By: Name/Password
  •   Platform: PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox One X, Xbox One S, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S
  •   Server: US-East

3.1.2 Controllers

All standard controllers, including mouse and keyboard, are legal. Macro functions (e.g., turbo buttons) are not permitted. Note that wireless controllers are not permitted in the World Championship.

3.1.3 Arenas

In the Open Qualifiers, all Games are played on DFH Stadium. In all other stages of the Tournament, the map rotation will be chosen from the standard arenas, chosen by Tournament Administrators at their sole discretion. For broadcasted Matches, Teams may request to avoid an arena due to performance issues and are required to submit a detailed request to Tournament Administrators no less than 24-hours prior to the Match start time. The Tournament Administrators reserve the right to reject for any reason, in their sole discretion, any request made by Teams to avoid an arena.

3.2 Match Procedures

3.2.1 Hosting and Team Colors

Tournament Administrators will specify which Team is blue and which Team is orange. In the Open Qualifiers, Teams will be instructed how to host the Match. In all other stages of the Tournament, a Tournament Administrator will host the Match.

3.2.2 Re-Hosts

Between Games in a Match, Teams may request that the Match be re-hosted on the same server region due to connection issues. In League Play, Teams may mutually agree to cancel the current Game of the Match and re-host the Match with approval from Tournament Administrators. Tournament Administrators reserve the right to suspend and invalidate the current Game of the Match for a re-host at any time.

3.2.3 Servers

In West Conference Matches, “US-West” is the default server unless both Teams agree to play on “US-Central” or “US-East.” In East Conference Matches, “US-East” is the default server unless both Teams agree to play on “US-Central” or “US-West.”

3.2.4 Game Start

Players may not join their designated side until three Players from each Team have joined the Game.

3.2.5 Substitutions

A “Substitution” is defined as changing the Player line-up after a Match has started. Substitutions may only occur in between Games in a Match, and Teams are limited to two (2) Substitutions per Match.

3.2.6 Reporting Scores

During the Open Tournaments, after a Match is completed, the winning Team must submit the Match result to Tournament Administrators in a designated chatroom. The losing Team must also confirm the Match result. Taking a screenshot of the results screen or saving the replay file of the Match is required in case of disputed results. If a Team disputes a Match claiming a win and submits proof of its claim, the other Team must submit proof of its claim to avoid an automatic forfeit of the Match. Any Teams or Players found to have submitted false or doctored results will be subject to disciplinary action as further described in Section 8.2.

3.2.7 Observers

In-game observers are not allowed except for Tournament Administrators and their designees.

3.2.8 Technical Issues

Due to the nature and scale of online competition, except as otherwise determined by Tournament Administrators in their sole discretion, Matches will not be restarted or made null due to bugs, intentional disconnections, server crashes, or unintentional disconnections. Except as otherwise determined by Tournament Administrators in their sole discretion, any technical issues or bug encounters must be played through. If a Team calls for a rematch due to a technical issue or bug encounter, such Team must save the replay and submit it to the Tournament Administrators for review. In addition, Players acknowledge and agree that in participating in a Rocket League competitive event the individual Player solely determines which platform to use (i.e., PC or console (as applicable)) and understands that he/she may face Players competing on a different platform. Additionally, Players acknowledge that the different platforms may offer features, such as controllers, Player interface, and/or ability to individualize certain game settings/sensitivities, etc., which may arguably provide a competitive advantage to one platform over another. Players acknowledge their sole competitive platform choice and agree and waive any responsibility or liability of CCA relating to such Player’s involvement in a multiplatform competition, including any alleged competitive advantage of any other platform.

3.3 Team Rosters

3.3.1 Team Point-of-Contacts

Each Team must declare one member of its roster to be the “Team Point-of-Contact” who represents the Team for all official decisions and serves as the main point of contact for the Team.

3.3.2  Rosters

Teams may only use Players who are on their Roster for a Match. Rosters must contain a minimum of three (3) starting Players (each, a “Starter”), and may contain up to one (1) designated reserve Player who may be used as an alternate (each, a “Reserve”). Rosters may also include a Manager and/or a Coach who, depending on whether they also serve in a Starter or Reserve role, may or may not play in a Match. An individual may not simultaneously be part of more than one Roster at a time. Rosters will be deemed locked following at the close of the Tournament registration process set out in Section 6.1.4 (the “Registration Process”) at the time and date to be specified on the Registration Website (such dates and times collectively, the “Roster Lock Deadline”). Teams will not be permitted to add or swap Players after the Roster Lock Deadline has expired.
  • “Starter”: A Roster must contain a minimum of three (3) Starters. A Starter is eligible to compete in a Match.
  • “Reserve”: A Roster may contain up to one (1) Reserve. A Reserve is eligible to compete in a Match.
  • “Coach”: A Roster may contain up to one (1) Coach. A Coach is eligible to compete in a Match if they also serve in a Starter or Reserve role.
  • “Manager”: A Roster may contain up to one (1) Manager. A Manager is eligible to compete in a Match if they also serve in a Starter or Reserve role.

3.3.3 Roster Submission

Starting rosters for each Match must be submitted to Tournament Administrators at least 24-hours before the applicable Match.

3.3.4 Player or Team Names

Players or Teams may not change their User Names, in-Game names, or Team Names without approval from Tournament Administrators. All such names must comply with these Rules (including, without limitation, Section 5) and Tournament Administrators may request that they be changed at any time. Team Names must include some form of the school’s name that the Team represents. A roster shall not contain duplicates of the same name, names that consist only of symbols, or names that are difficult to distinguish from one another.

3.4 Match Obligations

3.4.1 Punctuality

All Teams must have three (3) Players in the online Match lobby and in the designated chatroom by the Match start time. Teams that do not have three Players ready to play after ten (10) minutes of the Match start time will be subject to disciplinary actions as further described in Section 8.2.

3.4.2 Forfeits

Teams may not voluntarily forfeit a Match without prior authorization from Tournament Administrators.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, even with such authorization, such Teams will be subject to disciplinary actions as further described in Section 8.2.

3.4.3 Communications

Teams will communicate with their opponents and Tournament Administrators in a designated chatroom during all online stages of the Tournament.

3.5 Match Disruptions

3.5.1 Disconnects

3.5.1.1 Disconnects during non-broadcasted Matches

If a disconnect occurs in a non-broadcasted Match, the shorthanded Team must continue to play out the single Game within the Match. The disconnected Player may rejoin during the Game that the disconnect occurred in or in between Games of a Match but may not join in the middle of subsequent Games in the Match. After a disconnect, if the Player cannot rejoin during the same Game, the Player will have five (5) minutes to rejoin before the next Game of the Match series begins. If the disconnected Player is unable to join the Game prior to the next Game in the Match, the Player’s Team may substitute another Player from their Roster (subject to the Substitution rules set forth in Section 3.2.5) if this is the first disconnect for the Team during the Match.

3.5.1.2 Disconnects during broadcasted Matches

If a disconnect occurs during a Broadcasted Match, the shorthanded Team must immediately notify the Tournament Administrators in the designated chatroom. The Tournament Administrators may pause the Game once the disconnect notification has been received, at their sole discretion. If Tournament Administrators identify that a Player has disconnected without being notified, they may pause a Match to allow the Player to reconnect. Once the Game has been paused, the disconnected Player will have eight (8) minutes to rejoin before the Game resumes. In the event of multiple pauses for disconnections, the total time will be counted towards the affected Team’s eight (8) minute timer. If the Player cannot rejoin before the affected Team’s eight (8) minute timer expires, the shorthanded Team will forfeit the single Game within the Match. If the Player does not rejoin during the same Game in which they disconnected, the Player will have three (3) additional minutes following the Game to rejoin before the next Game of the Match begins. The disconnected Player may only rejoin during the Game in which the disconnect occurred in or in between Games of a Match but may not join in the middle of subsequent Games in the Match. If the disconnected Player is unable to join the Game prior to the next Game in the Match, the Player’s Team must substitute another Player from their roster (subject to the Substitution rules set forth in Section 4.2.5) or forfeit the Match. Once the disconnected Player rejoins the Game or the allotted rejoin time has expired, the Teams have thirty (30) seconds to confirm with Tournament Administrators that each Team is ready to unpause. Once each Team has confirmed its readiness, the Game will resume from a neutral kickoff or from continuation of play as determined by the Tournament Administrators.

3.5.2 Stoppage of Play

Tournament Administrators may pause a Game or Match at any time and for any reason. In the event of a stoppage of play, Players must remain at their devices and may not communicate with other Players until the Game or Match is resumed.

3.5.3 Timeouts

For any Best-of-Seven Match that occurs during the Championship, Teams may request one (1) timeout (each, a “Timeout”) between Games during such Match. Each Timeout will last for two (2) minutes. A Team must notify a Tournament Administrator immediately after the conclusion of a Game if it elects to use a Timeout. Tournament Administrators reserve the right to deny a Team a Timeout if such Team fails to make its election in accordance with the deadlines set forth in this Section 3.5.3. At the conclusion of the Timeout, Tournament Administrators will confirm that each Team is ready to continue the series before Gameplay can resume. For clarity, Timeouts cannot be used in Best-of-Five Matches or during Gameplay. In addition, Timeouts cannot be used to extend or circumvent disqualification timers as set forth in Section 3.5.1.

3.5.4 Restarts

Tournament Administrators may order a Game or Match restart due to exceptional circumstances, such as if a bug significantly affects a Player’s ability to play or the Game or Match is disrupted by a Force Majeure or other event.

3.5.5 Log Submission

If a Player or Team makes a complaint that results in a Game or Match restart, they shall provide Tournament Administrators with log files from the Game or Match. These log files will be subject to investigation, and if Tournament Administrators determine that the restart was falsely requested, such Player or Team will be subject to disciplinary actions as further described in Section 8.2.

4. Scholastic Awards

4.1 League Play

Subject to Sections 4.3 through 4.5, the following Scholastic Awards will be awarded to each Team (divided equally among all starting Players) based on its placement at the conclusion of League Play:
Standing Scholastic Award Amount (USD)
First Place $1,000.00
Second Place $700.00
Third Place $600.00
Fourth Place $500.00
Fifth Place $400.00
Sixth Place $400.00
Seventh Place $350.00
Eighth Place $350.00
Ninth Place $300.00
Tenth Place $300.00
Eleventh Place $300.00
Twelfth Place $300.00
Thirteenth Place $300.00
Fourteenth Place $300.00
Fifteenth Place $300.00
Sixteenth Place $300.00

4.2 Championship

Subject to Sections 4.3 through 4.5, the following Scholastic Awards will be awarded to each Team (divided equally among all starting Players) based on its placement at the conclusion of the Championship:
Standing Scholastic Award Amount (USD)
First Place $1,500.00
Second Place $1,000.00
Third Place $700.00
Fourth Place $600.00
Fifth Place $450.00
Sixth Place $450.00
Seventh Place $350.00
Eighth Place $350.00
Ninth Place $300.00
Tenth Place $300.00
Eleventh Place $300.00
Twelfth Place $300.00

4.3 Scholastic Award Conditions

Without limitation of Sections 4.4 and 4.5, in order to receive a Scholastic Award, potential Winning Players are required to provide CCA with: (i) such potential Winning Player’s RocketID; (ii) such potential Winning Player’s residential address; (iii) such potential Winning Player’s student identification number; (iv) a copy of an official transcript from such potential Winning Player’s current school; and (v) such potential Winning Player’s expected graduation date. Scholastic Awards will not be disbursed until all required information has been provided and the verification of eligibility process has been completed by CCA pursuant to these Rules.

4.4 Scholastic Award Restricted Regions

NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING OR ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THESE RULES TO THE CONTRARY, IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL IN TURKEY OR RUSSIA (EACH, A “SCHOLASTIC AWARD RESTRICTED REGION”), YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE (AND IF A MINOR, YOUR PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES) THAT YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR NOR ENTITLED TO WIN ANY SCHOLASTIC AWARD PRIZES IN CONNECTION WITH THE TOURNAMENT.

4.5 Scholastic Award Payment

Only Winning Players (as determined by CCA pursuant to this Section 4.5) will be eligible to receive the applicable Scholastic Awards set forth in Section 4.  No other Player from a Team with a score/performance lower than the Winning Players shall be, at any time or under any circumstances, entitled to receive any Scholastic Awards in connection with the Tournament. For clarity, Scholastic Awards are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied. Scholastic Awards are not transferable or assignable and cannot be transferred by Winning Players. Non-cash Scholastic Awards (if any) cannot be redeemed for cash. All Scholastic Awards details are at the sole discretion of CCA. Winning Players are not entitled to any surplus between actual retail value of Scholastic Award and approximate retail value and any difference between approximate and actual value of the Scholastic Award will not be awarded. Winning Players are responsible for any costs and expenses associated with Scholastic Award acceptance and use not specified herein as being provided. Winning Players may not substitute a Scholastic Award, but CCA reserves the right, at its sole discretion, in case of justified reasons, to substitute a Scholastic Award (or portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value. Additional terms and conditions may apply to acceptance and use of a Scholastic Award. Upon formal notification from CCA, a potential Winning Player shall have 90 days from the date such notice was emailed to respond and provide any information or materials requested by CCA, including the Release (as defined below) for purposes of verification of eligibility pursuant to Section 5. Such response from a potential Winning Player must be delivered to the email address from which CCA’s notification was sent or, at CCA’s sole option, another email address specified in the notification. In addition, a potential Winning Player must keep the Epic Account that he or she provided to CCA pursuant to Section 5.3 active throughout the verification of eligibility process. The date of receipt by CCA shall be decisive for a potential Winning Player’s compliance with the deadlines set forth in this Section 4.5. In the event of (a) the failure by any such Player to (i) keep the Epic Account that he or she provided to CCA pursuant to Section 5.3 active throughout the verification of eligibility process or (ii) timely respond to any notification or request for materials or information; or (b) any such Player being unable to accept or receive the Scholastic Award for any reason (including, without limitation, for failure to provide the necessary tax and payment information through CCA’s approved tax and payment processing vendors), then in either case (items (a) or (b)), such Player shall be disqualified, and such Player shall not be entitled to win any Scholastic Awards in connection with the Tournament. In such cases, no alternate Winning Player will be named, and CCA shall have the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to (y) award any Scholastic Award amounts that would have otherwise been awarded to such disqualified Player as part of a future CCA Open  tournaments or (z) award any such Scholastic Award amounts to non-profit causes and efforts. A Winning Player will only be announced once the verification of eligibility process has been completed by CCA pursuant to these Rules. Winning Players will also be required to provide certain payment information to CCA, including any required tax information forms, in order to receive the Scholastic Awards. CCA may withhold payment of the prizes if the Winning Player fails to provide the applicable payment forms to CCA in a timely manner. SCHOLASTIC AWARDS ARE SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE INTERNATIONAL, FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INCOME AND WITHHOLDING TAXES) AND IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH WINNING PLAYER  TO (I) CHECK WITH HIS OR HER LOCAL TAX ADVISOR TO DETERMINE WHICH TAXES APPLY TO HIM OR HER AND (II) PAY SUCH TAXES TO THE APPROPRIATE TAX AUTHORITY. To the extent applicable, Scholastic Award income and tax withholding will be reported on forms (y) 1099-MISC for US residents and 1042-S for non-US residents, and (z) any other relevant tax forms as may be required by applicable law. CCA will determine the payment method for the Scholastic Awards in its sole discretion and, except as otherwise required by applicable law, all payments will be made directly to the Winning Player in his or her capacity as an individual (or, if a Minor, to the Winning Player’s parent or legal guardian). Each Winning Player will be provided a Scholastic Award Acceptance and Release Form (“Release”). Unless restricted by applicable law, each Winning Player (or, if a Minor, such Winning Player’s parent or legal guardian) will be required to complete and submit the Release in accordance with the deadlines set forth in this Section 4.5.

5. Player Eligibility

5.1 Player Age, Residency and Academic Status

5.1.1 Player Age & Residency

Players must be at least 15 years old (or such other age, if greater, as may be required in such Player’s country of residence) in order to participate in the Tournament. Additionally, Minors must have permission to participate from a parent or legal guardian pursuant to Section 1.2.

5.1.2 Academic Status

Players must (a) be enrolled full time (in accordance with the requirements of their accredited two- or four-year college, university, or postsecondary vocational-technical school in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico) and (b) maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA or similar, which can be evidenced by an official school transcript, in each case (items (a) and (b)), for the Spring 2024 semester or the Fall 2024 semester.

5.1.3 Ineligible Players

Ineligible Players who mislead or attempt to mislead Tournament Administrators by providing false eligibility information or, if a Minor, a forged parental consent will be subject to disciplinary actions as further described in Section 8.2.

5.2 Rocket League EULA

Each Player must follow the Rocket League End User License Agreement (“Rocket League EULA”) (https://www.psyonix.com/eula/). These Rules add to, and do not replace, the Rocket League EULA.

5.3 Epic Account

In order to facilitate the Scholastic Award payment process set forth in Section 4.5, each Player must (a) have an active, valid Epic Games Account registered to such Player (“Epic Account”) and (b) provide such Epic Account to CCA as part of the Tournament registration process (the “Registration Process”). To open an Epic Account, Players can visit https://www.epicgames.com/id/register/date-of-birth and follow the onscreen instructions. For clarity, providing an Epic Account as part of the Registration Process does not guarantee that a Player will receive a Scholastic Award in connection with the Tournament. Only Winning Players will be eligible to receive Scholastic Awards in connection with the Tournament.

5.4 Team and Player Names, Logos, Avatars and Branding Restrictions

5.4.1 Names & Code of Conduct

All Team and individual Player names must follow the Code of Conduct in Section 7. CCA and the Tournament Administrators each may restrict or change Team and individual Player tags or screen names for any reason.

5.4.2 Names & Trademarks

The name used by a Team or Player may not include or make use of the terms Rocket League®, Psyonix, Epic Games, CCA, eFuse, NECC or any other trademark, trade name, or logo owned by or licensed to Psyonix, Epic Games, CCA, eFuse, or NECC.

5.4.3 Impersonation

The name used by a Team or Player cannot be an impersonation of another Team, Player, streamer, celebrity, government official, CCA employee, or any other person or entity.

5.4.4 Display Names

Prior to the start of the Tournament, CCA and/or Tournament Administrators will work directly with all invited Teams and Players to determine a suitable display name for use in connection with the Tournament. Teams and Players must use this agreed upon identifier for the duration of the Tournament.

5.4.5 Restrictions

CCA and/or Tournament Administrators each reserves the right to prohibit or restrict the use of any in-game item during Tournament Gameplay (including, without limitation, prohibiting the use of any third party copyrighted materials in a manner that indicates, suggests, or could be interpreted as representing association or affiliation with such third party).

5.6 Good Standing

Players must be in good standing with respect to the Epic Account, Steam, Microsoft Account, Nintendo Account, or PlayStation Network ID (each, a “Tournament Account”) used by such Players in connection with the Tournament, with no undisclosed violations.  This means that, without limitation, a Player’s Tournament Account (a) must be registered in such Player’s name, and cannot have been previously purchased, gifted, or otherwise transferred from another Player; and (b) must have the requisite access levels to the Epic Games Store, Steam, Xbox Live, Nintendo Network, or the PlayStation Network, as applicable. Players, Teams, and/or Control Persons (as applicable) must also be free of or served fully any suspensions or other sanctions imposed in connection with a previous violation of any official CCA rules.

5.7 Additional Restrictions

The Tournament in all parts is open to eligible Players who reside in the Eligibility Area but is void wherever restricted or prohibited by applicable law or in any country where participation is prohibited by U.S. law.

6. Team Formation, Operations and Conduct

6.1 Teams

The Tournament is comprised entirely of Teams. Players must combine to form a Team consisting of at least three individual Players, but no more than five individual Players.

6.1.1 Academic Institution

Teams must be comprised of Players attending the same academic institution. All Players on a Team must be able to provide proof of enrollment to the same academic institution pursuant to Section 5.1.2.

6.1.2 Eligibility Area

Teams must be comprised of Players who reside within the Eligibility Area.

6.1.3 Single Team Affiliation

Players may participate on only one Team at a time throughout the Tournament.

6.1.4 Registration

Each Player on a Team must satisfy all eligibility requirements set forth herein for Players, and each such Team Player must register on the Registration Website before the close of the Registration Process in order to be considered a member of the applicable Team. During the Registration Process, one Team member will create/register the Team Name and Players will be able to join the Team by searching the Team Name or by invite. In the event a Team progresses to further rounds of the Tournament, the Tournament Administrators will attempt to notify the Team through its Team Point-of-Contact.

6.1.5 Eligibility

All members of a Team that fall within the Scholastic Award thresholds set forth in Section 4 must successfully pass the verification of eligibility process described in Section 4.5 in order to be eligible to receive such Scholastic Awards (subject to Section 4.5). If one member of a Team fails the verification of eligibility process, all members of that Team will be disqualified as potential Winning Players, and that Team shall not be entitled to win any Scholastic Awards in connection with the Tournament; provided, for clarity, that a Team member who resides within a Scholastic Award Restricted Region shall not automatically force a disqualification of the other Team members as potential Winning Players pursuant to this Section 6.1.5.

6.1.6 Agreement

Each member of the Team, including the Team Point-of-Contact, shall be deemed to have jointly and severally made and entered into all of the representations, warranties, and agreements contained herein and shall be jointly and severally obligated and bound thereby. Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, all of the Tournament Administrators’ rights pursuant to these Rules relate to and are exercisable against the Team as a whole and each individual member of the Team. If any right of disqualification arises as to any individual member of the Team, then the right of disqualification may be exercised either as to such individual member of the Team, or to the Team as a whole, as the Tournament Administrators may elect in their sole discretion. If the Tournament Administrators elect to disqualify fewer than all members of a Team, then the remaining Players shall continue to be bound by these Rules, and if permitted in the sole discretion of the Tournament Administrators, the Team may replace the disqualified Player(s) (even if the disqualified Player was the Team Point-of-Contact) with a new eligible Player and continue to compete under the same Team Name if each disqualified Player promptly signs any writing deemed necessary by Tournament Administrators to permit his/her former Team member(s) to continue to participate in the Tournament using the Team’s name, or under a new name if permitted in the sole discretion of the Tournament Administrators. Any Team member who elects to end his/her participation in the Tournament, and/or is disqualified from the Tournament, will not be permitted to participate in the Tournament in any capacity and will not be eligible to receive any portion of a Scholastic Award won by the Player’s Team at the sole discretion of the Tournament Administrator.

6.2 Team Relationships

The Rules do not govern relationships between or among Players on a Team. The terms of the relationship between Players and their respective Teams are left to each of the Teams and their Players. However, disputes between Team members may be grounds for disqualifying the applicable Team or any of its Team members, as determined by the Tournament Administrators in their sole discretion.

6.3 Responsibilities of Team Managers and Coaches

6.3.1 Team Actions

No Team (including its agents, officers, employees and subcontractors), Manager, or Coach may engage in collusion, Match fixing, the bribery of a referee or Match official, or any other unfair or illegal action or agreement to intentionally influence (or attempt to influence) the outcome of any Game, Match, or Tournament.

6.3.2 Control Persons

No Managers, Coaches, or other persons having supervisory or managerial responsibility for a Team in the Tournament (collectively, “Control Persons”) shall: (a) be a Control Person of another academic institution’s Team in the Tournament; or (b) either directly or indirectly be involved in or have any power to determine the management or administration of another academic institution’s Team or influence the performance of another academic institution’s Team in any Game, Match, or Tournament.

6.3.3 Control Person Appointment

A Team shall not appoint as a Control Person any individual who: (a) is a Control Person of any other academic institution’s Team; or (b) either directly or indirectly is involved in or has any power to determine the management or administration of another academic institution’s Team or influence the performance of another academic institution’s Team in any Game, Match, or Tournament.

7. Code of Conduct

7.1 Personal Conduct; No Toxic Behavior

7.1.1 Code of Conduct

All Players and Control Persons must conduct themselves in a way that is at all times consistent with (a) the Code of Conduct in this Section 7 (“Code of Conduct”) and (b) the general principles of personal integrity, honesty, and good sportsmanship.

7.1.2 Respect

Players and Control Persons must be respectful of other Players, Tournament Administrators, and spectators.

7.1.3 Violations

Players and Control Persons shall not behave in a manner (a) which violates these Rules, (b) which is disruptive, unsafe or destructive, or (c) which is otherwise harmful to the enjoyment of Rocket League by other users as intended by CCA (as decided by CCA). In particular, Players shall not engage in harassing or disrespectful conduct, use of abusive or offensive language, Game sabotage, spamming, social engineering, scamming, or any unlawful activity (“Toxic Behavior”).

7.1.4 Disciplinary Action

Any violation of these Rules may expose a Player, a Control Person,  or an entire Team to disciplinary action as further described in Section 8.2, whether or not that violation was committed intentionally.

7.2 Competitive Integrity

7.2.1 Unfair Play

Each Player is expected to play within the spirit of Rocket League and these Rules at all times during any Game or Match.  Any form of unfair play is prohibited by these Rules, and may result in disciplinary action. Examples of unfair play include the following:
  • Collusion (e.g., any agreement between two or more Teams or Players on different Teams to pre-determine the outcome of a Game or Match), Match fixing, bribing a referee or Match official, or any other unfair or illegal action or agreement to intentionally influence (or attempt to influence) the outcome of any Game, Match, or Tournament.
  • Hacking or otherwise modifying the intended behavior of the Rocket League game client.
  • Playing or allowing another Player to play on a Tournament Account registered in another person’s name (or soliciting, encouraging, or directing someone else to do so).
  • Using any kind of cheating device, program, or similar cheating method to gain a competitive advantage.
  • Intentionally exploiting any game function (e.g., an in-game bug or glitch) in a manner not intended by CCA in order to gain a competitive advantage.
  • Using distributed denial of service attacks, swatting, or similar methods to interfere with another Player’s connection to the Rocket League game client.
  • Using macro keys or similar methods to automate in-game actions.
  • Intentionally disconnecting from a Match without a legitimate reason for doing so.
  • Accepting any gift, reward, bribe, or compensation for services promised, rendered, or to be rendered in connection with unfair play of Rocket League (e.g., services designed to throw or fix a Match or Game).
  • Interfering with the operation of the Tournament, the Rules Website, or any website owned or operated by CCA or the Tournament Administrators.
  • Engaging in any activity that is illegal in the jurisdiction where the affected Player is located.
  • Making any modification to Rocket League that has not been disclosed to and authorized by the Tournament Administrators.
  • Using any Tournament facilities, services, or equipment provided or made available by the Tournament Entities to post, transmit, disseminate, or otherwise make available any communications prohibited by the Code of Conduct.
  • Disconnecting from the in-game lobby before being dismissed by Tournament Administrators.
  • Changing in-game Player or user name to a name other than Player’s registered user name.
  • Otherwise violating these Rules.

7.3 Wagering

Players and Control Persons shall not (a) conduct or promote betting, wagering, or gambling on the Tournament or any portion thereof, or (b) benefit, either directly or indirectly, from betting, wagering, or gambling on the Tournament or any portion thereof.

7.4 Harassment

7.4.1 Anti-Harassment

Players and Control Persons are prohibited from engaging in any form of harassing, abusive, or discriminatory conduct based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other status or characteristic protected under applicable law.

7.4.2 Reporting and Investigation

Any Player or Control Person who witnesses or is subjected to harassing, abusive, or discriminatory conduct should notify a Tournament Administrator. All complaints reported pursuant to this Section 7.4.2 will be promptly investigated and appropriate action will be taken. Retaliation against any Player or Control Person who brings forward a complaint or cooperates in the investigation of a complaint is prohibited.

7.5 Confidentiality

A Player or Control Person may not disclose to any third party any confidential information provided by the Tournament Administrators, CCA, or its parent or affiliates concerning Rocket League, the Tournament, CCA, or its parent or affiliates, by any method of communication, including by posting on social media channels.

7.6 Illegal Conduct

Players and Control Persons are required to comply with all applicable laws at all times.

7.7 Dress Code

During the Tournament, all Players must adhere to the Dress Code (“Dress Code”). Without in any way limiting the foregoing, the Dress Code shall apply to all Players during the Event’s media day, gameplay, and such other Tournament-related activities as may be designated by the Tournament Administrator.

7.8 Player Presentation

Players must present themselves in a manner that is appropriate for the audience of the Game and is consistent with the spirit and tone of the Tournament (as determined by the Tournament Administrator) (e.g., no shirtless Players, swimwear, lingerie, etc.).

7.8 Restrictions

Players are prohibited from wearing visible logos, brand names, and/or insignias (collectively, “Commercial Identification”) of any of the entities, products, or services on the following (non-exhaustive) list:
  • Drugs or drug paraphernalia.
  • Tobacco or tobacco related products, including vaping products.
  • Alcohol.
  • Firearms.
  • Pornography or any other adult-only materials.
  • Cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or any other blockchain-related product or service.
  • Any business (a) whose content is discriminatory, harassing, or otherwise hateful in nature, or (b) whose practices are detrimental to the image of, or results in public criticism of or reflects badly on, CCA,  eFuse or NECC (as determined by CCA, eFuse, NECC, or the Tournament Administrators).
  • Any business that encourages illegal activities or violates applicable law.
  • Gambling products (including fantasy sports betting), lotteries or illegal wagering.
  • Any business that promotes (a) the use of in-game hacks, cheating, exploits, or in-game currency farming or selling, or (b) the sale, rental, licensing, distribution, or transfer of a game account.
  • Video game logos, characters, developers or publishers that are not owned or otherwise affiliated with Psyonix or Epic.
  • Political candidates.
  • High toll phone services.
All sponsorships, endorsements, promotional activities, and Commercial Identifications worn by Players and Guardians during, and in connection with, the Tournament are subject to approval by Tournament Administrators. If a Tournament Administrator decides (in its sole discretion) that a Player has violated the Dress Code, such Tournament Administrator reserves the right to require such Player to immediately change his or her attire in compliance with the Dress Code. Failure of such Player to comply may result in disciplinary action as further described in Section 8.

8. Rules and Conduct Violations

8.1 Investigation and Compliance

8.1.1 Cooperation

Players and Control Persons agree to fully cooperate with CCA and/or a Tournament Administrator (as applicable) in the investigation of possible violations of these Rules. If CCA and/or a Tournament Administrator contacts a Player or Control Person to discuss the investigation, the Player or Control Person must be truthful in the information that he or she provides to CCA and/or a Tournament Administrator. Any Player or Control Person found to have withheld, destroyed, or tampered with any related information, or otherwise found to have mislead CCA and/or a Tournament Administrator during an investigation, will be subject to disciplinary action as further described in Section 8.2.

8.1.2 Removal

Players and Control Persons understand and agree that CCA has the right, in its sole discretion, to remove a Player or Control Person from, or restrict such Player’s or Control Person’s participation in, any Tournament event as part of any investigation conducted by CCA and/or a Tournament Administrator (as applicable) pursuant to Section 8.1.1.

8.2 Disciplinary Action

8.2.1 Disciplinary Actions

If CCA decides that a Player or Control Person has violated the Code of Conduct or any term of the Rules, CCA may take the following disciplinary actions (as applicable):
  • Match restart;
  • Loss of Game;
  • Match forfeiture;
  • Points forfeiture;
  • Issue a private or public warning (verbal or written) to the Player or Control Person;
  • Loss of all or any part of the Scholastic Awards previously awarded to the Player;
  • Disqualify the Player or Control Person from participating in one or more Matches and/or Games at the Tournament; or
  • Prevent the Player or Control Person from participating in one or more future competitions hosted by CCA.

8.2.2 Discretion

For clarity, the nature and extent of the disciplinary action taken by CCA pursuant to this Section 8.2 will be in the sole and absolute discretion of CCA. CCA reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from such Player or Control Person to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. The enforcement of any applicable disciplinary action by CCA shall not provide a Player or Control Person with grounds for claims against CCA under any theory of law, or otherwise be considered a liability on the part of CCA to such Player or Control Person.

8.2.3 Final Decision

A final decision by CCA as to the appropriate disciplinary action will be final and binding on the applicable Players and Control Persons.

8.3 Rule Disputes

CCA has final, binding authority to decide all disputes with respect to any portion of these Rules, including the breach, enforcement, or interpretation thereof.

9. Conditions

The Tournament is subject to these Rules. By participating, each Player agrees (or, if a Minor, such Player’s parent or legal guardian agrees on such Player’s behalf): (a) to be bound by these complete Rules (including the Code of Conduct) and the decisions of CCA which shall be final and binding; and (b) to waive any right to claim ambiguity in the Tournament or these Rules, except where prohibited by applicable law. By accepting a Scholastic Award, the Winning Player agrees (or, if a Minor, such Winning Player’s parent or legal guardian agrees on such Winning Player’s behalf) to release Tournament Entities from any and all liability, loss, or damage arising from or in connection with awarding, receipt, and/or use or misuse of Scholastic Award or participation in any Scholastic Award-related activities. Tournament Entities shall not be liable for: (i) telephone system, telephone, or computer hardware, software, or other technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, delays, or transmission errors; (ii) data corruption, theft, destruction, and unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iii) any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind, including death caused by the Scholastic Award or resulting from acceptance, possession, or use of a Scholastic Award, or from participation in the Tournament; or (iv) any printing, typographical, administrative, or technological errors in any materials associated with the Tournament. CCA reserves the right to cancel or suspend the Tournament in its sole discretion or due to circumstances beyond its control, including natural disasters. CCA may disqualify any Player from participating in the Tournament or winning a Scholastic Award if, in its sole discretion, it determines such Player is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Tournament by cheating, hacking, deception, or any other unfair playing practices intending to annoy, abuse, threaten, undermine, or harass any other Players or CCA’s representatives. The internal laws of the State of North Carolina, without reference to any of its conflicts of laws principles, shall govern disputes regarding these Rules and/or the Tournament. CCA may, in its sole discretion, cancel, modify, or suspend the Tournament should a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention, force majeure, or other cause beyond CCA’s control corrupt the administration, security, or proper play of the Tournament. Any attempt to deliberately damage or undermine the legitimate operation of the Tournament may be in violation of criminal and civil laws and will result in disqualification from participation in the Tournament.  Should such an attempt be made, CCA reserves the right to seek remedies and damages (including attorneys’ fees) to the fullest extent of the law, including criminal prosecution. The Tournament is subject to all applicable federal, provincial, state and local laws.

10. Name, Image, and Likeness

Each and any other person appearing on-camera on behalf of a Team (“Participant”) hereby grants to CCA a royalty-free, fully paid-up, non-exclusive, worldwide right and license (with the right to grant sublicenses) to (a) interview, photograph, record, tape, and/or film him/her, and (b) use his/her name, image, likeness, avatar, voice, backstory and/or activities captured or recorded during this Tournament and related esports events (“NIL”) for the purpose of marketing, sponsorship, and promoting CCA, this Tournament and related esports productions, including in CCA’s print and online advertising, and in its streams, broadcasts, websites, blogs, and social media channels.  The license to capture and record a Participant’s NIL shall expire at the end of each Open Tournament, provided that if any of the Participant’s NIL are integrated into media or materials that are captured or recorded during the Tournament, the license survives with respect to those media and materials and any derivatives, compilations or adaptations of them made during or after the Tournament (e.g., event highlights clips and “great moments in CCA history” videos).

11. Waiver of Jury Trial

Except as prohibited by applicable law and as a condition of participating in this Tournament, each Participant hereby irrevocably and perpetually waives any right s/he may have to a trial by jury in respect of any litigation directly or indirectly arising out of, under or in connection with this Tournament, any document or agreement entered into in connection herewith, any Scholastic Award available in connection herewith, and any of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.