PlayVS Partnership
In September 2021, PlayVS launched a national partnership with Special Olympics North America. The partnership is focused on growing Special Olympics Unified esports, which combines students with intellectual disabilities (Special Olympics athletes) and students without intellectual disabilities (Unified partners) on inclusive esports teams. Through strategic and innovative collaboration, PlayVS will serve as the official operator for the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® national high school esports league in the US.
Regardless of how a team participates, all coaches will have access to PlayVS training and tech support!
High School Details
How it Works
A Unified esports option has been integrated into PlayVS. Unified teams will register, enroll, and participate using the existing processes that are already in place. The Unified Leagues are offered to Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools at no cost.
To participate:
All teams must be high school-based and have an adult head coach.
All participants must be at least 13 years of age or older.
Teams may participate at school or virtually from home. For the spring season, schools will have the ability to compete in 2 titles:
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Rocket League
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Composed of 2 Special Olympics athletes and 2 Unified partners.
Rated E for everyone, and can be played on Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 consoles.
Schools can have multiple Unified teams participate.
Rocket League
Composed of 1 Special Olympics athlete and 1 Unified partner.
Rated E for everyone and free on a variety of gaming consoles and personal computers (PC).
Compatible devices include:
Nintendo Switch and Switch 2
Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
PlayStation 4 and 5
PC
Schools can have multiple Unified teams participate.
The Special Olympics Unified League is available for Unified Champion Schools in the following states: AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OK, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, and WV.
Other states are to be added in the future!
Spring Season - Key Info
Each school determines which league time they prefer during enrollment.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Match Day | League | Match Time |
Wednesdays |
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Rocket League Duos
Match Day | League | Match Time |
Thursdays |
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Schedule
Enrollment open now!
Registration Deadline: 2/6/2026 (11:59 PM league time)
All schools will play a total of 7 matches over 8 weeks. Schools will select 1 week as part of their Break Week Inclusion. There will be no matches scheduled for the school’s selected break week across all enrolled esport titles.
Event | Date |
Preseason | Weeks 1/26/2026 and 2/2/2026 |
Regular Season | Weeks 2/9/2026 - 3/30/2026 |
Playoffs | Weeks 4/6/2026 and 4/13/2026 |
Championships | Week of 4/20/2026 and 4/27/2026 |
Playoff Information - Reminder
Unified High School leagues continue to follow the same playoff standards as all other PlayVS High School leagues. Playoff eligibility is based on regular-season standings and is not guaranteed for every team. Each league will feature a single bracket, with size determined by the number of eligible teams.
Key Reminders
Teams that forfeit three (3) or more regular-season matches are not eligible for playoffs or championships.
Playoff start dates and times may vary by league due to factors such as bracket size, state or broadcast accommodations, and game-specific schedules.
Detailed playoff information will be available on your PlayVS schedule page midway through the regular season.
Teams advancing through the playoffs may be required to compete multiple times within the same week.
A maximum of two (2) teams per school per league may qualify for the playoffs.
To ensure the playoffs conclude before finals, some matches may be scheduled on days different from the regular season.
Holiday Breaks
Holiday | Date |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 1/19/2026 (Monday) |
Presidents’ Day | 2/16/2026 (Monday) |
Easter (Observed) | 4/6/2026 (Monday) |
Memorial Day | 5/25/2026 (Monday) |
Equipment Requirements
Access to standard high-speed internet is important. Work with your school/district IT department to ensure the proper restrictions are removed to allow students to play online if they are competing at school.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Team Size - 4 |
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**Unified partners may not also compete on a varsity Mario Kart 8 Deluxe team**
Minimum Requirements - 2x total Nintendo Switches |
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Suggested - 4x total Nintendo Switches |
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Rocket League Duos
Team Size - 2 |
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**Unified Partner may not also compete on a varsity Rocket League team**
Rocket League Duos teams for these leagues must have two (2) active players (athlete + Unified partner) at all times in order to compete.
Minimum Requirements - 1x total console or PC Splitscreen |
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Suggested - 2x total consoles or PCs |
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Middle School Details
How it Works (Middle School)
A Unified esports option has been integrated into PlayVS. Unified teams will register, enroll, and participate using the existing processes in place. The Unified Leagues are offered to Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools at no cost.
To participate:
All teams must be middle school-based and have an adult head coach.
Parents of players under the age of 13 will be required to create a PlayVS account in order for their kids to participate in our Middle School leagues.
Our middle school league is a recreational league that is a non-competitive environment where teams learn the basics of gameplay and teamwork.
Teams may participate at school or virtually from home.
We will not hold playoffs or championships for Middle School leagues. Middle School leagues will consist of only recreational leagues, with 2-week Preseason and 11-week Regular Season phases.
For the spring season, schools will have the ability to compete in 2 titles:
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Rocket League
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Composed of 2 Special Olympics athletes and 2 Unified partners.
Rated E for everyone, and can be played on Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 consoles.
Schools can have multiple Unified teams participate.
Rocket League
Composed of 1 Special Olympics athlete and 1 Unified partner.
Rated E for everyone and is available to download and play for free on a variety of gaming consoles and personal computers (PC).
Compatible devices include:
Nintendo Switch and Switch 2
Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
PlayStation 4 and 5
PC
Schools can have multiple Unified teams participate.
Spring Season - Key Info
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Match Day | League | Match Time |
Thursdays |
|
|
Rocket League Duos
Match Day | League | Match Time |
Wednesday |
|
|
Schedule
Enrollment open now!
Registration Deadline: 2/6/2026 (11:59 PM league time)
There are no playoffs or championships for Middle School leagues.
Event | Date |
Preseason | Weeks of 1/26/2026 and 2/2/2026 |
Regular Season | Weeks of 2/9/2026 - 4/20/2026 |
Holiday Breaks
Holiday | Date |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 1/19/2026 (Monday) |
Presidents Day | 2/16/2026 (Monday) |
Easter (Observed) | 4/6/2026 (Monday) |
Memorial Day | 5/25/2026 (Monday) |
Equipment Requirements
Access to standard high-speed internet is important. Work with your school/district IT department to ensure the proper restrictions are removed to allow students to play online if they are competing at school.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Team Size - 4 |
|
Minimum Requirements - 2x total Nintendo Switches |
|
Suggested - 4x total Nintendo Switches |
|
Rocket League Duos
Team Size - 2 |
|
**Unified Partner may not also compete on a varsity Rocket League team**
Rocket League Duos teams for these leagues must have two (2) active players (athlete + Unified partner) at all times in order to compete.
Minimum Requirements - 1x total console or PC Splitscreen |
|
Suggested - 2x total consoles or PCs |
|
Middle School Parent Setup Guide
Parents of players under the age of 13 will be required to create a PlayVS account in order for their kids to participate in our Middle School leagues. To comply with COPPA, parents must complete the following:
Create a PlayVS account.
Complete our verification process to create an account for their children participating in middle school leagues.
View the Middle School Parent Setup Guide for details on how to create a parent account.
General Overview Details
Team Naming
During enrollment, the coach will need to create team names for each team they enroll. Please use the following naming convention:
School name
Mascot
The term “Unified”
For example, the Central High School Bobcats would use this name:
Central High School Bobcats - Unified
If a school has more than one team, please add a number, letter, or color after “Unified” to delineate, for example:
Central High School Bobcats - Unified Green
Central Middle School Bobcats - Unified Gold
Doing so is very important for us to be able to confirm your intention to participate in our Unified league!
Expectations
PlayVS
PlayVS will provide the following:
Direct support to Unified esports coaches with enrollment, team setup, technology troubleshooting, and league support/guidance throughout the entire season.
Educational materials and webinars for coaches.
Weekly email for Unified coaches with league updates (during each season).
Weekly email for Special Olympics Program staff with league updates and the current list of enrolled schools for that season.
Scheduling of all matches and playoffs.
The publishing of league standings & results.
Broadcasting playoff finals.
Coaches
Coach responsibilities include the following:
Attend training sessions conducted by PlayVS.
Register the school/team on PlayVS by the season’s enrollment deadline.
Recruit at least one team for Rocket League or Mario Kart.
Commitment to a full season of weekly matches & practices (if participating in league option, 10-12 weeks, 2-4 hours a week).
Ensuring all teammates are equipped with the required technology per esport.
Work with school IT and/or other school esports coaches.
Support students in getting registered on PlayVS and organizing them into teams.
Communication with other coaches on match day and for rescheduling.
Support players with match-day readiness and logistics.
Provide adult oversight during all practices/matches and set a positive team culture.
Previous esports coaching experience is helpful, but not required!
Rules and Sportsmanship
Meaningful involvement and sportsmanship
All coaches shall work to achieve meaningful involvement for all students on both teams.
The principle of meaningful involvement ensures that every player is given an opportunity to contribute to the success of his or her team through their unique skills and abilities.
To the greatest extent possible, all players on a team should be within a similar ability range.
To avoid player domination, varsity-level or other highly skilled players are typically not a good fit to participate as teammates in this league.
Please keep sportsmanship in mind and know that each team has very different experience levels with Unified esports.
Unified Esports coaches must follow the general PlayVS Coach Code of Conduct.
There are no scoring restrictions or other modifications for Unified partners; however, coaches are expected to adhere to good sportsmanship and the Special Olympics philosophy of meaningful involvement.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Rules and Requirements
Unified will follow the Mario Kart Match Instructions and Mario Kart Rulebook.
The in-game ratio of teammates is:
2 Special Olympics athletes
Students with an intellectual or developmental disability.
2 Unified partners
Students without an intellectual or developmental disability.
If a team cannot field all 4 players with this ratio, please reschedule or talk with the opposing coach to drop the match to 4v3 and play with 2 athletes/1 partner.
Rocket League Rules and Requirements
Unified will follow the Rocket League Match Instructions and Rocket League Rulebook.
The in-game ratio of teammates is:
2 Special Olympics athletes
Students with an intellectual or developmental disability.
2 Unified partners
Students without an intellectual or developmental disability.
If a team cannot field both 2 players with this ratio, please reschedule, as teams cannot play a match without a full team.
Additional Resources
Resource | Details |
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | |
Rocket League | |
League information | |
Contact |
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