The Overall High School Competition Rulebook can be viewed here.

These Official Rules (“Rules”) of the PlayVS High School Esports League apply to each of the teams who have registered and met the requirements for the 2023-2024 school year, as well as their head coach, assistant coaches, vice principals, athletic directors, Starters, Substitutes (collectively “Team Members”), and other members.

1.1.1 Unintentional Disconnection.

A player losing connection to the game due to problems or issues with the game client, platform, network, or PC.

1.1.2 Intentional Disconnection.

A player losing connection to the game due to player’s actions (i.e. quitting the game). Any actions of a player which lead to a disconnection shall be deemed intentional, regardless of the actual intent of the player.

1.1.3 Server Crash.

All players losing connection to a game due to an issue with a game server, PlayVS platform, or venue internet instability.

A game of record (“GOR”) refers to a game where all ten players have loaded and which has progressed to a point of meaningful interaction between opposing teams. Once a game attains GOR status, the period ends in which incidental restarts may be permitted and a game will be considered as “official” from that point onward. After the establishment of GOR, game restarts will be allowed only under limited conditions. Examples of conditions which establish GOR:

1.2.1

Any attack or ability is landed on minions, jungle creeps, structures, or enemy Champions.

1.2.2

Line-of-sight is established between players on opposing teams.

1.2.3

Setting foot, establishing vision or targeting skillshot ability in opponent’s jungle by either team, which includes either leaving the river or entering brush connected to enemy jungle.

1.2.4

Game timer reaches two minutes (00:02:00).

If a player intentionally disconnects without notifying a coach or League Official or pausing, a League Official is not required to enforce a stoppage. During any pause or stoppage, players may not leave the match area unless authorized by their coach. Coaches should communicate any disconnections or pauses inside PlayVS’s Match Lobby chat.

1.3.1 Directed Pause.

League Officials may order the pause of a match or execute a pause command on any player station at the sole discretion of the League Officials, at any time.

1.3.2 Player Pause.

Players may only pause a match immediately following any of the events described below, but must signal a head coach immediately after the pause and identify the reason. Pause requests must be communicated in the match’s all chat and in PlayVS's Match Lobby Chat and may only be called as long as there are no team engagements at the time of the request. Acceptable reasons for a Player pause include:

1.3.3 Pausing the Game

In the event that a pause is has been approved by a coach, a player may pause the match by typing “/pause” in the in-game chat. Once paused, all coaches and players must return to the PlayVS Match Lobby page, where both coaches should provide updates in the PlayVS lobby chat to address the situation.

1.3.4 Duration of the pause.

In the event that a Player pause will run longer than 10 minutes then please contact a League Official by reaching out to PlayVS directly to report the situation.

1.3.5 Player illness, injury, or disability by default is not an acceptable reason for a Player pause. In the event that a pause does occur due to one of these reasons, then the pausing team must alert their coach of the pause. The coach will contact a League Official immediately and report the issue and reason for the pause. The League Official will review the information and determine if the pause will be approved or be considered an Unauthorized Pause (covered in section 1.3.8). The League Official may approve or extend the pause in order to evaluate the identified player to determine whether the player is ready, willing, and able to continue playing within a reasonable period of time.

If the League Official determines that the identified player is not able to continue playing within such a reasonable period of time, then the identified player’s team shall forfeit the game unless a League Official, at their discretion, determines that the game is subject to a different outcome.

1.3.6 Other unacceptable pause reasons but not limited to the following:

1.3.7 Resuming the Game.

When the pausing team is ready to unpause the game, a player from each team must confirm the resumption by typing “ready” or “r” in the chat. To communicate with the opponent, players will press enter, type “/all” followed by a space and the message, then press enter again to send the message.

1.3.8 Unauthorized Pause.

If a player pauses or unpauses a game without permission from the coaches, it will be considered unfair play and penalties will be applied at the discretion of League Officials.

The decision of which condition(s) shall justify a game restart is solely at the discretion of League Officials.

1.4.1 Restarts After GOR.

The following are examples of situations in which a game may be restarted after GOR has been established.

1.4.1.1

If a game experiences a critical bug at any point during the match which significantly alters game stats or gameplay mechanics.

1.4.1.2

If a League Official determines that there are environmental conditions which are unfair (e.g. excessive noise, hostile weather, unacceptable safety risks).

1.4.2 Controlled Environment.

Certain conditions may be preserved in the event of a restart of a game that has not reached GOR, including, without limitation, picks/bans or Summoner spells. If, however, a match has reached GOR, League Officials shall not retain any settings.

1.4.3 Player Confirmation of Settings.

Players on each team should verify that they have finalized their intended game settings (including runes, masteries, controls, and GUI settings) before GOR is established. Any error in verification is not grounds for a game restart after GOR is established.

Each team must maintain one coach and a full “Roster” of starting players on the PlayVS platform at all times during the season. It is recommended that a team also maintain “Substitutes”, or alternate players, on the “Bench” in the event that a rostered player is not available on match day. For the avoidance of doubt, starting players and substitutes are subject to the same roster eligibility requirements at the sole discretion of League Officials.

In League of Legends, each team may have a maximum of ten (10) players, broken down into five (5) starting players on the Roster, and five (5) substitutes on the Bench. No individual may simultaneously hold two or more roles as listed above. All players and coaches are expected to be present physically or virtually for all official PlayVS matches.

In the event that a player on the starting roster cannot compete in the match, and there are no available Substitutes, competition may continue without that player as long as it does not put the opposing team at a disadvantage.

Players on the bench may be used for any match their team is competing in within their assigned league. Eligible substitutes for a match will be displayed on the Bench tab of the team’s roster card. Only the players shown on a team’s Bench can be used as substitutes in an official PlayVS Match. Both the Roster and Bench must be finalized prior to the Roster Lock Date.

A player is only allowed to compete for the school that they enrolled in. A player will not be allowed to compete for more than one school simultaneously and therefore cannot be listed on the roster of more than one school. To verify that these players are officially enrolled at their school, each player must be verified by the team's coach or another member of the faculty. For the avoidance of doubt, the verification of a player is an agreement to a summary of the Rulebook needed by League Officials to verify eligibility and confirm agreement by player and team.

1.5.1 Qualifying Substitutes

All verified players enrolled on a team as part of the bench are eligible substitutes for any League of Legends match throughout the regular season. They will be displayed under the "Bench" section of the team management page. In the event of an emergency, a team must find a replacement substitute within the 30 minute grace period that occurs after the scheduled match time will be given up to 30 minutes to find an immediate substitute for a game. If a replacement cannot be found then the team will forfeit the game in which that player was competing. League Officials will determine if an event qualifies as an emergency. During playoffs, substitutes must be assigned to one team for the entirety of the playoffs phase.

1.5.2 Roster Size

League of Legends teams consist of a starting roster of 5 players. We recommend teams have a player for each role (Top, Jungle, Mid, ADC, or Support).

Substitute players must be enrolled onto the roster in order to play. When they are intended to play, a coach must make the substitution on PlayVS in order for it to be a valid substitution for the match. The switch should be done at least 15 minutes before the intended game of the swap.

1.5.3 Campus Unlock (Optional)

Coaches are strongly encouraged to take advantage of Riot's "Campus League Unlocked" program.

1.5.4 Custom Matches & Level Requirement

For matches where tournament codes are not available, custom lobbies must be created using the steps listed in the League of Legends Gameday Protocol.

There is no minimum level requirement that will be enforced. However, it is strongly recommended that summoner accounts reach level 10, which is the minimum level required to access all summoner spells in game and will also allow you to create custom rune pages.

1.5.5 Role Assignments & Role Swaps

Teams are expected to join the game lobby in their most likely position order: Top, Jungle, Mid, Bot, Support. Players are free to swap roles during Champion Select for any reason.

Each school should have equipment for their players in the following categories

2.2.1 PC/Laptop

2.2.2 Mac

2.2.3 Peripherals

3.1.1 Game

An instance of competition that is played until a winner is determined by one of the following methods, whichever occurs first: (a) completion of the final objective, (b) Team Surrender, or (c) Team Forfeit.

3.1.2 Match

A set of games that is played until one team wins a majority of the total games (e.g., winning two games out of three “best of three”) or the maximum number of games are completed (e.g., two games in a “best-of-two”). Each team will receive win or loss tallies in a league format or the winning team will advance to the next round in a tournament format.

3.1.3 Phase

A section of scheduled league play that comprises a season. There are three distinct phases: preseason, regular season, and playoffs. Each phase has its own format.

3.1.4 Season

Scheduled league play that will occur over an approximately three-month period of time. Each season will consist of three phases: (a) Preseason, (b) Regular Season, and (c) Playoffs, which will occur at the conclusion of the Regular Season and will lead into a championship.

3.2.1 Preseason

This phase consists of each team enrolled in the league competing in up to three official practice weeks. Results of this match will not be recorded however this match is required in order to properly test equipment and player game connections.

3.2.2 Preseason Format

This phase consists of each team enrolled in the league competing in one official practice week. Preseason matches between each team will be played in a Best of Three (BO3) format. The team to win two matches will be declared the winner. In the event that a single team reaches two wins before the start of a third game, then a third game will not be played. Results of this match will not be recorded however this match is required in order to properly test equipment and player game connections.

Preseason matches will also follow a “Blind Pick” format. This allows us to include players that have registered late or didn't connect a League of Legends account yet in participating. Matches in “Blind Pick” will have teams play in custom matches instead of lobby codes. Starting Week 1 of the Regular season, matches will switch to "Tournament Draft”.

Important: Summoner Level 3 is required for “Blind Pick”.

3.2.3 Regular Season

This phase consists of each team within a state, each playing a minimum of 14 games per season, in a league format against opponents within that same league. Ranking in the league will be determined by each team's game wins and games losses.

3.2.4 Regular Season Format

Regular season matches between each team will be played in a Best of Three (BO3) format. The team to win two matches will be declared the winner. In the event that a single team reaches two wins before the start of a third game, then a third game will not be played. Wins and losses from each match will be added to each team’s regular season standings.

Rosters - Teams must have a roster of five(5) players ready to go at the start of the match. In between games, teams may substitute players to the starting roster. The substitution needs to be made on the PlayVS platform, communicated in the PlayVS Lobby Chat, and confirmed with the other team before the next game can begin.

3.2.5 Regular Season Tiebreakers

The ranking of the teams will be determined by the standings of Wins and Losses. Tiebreakers are covered in Section 5.3 of the High School Competition Rulebook. More information about Tiebreakers can also be found here.

3.2.6 Playoffs

Playoffs matches between each team will be played in a Best of Three(Bo3) format. Winners of each match will advance to the next portion of the bracket. Teams in the playoffs will compete in a single elimination bracket until only two teams remain. The two remaining teams will move on to compete in the Finals (Section 3.2.7)

Rosters - Teams must have a roster of five(5) players ready to go at the start of the match. In between games, teams may substitute players to the starting roster. The substitution needs to be made on the PlayVS platform, communicated in the PlayVS Lobby Chat, and confirmed with the other team before the next game can begin.

3.2.7 Finals Format

This match consists of the top two teams from each league as decided by Playoffs. The Final’s format will be a single Best of Three(Bo3) match. The team to achieve two game wins will be awarded the match win and will be declared the League Champion. In the event that a single team reaches two game wins before the start of a third game, then that game will not be played.

Rosters - Teams must have a roster of five(5) players ready to go at the start of the match. In between games, teams may substitute players to the starting roster. The substitution needs to be made on the PlayVS platform, communicated in the PlayVS Lobby Chat, and confirmed with the other team before the next game can begin.

4.1.1 Equipment Testing

4.1.2 Timeliness of Match Start

It is expected that players will resolve any issues with the setup process within the allotted time and that match will begin at the scheduled time. Delays due to setup problems may be permitted, at the sole discretion of League Officials. All players competing must be in the game lobby to be considered “present”. Teams that are over thirty (30) minutes tardy will forfeit their match.

4.1.3 Match Lobby Order

Players should join the game lobby in their most likely position order: Top, Jungle, Mid, Bot, Support. Players are free to swap roles during Champion Select for any reason.

4.2.1 Spectating

In order to avoid giving any team an advantage spectators should be removed from spectating unless both Coaches have agreed to allow for a spectator by following section 7.7 Match Spectating from the High School Competition Rulebook.

4.2.2 Game Disconnection

If a player disconnects from an ongoing game, a pause will be allowed. The player will have to reconnect back to match within 10 minutes or the game will be unpaused and teams will continue to play with the current players found in the lobby. For all disconnects, please provide a screenshot as proof of when the disconnection happens.

If the disconnected player cannot return, teams must wait until after the game has completed to substitute the disconnected player for another player. Rosters are locked for each game once the game begins and a “Game of Record” has been established according to section 1.2.

If either team has disconnected fully, then pause the match and submit a ticket to the Customer Experience team immediately for further assistance.

4.2.3 In-Game Content Updates

League of Legends is a live service multiplayer game which may release new content patches with new and/or updated champions and items while the season is occurring.

Any champions or items currently disabled in-game by Riot Games will not be available for use during official PlayVS matches. All PlayVS matches will occur on the most up-to-date patch, and any available champion or item is eligible for use in PlayVS matches unless otherwise stated by League Officials.

4.2.1 Start of Draft

Once all ten players have reported to the official game lobby, Top Laners for both teams will give confirmation that both teams are ready for the pick/ban phase. Once both teams confirm readiness, the room owner will start the game.

4.2.2 Side Selection

4.2.2.1 Regular Season Side Selection

The team shown on the left of a Match Overview (displayed as “Home Team”) will have side selection in Game 1. The team shown on the right of a Match Overview (displayed as “Away Team”) will have side selection in Game 2. In the event that Game 3 needs to be played, then the loser of Game 2 will choose their side for Game 3. If a side is not selected, the team will default to the “Blue” side. In the event that a team has side selection for a game, but is not the first team to enter the lobby, the opponent should move to the red side until they arrive. This does not however replace the selecting team’s preference. For the purpose of clarification, all players on the same team must join the same side. If both sides have all positions filled and still need to switch sides, the spectator spots will need to be used to make a space.

4.2.2.2 Playoffs Side Selection

In the playoffs, the higher-ranked seed will have side selection for odd-numbered games (e.g. Games 1 and 3), while the lower seed will have side selection for even-numbered games (Game 2). For example, the higher seed may choose to play game 1 on blue side, but game 3 on red side. If no decision is submitted, selection will default to blue side.

4.2.2.3 Draft Mode

Draft mode format as follows: Blue Team= A; Red Team = B Bans: ABABAB Picks: ABBAAB Bans: ABAB Picks: BAAB

4.2.2.4 Selection Error

In the event of an erroneously-selected Champion pick or ban, the team in error must report that error to the coach of the opposing team. If the game begins before the error is corrected, a player may pause the game as soon as it loads and discuss the situation in PlayVS Lobby Chat with coaches. In the event of a mistake or game client error, the pick and ban process should be immediately restarted. The draft should then be restarted and brought back to the point at which the error occurred so that the team in error may correct its mistake. To reset the match, every player must exit the game using the "ESC" key. Once all 10 players have left the game, a new lobby can be created using the same Tournament Code as before. It is required that all previous picks and bans remain the same until the point of the error.

Results will be automatically recorded after a match has ended.

In the event that a player uses a League of Legends account that is not connected to their PlayVS profile, the match will automatically be quarantined and Coaches will need to contact PlayVS directly to resolve the issue.

In the event that Tournament Codes could not be used and a custom match was created, then statistics will not be tracked, and the match results would need to be submitted manually within 1 hour of match completion. Players should take screenshots of the match results and share those with their coaches.

In the event of an error, coaches must contact PlayVS directly.

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