Summary: This Fall 2022 season, we have made many new changes/additions to a number of our rulebooks. In an effort to create more visibility of new additions and changes made to rulebooks for the Fall, League officials have put together a list of edits. Available in select states.
Important: While this list should cover the majority of all changes, it may not include small wording adjustments made to portions of rulebooks. We encourage all coaches and players to review the detailed points below as well as the rulebook for your game title.
Youth Program
Updated 3.2 Adult Sponsor - Added section stating that adult sponsors are required to be virtually present and available during match in match lobby chat.
Added 5.2.2.1 Playoff Eligibility - Teams may not miss/forfeit more than 2 regular season matches in order to be eligible for playoffs.
Updated 5.2.3 Playoffs - Added section detailing what happens if 2 teams from the same school enter playoffs and both make it to semi-finals.
Updated 5.3 Regular Season Tiebreakers - Now includes PlayVS Score and align with current tiebreaker information.
Added 6.1 Match Day Protocols - Adult sponsors are expected to have their team ready to play on match day/time despite the opponent showing as TBD. Failure to do so within grace period will result in forfeit.
Added 6.1.1 Match Reschedules - Details on exceptions made due to reschedules and ensuring that they have been accepted by both adult sponsors.
Added 6.1.2 Player Commitment - Details on expectations of Players being available for full length of match estimate of up to 2 hours.
Added 6.1.3 Grace Period - Clarifies on grace period for teams showing up late and when to take action.
Updated 6.2 Pre-Match Setup - Includes information on expectations that teams will be ready to play on match day/time despite their opponent showing up as ‘TBD’.
Added 6.2.1 Opponent Shown as TBD - Information on what to do if this occurs.
Added 7.3.3 Game Specific Pause Rulings - Points to title rulebook for specific information.
Added 7.5.1 Break Duration - Details out length of breaks and when to reach out to league officials.
Updated 8.1 Timeliness of Reschedules - All reschedules must be made in the time frame shown on the PlayVS platform. Exceptions may be made by League officials.
Added 8.5 Playoffs Reschedules - Teams may request up to a 24-hour reschedule.
Added 10.3.1 Established Communication - Details on requirement of adult sponsors to establish communication in match lobby chat during matches.
Added 10.3.1.1 No Response - Details on what to do if opponent does not respond
Updated 11.4 Break Week Designation - Default break week if none is chosen is now the 4th week of break week selection options.
General Updates to reflect the game moving from Overwatch to Overwatch 2.
Updated 1.4 Stoppage of Play and all Subsections - Now includes details of different stoppage of play situations and rules.
Updated 1.5 Game Format - Changed from 6 players per team to 5 players per team due to overall game format change in Overwatch 2.
Added Section 1.5.3 Regular Season Tiebreakers - Now references Tiebreakers in standings found in Main High School Competition Rulebook and our Tiebreaker article.
Updated 1.6.1 Game Mode Order & Map Pool - Changed Game 2’s mode to Push, previously Assault and updated all map pools to reflect new Overwatch 2 maps as well as available maps during competition.
Incoming Changes to 3.2.1 Game Lobby Creation - This section will be updated to reflect how to set up a game in Overwatch 2 once League officials are able to access the game for detailed information.
Added 3.3.4 New Heroes / Maps / Game Modes - New details on PlayVS rules for what to do with any new heroes, maps, and/or game modes that release in Overwatch 2 during the season.