1. GENERAL EVENT RULES

1.1. – Official Name of the Event
The event will be referred to by the name, InGame Esports South Asia Cup 2020 (or IGE SAC in short).

1.2. – Rights related to the Event
InGame Entertainment (IGE) Pvt Ltd has the exclusive rights to InGame Esports South Asia Cup and all intellectual property thereof as well as rights to organizing, operating and broadcasting the tournament. No other party is allowed to use any intellectual property related to the tournament without prior approval from IGE.

1.3. – Period and Venue
The online qualifiers will be held from 2nd to 9th January 2020. The exact schedule will be released closer to the date.
The LAN Grand Finals will be held on 24th, 25th and 26th January 2020.
The host city/country for the Grand Finals is Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

1.4. – Time Zone
All matches will be scheduled according to GMT +5:30.

1.5. – Eligible countries
Teams may represent only the following South Asian countries:
– Bangladesh
– India
– Maldives
– Nepal
– Pakistan
– Sri Lanka

1.6. – Participating players
All the players have to be from the same South Asian country (from the list above) they hope to represent.

1.7. – Tournament platform
The tournament will be played on FACEIT. All players need to create a FACEIT account and include their FACEIT Profile URL when submitting their registration. Please visit the FACEIT site to create an account.

1.8. – Tournament Referees and Officials
IGE officials will administer and manage the tournament. Country qualifiers may be held in partnership with related country partners. IGE referees will officiate at the LAN Grand Finals. 

1.9. – Banned players and publisher bans
Any players banned from Gamer.LK and IGE tournaments will not be allowed to take part. A link to a complete list of players currently banned from all Gamer.LK tournaments can be found at https://gamer.lk/blacklist. Any players who have standing bans from the game publisher (eg: VAC ban on Steam) will not be allowed to take part. All game publisher bans will be honored and translated into IGE bans upon discovery at registration.

1.10. – Restricted sponsor list
The following is a non-exhaustive list of restricted sponsors:
– non-“over-the-counter” drugs
– firearms, handguns, ammunition providers
– pornographic imagery or products
– tobacco products
– alcohol products
– gambling and betting sites (excluding direct funding from a national lottery funding institution constituted to aid and assist national sporting codes)

1.11. – Tournament format
– Online qualifiers for each country will be held on FACEIT.
– One team from each country will thereafter be selected to take part in the LAN Grand Finals which will start off in a round robin format.
– Four teams from the round robin format will thereafter play in a semi final knockout stage.
– The losers of the semi final knockout stage will play the bronze match.
– The winners of the semi final knockout stage will play the Grand Finals

1.12. – LAN event specification
IGE will provide the equipment listed below. However, due to unavoidable situations, IGE reserves the right to make changes to the list. Where possible, IGE will inform the players in advance of such changes.
– Tables roughly 2 1/2 ft in height
– Height adjustable chairs 
– Tournament machines (Playing Area): 6th gen Intel Core i3 CPU, 1050TI VGA, 21-24 inch 144Hz LED Monitors, 8GB RAM
– Tournament machines (Main Stage): 6th gen Intel Core i5 CPU, 1060 VGA, 21-24 inch 144Hz LED Monitors, 8GB RAM
– No program other than those necessary for the matches, such as operating system, tools handling multimedia tasks of the video games, hardware drivers, etc will be installed on the tournament machines. 
– Operating system: Windows 7 or higher, 64-bit Professional or Enterprise
Note: Note all matches will be played on the stage. Most matches will be played at the dedicated playing area with only select matches being pushed to the stage.

1.13. – Accreditation passes for all players at the LAN finals
IGE will issue accreditation passes to all participants of the LAN finals in Colombo. Players and officials must wear these passes at all times at the tournament venue.

1.14. – Awards and Prizes
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be awarded medals with the 1st place winners also receiving the trophy. Prize money shall be announced separately and the split will be decided by IGE. Prize money may be deducted due to behavioural and disciplinary penalties.

1.15. – Opening and closing ceremonies
The SAC matches will commence from the 24th of January 2020. The opening ceremony is scheduled to be held on the 25th of January (the second day of the event). The closing ceremony will be held on the last day of the event. The times and schedule for the opening and closing ceremonies may change due to unavoidable circumstances.

2. TOURNAMENT COMMUNICATION

All teams and players are required to join the InGame Esports Discord server and follow the InGame Esports Facebook page to stay up-to-date with the latest information regarding the tournament.

3. TEAM COMMITMENT

3.1. – By submitting a registration for the IGE SAC, all teams and players acknowledge without limitation to comply with the rules set herein and especially with the decisions made by the IGE Staff.

3.2. – All competitors are expected to know and understand all the rules described here. Not knowing that a rule existed or that it was in place will not be considered as an acceptable reason for breaking said rule.

3.3. – A player or team’s name, icon, profile picture or logo may not contain any of the following:
– profanities,
– obscene or vulgar language,
– racist, anti-semitic or inciting hatred
– gang affiliation,
– drugs,
– sexual material,
– offensive material,
– slander of IGE or it’s administration, partners or sponsors.
Using alternative spelling, gibberish or wrong spelling in order to avoid the requirements mentioned above is forbidden.

3.4. – Account sharing is strictly prohibited. All participants need to have their own accounts. If found, this will lead to the disqualification of the team and the banning of the offending player/s in future IGE tournaments as well. 

3.5. – No player is allowed to be a part of multiple teams or clans. If a participant is found to be multi-clanning or in multiple teams, the player will be banned for a minimum period of one year. In the case of teams, all teams the player was a part of will be disqualified.

3.6. – Upon request by IGE Referees or administration, players will be required to send information including but not limited to full name, passport information, contact details (mobile phone, land phone, email address), date of birth, residential address and photo.

4. TEAMS AND PLAYERS

4.1. – Team Size
4.1.1. – A Team has to consist of at least FIVE players.
4.1.2. – Upto TWO substitute players can also be registered for each team.
4.1.3. – Each player can be registered and can subsequently play for only one team during the tournament.

4.2. – Substitutions
4.2.1. – The substitute player/s must be registered with the team prior to the tournament starting.
4.2.2. – Use of a substitute player must be informed to the IGE Staff at least three hours prior to the start of the scheduled match.
4.2.3. – The use of non-registered, suspended, or otherwise ineligible players in a match is not allowed under any circumstances.
4.2.4. – Doing so will result in a suspension or extended suspension of the individual in question, suspension of relevant team management, and may result in match overturn.

4.3. – Stand-ins
4.3.1. – By definition, a stand-in here refers to a player who hasn’t been registered to a team on the registration form but wants to play for a team after registrations close/matches commence.
4.3.2. – The use of a stand­-in in is strictly prohibited and is grounds for disqualification.
4.3.3. – This applies to account sharing as well. The Steam account that was used during registration should be the only one used for playing.

5. MATCH SCHEDULE

5.1. – For the online qualifiers, both teams scheduled to play at a certain time should be present online on Steam and on Discord at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. For the LAN finals, teams should be present at the venue well before an hour of their scheduled match time.

5.2. – If by 10 minutes past the scheduled match start time a team doesn’t have enough players to play, the match will be deemed a walkover to the team that is present with its full roster. Referees are under no obligation to actively look for an absent player should the situation arise.

 5.3. – A team CAN START a game shorthanded. You can only be shorthanded by one player. For example, a team can start a game with 4 players. If you are missing more than one player, you cannot start a game.

5.4. – In a best of 3 or 5 games match, a maximum delay of 15 minutes in between matches will be allowed.

5.5. – During the LAN finals, other than a designated lunch or dinner break, there will be no breaks during the tournament. Players should remain in the tournament area and be available to play their matches at all times during the period. If players do need to leave the tournament area for any reason they must let a referee know so they can advise accordingly whether there is time to do this, and how long they are permitted to be absent

5.5. – Regarding the scheduling of online matches, matches can be played on all days of the week (including public, bank. mercantile holidays, etc) and will be scheduled beforehand and announced on a “Draw/Schedule” on esportscup.asia. Scheduling will be done at the discretion of IGE Staff.

5.6. – IGE and any Organizers will make every effort to inform the teams of scheduled match dates and times – but please note it is the responsibility of the teams to check their game time and date. IGE or any Organizer will not be responsible to inform matches to teams. Not attending a match due to not being informed of the schedule is NOT an excuse.

6. GENERAL GAME RULES

6.1. – Pre-match ready-up (warm up) time (during the LAN stage)
6.1.1. – The pre-match ready up time will be a maximum of 10 minutes in which the participant is required to plug in his/her devices, install drivers (ask for permission first even if its drivers that are already sent to us) and set up configs if he/she is using any.
6.1.2. – At the end of 10 minutes, a match should start with whoever players that are in the match server or lobby. Any team with players missing after the end of 10 minutes will be considered as having forfeited the match. If a sufficient number of players on both teams are not present, the first team to have a complete roster on the server will be awarded the match.
6.1.3. – Issues with headsets, drivers not functioning, etc will not be reasons to hold up the starting time of a game.

6.2. – Removable USB storage and media devices (during the LAN stage)
No USB storage devices of any sort should be plugged into any of the tournament PCs under any circumstance. Failure to comply may lead to penalties for the infringing player and his/her team.

6.3. – Team coaches 
6.3.1. – Team coaches are allowed to communicate with their team on Discord during warmup, half-time or during one of the timeouts that the teams can call. 
6.3.2. – During the LAN stage, team coaches will be allowed near the match area during the warmup, half-time or during one of the timeouts that the teams can call.
6.3.3. – While a game is being played, including pauses, under no circumstances can coaches be in the match area and/or be communicating with any player/s.
6.3.4. – If a coach is found in the match area or to be communicating with their team during an unauthorised time, the entire team may be disqualified at the discretion of IGE staff.

6.4. – Team managers
6.4.1. – Team managers are allowed to communicate with their team on Discord only during warmup and not at any other point in the game.
6.4.2. – During the LAN stage, team managers will be allowed near the match area during the warmup time only.
6.4.3. – While a game is being played, including pauses, under no circumstances can managers be in the match area and/or be communicating with any player/s.
6.4.4. – If a manager is found to be in the match area or to be communicating with their team during an unauthorised time, the entire team may be disqualified at the discretion of IGE staff.

6.5. – Use of public chat
Public chat can only be used by the team captains and/or Tournament Staff regarding game pauses, disconnections, etc. Team members are allowed to greet each other at the start and end of the match on public chat (i.e: GGWP, GLHF, etc) but should avoid using it during a match. No foul language is allowed on public chat and doing so may lead to the match being awarded to the opposing team and the offending team being disqualified from the match. Penalties for future matches may also be applied.

6.6. – Match record report
All match results of the SAC will be confirmed and signed by the assigned IGE referee. The referee will be responsible for recording any unusual occurrences during a match. The referee will be responsible for recording the numbers of PCs’ used in the match and the replay of the match for reference. All records will be managed and maintained in English.

7. GAMEPLAY RULES

7.1. – Configurations/Start Parameters
The following commands are forbidden:
– mat_hdr_enabled
– cl_showpost 1 – the value needs to be set to 0

The following startparameters are forbidden:
– +mat_hdr_enabled 0/1
– +mat_hdr_leven 0/1/2

All other configuration changes are allowed as long as they do not give an unfair edge or advantage comparable to cheating. A player may be penalized for wrong settings in any config file, regardless if it is in use, or even stored in the game folder in question.

Wrong settings will be penalized with a warning to the player and team. If three or more players have wrong settings or the same player is caught on multiple occasions infringing this rule, the team will get a default loss and the player in question will be penalized at the discretion of the Tournament Staff. Tournament Staff may under special circumstances decide on a default loss, even if less than three players have wrong settings.

Teams are required to contact the IGE Referees if they are unsure about the validity of a command and its value. 

7.2. – Abuses & Exploitation
Exploiting game or map bugs/glitches/flaws (“exploits”) for the purposes of gaining an unfair advantage is prohibited. Exploits that are not specifically named here are still prohibited but will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. IGE Staff reserve the right to decide what will be deemed as an exploit or abuse.

7.3. – Forbidden Scripts
In general, all scripts are illegal except for buy, toggle, demo & jumpthrow scripts.
– Stop shoot scripts [Use or AWP scripts]
– Center view scripts
– Turn scripts [180° or similar]
– No recoil scripts
– Burst fire scripts
– Rate changers (Lag scripts)
– FPS scripts
– Anti flash scripts or binding (snd_* bindings)
– Bunnyhop scripts
– Stop sound scripts
– Jumpthrow script

If you are not sure if a script is allowed or not, then contact the IGE Staff before you play an official match. A player may be penalized for forbidden scripts in any config file, regardless if it is in use, or even stored in the game folder in question.

Forbidden scripts will be penalized with a warning to the player and team. If three or more players have wrong settings or the same player is caught on multiple occasions infringing this rule, the team will get a default loss and the player in question will be penalized at the discretion of the Tournament Staff.

Tournament Staff may under special circumstances decide on a default loss, even if less than three players have wrong settings.

7.4. – A3D
The use of A3D (2.0) or any program, driver or interface that simulates A3D (2.0) is strictly forbidden, and will be penalized.

7.5. – Graphics Drivers or Similar Tools
Any modification or changing of the game using external graphics solutions or other 3rd party programs are strictly prohibited and offenders will be penalized. Furthermore it’s forbidden to use all kinds of overlays which will show the usage rate of the system in any way in-game (e.g. Nvidia SLI display, Rivatuner Overlay). Overlays which will show only the frames per second (FPS) are not forbidden and can be used.

7.6. – Color Depth
Every player must play with the highest color setting in Counter-Strike (32 bit); if the player is playing in windowed mode then the desktop must also be on 32bit setting.

7.7. – Custom Data
Players are not allowed to use any form of custom game files during the official matches. Only CSGO skins are allowed to be changed, any other changes to sprites, skins, score boards, crosshairs are strictly disallowed, also only the official models are allowed.

7.8. – Impersonations
Impersonating an eligible player by attempting to alias as them, using their Steam account or by any other method is prohibited and will result in the aliasing player and the player they are aliasing as being removed from the tournament. The Tournament Staff will have access to player IP addresses and other information to monitor accounts and players.

7.9. – In-game names
Each team member must have his/her primary nickname or something very similar as his steam name during all matches to be easily identifiable for referees, broadcasters, and viewers. What counts as similar is for the IGE Staff to decide. The only additional information allowed in a player’s in­game name is clan tags or sponsor names. Any use of profanity, insulting or racist terms on in-game names/aliases will not be allowed as listed in clause 3 above. IGE Referees will not allow a match to start with player’s who have improper names. Any delays cause by changing names will be considered the players fault and penalised accordingly.

7.10. – In-game item’s nametag
Players are not allowed to use nametags on in-game items which violate the code of conduct as listed in these rules. Any insulting, racist, improper in-game item nametag is forbidden. IGE Referees will not allow a match to start until any such problematic piece of in-game nickname has been replaced. Any delay caused by the change will be considered the players fault and penalised according

8. HOSTING & SETTINGS

8.1. – Match Servers
For the online qualifiers, all match servers will be hosted via FACEIT. During the LAN stage, all match servers will be hosted ONLY by IGE Staff.

8.2. – Map Pool
Only the current competitive map pool (Valve Active Duty Map Group) is considered for play. These are:
– Dust 2 (de_dust2)
– Inferno (de_inferno)
– Mirage (de_mirage)
– Nuke (de_nuke)
– Overpass (de_overpass)
– Train (de_train)
– Vertigo (de_vertigo)

8.3. – Round Time
The round time will be set at 01:55 minutes.

8.4. – Bomb Timer
The bomb timer will be set at 0:40 seconds.

8.5. – Deathcam
Deathcam will be set to immediate.

8.6. – Server Settings
All servers will be allocated according to clause 8.1. They will have the official settings (listed in 8.9) loaded as well as the map pool installed. Additional to that the server must have the following settings.
– VAC enabled
– sv_pure 1

8.7. – Server Demos and Replays
IGE will retain all server demos/replays and reserves the right to play, use and/or upload, all or some demos that are recorded. No team or player can request for a specific demo.

8.8. – Game Version
The tournament will use the latest available version of the game client. If the latest available version is considered unplayable due to bugs or extreme balance changes within close proximity by IGE, an older version might be used if it’s available for rollback. Any update during the event will result in a rollback to the original version (if possible). Such changes of game version will be informed to the teams beforehand.

8.9. – Match settings
The following match settings need to be used:
– Rounds: Best out of 30 (mp_maxrounds 30)
– Round time: 1 minute 55 seconds (mp_roundtime 1.92)
– Start money: $800 (mp_startmoney 800)
– Freeze time: 20 seconds (mp_freezetime 20)
– Buy time: 20 seconds (mp_buytime 20)
– Bomb timer: 40 seconds (mp_c4timer 40)
– Overtime rounds: 1 minute 55 seconds (mp_roundtime 1.92)
– Overtime rounds: Best out of 6 (mp_overtime_maxrounds 6)
– Overtime start money: $16,000 (mp_overtime_startmoney 16000)
– Round restart delay: 5 seconds (mp_round_restart_delay 5)
– Break during half time: 2 minutes 30 seconds (mp_halftime_duration 150)
– Break during half time in overtimes: disabled.

9. MATCH RULES

9.1. – Competition Method
5 vs. 5 (Team Play, 5 players)

9.2. – Dropping of Player
9.2.1. – If a player drops (disconnects) before the first kill in the first round of a half, then the half will be restarted.
9.2.2. – If a player drops after the first kill has been made and has not returned when the round has been decided, then the match will be paused at the end of the round/start of the next round.
9.2.3. – If a player drops and the opponent has been notified before any damage has occurred during that round, then the round will be restarted.
9.2.4. – If the player has not returned, or cannot be replaced within 10 minutes after the pause has started, then the team with the dropped player may forfeit the match at the discretion of the Tournament Staff.

9.3. – Determining the Better Seed
9.3.1. – The “better seed” has the choice about who starts in the map-veto process.
9.3.2. – For online tournaments, the “better seed” means the team mentioned first on the match page or bracket list posted. For example: if a match is between Team A vs Team B, Team A will be considered the higher seed.
9.3.3. – In LAN matches, coin tosses will be used to determine who starts in the map-veto process.

9.4. – Map veto process outline
9.4.1. – Map veto process can only be handled by Tournament Staff and only two selected people from each team can take part.
9.4.2. – Map veto process can be done earlier if the Tournament Staff and both teams agree.
9.4.3. – The time at which the map veto process is being done does not warrant the exact start time of the match.
9.4.4. – During the map veto process, statements from the representatives towards the admin will count as a ban or pick and it cannot be reverted.
9.4.5. – Each team has only a total of 150 seconds to make all of their picks and bans, which can be split up on the single steps as teams prefer. When the time expires, the remaining picks and/or bans will be randomised by the referee.

9.5. – Map veto system
9.5.1. – Best-of-One Matches: The veto will take place as Team A Ban – Team B Ban – Team A Ban – Team B Ban – Team A Ban – Team B Ban – with the remaining map being played.
9.5.2. – Best-of-Three Matches: The veto will take place as Team A Ban – Team B Ban – Team A Pick – Team B Pick – Team A Ban – Team B Ban – with the remaining map being played as a decider map, if required.
9.5.3. – Best-of-Five Matches: The veto will take place as Team A Ban – Team B Ban – Team A Pick – Team B Pick – Team A Pick – Team B Pick – with the remaining map being played as a decider map, if required.

 9.6. – Choosing Playing Sides on PCs  (during the LAN stage)
No side will be favoured when choosing the playing PCs and a coin toss will have to be done before each match to decide which team takes which set of PCs.

9.7. – Changing Players During Matches
 Substitution rules and stand-in rules mentioned in the rules above are applicable for changing players before the match. Changing rosters and lineups during an online match is not permitted. However, at a LAN match, lineup changes are only allowed in between maps. The player will not receive additional time to set up compared to the time it would have taken with the original player.

9.8. – Mandatory Demo Recording
For online matches, all players must record point of view demos of the entire match and keep them for at least 14 days. Demos can be requested at any time by IGE Staff. After requesting a demo, the player in question has time until 24 hours after the scheduled match time to upload his demos. Failure to provide a demo upon request can lead to disqualification from the tournament or similar penalties.

9.10. – Match Interruptions & Crashes, Bugs
9.10.1. – The following rules only apply if a match is involuntarily interrupted due to a player crash, server crash, network failure, power failure, etc. These will most likely only apply to a LAN setting where such situations can be verified by IGE Staff.
9.10.2. – If a match is interrupted (e.g. server crash, network crash, etc) within the first three rounds of play, then the match should be restarted from the first round.
9.10.3. – If the match is interrupted after the first three rounds of play, IGE Staff will continue the match by using backup files on the server.
9.10.4. – If the latest backup/save is in the middle of a critical action (as decided by the IGE Staff), a previous backup must be used. In the event of a previous backup being unavailable the game must continue with the backup of the latest round that is available.
9.10.5. – In the event of a backup being corrupted or fails to load, the match should be restarted from the first round.
9.10.6. – There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to these rules irrespective of team or players involved or situation of match.
9.10.7. – In the event of a time issue, IGE Staff will decide accordingly.

9.11. – Draws – Match Overtime
In case of a draw after all 30 rounds have been played, an overtime will be played in a best of 6 rounds mode (mp_maxrounds 6) and with $16,000 start money (mp_startmoney 16000). For the start of the overtime teams will stay on the side which they played the previous half on, during half-time sites will be swapped. Teams will continue to play overtimes until a winner has been found.

9.12. – Tactical Pause / Timeout
Each team is allowed to invoke a tactical pause of 60 seconds up to two times per map. Pauses should be informed to IGE Staff. The pause function can be used by Tournament Staff at any time but it will only come into effect during freeze time (immediately, if used during freeze time, else at the beginning of the next freeze time). If all tactical pauses had already been used on the same map, Tournament Staff will unpause the game and continue the game. Continuous requests to pause while having used all tactical pauses on the same map, will lead to penalties.

9.13. – Match Breaks
There are no breaks at half times.

10. BROADCASTING RIGHTS AND ADVERTISEMENT

10.1. – Broadcast rights
All broadcasting rights of IGE SAC 2020 are owned by InGame Entertainment (Pvt) Ltd. This includes but is not limited to: IRC bots, shoutcast streams, video streams, GOTV, replays, demos, live-broadcasts, recorded-broadcasts and derivative audio/visual content of the event. IGE reserves the right to use, distribute and modify all parts of this contents indefinitely. All ingame footage, assets and content are the property of the respective developers and publishers.

10.2. – Host broadcasting
IGE may at their discretion assign the broadcasting rights of any part of SAC 2020 to a third party or the players themselves. In this case, terms and conditions would have to be arranged with IGE before the event begins and express written permission should be granted by IGE.

10.3. – Personal streaming of matches
Personal streaming of matches is not allowed unless otherwise explicitly permitted by IGE. Personal streaming of any match by a player without permission can lead to the disqualification of the team and the banning of the respective player from the tournament.

10.4. – Tournament stream delay
Tournament streams will be delayed (approximately 2 minutes) to avoid player sniping. In the event a team or player is found to be abusing a tournament stream/s, they will be disqualified immediately and the team will face severe penalties. 

10.5 – Player responsibility
Players cannot refuse to have their matches broadcasted nor can they choose in what manner the match will be broadcasted. All players agree to make sufficient accommodation so that broadcasting of matches can take place.

11. PLAYER CONDUCT

11.1. – Dress Code (applicable to LAN finals)
11.1.1. – All players who take part in the LAN finals are expected to be present with suitable attire and clothing (i.e. not in shorts, flip flops and slippers/sandals).
11.1.2. – Players are requested to wear their official organization’s tshirts or jerseys and not to be dressed in any attire with any vulgar or offensive print.
11.1.3. – Any kind of face wear and head wear is forbidden.
11.1.4. – Players who are not in the proper attire may not be allowed to play.

11.2. – PR, Media Obligations and Publicity (applicable to LAN finals)
Players must follow any instructions from IGE Staff for any extra activities such as photoshoots, pre-game and post-game interviews, press conferences, team intros, autograph/photo/video sessions, etc. Players cannot deny to attend these commitments. 

11.3. – Removing headsets 
Players should always seek approval from the Tournament Staff before they remove their headset during an ongoing match. Players who breach this clause will receive a warning and may be penalised for repeat infractions.

11.4. – Match Area (applicable to LAN finals)
11.4.1. – The match area is defined as the area immediately surrounding any competition machines (PC) that are used during tournament play. The Tournament Staff may define the match area at their discretion depending on the nature of the event and its location.
11.4.2. – After a match commences, the only persons allowed in these areas are the participating players, IGE Staff, Broadcasters and Organizers.
11.4.3. – No other persons including managers, well-wishers, coaches, etc can remain in the playing area once matches begin. Specific instances on coaches being allowed are detailed in Section 6 of these rules. Non-compliance by any such manager, or coach will be considered as an infringement and at the discretion of the Tournament Staff, be penalized accordingly.
11.4.4. – Players should not leave the match area during the pauses between games, without the Tournament Staff’s permission. Once a match starts and until it is completed players should remain seated at their terminal at all times.
11.4.5. – Players are strictly forbidden from eating or smoking in the match area or near any PCs.
11.4.6. – Smoking or vaping is strictly forbidden in the match area.
11.4.7. – Players are allowed to have beverages, but only below the table. Tables must be kept clear and clean at all times.
11.4.8. – Players are not allowed to bring any electronic devices, cameras or similar devices into the gaming area unless prior permission is given by the Tournament Staff. Such devices have to be handed to tournament officials before starting to setup before the first match.
11.4.9. – All mobile telephones must be SWITCHED OFF and should not be used during the duration of a match after it commences. Any player found to be using a mobile during a match (including during pause time, half-times, etc) will be penalized and the team may be disqualified from the tournament.
11.4.10. – Exaggerated loud noise and offensive language are forbidden.
11.4.11. – Paper versions of documents for tactical purposes are allowed in reasonable sizes and numbers (e.g. a notebook). Using any electronic versions, even on the Tournament PCs is strictly forbidden and could lead to the forfeit of a match.

11.5. – Tournament PC Setup (applicable to LAN finals)
11.5.1. – Players are expected to inform the Organizers or IGE Staff via email to [email protected] of any drivers required for the proper usage of their gaming gear in advance to the tournament.
11.5.2. – All tournament PCs will come installed with TeamSpeak (VoIP software) and/or Discord.
11.5.3. – A local TeamSpeak server will be provided by the organizers for best quality and minimal latency.
11.5.4. – Teams are encouraged to also make use of the IGE Discord Server (https://discord.gg/U5hE6Cm) for communication requirements at the tournament.
11.5.5. – Any attempt to overclock or in any way alter the default PC configuration for an additional boost in performance is strictly forbidden. Any such attempt will lead to an immediate loss of the current match and can lead to a disqualification from the entire tournament.
11.5.6. – Any attempt to download or install additional software, media or anything else on any Match PC by a player, before, during or after a match is strictly forbidden.
11.5.7. – Using the Internet access provided on Tournament PCs for anything other than gameplay is strictly forbidden. Players are prohibited from using the access to stream music, videos or other media.

11.6. – Game Configs/Drivers (applicable to LAN finals)
Teams who require their game configs and/or device drivers saved on the Tournament PCs, need to email them to [email protected] before the 15th of January 2020.

11.7. – Walkovers
11.7.1. – A team reserves the right to award a walkover if they are unable to play or have the full team present for a match.
11.7.2. – Any team that reaches the semifinals or finals and decides to give a walkover due to whatever reason will be automatically disqualified from the tournament and the next best team will be allowed to play. If the next best team is not present or a team cannot be contacted, the subsequent decision will lie with IGE staff.
11.7.3. – If in any case, there are two teams who are deemed suitable the choice will be made by way of a coin toss.
11.7.4. – The disqualified team will not receive any prize money of any percentage and the team will not be allowed to take part in a minimum of one IGE Tournament held in the immediate future. This suspension extends to the players of the team that receives this ban.
11.7.5. – IGE Staff may at their discretion override these rules depending on the situation at hand.

11.8. – Indecent Behaviour
11.8.1. – Swearing or any kind of hostility, racist or any sort of abuse verbal or physical towards another player is strictly prohibited. This includes chat messages in-game, verbal exchanges, etc.
11.8.2. – Insults on IRC, IM programs, Social Media, E-mail or other means of communication will be punished if the evidence is clear and is brought to the attention of the Tournament Staff. Particularly severe abuse cases with radical statements or the threat of physical violence can result in significantly heavier penalties including the disqualification of the player or team from the tournament and/or future tournaments as well.
11.8.3. – Players are reminded to please mind your language during matches.
11.8.4. – Players are strictly prohibited to be under the influence of alcohol or other psychoactive drugs in the match area. Smoking, vaping, drinking alcohol or using any psychoactive drugs in the match area is strictly prohibited.

11.9. – Sportsmanship
All participants are required to uphold the highest standards of fair play and sportsmanship.

11.10. – Insults, Racial Slurs or Harassment
11.10.1 – We have a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for any kind of harassment including but not limited to; demeaning language, threats, hate crimes, intimidation, non-consensual photography or recording, stalking, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome physical attention as well as statements or verbal exchanges that threatens or expresses contempt of ethnicity, religious belief, sexual orientation, citizenship, appearance, body size, age, disability and gender identity.
11.10.2. – Depending on the gravity of the offence, significantly heavier penalties including the disqualification of the player or team from the tournament and/or future tournaments as well, may be imposed.
11.10.3. – Every participant has to show the needed respect towards other participants, the Organizers, Tournament Staff and Casters. The ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY applies to EVERYONE attending both the LAN and online event, including but not limited to: Attendees, Press, Staff, Sponsors & Guests.

11.11. – Physical Assaults (applicable to LAN finals)
11.11.1. – Any participant who attacks or physically harms another participant, a player of another team, a Tournament Staff member, another attendee, press, sponsors or guest will immediately result in the perpetrator being disqualified from the tournament and banned from all future tournaments for a period of 2 years.
11.11.2. – The team which the participant represents will immediately be disqualified from the tournament and banned for taking part in any IGE tournament for a period of 6 months.
11.11.3. – Depending on the severity of the incident, legal charges may also be pursued against the person/s involved.

11.12. – Compete in a Professional Manner
Players are expected to compete in a professional manner. Throwing a match, halting play without cause or showing a flagrant lack of effort will be construed as a violation of player conduct, and will be penalized appropriately.

11.13. – Property Damage & Theft (applicable to LAN finals)
11.13.1. – In the event of intentional or accidental damages to hardware/property, the person/s responsible is expected to pay the damages to IGE.
11.13.2. – Any attempt to make hardware changes (e.g. unplugging of peripherals without proper consent from the match referees, etc.) and software changes to the computers will be considered as damage to property.
11.13.3. – Intentional or accidental damage or soiling of any venue space, furniture, equipment will also be considered as damage to property.

11.14. – Alcohol & Psychoactive Drugs (applicable to LAN finals)
11.14.1. – Alcohol and drugs in any form do not belong and are not allowed to be taken into the match areas.
11.14.2. – People found to be intoxicated and/or under the influence of drugs/other non-allowed substances will not be allowed into the match areas. Their matches will be considered as walkovers.
11.14.3. – People found intoxicated and/or on drugs may also not be granted access into the venue and/or shown off the premises.
11.14.4. – Smoking is strictly forbidden indoors and is only allowed in designated areas outside. Electronic cigarettes are also not allowed to be used indoors.

11.15. – Report any Harassment or Abuse (applicable to LAN finals)
11.15.1. – We encourage everyone to immediately report any sign of harassment, both to yourself or if you witness it happening to someone else.
11.15.2. – Report it to a IGE Staff Member who have tags clearly marked with STAFF on themselves.

11.16. – Limitations (applicable to LAN finals)
All the above player conduct restrictions are imposed upon entry from the gate of the Tournament premises (security checkpoint or main entrance gate). Any incidents that take place beyond the premises or during transit are not covered by these rules and IGE Staff or Organizers cannot be held liable for any such incidents either.

11.17. – Betting or Gambling
11.17.1. – Gambling in any form, including betting on the outcome of games has no place in the world of Esports or even video gaming in general. IGE has a strict policy of any form of gambling being prohibited.
11.17.2. – Any detection of the same will lead to severe penalties being imposed on the offenders. This includes match fixing and related offences as well.
11.17.3. – No players, team managers, staff or management of attending clans/organizations may be involved in betting or gambling, associate with betters or gamblers, or provide anyone any information that may assist betting or gambling, either directly or indirectly, for any match in the tournament.
11.17.4. – Any player found to be in breach of this rule will face severe penalties including lifetime bans from all IGE Tournaments. Team official, staff, management will similarly face the maximum penalties that can be issued.

11.18. – Match Fixing
Match fixing is defined as the act of arranging the outcome of a match prior to its being played. Match fixing is strictly prohibited and all individuals involved will face severe penalties.

11.19. – Cheating Of Any Kind
Any player/team found to be cheating including but not limited to in-game cheats, faking match results, faking match demos, faking or ringing a player, playing with a disallowed player, impersonating a player/clan/organisation, will face severe penalties including lifetime bans from all IGE Tournaments. Specific game rules for cheating may be included in the game rules.

11.20. – Competition Manipulation
11.20.1. – Offering money/benefits, making threats or exerting pressure towards anyone involved with IGE, its partners or sponsors with the goal of influencing a result of a match is considered competition manipulation.
11.20.2. – Any player found to be in breach of this rule will face severe penalties including lifetime bans from all IGE Tournaments. Team official, staff, management will similarly face the maximum penalties that can be issued.

12. SPECTATOR CONDUCT (APPLICABLE TO LAN FINALS)

12.1. – Positive Spectator Sportsmanship
Spectators are an important part of the game and at all times, in the spirit of good sportsmanship and favorable spectator involvement, fans are strongly encouraged to be loud, to be proud, but to be POSITIVE and WITH CLASS.

12.2. – Spectator Responsibility
Spectators shall at all times respect Tournament Staff and players and extend all courtesies to them.

12.3. – Indecency, Abuse and Harassment
Taunting, foul and abusive language, noisemakers, inflammatory remarks, and disrespectful signs and behavior will not be tolerated.

12.4. – Ejection of Spectators from the Premises
12.4.1. – Any person(s) using inflammatory language and/or displaying inciting actions will be warned by the Tournament Staff that continuation of the activity will result in their ejection from the premises.
12.4.2. – If the language and/or activity continues, the offending person(s) will be removed.
12.4.3. – In a particularly flagrant case of inflammatory language and/or inciting action, the offending person(s) may be removed immediately without a warning.
12.4.4. – The determination of whether certain language is inflammatory and/or action is inciting will be a judgment made by the Tournament Staff and will apply whether the offense is aimed at the tournament participants, Tournament Staff, other spectators, etc.

12.5. – Indecent Signs, Tshirts (Clothing) or Noisemakers
Any signs, banners, shirts, noisemakers, etc. deemed inflammatory by the Tournament Staff, or that are in violation of venue policies, will be removed.

12.6. – Targeting a Player or Tournament Official
At no instance (at a tournament or outside) should a player or tournament official be targetted or named for any abusive or in any demeaning manner (through public posts on the forums or social media groups/pages, Steam profile names, etc). All players and officials should be treated with the respect they deserve and any such misconduct on the contrary may be penalised.

13. PENALTIES

13.1. – Penalties on Player Conduct
Players who are caught swearing, behaving in a hostile manner, halting play without cause or trash talking towards their opponents or staff or spectators will receive a Warning on the first infraction. Further infractions may result in the forfeiture of the match.

13.2. – Penalties on Throwing a Match
Players who are caught throwing a match, sabotaging a match or quitting the game before it ends will receive a default loss and the team will be disqualified from the Tournament. The player will also be banned from taking part in the next IGE Tournament. 

13.3. – Penalties on Unprofessional Behavior
Players who are displaying unprofessional behaviour, such as the player not complying to Tournament Staff commands, team managers or spectators related to the player not complying to Tournament Staff commands, creating unnecessary situations and showing a flagrant lack of respect to the Tournament Staff will receive a Warning on the first infraction. Further infractions may result in the forfeiture of the match.

13.4. – Penalties on Punctuality
Teams with not a full roster (only 4 players present) will receive the following penalties depending on the duration of their delay in being punctual:
– Being late upto 5 minutes: Warning
– Being late upto 10 minutes: Warning
– Being late by more than 10 minutes: Default loss on the game.

14. EVENT SECURITY (APPLICABLE TO LAN FINALS)

14.1. – All players, spectators and visitors may be asked to walk through security scanners, searched or patted down by security personnel before being allowed admission to the Event Venue. 

14.2. –  If any banned objects are found, the security personnel will be entitled to confiscate the object and to refuse the owner admission to the Event.

14.3. – Access control will be in conformity with the applicable laws and is aimed at preventing weapons or hazardous substances that may disrupt the proceedings at the Event and/or put the safety of the participants and visitors at risk.

14.4. – The following items are banned across all events:
– Drugs or other illegal mind-enhancing substances;
– Projectiles or explosives in solid, liquid or gas form;
– Flammable products or materials & spray cans;
– Pyrotechnical objects (fireworks, torches, etc);
– Any other weapons or sharp, pointy objects (sticks, chains, knives, etc);
– Banners or items bearing discriminating and/or provocative texts or expressions that may be used in an attempt to disrupt the peace, or that may endanger the safety of the crowd and/or may cause injuries or damage to people and goods;
– Animals;
– Drones.
– Any other objects (umbrellas, parasols, camera tripods, laser pens, etc) of which the security personnel decide that they pose a risk to the public at the event; 

14.5. – The above list may change depending on the restrictions placed by the Venue. 

15. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE (APPLICABLE TO LAN FINALS)

15.1. – Players in need of medical assistance should alert Tournament Staff immediately. Tournament Staff will not pause or restart matches due to medical issues. Serious medical issues will be escalated as necessary by the Tournament Staff for further assistance.

15.2. –  Once vacated from the Playing Area, players have the option to return mid series if medical issues subside. However they may do so only during a scheduled break. They will not be allowed access to the playing area during any other time (even to retrieve their belongings).

16. PUBLICITY AND PR

IGE reserves the right to use the name, tag, likeness, video, game play statistics, and/or gaming account ID of any player, for publicity purposes prior to, during, or after the tournament/event end date, in any media, throughout the world, in perpetuity, for any purpose including but not limited to, advertising, marketing and promoting the tournament/event and future tournaments. For a full understanding of what this means please refer to the Player Appearance Release.

By entering the premises the event is being hosted on, all spectators automatically consent to being photographed or filmed and herewith grant IGE the permission to use and/or broadcast these digital images. IGE may use these digital images for promotional and/or commercial purposes. In addition, these images may be used by commercial and/or (media) partners. 

17. DISPUTES ON MATCH OUTCOMES

Disputes on match outcomes and results must be first made to the IGE Tournament Staff and they will escalate it thereafter as necessary.

18. DISPUTES ON REFEREE CONDUCT

Any player or team who feels that a IGE Staff Member (Referee, Caster or Event Staff) acted in a manner contrary to the spirit of the game and lacking professionalism may report such instances directly to the IGE Administration. Please email such instances to [email protected] with all the details surrounding the situation. All reports will be kept confidential and the Administration will get in touch directly to discuss the matter further.

19. RULE CHANGES

IGE reserves the right to ignore or overrule any of the above-mentioned rules in order to make the competition as fair as possible. Teams and participants acknowledge the right for IGE to modify the rules and regulations as and when needed. Such modifications need not necessarily be publicly announced during the progress of a tournament.

20. LIABILITY

No person/s shall hold InGame Entertainment (Pvt) Ltd (IGE) or its staff (including referees, casters and event staff), sponsors and partners liable in any manner whatsoever for any circumstance or situation arising from or at any of our events including but not limited to acts beyond its control, including without limitation, acts of God, acts or regulations of any governmental or supra-national authority, war, terrorist activities or national emergency, accident, fire, lightning, riot, civil commotion, explosions, strikes, lockouts, industrial disputes or epidemics.

21. LEGAL PROCESS

Legal proceedings are not permitted.

22. CONFIDENTIALITY

23. ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS

24. DISCLAIMER

IGE reserves the right to deny entry to any event to anyone who violates the event rules.