Frequently Asked Questions

We'll be updating this FAQ throughout the year, so keep sending Support Tickets in if your questions aren't answered below!

Leagues and Sign-Up

I'm a new coach. Where do I start?

Work through these guides in order:

1. Coach Registration Guide to create your account and school.

2. Team Creation Guide to build your teams and invite players.

3. Match Week Guide for the weekly queue, Match Chat and scores.

What is the USAEL Open, and how do I sign up for it as a State League member?

The USAEL Open is the national online league run by the US Academic Esports League (USAEL). It runs on the same platform as your state league, at its own site, and any USAEL school that meets a game's grade criteria can enter. The Fall 2026 season offers 13 titles across elementary, middle and high school divisions, with a 7-week regular season starting 9/21/26. Full details are in the USAEL Open Rulebook.

If your school is already in a state league, you won't need to create a new account or re-register anyone. Just follow the Multi-League Linking Guide to register your existing school and teams to the USAEL Open.

Only a coach or school admin can link a school. When you first open the USAEL Open's site, the platform offers to link your school for you.

Can I play in both the USAEL Open and my State League at the same time?

Yes. Your state league gives each title a fixed match day and time. The USAEL Open uses dynamic scheduling instead: you submit your team's weekly availability on the platform, and your Open match is assigned from the times both teams have open. Leave out the times you already have state league matches and the two schedules will never collide.

I accidentally created a duplicate school in the USAEL Open. What should I do?

No harm done. Open a support ticket (see I need help. How do I file a support ticket?), tell us the name of your school and which league site you were on, and we will merge the two records into one. Keep using whichever school your teams are on until you hear back, so nothing is lost in the move.

My school is already registered in another league. How do I join this one?

Your school has one record shared by every league it plays in. When you open a second league, the platform offers to link your school to it. If you missed that prompt, follow the Multi-League Linking Guide. Do not create a second school.

I coach both a middle school and a high school. One school record or two?

We go by NCES records. If NCES lists the middle school and the high school separately, register each as its own school. If NCES lists one combined campus, keep one school and put the level in your team names, such as "Lincoln HS Varsity" and "Lincoln MS".

How do I join or create a school if my students are homeschooled?

For a State league, ask your state association for guidance. For the USAEL Open, follow the Coach Registration Guide and create a school named with your full name plus "Homeschool", for example "Mary Sue Homeschool", then proceed as any other school.

Fees

Does it cost anything to play?

The USAEL Open is free, with no limit on teams or titles. Other leagues may charge a membership fee, set and collected by the league. Check your league's rulebook or contact your league office. Schools provide their own consoles, games and online subscriptions, such as Nintendo Switch Online.

Accounts and Verification

I'm not receiving my verification code during account creation.

Check your spam or junk folder first. If it is not there, the most common cause is a school email filter that has not allowed our platform's emails yet. Ask your IT team to add the addresses and domains listed in the K-12 IT Requirements Guide to their allow list, then request a new code.

My students are under 13. How do they play?

The platform requires players to be at least 13 to create their own account. For a younger student, add them to your roster as a Managed Member, with parent permission, and handle their registration and match-day tasks yourself. The Managed Member Guide walks through it.

Some leagues require Managed Members for every student this season for data-privacy reasons. Your league's rulebook says which applies to you.

Why can't I see real names?

Privacy. K-12 leagues hide real names by default, so other members see a username. Coaches and school admins see the real names of their own school's members and teams. A student can also share their real name with their team: on the team page, select the pencil icon (My Preferences) and check Display my real name to members of this team. Other schools and opponents never see real names. The School Settings & Privacy Guide covers what each group can see.

My students are asked to verify a school email or upload a document.

Every school in a K-12 league checks who joins. A student who signs up with an address on one of your school's Member Domains joins at once. Anyone else applies with a document, which you approve under Settings, then Member Access, in the Approval Queue. The fast path is an Invite Link with Skip Verification ticked: make it from Add People on your school's or team's Members tab, and anyone who opens it within 48 hours joins with no check. A link without Skip Verification skips nothing. See the Team Creation Guide, and share the Student Registration Guide with your players.

My students' email addresses are rejected because of the school's email domain.

Your school's Member Domains decide which addresses verify a student. Open your school's Settings, then Member Access, and add the student domain (for example students.district.org) under Member Domains. Staff domains belong under Moderator Domains. Each domain shows how many members have verified with it. Until the list is right, an Invite Link with Skip Verification gets students in for 48 hours.

What does my district's IT department need to allow?

The IT & Networking Guide lists the email domains and network addresses to allow. If your district needs more, open a ticket with their question and we will answer it in writing.

I am a parent and created an account by mistake.

Delete it from your account settings. Students 13 and older create their own accounts. If you are also the coach and your student is under 13, keep your account and follow the Managed Member Guide instead.

My student has two accounts.

Pick the account the student will keep and have them sign in with it. Remove the other account from your team so matches and game handles stay on one account. A student who sees "email already in use" at sign-up already has an account and should sign in with that email instead.

School Setup and Roles

What's the difference between players, team captains, coaches and school admins?

Coaches and captains manage only the teams they belong to. To help run another coach's team, ask that coach to add you to it as Coach. League staff grant School Admin, so open a support ticket to request it.

How do I add another coach?

From your school page, open Members and use Add People: Invite via Search for someone already on the platform, or Invite Link. A link never makes someone a coach. Once they have joined, a school admin opens their row under Members and sets the role to Coach. Someone who signs up with an address on your school's Moderator Domains and picks Coach is verified on the spot; a school admin still approves the role. The Coach Registration Guide covers what the new coach sees.

How do I change the school page logo and banner?

A coach or school admin opens the school page, then Settings. The logo and banner are in the Images section.

My school is still waiting on verification.

Verification needs a school email on the district's domain, or a staff ID uploaded at the Upload Verification step. If you skipped the upload or your domain did not match, open a ticket and we will finish it. If you abandoned school creation partway and now see "this school already exists", open a ticket and we will complete the draft.

A student created their own team. How do we remove it?

Open a support ticket with the team's name. We will move it under your school or remove it.

Rosters and Registration

What's the difference between a Team and an Entry?

A team is your school's group of students for one game. It stays on the platform from season to season. An entry is one team's sign-up for one competition, with its own roster, schedule and results. Adding a student to your team does not put them on an entry. The Platform Terms Guide explains both, along with the on-screen words for each.

How do I register players for a solo title?

We recommend one team per solo title with every player on it, though separate teams also work. To register:

1. Select Register on the competition page and choose your team.

2. On the roster step, your own row starts as Coach. Leave it, because Player gives you an entry of your own.

3. Tick each student who will play, then select Register N Players at the bottom.

Each student becomes their own entry, and you are coach on every one. Afterward the button reads Registered, and your players appear on the competition's Entries tab. To add more students later, register the same team again.

How do I withdraw an entry?

Open your entry from the competition's Entries tab and select the … menu at the top right.

• Before roster lock, and before the entry has bracket matches, choose Delete Entry. It removes the entry for good. Your team and its roster stay, so you can register it in the right competition.

• After that, choose Withdraw Entry. It takes the entry out of play but keeps its matches and results. Only league staff can reinstate it.

A greyed-out option says why, for example "The roster is locked. Withdraw it instead." The Platform Terms Guide explains both.

How do I move a player to another team?

Remove From Team takes the player off that team only. It does not remove them from your school or delete their account. The dialog also removes them from the team's entries unless you untick that box. Remove them from the old team, then add them from the roster editor on the new one. A student who cannot be selected for a roster has not finished joining the school; send them a new Invite Link.

How do I move a player from one entry to another?

A student can be a player on only one entry per competition, so take them off the first entry before adding them to the second.

1. Open the first entry, either from the competition's Entries tab or from Matches in the left navigation.

2. In the Roster section, untick the player. They move to Inactive and stay on your team.

3. Make sure the player is a member of the second entry's team. If they are not, invite them from that team's Requests & Invites section.

4. Open the second entry, find the player under Inactive, pick their role and tick them.

If you see "This user is already a player on another entry in this competition", step 2 has not been done yet. After your league's roster lock, only league admins can change entry rosters, so open a support ticket from the competition page.

I can't add a player because the roster is full.

Each entry has a limit on active players and a separate limit on substitutes. When a role is full, its checkbox greys out and the role menu says "The roster is full for this role." Untick another player first, or give the new player the Substitute role if a substitute spot is open.

Can we play with fewer players than a full team?

Generally no. Your entry needs your league's minimum number of players on its roster to join the queue. Your league may make an exception, so open a support ticket from the competition page if you need one.

Our entry says "Dropped From Competition". What does that mean?

A dropped entry has been taken out of play in that competition. It keeps its roster and past results, but it cannot join the queue or get new matches. An entry is dropped when:

• someone on the team withdraws it with Withdraw Entry,

• its team is deleted, or

• a league admin drops it.

Only league staff can return it with Reinstate Entry, so open a support ticket from the competition page.

Can we register after the deadline?

Late registration is up to your league. Open a support ticket from the competition page and say which team and title.

Do substitutes have to register, and do they have to be online?

Substitutes are not required to register a team. During a match, only the active players need to be in the game and in Match Chat. Substitutes should be ready to swap in between games.

Can a student play more than one title?

Yes. No K-12 league caps the number of titles a student plays. Within one title a student can only be on one entry.

Game Accounts and Handles

How do players link their game accounts?

Each competition lists the accounts it requires. A player who has not linked them can block registration in some competitions, and always blocks your team from joining the weekly queue. The Game Handles Guide shows how players link each account and which handle each game needs. For Nintendo titles, players enter their Nintendo friend code. If a wrong entry cannot be changed, open a ticket.

Why can't my team join the queue? It says a player's game account is missing.

Every active player on the entry must link the game accounts the competition requires before your team can join the queue. Players link them in Settings, then Accounts. The Game Handles Guide covers each game. A substitute who has not linked yet can be unticked in the entry's Roster section so they do not block the queue. Coaches never need a game account.

If a player says they linked but still shows as missing, they probably linked on a second account. Have them sign in with the account on your roster and link it there.

How do I add game handles for my Managed Members?

Open your school's Members tab, open the Managed Member's row menu and choose Game Handles. You can also add them on the competition entry roster, under the member's name. Coaches can enter handles only for Managed Members. Players with their own accounts link their own.

Our students play on school-owned consoles and don't have their own game accounts. What do we enter?

Enter the handle of the console account your students play on, such as that console's Nintendo friend code. Several players can share the same handle.

Match Play

How does the weekly queue work?

Each week, your team joins a queue to tell us it will play. Select Join Queue at the top of the competition's Bracket tab, once per team. When the queue closes, your team is paired with an opponent, and the matchup appears on the platform with a notification in your inbox. On the calendar, each week's queue is named Week N Queue, for example Week 3 Queue.

Late Queues pair teams automatically when they close. Your rulebook lists each title's match day.

In leagues with a fixed match time, joining also reserves that time for your starters. The confirm dialog names any starter who already has a match then, swaps in a free substitute where it can, and blocks the join if too few starters are free. In MHSEL and PSEL, an entry the weekly Queue can't pair moves into the Late Queue instead of getting a bye and shows Held: stay in it, since leaving means no match and no bye that week.

In leagues whose queue opens Thursday, next week's queue is already open on a Thursday match day. Joining it does not affect that day's match. The Match Week Guide walks through the whole week.

Is the Check In button on a match page the same as joining the queue?

No. You join the weekly queue with Join Queue at the top of the competition's Bracket tab. A Check In button on a match page is a separate ready check that some competitions run just before a match starts, and a missed match check-in is a forfeit. Do both when you see them.

Do we forfeit if we don't join the queue?

No. A team that does not join the queue is not assigned a match that week, and that does not count against playoff eligibility. To skip a week on purpose, just don't join. If you missed the queue by accident, open a support ticket from the competition page. MHSEL and PSEL teams can also join the Late Queue on match day. TexSEF Varsity is the exception: its matches are pre-scheduled, and an unplayed Varsity match is a forfeit.

What happens if we join the queue but there is nobody left to pair us with?

You get a bye for the week. A bye is recorded as a match win in the standings and never counts against playoff eligibility. A team with a bye generally does not get a second match that week, though your league may make an exception. In MHSEL and PSEL you are moved into the Late Queue first and shown as Held; stay in it until it closes to earn the bye.

Why didn't we get a match this week?

Usually for one of two reasons:

• Your team did not join the queue before it closed. If you missed it, open a support ticket from the competition page.

• An odd number of teams joined, so one team got a bye. A bye shows as a completed match marked Bye, and most leagues count it as a win.

If neither applies, open a support ticket from the competition page.

How do I know my team is in the queue, and can we leave it?

After you join, the Bracket tab shows In Queue with "Queued for" and the time, and a Leave Queue button. You can leave any time before the queue closes. After it closes, open a support ticket from the competition page. A Held chip means you were moved to the Late Queue and are still waiting to be paired.

Why were we paired against another team from our own school?

We try hard to avoid it, but it can happen once or twice in a season, depending on which teams joined the queue that week.

How long does the other team have to confirm our score?

24 hours. After the winning team submits with Report Scores, the opponent selects Confirm Scores and can accept, counter-report, or choose Request Admin Review. A report that is not answered within 24 hours is accepted automatically. If you disagree with a result, use Flag Admin on the match page within that window and describe the problem.

Where do I see every match for all my teams this week?

Select Matches in the left navigation. It lists every entry you play on or manage, across all competitions, with its status and next match. Your school page's Matches tab shows the same for every team at your school, and its All Matches view lists each match. The Schedule page opens on Mine and shows your matches on a calendar.

What time zone are match times shown in?

The platform shows every time in your device's time zone. Rulebooks list default match times in the league's own time zone.

What day and time does my title play?

Most State leagues give each title a default match day and time, listed in the rulebook. To move a match, see the reschedule question below. The USAEL Open has no fixed day: matchups post every Monday, and the match time is assigned from the availability both teams submitted. See the Availability Calendar Guide. Once a match exists, its time shows on the match page and on your school's Matches tab.

The bracket says "Match Assignments Pending". Is something wrong?

No. Every team in the queue shows this until pairings post after the queue closes. If a team is still pending after the posting time in your rulebook, open a ticket from the competition page.

Our opponent has not shown up. How do we report a no-show or forfeit?

Post in Match Chat at the scheduled start time. If the other team still has not joined or replied 15 minutes later, select Flag Admin (the hand icon) on the match page and choose Opponent Unresponsive. A league admin records the forfeit. Do not enter a score for a match that was not played.

If your own team cannot play, tell the other team in Match Chat and use Flag Admin to let the league know.

How do we reschedule a match?

Agree on a new time with the other team in Match Chat. Then select Flag Admin on the match page, choose General Support, and write the new time in the details. A league admin moves the match, and both teams get a notification. Play the rescheduled match by the end of the day on Sunday of that week. If the other team does not agree, the match stays at its original time.

The support button on another school's page reaches league support, not their coach. A built-in reschedule tool is on the way.

Where do I report a score, and how do I fix a wrong one?

The winning team uses Report Scores on the match page. The other team then selects Confirm Scores and can accept or counter-report with the correct score. Some competitions require a screenshot with each report, and the form tells you when. Keep one either way in case of a dispute. If both sides have accepted the result and you still need to report an issue, use Flag Admin (the hand icon). Scrimmage results do not count toward standings.

Why don't I see Report Scores or Flag Admin on the match page?

Only people on one of the two entry rosters see them. Coaches of a team are normally added to its entries automatically. If you are not on the entry's roster, open the entry from the competition's Entries tab and tick yourself in the Roster section with the Coach role. Flag Admin is the hand icon.

How do we forfeit a match we can't play?

Tell the other team in Match Chat, then select Forfeit Match on the match page (coach or Team Captain), pick a reason and confirm. The match ends as a loss for your entry. Once a score is reported or the match is flagged, only a league admin can forfeit it. When you withdraw an entry, the dialog can also forfeit its unplayed matches with Forfeit Unplayed Matches.

Why can't I see another school's roster?

K-12 leagues keep rosters private to the school. On another school's page you see the member count, not the list, and hidden seats on an entry read Hidden. In a match you still see your opponents' usernames and the game handles the competition requires.

Can my students use Discord for matches?

No. K-12 leagues turn Discord off for students: Match Chat, team chat and sign-in all happen on the platform. Coaches may still link Discord for themselves, and a student may list a Discord name as a game handle.

A player is spamming or being abusive in Match Chat.

Use Flag Admin with Bullying or Inappropriate Content. League staff can mute a member in that chat for up to a day.

Match Chat only updates when I refresh the page.

Match Chat, bracket updates and notifications arrive over a live connection called a WebSocket. Many school and district web filters block WebSocket connections even when the site itself is allowed. The page still loads and you can still send messages, but nothing new appears until you refresh.

Two quick checks:

1. Open the same match on a phone using cellular data instead of the school Wi-Fi. If messages appear on their own there, the school network is blocking the live connection.

2. Ask your IT team to allow wss:// connections to the domains in Section 2.1 of the IT & Networking Guide. The guide has a WebSocket note written for them.

Until IT makes the change, refresh the match page every minute or so during a match. If the problem continues on a network that allows WebSockets, open a ticket from the match page and include your school's name and the browser you used.

Scrimmages

I cannot find the Scrims tab.

The Scrims tab appears on a competition page once your league turns scrims on for it, and your team must be registered in the competition to post or accept a block. If your rulebook says scrims run for a title and there is no tab, open a ticket from that competition page. The Scrim Finder Guide covers posting and accepting blocks.

The support button on another school's profile page reaches platform support, not their coach. Use the Scrim Finder to reach other teams.

Game-Specific Questions

What format do Smash matches use?

Formats differ by league and title. Your rulebook lists the format, including stock counts and how many games make a set.

How does stage striking work in Smash?

In leagues that use Team Draft for Smash Team Solos, the match page runs lineups, character picks and stage strikes for you, and both teams report each game there. The Team Draft Guide walks through it. Solos and Crew Battles still strike in Match Chat, in the order your rulebook gives.

How do time trial and build challenge titles work?

Leaderboard titles such as Mario Kart Time Trials and Minecraft Build Challenge have no queue and no opponent. Players submit their result with Submit Score on the competition's Bracket tab during each round's window. A screenshot or a clear photo of the final screen is accepted. Your rulebook lists each round's window, track or theme, attempts and scoring.

Getting Help

I need help. How do I file a support ticket?

Sign in to your league's site and look for Get Help at the bottom of the left navigation. Click it, choose Platform Support, describe your issue and submit. A ticket opens with a chat where our team follows up, and updates also go to your email. You can also open a ticket straight from a competition page using its Contact Support button, which attaches the competition so we already have the context.

Already have a ticket open about the same issue? Continue the conversation there instead of opening a new one, so the whole history stays in one place.