USAEL Open Rulebook

How to Read This Rulebook. It is intentionally written to be clear for coaches and players of all experience levels. Any attempt to circumvent this ruleset, the spirit of the rules, or general competitive integrity — even if not covered directly here — is addressed in Section 5: Player Conduct.

Introduction

This rulebook is the official and comprehensive set of rules, policies, and procedures governing all League play for the USAEL Open for the Fall 2026 season. It brings general competition rules, game-specific rules, and player conduct expectations together into a single authoritative document.

New to the platform? The Match Week Guide walks through one week from joining the queue to score report, and the FAQ answers the questions coaches ask most. For anything else, select Get Help at the bottom of the left navigation on the League Platform.

1. League Overview

1.1 League Operator

The USAEL Open is owned and operated by the US Academic Esports League (USAEL).

1.2 League Platform

The League is hosted on the official USAEL Open platform, powered by Rally Cry. All registration, scheduling, match communication, and score reporting happen on this platform. The flow is: register, join the queue, get matched, play, report.

1.3 League Schedule

A season has three phases — an optional Preseason, a 7-week Regular Season, and a 3-week Playoff. Registration is open through Regular Season Week 6 and closes Monday 11/2/26 at 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT, when the Week 7 Queue closes. Teams must be registered and queued by each Monday at 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT to be assigned a match that week.

Season Calendar

The Coaches Meeting is not required, but is highly recommended. Listed regular-season dates are the Monday that starts each competition week; the queue opens the Thursday before.

1.4 League Eligibility

The League is open to all USAEL schools that meet the grade criteria for each game competition (see Section 4: Game Rules). For team-based games, all players on a team must attend the same school or receive explicit approval to compete under a local community center or K–12 program.

For USAEL, Elementary School (ES) is grades K–5, Middle School (MS) is grades 6–8, and High School (HS) is grades 9–12. Students in younger grade bands may, at their coach's discretion, register in a higher grade band instead of their own — but may not participate in both.

1.4.1 Students Under 13

The League Platform requires players to be at least 13 years old to create an account. A coach may, with parent permission, use the Managed Member feature to roster younger students and manage their matches on the students' behalf.

1.4.2 Game Titles

The full list of games for the Fall 2026 season and their grade criteria is below. Students may register for a grade division higher than their own, but not lower.

If a grade division does not have enough entrants to run a competitive league, it may be combined with an older division. If no older division exists, that division may be cancelled.

1.5 Definition of Terms

2. League Format

2.1 Preseason (Optional)

Before the regular season, teams may play an optional preseason match to test equipment, game connections, and the match-day flow. Preseason results are not recorded and do not affect standings.

A preseason match is the best way to confirm everything works before games count. All teams are strongly encouraged to participate, to work through technical issues and lower the chance of forfeits during the regular season.

Practice is not limited to the preseason week. The Scrims tab on any competition page lets teams schedule practice matches against other registered teams all season; see the Scrim Finder Guide.

2.2 Regular Season

The regular season runs for seven weeks. Each week, teams play up to one match in each competition they have joined the queue for. Teams in the queue that week are paired first on overlapping availability, then on similar record and rating. A default time is assigned from the mutual availability of the two teams, and teams may move it with Reschedule on the match page (Section 3.4). Where to set and submit availability: Availability Calendar Guide.

2.3 Playoffs

Qualification is determined by each team's place in the Regular Season standings: Section 2.4 for head-to-head titles, Sections 4.6 and 4.11 for Mario Kart Time Trials and Minecraft.

In most titles, the top 8 teams on the leaderboard are invited to the Championship Bracket, and placements 9–16 are invited to the Silver Bracket. Additional brackets and bracket size may scale with the number of participants; any changes are announced at the conclusion of the Regular Season.

In order to qualify for the Championship Bracket, teams must compete in a minimum of 5 weeks of matches. This rule does not apply to Minecraft. Teams may still qualify for consolation postseason brackets without the minimum qualifying matches (eg. Silver Bracket).

2.4 Tiebreakers

In head-to-head titles, standings rank teams by rating. Every match result moves a team's rating, and a bye adds a win to the record without changing the rating.

If two or more teams have the same rating, they are ranked by the steps below, in order. Any teams still tied after a step move to the next step.

1. Match Performance — number of match wins. A bye counts as a match win.

2. Head-to-Head Record — when two teams are tied and have played each other, the winner of that match ranks higher.

3. Game Score Differential — for titles that report in-game scores (Rocket League and Fortnite: Elimination Race), total score for minus total score against across every game played. Titles that report only a winner skip this step.

4. Match Points — points earned for match wins and ties over the season.

5. Strength of Schedule — the combined match wins of every opponent a team has played.

3. League Rules

3.1 Registration Process

To be eligible to play, every coach must:

1. Create an account on the USAEL Open League Platform.

2. Create a team, invite students, and register for at least one competition. For team-based games, the entry's roster must meet that competition's minimum player requirement.

3. Follow the instructions for the weekly Queue and match assignments.

Step-by-step help: the Coach Registration Guide covers creating your account and joining your school. The Team Creation Guide covers building a team and registering it for a competition.

3.2 Weekly Queue & Match Assignment

Each week, teams confirm they intend to play by joining the Queue during the queue window, which runs from Thursday 12:00 AM PT / 3:00 AM ET to Monday 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT the week prior. The Queue is on the competition's Bracket tab: select Join, paint the times your team can play that week, and select Save and Join, once per team, per competition. The Availability Calendar Guide shows how to set this up so it takes a minute each week.

When the window closes on Monday, every team in the queue is paired first on overlapping availability, then on similar record and rating, and a match time is assigned from the hours both teams offered. Match assignments are posted on the League Platform and sent to each coach's platform inbox.

A team that does not join the Queue is not assigned a match for that week. Where the button is and what happens next: Tournament Formats Guide, Weekly Queue with Availability. Disputes and unresponsive opponents go to a League Official through the Flag Admin button on the Match page.

3.3 Byes

A team receives a bye when it is left unpaired once the window closes, because the Queue has an odd number of teams or no other team in the Queue has availability that overlaps with its own. A bye adds a win to the team's record without changing its rating, so it only changes a team's place in the standings when it is tied on rating (see Section 2.4: Tiebreakers, step 1). It does not count against playoff eligibility. A team that receives a bye should offer more availability the following week, which makes a pairing far more likely. League Officials may also assign byes when scheduling requires it.

3.4 Match Rescheduling

Both coaches may agree to move a match. In the Reschedule section of the match page, select Propose New Times and offer up to three new times. The other team selects Review Times and accepts one, declines them all, or counters with times of its own. Once a time is accepted, the match moves and both teams are notified. An offer expires after 48 hours, or when its last offered time starts if that is sooner. A rescheduled match must still be played by the end of the day on Sunday of that week, and the Reschedule section only offers times that still leave both teams able to join one of the next week's queues. If the match has no Reschedule section, or it can no longer be moved because match check-in has opened, select Flag Admin, choose General Support, and enter the new time in the details. If the coaches cannot agree, the match stays at its original time.

3.5 Match Day Process

3.5.1 Match Chat & Communication

Both teams should be present in Match Chat and ready by the default match time. A coach or approved team captain from each team must establish communication in Match Chat at the start of the match. If a team has not joined the lobby or replied in Match Chat 15 minutes after the scheduled start time, the opposing coach selects Flag Admin on the match page and chooses Opponent Unresponsive. A league admin reviews the report and records the forfeit. Teams do not report a score for a match that was not played.

3.5.2 Lobby Creation

Both teams use Match Chat to agree on who hosts the lobby. If they can't agree, the host defaults to the team marked Home on the Match page (the left side). The host creates the lobby using the game-specific settings in Section 4: Game Rules.

3.5.3 Match Play

Once both teams are in the lobby, each confirms in Match Chat that the settings are correct and that they're ready. After both confirm, the host starts the match.

3.5.4 Score Reporting

When the match is complete, the winning team reports the result on the Match page with Report Scores (step by step: Match Week Guide, Report the Score). For Rocket League and Fortnite: Elimination Race, enter each team's in-game score for every game (goals or eliminations), not just the winner; those scores feed the Game Score Differential tiebreaker in Section 2.4. The other team then has 24 hours to accept or dispute the result; a report that is not answered within 24 hours is accepted automatically. If there is a dispute, use Flag Admin on the Match page to request a League Official before leaving.

3.5.5 Forfeits

All forfeits are final. A forfeit may be applied for a no-show, an inability to field enough players, a conduct ruling, ineligible players, missing results, or lack of communication. A match won by forfeit is recorded at the minimum score needed to win (for example, 2–0 for a best-of-three). A bye records no score, so it adds nothing to the Game Score Differential tiebreaker in Section 2.4. A team that cannot play may forfeit its own match on the Match page with Forfeit Match (coach or Team Captain) instead of no-showing.

3.6 Substitutions

In team-based games, substitutions are allowed between games (or maps/sets) as long as the opposing team is notified and the substitute is on the entry's roster. Once a Game of Record is established, no substitutions may be made until that game is complete.

3.7 Stoppage of Play

General pause and disconnect handling is below. Because each game handles pauses differently, always defer to the title-specific rules in Section 4: Game Rules.

3.7.1 Player Disconnections

If a player disconnects in a game that supports pausing, the match may be paused per that title's rules. Players should keep screenshots as proof of when a disconnect happened. Both teams must confirm readiness in Match Chat before play resumes.

3.7.2 Voluntary / Directed Pauses

Pausing without permission is treated as unfair play and may draw a penalty. League Officials may direct a pause at any time. Pauses expected to last longer than 10 minutes should be approved by a League Official.

3.8 Spectating & Streaming

Production teams, or team members not actively playing (a coach or substitute), may join the lobby as a spectator only if both teams agree in Match Chat before the match.

A player competing in a match may stream their own point of view without the agreement of both teams. This exception applies only to a player actively playing in that match.

3.9 Active Coaching

Coaches may not provide input during active gameplay that would give their players advantageous information. Coaching should be limited to between individual games.

3.10 Coach Responsibilities

Coaches are the primary point of contact for their team and are responsible for their players' readiness, conduct, and results reporting throughout the season: rostering eligible players (per Section 1.4), joining the weekly queue with availability, being present in Match Chat at least 15 minutes before the assigned match time, coordinating lobbies, substitutions and pauses with the opposing coach, coaching only between games (per Section 3.9: Active Coaching), and making sure results are reported and verified within the 24-hour review window. Every player links the game account the competition requires before match day; the Game Handles Guide covers linking accounts, including entering handles for Managed Members.

The full pre-match, match-day and post-match checklist is in the Match Week Guide, Coach Responsibilities. Before the season, the IT & Networking Guide covers network, firewall and anti-cheat requirements.

4. Game Rules

Each title below lists its match format, platform, team size, lobby settings, Game of Record and tiebreaker in one table, followed by selection, disconnection handling, and title-specific rules.

USAEL Open does not use a fixed weekly match day per title. Match times are assigned from the two teams' submitted availability (see Section 2.2).

Rules Overview

4.1 Rocket League

Format & Settings

Disconnections

Play continues through a disconnect. The disconnected player may attempt to rejoin mid-game. If they cannot rejoin during the game, the team has 5 minutes before the next game to return the player to the lobby or replace them with a substitute — a substitute may not replace them mid-game. Otherwise, the match will proceed to the next game with the players present. If a full team disconnects, they have 5 minutes to return or forfeit that game.

Additional Rules

• Controllers: players may use a controller or mouse & keyboard.

• Content Updates: any cars or items disabled by the publisher are not allowed; matches run on the current patch.

4.2 Overwatch 2

Format & Settings

Map Selection

• Game 1 is Control, with exact map determined by the Home team (the team on the left of the Match page).

• For every game after, the loser picks the map and, where applicable, the winner picks the side.

• All maps and standard play modes are allowed.

Heroes: all heroes are allowed except a new hero, which is banned in league play for two weeks after its release.

Disconnections

Play continues through a disconnect. The disconnected player may attempt to rejoin mid-game. If they cannot rejoin during the game, the team has 5 minutes before the next game to return the player to the lobby or replace them with a substitute — a substitute may not replace them mid-game. Otherwise, the match will proceed to the next game with the players present. If a full team disconnects, they have 5 minutes to return or forfeit that game.

4.3 Marvel Rivals

Format & Settings

Map Selection

• Game 1 is Domination, with exact map selected by the Home team (the team on the left of the Match page).

• For every game after, the loser picks the map and, where applicable, the winner picks the side.

• All maps and standard play modes are allowed.

Heroes: in the regular season, all heroes are allowed. For playoffs matches, teams enable pick and ban phases using the Competitive game mode.

Disconnections

Play continues through a disconnect. The disconnected player may attempt to rejoin mid-game. If they cannot rejoin during the game, the team has 5 minutes before the next game to return the player to the lobby or replace them with a substitute — a substitute may not replace them mid-game. Otherwise, the match will proceed to the next game with the players present. If a full team disconnects, they have 5 minutes to return or forfeit that game.

Additional Rules

• Profile Privacy: competing players set Career Profile - Overview Visibility to Everyone so opponents can verify identity.

• Costumes: in the regular season, characters must use default costumes and MVP animations; alternate costumes are prohibited (one warning per team, then penalties). Starting in playoffs, spectator customizations are disabled in the Tournament Room, so this rule is no longer enforced.

4.4 Splatoon 3

Format & Settings

Map & Mode Selection

• For Game 1, the Home team (on the left of the Match page) selects the first game mode, then the Away team selects the first map.

• For each game after, the winning team selects the next game mode, then the losing team selects the map.

• Teams cannot select a map or mode they have already won during the match.

Example: Team A wins Rainmaker on MakoMart in Game 1. Team A may not select Rainmaker or MakoMart for the remainder of the match. Team B may still select any mode or map, including Rainmaker and MakoMart.

Disconnections

Each team may replay one game per match due to an unintentional disconnection, provided every condition below is met. The current game is then cancelled and not counted, both teams replay the same map and mode combination, and the replayed result is final.

• The team has not already used its one game replay during the match.

• All players on the team with the disconnect immediately stop playing and force-end the game.

• The player disconnected within the first minute of the match timer.

• Neither team has a remaining score lower than 50 (that is, scored more than 50 points).

To force the game to end, hold ZL, ZR, L, R, left stick and right stick for 3 seconds.

If the conditions are not met the game must continue. A team that ends a game without meeting them receives the game loss. If a host disconnect occurs and the hosting team does not qualify for a replay, the hosting team forfeits that game and the match continues — a host change is strongly recommended.

Additional Rules

• Splattercolor Screen: either team may ban weapons with the Splattercolor Screen special for the whole match by stating so in Match Chat before all players join the lobby. If a Splattercolor Screen weapon is selected in a match where it is banned, the match should be cancelled on start and restarted. This rule exists for accessibility reasons; abusing it (for example, strategic banning) is strictly forbidden and subject to forfeits and disqualification.

4.5 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Format & Settings

Map Selection

• Stage Striking, Game 1 (Starter stages only):

  • Home player strikes 1 map

  • Away player strikes 2 maps

  • Home player strikes 1 map

  • The remaining stage is played.

• Stage Counterpicking, Game 2 Onward (Starter + Counterpick): the loser of the previous game selects the next map. Players may not select a map they have already won on during the match.

Character Selection: Game 1 is a blind pick, so neither player sees the other's character before choosing. From Game 2 on, once the stage is chosen, the team that won the previous game announces their player's character first, and the loser picks second.

Disconnections

If a player disconnects, the still-connected player should reset the lobby. The disconnected player must rejoin within 5 minutes or forfeit the affected game. If they return in time, recreate the game with the same fighters, stage and stock count — damage % for both players begins from 0% — and continue.

Each player receives one disconnect replay per match; after that, subsequent disconnects result in a game loss. A player unable to rejoin within 10 minutes forfeits the remainder of the match.

Additional Rules

• Mii Fighters: must use default costumes and a Guest Mii; the player must announce their move set (a 4-digit code, e.g. 1213) in Match Chat before the game.

4.6 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Time Trials

Format & Settings

Weekly Racetracks

Scoring

Each week is a round on the competition's Bracket tab. Players who submit a time are ranked fastest to slowest and earn points for their placement. Tied times share a placement and its points. A player's season total is the sum of their points from every round, and a round with no submission scores 0. Standings for an open round are provisional and do not count toward the season total until the round closes on Friday.

Playoff Qualification

With more than 24 players the Championship Bracket is 16 players; with fewer than 24 it is 8 players. Going into playoffs the leaderboard resets and players receive a bonus relative to their regular-season rank: 1st 10 points, 2nd 8, 3rd 6, 4th 4, 5th–6th 3, 7th–8th 2, 9th–12th 1, 13th–16th 0. These totals apply regardless of bracket size.

Each week of the playoffs all players may continue completing time trials on schedule. The three-week playoff is a cumulative leaderboard, and the top scorer after three weeks is declared champion.

Additional Rules

• Submitting: on the competition's Bracket tab, select Submit Score for your player, enter your time, and upload a screenshot of the final time screen. Submissions are accepted from Monday 12:00pm ET until Friday 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT of that week.

• Attempts: each student may submit 2 official attempts per week, supervised by a parent or coach. The faster of the two counts.

• Corrections: a submission can be edited for 10 minutes after it is posted. After that, contact a League Official through Get Help.

• Video Proof: during the Playoffs, a coach or parent must submit a video of the official attempt.

4.7 Fortnite: Elimination Race

Fortnite is scheduled by availability like every other synchronous title (see Section 3.2).

Format & Settings

Drop Rules

• Teams must drop on a different location, and no interaction between duos is allowed.

• If the Home team has a preferred drop site, it may claim priority by declaring it in Match Chat. The Away team may then state its preferred site before the game begins.

• In subsequent games, the team that lost the previous game gets first claim on its next drop site. Claims must be made before the next game begins to be honored.

If teams must occupy the same space, no griefing of the other team is allowed, including but not limited to throwing Shield Breakers or Shockwave Grenades solely to damage or displace opponents, breaking the opposing duo's structures to hinder them, or forcing the opposing duo into the storm.

No Rebooting

If your opponent reboots a teammate using a reboot van, the other team is entitled to the game win. That team must inform their opponents in Match Chat before the game concludes; if the match is played to conclusion with no acknowledgement, the result stands.

Sprites

Teams may not equip any Sprites before entering a game, including games after a Victory Royale where Sprites remain equipped. Players should ensure that they unequip any sprites prior to each game. A player who enters a game with a Sprite already equipped must drop it on landing, and nobody in the match may pick it up again — failure to comply results in an automatic game loss. Sprites found in the wild, in chests, or dropped by eliminated players are fair use.

Current season: Some sprites found in the wild supply buffs that affect the whole team. These are allowed to be picked up and are not considered interference.

Disconnections

If a player disconnects before GOR is established, all players return to the lobby, await the disconnecting player, and restart in a new lobby. That player has 5 minutes to rejoin before the match progresses without them. If GOR has been established, the game resumes until completion.

Additional Rules

• Voice Chat: turn off in-game voice chat before pairing with opponents; coordinate through Match Chat.

• Control Settings: players may use mouse & keyboard or controllers.

4.8 Pokémon Champions

Format & Settings

Team Selection

Players select a team of 6 Pokémon for the match, visible to the opponent. For each game, players select 4 of those Pokémon to play. The 4 may change from game to game, but the collection of 6 may not change for the entire match.

Disconnections

If a player disconnects, the game continues and the result stands; the disconnected player may attempt to rejoin. A player who has not rejoined within 5 minutes of the current game's conclusion forfeits the remainder of the match.

4.9 Brawlhalla

Format & Settings

Map Selection

Tournament Striking. On the first game of the match, the player selected by the game strikes all but three maps from the in-game pool; the other player then chooses from the remaining three by striking two of them. For subsequent games, the loser strikes all but three maps and the winner strikes two more to select the next game's map.

Disconnections

If a player disconnects, the game continues with bots in that player's place and the result stands; the player may attempt to rejoin mid-game. A player unable to rejoin within 10 minutes of the current game's conclusion forfeits the remainder of the match.

Additional Rules

• Account Standing: a player's Brawlhalla account must be in good standing to play. Attempts to multi-account or circumvent Brawlhalla's account system may be subject to forfeits and disqualification.

4.10 Tetris Effect

Format & Settings

Mode Selection

Game 1 is played in Zone Battle. Modes for subsequent games are selected by the loser of the previous game.

Disconnections

If a player disconnects before GOR is established, the game may be reset. Otherwise the game is played out and the result stands.

Additional Rules

• Lobby Setup: players labeled Home Team are responsible for setting up each Friend Match unless otherwise agreed. If a Friend Match is set up incorrectly and this is noticed before the game concludes, notify the opponent in chat, close the game and restart with the correct settings. If a game is completed, the result stands. Failure to make the correct adjustments results in a game loss.

4.11 Minecraft: Build Challenge

Format & Settings

Build Schedule

The regular season has three build rounds, each three weeks long. A round opens Monday at 12:00pm ET and submissions are due Friday 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT of its final week.

Build Submission

Each student submits one build per round. On the competition's Bracket tab, select Submit Score and paste a link to a shared folder holding up to 5 photos of the build. Leave the Judge score field blank. Make sure the folder is shared so anyone with the link can view it; a link judges cannot open scores 0.

Rubric

Each submission is scored by a panel of USAEL judges against the rubric below. Judges enter each build's rubric total, out of 100, after the round closes. Builds are ranked by that total and earn placement points on the same scale as Mario Kart Time Trials (Section 4.6). A student's season total is the sum of their points from every round. Until judging is complete, a closed round's placements are not final.

Playoff Qualification & Format

A student's cumulative score is the primary qualifier for playoff qualification. Top players will be invited to the final playoff build, where the best final build will be declared the champion.

4.12 Chess

Format & Settings

Color Selection: the Home team plays White in Game 1; colors alternate each game thereafter. A drawn game counts as a half point to each player. If a match is level after the final game, play one additional game at the same time control; if that draws, the player with White in the deciding game loses the tiebreak.

Additional Rules

• Playoffs Proctoring: once the Playoffs stage is reached, all matches must be proctored by a parent or teacher.

• Account Standing: to be eligible for play, each player's Chess.com account must be in good standing.

4.13 Overcooked: All You Can Eat (Postponed)

We have made the decision to postpone the Overcooked competition to Spring 2027 and pivot the format to be a live 2v2 cook-off. Overcooked: All You Can Eat will be the required version of the game in order to support cross-play across all platforms.

Thank you for your interest in Overcooked esports and we'll see you in Spring 2027!

5. Player Conduct

5.1 Code of Conduct

Players must compete to the best of their ability at all times and follow the USAEL Code of Conduct:

• Respect: treat all players, organizers, and spectators with respect.

• Integrity: play honestly and follow the rules of the game.

• Graciousness: be humble in victory and courteous in defeat.

• Language: use appropriate, respectful language at all times.

• Anti-Bullying: zero tolerance for harassment, bullying, or discrimination of any kind.

• Feedback: keep feedback constructive; avoid toxic comments.

Any form of cheating or foul play by any team member will not be tolerated. All members are prohibited from influencing a match so its outcome is decided by anything other than the competitive merits of the teams.

5.2 Standards of Competition

Players may never cheat or seek an unfair advantage. Unfair play includes, but is not limited to:

• Exploiting bugs or glitches

• Collusion or match manipulation

• Hacking or third-party cheat software

• Ringing — playing under another person's identity, or fielding ineligible players

• Intentional disconnection

A team member found violating these standards will be issued a loss for that game and may face additional penalties at the discretion of League Officials.

5.3 Spirit of the Rules

The rules in this rulebook are designed to ensure fair play, integrity, and a positive experience for all participants. They are not merely a checklist to be followed — they embody the spirit of competition, sportsmanship, and respect for all participants and the event as a whole. Exploiting loopholes, manipulating gameplay, or unsportsmanlike conduct is a violation of the spirit of the rules.

5.4 Organizer Discretion

Interpreting and enforcing these rules — including any situation not explicitly covered — is at the sole discretion of League Officials. They may act in the best interests of the competition, its participants, and fair play. These decisions are final and binding and cannot be appealed.

5.5 Player Responsibility

By participating, you acknowledge that League Officials have the authority to interpret the rules and take any action necessary to maintain the integrity and spirit of the competition.

6. Policies & Administration

6.1 Amendments

USAEL and any event partners reserve the right to update, revise, or modify these rules when appropriate. Major changes are recorded in the Change Log below, and it is every coach's and player's responsibility to review the current rulebook. The version shown at the top of this page always matches the most recent Change Log entry.

6.2 Change Log