Overwatch UCEA Invitational - Rules

GAME

Entry and Prizing

Entry Fees: $250 USD per team Prizing: $10,000 Prize Pool

First Place Overall: $5,000 USD

Second Place Overall: $3,000 USD

Third Place Overall: $1,500 USD

Fourth Place Overall: $500 USD

Mode: All games will be six versus six.

Version: The version used will be the most current patch approved for play by Blizzard.

Player: All players will have a unique Blizzard Battle.net account name.

Team Sides: The team coming into the game with the highest seed will choose attack or defense. The lower seed will be the opposite of the higher seeds’ selection. If there is no seeding, the team in the top line of the match up will choose with the lower team defaulting to the unchosen side.

Account Platform: Teams may compete on PC. Each team is only allowed to play with a mouse and keyboard. No mods or additional programs are allowed to be used throughout the duration of the season. All tournament operators reserve the right to randomly check peripherals being used during competition to ensure competitive integrity.

Overtime: If there is no decisive winner during the regulation time, overtime is to be played to determine the winner of the map. Overtime, or the match tiebreaker, is considered map three in a best of three and map six in a best of five match.

Disconnects: If either team experiences a player disconnect, the following situations will be carried out:

If the current score is 0-0, then the map lobby will restart.

If a score existed, the tournament operator will make a decision on a case by case basis with communication to both teams impacted.

Disconnects will not affect prior maps won or lost.

If the disconnected player cannot rejoin, a qualifying substitute player may be subbed in. If there are no substitutes available, then the team will forfeit the match.

Settings: All matches must be played with the following settings selected:

Competitive format

All maps not being played should be set to “off”

All heroes banned should be set to “off”

Lobby should be listed as “invite only” to ensure competitive integrity

Kill-cams should be set to “off”

All heroes should be limited to 2 for each role (2'2'2')

Map Selection: The map for map one will be randomly selected each week by the tournament operator. After map one, the losing team will make the selection for map two. This process will continue for up to six maps, depending on the format of the match being played.

Modes Played: Each map will be assigned a specific mode:

Map One: Control

Map Two: Escort

Map Three: Hybrid

Map Four: Assault

Map Five: Control map not yet played

Map Six: Control map not yet played

Map Pool: The available maps for each mode are: Assault: Hanamura, Temple of Anubis, Volskaya Industries, Hybrid: Eichenwalde, King’s Row, Numbani, Control: Busan, Ilios, Oasis, Escort: Dorado, Havana, Rialto.

REGISTRATION

Eligibility: All teams must be part of a post-secondary institution in the United States or Canada. All teams are required to have a non-player coach or administrator for the team. Main points of contact must be a paid or unpaid official staff member of the respective institution’s esports program. Qualifying institutions may enter one team.

The UEA will select teams based on verification.

Teams: Teams will be made up of six main players plus up to six substitutes. As previously stated, each team is required to also have a coach or admin role aside from active players.

MATCHES

Group Stage: Matches will be best of three. All matches will be played on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM Eastern Time each week. Group Stage will follow a single round robin format with matches being best of three. All matches will be played online. Due to delays in campus openings and the pandemic, Match 1 and 2 will not count towards seeding or forfeit status. They will be more lenient to allow institutions to organize their teams.

Reschedules and Forfeits: If a reschedule is wished to be made, both teams must agree and inform a tournament operator. All reschedules must start from 8:01 PM to 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the same day as originally scheduled.

Reschedules that are out of the control of the institution such as but not limited to: weather, drills, shutdown, internet outage, power outage, holidays, etc. will be allowed to be played during reschedule week.

All reschedules must be agreed upon by both involved teams more than 24 hours prior to the original start time.

Reschedules not made in time or if a team does not show up to the match within 15 minutes of start time without proper communication, this will be considered a forfeit. If a team reaches two forfeits, they will be eliminated from the tournament.

If both teams agree prior to 24 hours before the original time that a match cannot be played, and neither team has two forfeits, the match may be started anytime from Sunday at 8:00 AM to Friday at 11:59 PM Eastern Time during the Reschedule Week listed below.

*NOTE: Reschedules cannot replace matches scheduled for November 2nd and 5th. All original matches must still be played during reschedule week.

The following schedule will reflect the competition days for group stage:

Match 1: September 16, 2020 (preseason)

Match 2: September 23, 2020 (preseason)

Match 3: September 30, 2020

Match 4: October 7, 2020

Match 5: October 14, 2020

Match 6: October 21, 2020

Match 7: October 28, 2020

Reschedule Week: October 25-30, 2020

Playoffs: All teams from each group will move to the playoffs. Playoffs will include one single-elimination brackets that is seeded according to final standings from the group stage. All matches will be best of five. All matches will have the potential to be produced by UCEA.

The following schedule will reflect the competition days for playoffs:

Round 1 Top Bracket: November 2, 2020 at 6:00 PM Eastern

Round 1 Bottom Bracket: November 3, 2020 at 6:00 PM Eastern

Round 2 (Quarterfinals): November 5, 2020 at 6:00 PM Eastern

Semifinals: November 7, 2020 at 5:00 PM Eastern

Third Place Match: November 7, 2020 at 7:00 PM Eastern

Final: November 7, 2020 at 7:00 PM Eastern

Tiebreakers: In the event of a tie between one or more teams with respect to either playoff advancement or playoff seeding, the advancing or higher seeding team will be determined using the following tie breaking methods, in the order as it is listed:

Group Stage Head to Head: If the teams played each other during the group stage, the winning team of that match will win the tiebreaker.

Map Differential: A tournament operator will collect the total number of maps lost throughout the relevant games already played. The team with fewer maps lost will be deemed the advancing or higher seeded team. If more than one team is tied, then seeds will correlate to standings based on maps lost.

Best of One Head to Head: If teams are still tied after the map differential has been determined, there will be one map played head to head. Map selection will be Ilios played in control format. The winner of this map will be given the higher seed.

Broadcasting: Each school is encouraged to stream their respective matches on their own channels. All streams will need to follow a required five minute delay. Any streams found to not be following this rule will be given a forfeit. The Unified Collegiate Esports Association will stream a “match of the day” each game day for the duration of the season. The UCEA will provide casters, overlays and production. Each team will be able to submit a request form to have their games featured. These matches will be chosen at random by UCEA.