USAEL

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 USAEL Open is hosted on the play.usacademicesports.com platform, hosted by Rally Cry, a parent company of the USAEL.

1.3 League Schedule

The USAEL Open consists of a 7-week Regular Season and a 2-week Playoffs. The full Spring schedule is listed below. Registration is open on a rolling basis throughout the season, but teams must be registered and queued by Monday at 9am PT / 12pm ET to be assigned a match for that week.

Week	Date
Registration Open	Feb 2
Week 1	Feb 24-26
Week 2	March 3-5
Week 3	March 10-12
Week 4	March 17-19
Spring Break	March 21–April 5
Week 5	April 7-9
Week 6	April 14-16
Week 7	April 21-23
Playoffs Week 1	April 28-30
Playoffs Week 2	May 5-7

1.4 League Eligibility

The USAEL Open is open to all students that meet the grade criteria of the specific game competitions. For team-based games, teams may only be formed from players attending the same school. A full list of grade criteria can be found below.

Game	Grade Levels
Minecraft: Bed Wars	Elementary & Middle School
Marvel Rivals	Middle & High School
Chess	All Grades
Fortnite: Duos	Middle & High School
Rocket League	Elementary & Middle School High School
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	Elementary & Middle School High School
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Time Trials	All Grades
Overwatch 2	Middle & High School
Madden NFL `26	All Grades

Students may opt to register for grade level divisions that are higher than their current grade level, but may not opt to register for grade level divisions that are lower than their current grade level.

1.5 Definition of Terms

Term	Definition
Game	A single instance of play that produces a result (i.e. one Rocket League game, one Marvel Rivals map).
Match	A set of games played between the same two teams or players to determine a winner. All matches in the USAEL Open regular season are best-of-three (Bo3) games.
Team	An individual or group of players participating in the competition. This term will be used to refer to all team sizes, including single-player teams.
USAEL Open Platform	The official competition platform for the USAEL Open, hosted on play.usacademicesports.com.

2. League Format

2.1 Regular Season

This phase consists of seven weekly rounds, where each player or team will compete in a single best-of-three (Bo3) series for their game. Each week, teams will be matched based on their current score and their submitted schedule based on the Scheduling Form. Match times will always be default scheduled to Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday at 4pm (based on preferred time zone), but teams have the flexibility to reschedule using the in-platform Match Chat.

2.2 Playoffs

This phase consists of a single-elimination bracket over a two week period. Playoffs qualification will be determined by the team’s cumulative score throughout the Regular Season, and the number of playoff teams will scale with the total number of registered teams per competition, with a minimum of (4) qualifying teams per competition.

3. League Rules

3.1 Registration Process

All competing players and teams must have completed the following steps to be considered eligible for play.

Create an account on play.usacademicesports.com
Register for at least one Competition (for team-based games, the registered team must meet the minimum player requirements for the competition)
Fill out the Scheduling Form
Join the Queue for their competition prior to the beginning of each league play week. The queue will be open from Friday 12am PT / 3am ET until Monday 9am PT / 12pm ET.

3.2 Match Scheduling

Each Monday at 12pm PT / 3pm ET, if a player or team has completed all Registration Process steps and has joined the queue for their competition, they will receive a Match Assignment with an opponent, date, and a default match time* based upon the Scheduling Form completed by both teams. Match assignments will be emailed to all members of the team, and can also be viewed on the USAEL Open platform.

*Our Tournament Administrators will always try their best to match teams against other teams with similar schedules, but this may not always be possible.

3.3 Match Rescheduling

If a player or team needs to reschedule a match after a match assignment has been given, they should use the In-Platform Match Chat to facilitate an unofficial reschedule with the opposing team. If match chat is used to facilitate an unofficial reschedule, players or teams should retain evidence of consensual rescheduling. If an agreement cannot be reached on scheduling, teams should contact a Tournament Administrator.

3.4 Match Day Process

On the day of the match, players or teams are expected to complete the following steps.

3.4.1 Check-In

Both teams must be on time to coordinate creation and joining of the lobby through In-Platform Match Chat. If absent 15 minutes after the default match time, the absent team will automatically forfeit the match.

3.4.2 Lobby Creation

Both teams should use the In-Platform Match Chat to agree on a lobby host. If an agreement cannot be made, then the lobby host will default to the team listed on the left side of the Match page. The lobby host should create the lobby with the game-specific lobby setup requirements listed in the Game Rules section of this rulebook.

3.4.3 Match Play

Once the lobby has been joined by both players or teams, both teams should provide confirmation that the lobby settings are accurate and that they are ready to begin play using the in-platform match chat. Once both teams have provided confirmation, the lobby host should begin the match.

3.4.4 Standard Score Reporting

Upon conclusion of the full best-of-three (Bo3) series, the winning team is responsible for Reporting Scores on the USAEL Open platform, with the process as follows:

Navigate to your Match page
Click the Report Scores button
Click the Win button under the corresponding team for each game.
Double-check that the correct team is marked as the Match winner

Once the match result is reported, the opposing team should confirm the score. If there is a score dispute, teams should request the assistance of a tournament administrator.

3.4.5 Time Trials Score Reporting

For offline tournaments like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Time Trials, time submissions will follow a different process.

The student will be able to practice the run as many times as they’d like
When they’re ready to record an Official Attempt (2 tries maximum), the attempt should be supervised by a parent or teacher
Once the Official Attempt is completed, the parent or teacher should take a picture of the final score
The picture and the time should be submitted via the USAEL Open Platform

At the end of the week, the tournament administrator will tally all official score submissions and assign scores based on the student’s placement vs. their group.

3.5 Substitutions

In team-based games, player substitutions are allowed between games (or maps) as long as the opposing team is notified.

3.6 Tiebreakers

If a game requires a specific tiebreaker rule, it will be listed in the Game Rules section of this document for that specific game.

3.7 Stoppage of Play

If a game has a pause feature, pauses are only allowed in two instances – a disconnect or a voluntary pause within 30 seconds of the game starting.

3.7.1 Player Disconnections

If a player disconnects from a match in a team-based game, any player may pause the match. The player will have 5 minutes to reconnect back to the match, and both teams must verbally confirm their readiness to unpause before the pause can be reverted.

3.7.2 Voluntary Pauses

If a player is experiencing issues within 30 seconds of the game starting, and no significant gameplay advantages have been claimed by either team, the player or team may opt to pause and/or reset the game once per game. Further issues must result in a forfeit or a continuation of gameplay.

3.8 Spectating

Team members not in active play (i.e. a coach or a substitute) may spectate the match as long as both teams agree to the inclusion of spectators prior to the match.

4. Game Rules

4.1 Chess

4.1.1 Chess Format

Match Format	Best-of-three (Bo3)
Platform	Chess.com (PC, Mobile)
Game Mode	Rapid Chess
Team Size	1 Player, 0 Subs
Lobby Settings	Game Length: 10 minutes Standard Rapid Chess Rules

4.1.2 Chess Game-Specific Rules

Pick/Ban	N/A
Tiebreakers	N/A
Other	Playoffs Proctoring: Once the Playoffs stage of the competition has been reached, all matches must be proctored by a parent or teacher. Account Standing: To be eligible for play, each player’s account on Chess.com must be in good standing.

4.2 Fortnite

THIS EVENT IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, OR ADMINISTERED BY EPIC GAMES, INC.

4.2.1 Fortnite Format

Match Format	Elimination Race, 3 Lobbies
Platform	PC, Xbox, Playstation, Switch
Game Mode	Builds
Team Size	2 Players, 1 Sub
Lobby Settings	No Fill: Enabled

4.2.2 Fortnite Game-Specific Rules

Pick/Ban	N/A
Tiebreakers	If teams are tied in kills, the team that met the following conditions, in order, will be declared the winner: Most players surviving at the end of the lobby First to 2 kills during the lobby
Other	Elimination Race Format: Both teams queue up in the same 4-man squad Each match consists of 3 lobbies Whichever team has the most eliminations after each lobby is declared the winner of the lobby Teams must drop on a different location No interaction between duos is allowed Control Settings: Players are allowed to use mouse & keyboard or controllers

4.3 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

4.3.1 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Format

Match Format	Best-of-three (Bo3)
Platform	Nintendo Switch
Game Mode	Arena Battles
Team Size	1 Player, 0 Subs
Lobby Settings	Match Type: All Skills Visibility: Private Format: Team battle DLC Characters: Allowed Style: Stock Stock: 3 Time Limit: 7:00 FS Meter: Off Spirits: Off Damage Handicap: Off Items: Off First to Win: 1 Stage Morph: Off Stage Hazards: Off Team Attack: Off Launch Rate: 1.0x Underdog Boost: Off Pausing: On Score Display: Off % Show Damage: Yes

4.3.2 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Game-Specific Rules

Pick/Ban	Players alternate stage bans until one of the following stages is left to be played: Battlefield Final Destination Town & City Pokemon Stadium Smashville
Tiebreakers	N/A
Other	N/A

4.4 Rocket League

4.4.1 Rocket League Format

Match Format	Best-of-three (Bo3)
Platform	PC, Xbox, Playstation, Switch
Game Mode	Soccar
Team Size	3 Players, 1 Sub
Lobby Settings	Arena: Random Bot Difficulty: No Bots Region: US Central / US East / US West Joinable By: Name & Password

4.4.2 Rocket League Game-Specific Rules

Pick/Ban	N/A
Tiebreakers	N/A
Other	Region: Teams must agree on server region, otherwise it will default to US Central. Control Settings: Players are allowed to use mouse & keyboard or controllers

4.5 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Time Trials

4.5.1 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Time Trials Format

Match Format	Time Trials, 2 Attempts
Platform	Nintendo Switch
Game Mode	Time Trials
Team Size	1 Player, 0 Subs
Lobby Settings	Race Speed: 150cc Vehicles: All allowed Characters: All allowed Tires / Gliders: All allowed Mode: Solo Race

4.5.2 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Game-Specific Rules

Map	Each week of the tournament will feature a different map: Week 1: Excitebike Arena Week 2: Bone-Dry Dunes Week 3: Hyrule Circuit Week 4: Twisted Mansion Week 5: N64 Rainbow Road Week 6: Mount Wario Week 7: Cheese Land Playoffs Week 1: Big Blue Playoffs Week 2: Dragon Driftway
Tiebreakers	In the event two players produce the exact same time on a course, their 2nd attempt may be used to break the tie
Other	Picture Proof: During the Regular Season, the student, coach, or parent must submit a picture of their final time screen Attempts: Each student is allowed 2 Official Attempts per week, supervised by a parent or coach Video Proof (Playoffs): During the Playoffs, a coach or parent must submit a video of the official attempt

Map

Each week of the tournament will feature a different map:

Week 1: Excitebike Arena
Week 2: Bone-Dry Dunes
Week 3: Hyrule Circuit
Week 4: Twisted Mansion
Week 5: N64 Rainbow Road
Week 6: Mount Wario
Week 7: Cheese Land
Playoffs Week 1: Big Blue
Playoffs Week 2: Dragon Driftway

Tiebreakers

In the event two players produce the exact same time on a course, their 2nd attempt may be used to break the tie

Other

Picture Proof: During the Regular Season, the student, coach, or parent must submit a picture of their final time screen
Attempts: Each student is allowed 2 Official Attempts per week, supervised by a parent or coach
Video Proof (Playoffs): During the Playoffs, a coach or parent must submit a video of the official attempt

4.6 Marvel Rivals

4.6.1 Marvel Rivals Format

Match Format	Best-of-three (Bo3)
Platform	PC, Xbox, Playstation
Game Mode	Custom
Team Size	6 Players, 2 Subs
Lobby Settings	Map: Competitive Team Size: 6

4.6.2 Marvel Rivals Game-Specific Rules

Maps	Teams will alternate between game modes. The first game must be Domination, the second game must be Convoy, and the third match’s game mode will be picked by the team that lost the second game. Maps must be random.
Pick/Ban	Regular Season: During the regular season, all heroes are allowed. Playoffs Bans: For playoffs matches, teams will enable pick and ban phases using the “Competitive” game mode.
Tiebreakers	N/A
Other	N/A

4.7 Minecraft: Duels

4.7.1 Minecraft Format

Match Format	Best-of-three (Bo3)
Platform	PC
Game Mode	Duels (Bed Wars)
Team Size	1 Player, 0 Subs
Lobby Settings	Game Mode: 1v1 Duels (Bed Wars) Server: go.minepeak.org

4.7.2 Minecraft Game-Specific Rules

Joining the Duel	Both players should open Minecraft and click Multiplayer → Add Server, Use go.minepeak.org as server address → Join Server If it’s your first time logging in, the server will request you create a password; we recommend just using your username. Both players should right-click the Compass in the item bar to open the inventory Both players should click the fishing rod labeled Duels. After being teleported, both players should ensure they are in the same Duels lobby by right-clicking the Slimeball in the item bar. Pick a lobby number for both players to meet in. Use the USAEL Match Chat to determine who will invite the other player. The player who is being invited should provide their Player Name. The other player should open the chat by pressing T and type “/duel PlayerNickname” and then press Enter. To select duel type, click on the Fire Charge in the top middle to go to “Other Duels”. Then, select Bed Wars by clicking on the Bed. The receiving player should accept the invite by pressing T then clicking Accept in the chat window Play out the duel and repeat until a winner is determined and the match has concluded. Note: In the event that the Bed Wars Duels server is down, players may agree to a different type of duel or partying together and moving to the larger Bed Wars lobby. If a consensus cannot be reached, default to Bridge Wars in the Duels lobby (Terracotta block next to Bed Wars).

Joining the Duel

Both players should open Minecraft and click Multiplayer → Add Server, Use go.minepeak.org as server address → Join Server
If it’s your first time logging in, the server will request you create a password; we recommend just using your username.
Both players should right-click the Compass in the item bar to open the inventory
Both players should click the fishing rod labeled Duels.

After being teleported, both players should ensure they are in the same Duels lobby by right-clicking the Slimeball in the item bar. Pick a lobby number for both players to meet in.

Use the USAEL Match Chat to determine who will invite the other player. The player who is being invited should provide their Player Name.
The other player should open the chat by pressing T and type “/duel PlayerNickname” and then press Enter. To select duel type, click on the Fire Charge in the top middle to go to “Other Duels”.

Then, select Bed Wars by clicking on the Bed.

The receiving player should accept the invite by pressing T then clicking Accept in the chat window
Play out the duel and repeat until a winner is determined and the match has concluded.

Note: In the event that the Bed Wars Duels server is down, players may agree to a different type of duel or partying together and moving to the larger Bed Wars lobby. If a consensus cannot be reached, default to Bridge Wars in the Duels lobby (Terracotta block next to Bed Wars).

4.8 Overwatch 2

4.8.1 Overwatch 2 Format

Match Format	Best-of-three (Bo3)
Platform	PC, Xbox, Playstation
Game Mode	Custom
Team Size	5 Players, 2 Subs
Lobby Settings	Preset: Competitive Skins: Enabled Pause: On Disconnect: Off

4.8.2 Overwatch 2 Game-Specific Rules

Maps	Map Selection: Teams will alternate between maps. The first map must be Control. Afterwards, all following games are loser picks map, winner picks side (if applicable). Teams may decide who picks first, otherwise it will default to the team on the left side of the match on the USAEL Play Platform. Allowed Maps: All maps are allowed.
Pick/Ban	Regular Season: During the regular season, all heroes are allowed. Playoffs Bans: For playoffs matches, teams will enable pick and ban phases using the “Competitive” game mode.
Tiebreakers	N/A
Other	N/A

4.9 Madden NFL `26

4.9.1 Madden NFL `26 Format

Match Format	Best-of-three (Bo3)
Platform	Crossplay (All platforms allowed)
Game Mode	Head to Head
Team Size	1 Player, 0 Subs
Lobby Settings	Game Mode: Head to Head Quarter Length: 5 Minutes Play Clock: 40 Seconds Skill Level: All-Madden Weather: Clear Injuries: Off Fatigue: On Accelerated Clock: Off Game Speed: Normal Game Style: Competitive Event Type: Quick Preseason Auto Sprint: Default On Auto Strafe: Default On Heat Seeker: Default On Ball Hawk: Default On Switch Assist: Default Off AutoPlay Flip: Off Camera Settings: Standard

4.9.2 Overwatch 2 Game-Specific Rules

Team Selection	Roster Preparation: Each player must have 3 teams they’re prepared to use First Pick: The Home team (listed on the left of the match on the USAEL Play Platform) picks first for game 1, and the Away team picks second. No Repeat Teams: After a game, the winning player must switch to a different team. The losing team may continue to use the same team or switch to a different team. Allowed Teams: Only current NFL teams may be used. Madden Elites, Madden Legends, and Custom Teams may not be used.
Tiebreakers	N/A
Other	Playbooks: Player may use any team’s playbook as long as it is not a custom playbook. Players are required to disclose which playbook they are using prior to the start of each game. Player are also required to inform their opponents if they are switching playbooks between rounds. Neutral Field: All matches must be played on a neutral field.

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5. Player Conduct

5.1 Code of Conduct

Players must compete to the best of their skill and ability at all times, and must follow the Player Code of Conduct below.

Respect: Treat all players, organizers, and spectators with respect.
Integrity: Play honestly and adhere to the rules of the game.
Graciousness: Be humble in victory and courteous in defeat.
Language: Use appropriate and respectful language at all times.
Bullying: Zero tolerance for harassment, bullying, or discrimination of any kind.
Feedback: Provide constructive feedback and avoid negative or toxic comments.

Any form of cheating or foul play by any team member will not be tolerated. All team members are prohibited from influencing or manipulating any match with the intent that any aspect of the match is determined by anything other than the competitive merits of the team.

5.2 Spirit of the Rules

The rules outlined in this rulebook are designed to ensure fair play, integrity, and a positive experience for all participants. It is important to understand that these rules are not merely a checklist to be followed but are intended to embody the spirit of competition, sportsmanship, and respect for all participants and the event as a whole.

Participants are expected to adhere not only to the letter of the rules but also to their intended purpose. Any attempts to exploit loopholes, manipulate gameplay, or engage in unsportsmanlike conduct will be considered a violation of the spirit of the rules.

5.3 Organizer Discretion

The interpretation and enforcement of the rules, including decisions regarding any unforeseen circumstances, ambiguities, or situations not explicitly covered, are at the sole discretion of the Competition Organizer. The Organizer reserves the right to make decisions based on the best interests of the competition, the participants, and the spirit of fair play. These decisions are final and binding.

5.4 Player Responsibility

By participating in the event, you acknowledge and agree that the Organizer has the authority to interpret the rules as they see fit and to take any actions necessary to maintain the integrity and spirit of the competition.

5.5 Amendments

The Tournament Organizer, along with any event partners reserve the right to update, revise, or modify rules when deemed appropriate. Any changes to the rule set will be outlined in the “Change Log” Located at the end of this ruleset.

Table of Contents

USAEL Open Rulebook