EPA League Rulebook

EPA League exists to provide a structured, competitive esports environment that promotes player development, sportsmanship, and competitive integrity.

This Rulebook establishes the standards and procedures governing EPA League competition. It is designed to promote fair play, provide consistent expectations, and guide League Officials when administering league play.

Not every situation can be anticipated within a written rulebook. In circumstances not specifically addressed, League Officials may issue rulings that best preserve competitive integrity, player development, and the fair operation of EPA League.

Players must be at least 13 years old by the start of the league season. Players who will turn 13 during the current league season are also eligible to participate.

Players must compete using their own game account. Account sharing, boosting, piloting, or competing on another individual's account is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action under Section 5, Competitive Integrity.

Players must remain in good standing with EPA League. League Officials may suspend or revoke a player's eligibility as the result of disciplinary action or rule violations.

Participants are expected to comply with the applicable Terms of Service and competitive policies for each game title while participating in EPA League competition.

Registration is complete once all required information, agreements, and applicable fees have been submitted. By registering, participants agree to abide by this Rulebook and all published league policies.

Late registrations may be accepted, subject to roster availability. Any applicable late registration fee will be published with the season registration information.

Players, or a parent or guardian when applicable, are responsible for providing accurate registration information.

EPA League accepts both individual and full-team registrations. EPA League will place individual participants on balanced teams. Eligible full-team registrations will remain together throughout the season. Every team will be assigned an EPA League coach.

Only participants listed on an official EPA League roster may compete in league matches. EPA League is responsible for maintaining official team rosters throughout the season.

Roster changes are permitted before the published roster lock date. After the roster lock, any roster change requires approval from League Officials.

Player development is a core objective of EPA League. While competitive success remains important, coaches are expected to provide eligible roster members with meaningful opportunities to participate in practices, contribute, and develop throughout the season whenever practical.

Participants may compete on only one team per game title during a league season. Participation on multiple teams within the same title is prohibited.

Team names, branding, and logos are assigned and managed by EPA League. Teams may not modify, replace, or misrepresent official team names, branding, or logos without approval from EPA League.

Participants are expected to compete honestly, to the best of their ability, follow league rules, and uphold competitive integrity and sportsmanship.

Participants may not use unauthorized software, hardware, exploits, automation, or other methods intended to gain an unfair competitive advantage.

Participants must compete using their own game account. Account sharing, boosting, piloting, or competing on another individual's account is prohibited.

Smurfing includes creating, using, or competing on an account that intentionally misrepresents a participant's competitive ability or skill level.

Participants may not engage in match fixing, collusion, intentionally losing, or any other conduct that manipulates or compromises the integrity of league competition.

Participants should report suspected rule violations as soon as reasonably possible and cooperate fully with League Officials during investigations. Providing false information, interfering with an investigation, or failing to reasonably cooperate may itself constitute a rule violation.

The absence of evidence does not prevent League Officials from conducting an investigation.

Participants are expected to demonstrate sportsmanship, respect, and professionalism toward teammates, opponents, coaches, League Officials, volunteers, spectators, and members of the EPA League community.

Participants are expected to contribute to a positive team environment through respectful communication, teamwork, and accountability.

Participants must communicate respectfully during all EPA League activities. Harassment, bullying, discriminatory language, hate speech, personal attacks, threats, intimidation, or other abusive behavior are prohibited.

Participants must not engage in abusive, targeted, discriminatory, threatening, or excessively offensive communication during EPA League activities.

Competition can be emotional, and frustration is a natural part of improving. Participants are expected to manage those emotions constructively and must not direct anger, blame, or abusive behavior toward teammates or others.

Participants must follow the reasonable instructions of League Officials during league activities. Questions or disagreements regarding league decisions should be communicated respectfully through the established review process.

Coaches, parents, guardians, and spectators are expected to uphold the same standards of sportsmanship and conduct while participating in or attending EPA League activities. Individuals who fail to meet these standards may be removed from league activities or subject to additional restrictions as determined by League Officials.

Participants are expected to conduct themselves professionally while participating in EPA League activities or otherwise representing EPA League. League Officials may review conduct that occurs while a participant is representing EPA League, including during official events, broadcasts, interviews, or other league-sponsored activities.

This Code of Conduct applies during matches, practices, league communications, Discord, voice chat, broadcasts, league events, and all other EPA-operated platforms or activities.

League Officials administer league matches and resolve match-related issues. Participants must comply with reasonable instructions during league activities.

EPA League will publish the official match schedule for each season. Participants are responsible for reviewing the published schedule. Schedule changes require approval from League Officials.

Participants must complete any required pre-match check-in procedures before the scheduled match time. League Officials may establish title- or event-specific check-in procedures. Failure to check in may result in a delay or forfeit as determined by League Officials.

Matches begin at the direction of League Officials. Teams are expected to be ready to compete at the scheduled start time.

Only eligible players listed on the official roster may participate in league matches.

League Officials may delay, pause, or reschedule matches when necessary. Participants are expected to remain available and follow League Official instructions.

Teams that fail to appear, cannot field the required number of players, or refuse to compete may be subject to a partial forfeit, full forfeit, reschedule, or another remedy determined by League Officials.

Participants are responsible for ensuring their equipment, internet connection, game account, and required game updates are ready before the scheduled match.

If a player experiences a technical issue during a match, they should notify their team and League Officials as soon as reasonably possible. League Officials may pause or delay a match when appropriate.

League Officials will determine whether a match should be paused, resumed, restarted, continued, rescheduled, or subject to another appropriate remedy based on the circumstances.

Repeated technical issues that prevent a participant or team from competing may result in substitutions, delays, rescheduling, forfeits, or other actions determined by League Officials.

League Officials may modify schedules or procedures when server outages, maintenance, publisher actions, anti-cheat systems, platform failures, or other external service interruptions affect competition.

EPA League may broadcast, record, photograph, or otherwise capture league matches, events, and activities for educational, promotional, and historical purposes.

By participating in EPA League activities, participants acknowledge that their gameplay, voice, likeness, gamertag, and team identity may appear in official EPA League broadcasts, recordings, photographs, or other media.

Participants may stream or record their own league matches unless otherwise restricted by League Officials or specific event rules.

EPA League invests significant time and resources in developing its educational content, coaching resources, broadcasts, and league materials. Participants may not publicly distribute non-public coaching sessions, instructional content, VOD reviews, internal meetings, or proprietary league resources without authorization from EPA League.

League Officials may limit participant streaming when necessary to protect competitive integrity, broadcast quality, or the overall event experience.

The Code of Conduct remains in effect during broadcasts, interviews, and other media appearances.

Official broadcasts, graphics, recordings, educational materials, photographs, and other media produced by EPA League remain the property of EPA League unless otherwise stated.

Participants may not represent themselves as EPA League, misuse EPA branding, or imply endorsement by EPA League without authorization.

Participants who believe a rule violation or administrative error affected a match should notify League Officials as soon as reasonably possible through the league's established reporting process. League Officials may decline to review issues reported after the conclusion of the event or outside that process.

Participants should provide any reasonably available supporting information, including screenshots, videos, match logs, or other relevant evidence when appropriate. Participants are encouraged to retain screenshots, recordings, or other relevant evidence whenever reasonably possible. The absence of evidence does not prevent League Officials from conducting an investigation.

League Officials will review available information, gather additional information when appropriate, and determine the appropriate outcome. Decisions become final once the review or appeal process has concluded.

Participants may request a review of disciplinary or administrative decisions when new information becomes available or when they believe a decision was made in error. Appeals must be submitted through the process established by EPA League.

Match protests and disciplinary appeals are separate processes and may be subject to different procedures established by EPA League.

EPA League may take disciplinary action to protect participants, preserve competitive integrity, maintain a positive community, and ensure the fair operation of the league.

When determining disciplinary action, League Officials may consider the severity of the violation, intent, impact on participants or competition, prior conduct, cooperation during the investigation, and any other relevant circumstances.

When appropriate, EPA League seeks to educate participants and apply progressive discipline before imposing more severe penalties. However, serious violations may result in immediate suspension, removal, or permanent bans without prior warning.

League Officials may immediately remove a participant from a match, event, or league activity when necessary to protect participants, preserve competitive integrity, or maintain the orderly operation of the league. Such actions may remain in effect while an investigation or review is completed.

Disciplinary action under this Rulebook may be combined with additional remedies or penalties described elsewhere in this Rulebook when appropriate.

League Officials will seek to apply disciplinary actions consistently while recognizing that each situation must be evaluated based on its individual circumstances.

EPA League reserves the right to modify, update, or clarify this Rulebook and published league policies as necessary. Updated rules and policies become effective upon publication unless otherwise stated.

League Officials are responsible for interpreting and applying this Rulebook in a manner consistent with the mission, principles, competitive integrity, and player development objectives of EPA League.

EPA League may modify schedules, competition formats, procedures, or other operational matters when necessary to ensure the safe, fair, and effective operation of the league, including circumstances involving technical failures, publisher actions, facility issues, severe weather, emergencies, or other unforeseen events. Reasonable notice will be provided whenever practical.

Participants are responsible for remaining informed of official league announcements, schedules, policies, and other communications distributed through EPA League's designated communication channels.

This Rulebook serves as the official governing document for EPA League competition unless superseded by published event-specific rules or official league communications.

Attempts to circumvent the intent of this Rulebook or exploit technicalities, loopholes, or omissions in a manner inconsistent with competitive integrity may be deemed a violation at the discretion of League Officials.

EPA League is committed to administering competition fairly, consistently, and in a manner that reflects the mission and principles established throughout this Rulebook.