Season Guide to CSL Spring 2019

NBA 2K

General Information

CSL is an intercollegiate gaming league open to all accredited colleges and universities in North America. We will be running a league with weekly matches for XBOX and PS4. During the regular season, teams will play Best of One's in round robin conferences, with the top teams advancing to a Best-of-Three single-elimination playoff bracket. There may be up to (2) matches back-to-back on each default match day.

Each player will need to set up their own “team” under their university and act as their own team coordinator; for all intents and purposes, each team is ONLY one individual player, but for rules and website logistics, they will be referred to as “teams”.

Summary of Key Points

• Regular season format is Best-of-One round robin group play
• Top teams advance to playoffs, which features a Best-of-Three single elimination bracke
• There will be TWO concurrent leagues -- one for XBOX ONE, and one for PLAYSTATION 4
• Each individual player is a “team”

Schedule - Regular Season (Example, to be finalized)

• February 16: Week 1
• February 23: Week 2
• March 2: Week 3
• March 9: Week 4
• March 16: Week 5

Schedule - Playoffs (Example, to be finalized)

• March 23: Round Pending
• March 30: Round Pending
• April 6: Round Pending
• April 13: Round Pending

Prize Pool

• Total: $10,000 ($5,000 per console)
• 1st: $2,000
• 2nd: $1,000
• Ro4: $500
• Ro8: $250

Tips for New Players (Teams)

Running a CSL team can be daunting, fun, or both! Here are some tips that we've gathered over the years to make the best of your experience:

1. Read the rules

Carefully. Rules are very important for creating a smooth experience!

2. Know that not all players are flexible

The default time for CSL matches is set for Saturday 12:00pm Pacific with a possible second match back-to-back. Most of the time our teams are friendly and can reschedule, but you may run up against a team that also has other obligations and cannot. Sign your team up for this league knowing that you will have to set aside time on Saturday afternoons

Official Rules

The following are the official rules of the CSL NBA 2K league. Rules cover eligibility, format, match procedures, reporting, penalties, and more. Any issues that arise which are not covered within the current rules will be settled at the discretion of CSL admins on a case-by-case basis, and when applicable, penalties set when deemed appropriate. Rules may be added or modified if deemed necessary

Eligibility

• Each team is made up of only one individual player who will also manage their own team as coordinator
• Each team must belong to an accredited college or university with a physical address (online universities are ineligible). The university must offer at least a 2-year degree program
• Each player must be currently enrolled in their university with a valid university email address, taking full time courses, and in good standing
  
  • Players must be registered as current students at their team's school
  • Each player must be enrolled as a student with a full time course load for each academic term the season takes place (generally a minimum of 12 credit hours or 3-4 classes for undergrads, depending on the university's requirements). Graduate students are eligible to participate as long as they meet the full time status requirements of their university and program (likely less credits/classes required, or possibly even none on a research track!).
    • One-time exceptions to this rule for part time students are possible for high performing students with an academic history of full time course loads for at least one full school year, and having no prior part time status or other issues (recurring issues are not eligible); please email [email protected] with relevant information about your situation to get approved to participate; exception requests should be made BEFORE the player in question plays in a match
    • Players graduating during the school year season do not have to meet the full time credit requirement if they need less than required amount to graduate, they only need to be part time status, as long as they have been full time for their entire academic history (and in good standing), and they will also continue to be eligible to participate for the rest of the current season if they graduate in the middle of the school year; contact [email protected] if clarification is needed
  • Players must be in "good standing" as defined by their university/program (generally 2.0 term GPA) for the duration of the season to be eligible to participate; standing at the beginning of the season is based on the previous academic term. Students on academic probation, leave of absence, or any circumstances other than the norm of taking enough classes and passing, are unable to play in CSL. Players found in violation of this rule are subject to penalties. See section: penalties
• Players must be registered with valid PSN/XBOX Live ID's
• Barcode IDs and any other offensive names are not allowed. If a player’s primary ID happens to be a barcode, that player must choose an appropriate name to use for the competition. Failure to have updated information will result in penalties. See section: penalties
• Players can only play for one school; players on dual enrollment may not play for multiple schools and must be approved by tournament admins
  • In the case of a school transfer, if a player has already played in the current season, they must be reviewed and be approved by the tournament admins at their discretion. Players who have not played a match in the current season will be automatically approved
    
    • If a player continues to play under their original school without explicit approval, they will be counted as an illegal player and may be subject to penalties. See section: penalties
• Players cannot be suspended by CSL for previous infractions outside of the CSL
• CSL staff may request and check transcripts/academic files of all players any time during the season. Failure to provide proof of education will result in penalties. See section: penalties

Season Format

• Default times for matches are Saturdays 12:00pm Pacific with a possible second match back-to-back
• Teams will play in Best-Of-One round robin conferences during the regular season
• The top teams in each conference will advance to a single elimination Best-of-Three playoff bracket. The number of playoff teams will be decided based on the total number of participating teams and conference sizes
• To determine the top performing regular season teams we rank the following criteria:
  • Match record (defined by total matches won - total matches lost)
  • Set differential, if applicable (defined by taking the total number of sets won - total number of sets lost). A set is defined as a single game or map within a match or series
  • Head-to-head matchup, if applicable
  • Point differential (defined by taking total number of your team’s points - total number of opposing teams’ points)
  • Number of forfeits and infractions

Gameplay Rules - General

• Match Format: We will be utilizing a rotating "eligible teams pool" for each match/round. For each match, we will have a pool of eligible teams and competitors may only use teams that appear on the corresponding pool for that match. A new pool of eligible teams will be rotated in for usage for each match/round
  • For playoffs, each competitor must use a different team for each set within the Best-of-Three series with no repeats. Effectively, each competitor will need to use up to (3) different teams from the eligible teams pool
• Disconnects: If a participant disconnects from the game and is not able to reconnect within 5 minutes, then a loss will be given to the participant
  • If a participant is able to reconnect, the game will be played out using the original remaining time and with the original scores added to the final scores
• Pausing: Pausing is only allowed during dead balls and for valid reasons such as technical issues. A pause can last a maximum of (1) minute with a limit of (2) pauses per team per match

Gameplay Rules - Settings

• The form of compeition is NBA 2K19 1v1 on XBOX or PS4
  
  • Connection: Play with Friends
  • Quarter Length: 5 minutes
  • Game Mode: Private Match
  • Game Style: Simulation
  • Fatigue: On
  • Difficulty: Hall of Fame
  • Game Type: NBA Today

Eligible Teams Pool

TBD - A list of eligible teams for each match will be posted in the coming days.

Administrative Rules

• Each team will be responsible for submitting lineups and results, taking accurate screenshots/recordings for forfeits and disputes, and communicating with CSL staff at all times
• Matches must be played at the default time unless both teams agree to play at a different time. Normal non-broadcasted regular season matches may be rescheduled to any date before or after the default date, through the last week of that group stage. No playoff matches may be postponed past the default weekend except for CSL broadcast purposes (exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis upon detailed review by CSL administrative staff)
  
  • Procedural note: When agreeing to reschedule a match, both teams must email [email protected] with the agreed upon date and time to confirm or provide applicable evidence of the reschedule. Once this date and time is agreed on it will be considered the new official match time, and forfeit rules will apply to it
• A team that does not show up for a match 15 minutes after the default start time will forfeit the match. Players are given a 3 minute grace period in between sets; a player who is not ready for his specific set within 3 minutes of the previous game ending auto-forfeits
  • Procedural note: in order to claim a forfeit win, please click the “request forfeit” button on the match page ON THE CSL WEBSITE, submit your screenshot (if you have multiple, please combine them into one image) and write a brief description to explain the situation. An administrator will then review your request and accept or deny it. If your request is denied, you likely did not show the proper evidence or timestamp in your screenshot; check with the tournament admins if clarification is needed
• Match results must be uploaded to the website as soon as possible; even if your match is broadcasted, all teams must still report their matches. All unreported or unfinished/pending matches will result in a loss for BOTH teams after the reporting deadline on the last weekend of each group stage. Unreported playoff matches will result in BOTH teams being removed
  • In order to report your game, the WINNING COORDINATOR MUST: (1) add the lineups played by BOTH teams, and (2) submit screenshots of the victory screen for EVERY SET. Failure to accurately report games will result in the penalties. See section; penalties
• We encourage teams to save screenshots and recordings in case disputes need to be resolved. Disputes without replays, screenshots, or other evidence will likely be ignored
• If assistance is needed, please email [email protected]. For live assistance, there will be an admin available during the default match time on CSL's official DISCORD CHANNEL during the default match time. Click HERE! to download the app and join the CSL channel!

Penalties and Bannable Offenses

• Player verification: a player who fails academic verification by CSL (e.g. on probation, fails to send in files, etc...) will have all of his or her CSL matches overturned. That player will also be banned for the remainder of the CSL season and the following season. If it is found that the coordinator knowingly used an ineligible player upon investigation, the coordinator may be removed from his or her position, or harsher penalties may be levied on the team, on a case by case basis. The team will also forfeit a minimum of 20% of all prizes, but may be higher, depending on the severity of the case as determined by CSL admins
  • Addendum: a student who starts the season eligible to play, but ends up on academic probation mid-way through the year will not be allowed to play in any future matches, but his or her previous games will stand as valid. Any such case should be pointed out immediately to CSL administrators. Failure to do so will result in the penalty listed above for any game a player plays after going on probation. Failure to notify CSL administration of such cases will again, result in penalties
• Falsifying records: a player or coordinator found falsifying records, including but not limited to a student’s enrollment or transcript information, will be immediately removed from the league and banned for 1 year. Furthermore, any and all matches played by the player in question will be overturned and all prize money earned by the entire team will be forfeit
• Incorrect XBOX or PS4 IDs: We will send one warning to PLAYERS/TEAMS that are found with incorrect XBOX or PS4 IDs in their profile. The errors must be corrected before the team’s next match. If the error is not fixed by the time of the team’s next match, said team will receive one game loss, and will continue receiving one loss each week the player's information is not correctly updated. Warnings will start WEEK 1 of the season
• False or incorrect result reporting: Teams who upload false or incorrect results will receive one warning. A 2nd warning will result in the reversal of the game(s) in question. A 3rd warning will result in the entire match score being reversed. Any further infractions will result in removal from the league
• Bad manner: Players who use excessive bad manner, insults, or other such related behavior towards another player or admin as determined by CSL staff will be given a single warning. Another instance of excessive bad manner will result in the offending player being banned from the current season. In more extreme cases, a player may be banned without warning, permanently, at CSL tournament admin discretion
• Hacking, Ghosting, Stream Cheating: Any type of use of an illegal 3rd party program or map hack, stream cheating, or other activity that leads to one player gaining an unfair advantage will be immediately banned from the current season and 1 year thereafter. Furthermore, any and all prize money earned by that player will be forfeit, and all his or her matches reversed. For documentation purposes, prize money earned by an individual will be calculated by taking the team’s winnings divided by the amount of players total (e.g. $10,000 / 6 players)
• If a team that is selected to play a LIVE BROADCAST game fails to show up for its match on schedule, and did not notify us of any scheduling conflicts during the registration period will be subject to ONE warning. A second instance of a team not showing up to a live broadcast slot will result in a forfeit of $150 in any prize money the team wins. This amount will double for each subsequent violation
• If a team qualifies for the live Grand Final and can not attend -- the team will forfeit ALL of its total prize money

For any NBA related questions - please feel free to email us at [email protected] OR speak to an administrator during the default match time on DISCORD