Some light reading: The STA-league Highlander rules

[Califax]

Hi guys,

I dug up the highlander rules of an american league, guessing the rules will be simular in ETF2L.
If you can spare 20/30 minutes, then this is an interesting read. The server settings, match play and map scoring in particular.

Enjoy

I. Introduction

These rules are designed to maintain organization, promote fair play, and to ensure that all teams enjoy their playing experience in STA-TF2 Highlander. It is the responsibility of all clans participating in STA-TF2 to know and follow these rules; ignorance is not an excuse. This rule set may seem excessive for a new game. Though you wont find any gameplay regulations here, league structure and contingency rules are included for situations outside of gameplay. While much thought has been put into these rules, and they are designed to be both thorough and comprehensive, it is not possible to cover all contingencies; as such, the STA admins reserve the right to make individual rulings on a case-by-case basis.

With the help of the clan captains, we will work together to provide the best place to compete, now and into the future. Captains please sign up to the STA forums and request access to the TF2 Highlander Captains forum, where league matters will be discussed in conjunction with those who play the game.

II. Respect for Administrators

STA staff members put in a lot of hours so that you may enjoy this league. As such, an admin should be accorded the respect of his/her position when that admin is performing league-sanctioned duties. Clan members should respond appropriately and courteously to all league-related questions posed by an admin in any electronic media, be it on IRC, in e-mail, or on league discussion boards. Perhaps most importantly, do not ban admins from your IRC channels, as it significantly hampers their ability to do their jobs. Any clan doing this faces the possibility of suspension, or more. Admins who are representing their own team and/or performing duties for their own team (such as exchanging match details, etc.) are not considered handling official league duties, however, clan members may not take this opportunity to act egregiously toward said admin. They are still an administrator of the league and will treat you with courtesy & respect; they deserve the same in return.

If you have a personal concern or problem with a particular admin, or believe an admin has acted in any way inappropriately, send an e-mail to Bucky33. If you have a problem with Bucky33, contact the STA Senior Admins (found on the contact page).

III. Joining the League

In order to join STA TF2 Highlander, clans must have a registered IRC channel on the #gamesurge network. This gives opponents a place to contact you and exchange match information, and admins a place to go to find clan members if the need arises. It is preferred that a clan also has a web page with some history and information, but this is not a requirement. Also, it is strongly recommended that clans possess a server on which to play matches, as it demonstrates the clan's commitment to playing together as a team. Clans without a server will have to play each half of all matches on their opponents server(including OT), which could lead to ping/choke imbalances... and if the opponent also has no server, then both clans may have to forfeit the match if a location cannot be found.

Once the requirements are met, and you have read the information section of the STA TF2 Highlander web page, the next step is to fill out an application and submit it. Once the app is submitted and accepted, begin adding STEAM ID’s to your roster through the operations section. Clans who do not have a valid roster posted within three weeks of submitting their application may be removed.

Once a clan has fulfilled all of these requirements, it will be placed in a group and added to the schedule. Admins will place the team in the group deemed most suitable based on skill level.

IV. Definitions and Abbreviations

Here are some terms that are used throughout the rules, and are defined as follows:

. League Definitions
· Highlander: "There can be only one." Meaning teams are comprised of only one of each class.
· Host(ing) Clan: The clan on whose server the match is being played.
· Visiting Clan: The other team.
· Home Team: The clan listed first (e.g. Clan Home vs Clan Away) This team is awarded the choice of deciding which team's server to use first, and for OT.
· Away Team: The clan listed second (e.g. Clan Home vs Clan Away) This team is awarded the choice of team color to use first, and for OT.

B. Match Definitions

· Play style: Refers to the gameplay style of the map (AD, CP, CTF, DOM).
· AD: Attack & Defend.
· CP: Command Point.
· CTF: Capture the Flag
· DOM: Domination
· Set: Each team attacks one time, and defends one time. Used in Attack & Defend maps. (see the Map Scoring section for details)
· Round: When all CP's are captured or the timelimit has expired.
· Half/Halves: Matches are comprised of 2 halves. Completion of each half varies per play style. (see the Map Scoring section for details)
· Match: Two halves, plus overtime (if necessary).
· TF: Technical Forfeit. A match which has been recorded as a TF has no bearing on the record of either clan; it is as though the match never happened.
· OT: Overtime. Played in the event that the total match score is tied after 2 halves. (see the Map Scoring section for OT details)
· Stopwatch: Used for all AD matches.

V. League Format

Matches are played with 9 players per team. Each team must assign only a single player to each of the 9 classes. Matches consist of the same map played twice. Maps for Championship matches are subject to change.

Teams are grouped together based on skill. The number of skill divisions are subject to change at any time admins feel necessary. Regular Title Shot matches will be staged for teams to earn a spot in a Title Match, where teams can win the Championship Title for their division.

VI. Class Restrictions

In the nature of Highlander playing style, each team is restricted to using 1 of each class. Teams are allowed only 1 of each class outside of respawn during match play (excluding prematch).

VII. Rankings

A. Ranking

STA-TF2 Highlander ranks teams by winning percentage, using overall wins & losses.

B. Forfeits

Forfeiting a match will count as a win for the non-forfeiting team and a loss for the forfeiting team. In the case of a 2nd half forfeit, the winning team will receive the same amount of points for the 2nd half as they achieved in the 1st half. The losing team will receive zero points.

C. Ties/Overtime

Overtime is played when the match score is tied after the 2 halves have been played. Please see the Map Scoring section for details on the overtime method for each play style.

[Califax]

VIII. Scheduling

A. Match Day/Time

Matches for STA TF2 Highlander are played on Monday night at 9:30PM Eastern Time. Clans may only reschedule the time and day if both agree and it is approved by the admins. Rescheduled games are to be played on or before the originally scheduled date and time; postponing to a later date will not usually be allowed, except in special circumstances (e.g. a STEAM update that affects both clans, or a significant portion of the player population).

B. Schedules

Schedules are posted each week, usually between Wednesday and Friday. All schedules are made at the ladder admin's discretion, but matches are usually decided based on the following factors:

· Current rank
· Current win/loss streak.
· Previous opponents. Admins will try to schedule opposing clans that have not played in the recent past.

C. Byes

Forced byes may be necessary in the event of an odd number of available teams. Clans may request a bye by contacting their scheduling admin but may only request a bye up until the Thursday before the requested date. Requests made after this point may or may not be granted (but we'll usually try). Clans that fail to request a bye in time are subject to a forfeit & points penalty. If your clan requires an extended leave, you should contact STA administrator to place you on inactive status.

D. Map selection

Clans may always agree to play a different map if both sides are amenable. Otherwise, the default map must be played.

If you have a problem, or see an error in a posted schedule, please contact an administrator in a timely manner.


IX. Clan Membership

A. Ringers

Definition: Any person playing for a clan in a STA TF2 Highlander match who is not on the official roster of that clan will be considered a ringer. STEAM IDs are the determining factor here; it does not matter what someone's alias is as long as the STEAM ID is on the Official STA TF2 Highlander roster.

All clans must keep a roster on the STA site. Players who are not on a clan's official roster may not participate in a match unless the opponents explicitly agree to it beforehand. Such agreement should be explicitly recorded by the opposition so that there is no question later; possible methods are by saying so during the prematch while Source TV is recording, sending a pm to an admin, stating it publicly in #sta-tf2, or anything else that gets the job done.

Any non-rostered player may be asked to leave during the prematch of either half if no agreement was previously reached on the use of this player. If this is done, the affected clan may ask for one additional prematch-restart to replace the non-rostered player. Any non-rostered player joining in the last 60 seconds of the prematch, or after the prematch is over, is grounds for automatic forfeiture of all points earned during that round.

New players may be added to your official roster until 24 hours before scheduled match start, after which rosters are locked. Admins will not add a player to your roster after this. The onus is on you to ensure that your roster is complete and up-to-date.

All roster transactions are logged, so we know if someone was added or deleted. Also, it allows us to track movement of one person among various clans... and having people join and leave excessively looks very suspicious.

B. Multi-clanners

Definition: A multi-clanner is defined as any person whose STEAM ID appears on the official roster of more than one STA TF2 Highlander clan. STA TF2 Highlander will not enforce multi-clanning rules across other leagues. Players who compete in the main TF2 leagues are free to join a different team competing in STA TF2 Highlander, or create a new team.

Standard punishment for using a multi-clanner is a forfeit of the entire match. The clan will also forfeit the most recent match in which they used the multi-clanner; they may also face forfeiture of other matches during the timeline in which the multi-clanner was on their roster. Furthermore, the multi-clanner will receive an appropriate suspension.

Occasionally, a player will leave one clan to join another, but has difficulty getting removed from the first clan's roster. In such cases, the player should write an e-mail to the leader(s) of the original clan asking to be removed, including a cc: to the division admin, the head admin, and the co-admin of the league. If the player is not removed from the roster within a reasonable period of time after this is done, then and only then will the admins step in. Punitive action will also be taken against the clan that refused to remove him.

C. Clan Ownership

STA TF2 admins should only be the final authority in any clan ownership disagreement. Such things should be settled maturely by the clan's members & captains. STA admins will most likely never rule 100% in favor of one side over the other. A middle ground will be found. If 75% of the active roster wish to maintain their status but under different leadership they may be allowed to retain their record and ranking. If neither party can settle on the ownership of the clan, a new clan must be created and the old clan will be permanently suspended. Neither group will ever again have access to the name of the clan, but either are free to use the clan's former tag.

X. Servers and Settings

A. Server Choice and Suitability

Each clan chooses where one half of play takes place. The home team gets first choice on which half will take place on their server (and OT); the away team will get the starting color choice during the first half (and OT). If clans opt to play both halves on the same server, they must swap starting colors between halves. The hosting clan is always responsible for running Source TV.

All servers must have the correct map version -- that is to say, the version of the map located on the STA-TF2 Highlander files page along with any and all corresponding entity updates also located on the files page. Any version of the map not updated with the entities located on the STA-TF2 Highlander file page is NOT the correct map version.

Servers must be in the continental United States or Canada, unless both clans agree to a foreign server.

Servers must be dedicated TF2 servers; listen servers are not acceptable. Cable/DSL servers are not allowed under any circumstances.

Servers must be set to create logs for matches (turned on in the official .cfg file), and match logs must remain available for at least two weeks. If a server log is requested by an admin and it is not provided for any reason, the responsible team will lose all points for that half or may be assessed further penalty. Clans are required to exchange server logs if requested by the opponent, but are allowed a reasonable time (up to 24 hours) to collect them.

Servers must be able to reasonably handle the bandwidth and CPU load of at least a full 18-player game. STA has the final authority in determining what is or is not reasonable. If you have a chronically bad server that receives multiple complaints you may be asked to find a different server for official STA matches.

It is not acceptable to force a clan to download multiple files in order to play on your server (e.g. custom entities, custom .wav files, etc.) unless those downloads are approved by the STA TF2 Highlander administration. A clan may refuse to play on a server that demands multiple downloads.

B. Server Configuration

Use of the STA server configuration file is mandatory (although any of the default config settings may be changed if both clans agree). If any of the settings are not correct, the non-hosting clan may refuse to play the half on that server, and may instead insist on that half being moved to their server. If no alternate server is available, the non-hosting clan can either wait until the problem is fixed, agree to play with the existing configuration, or inform the admins of the problem in which case the match will be marked as a Technical Forfeit. In the event of a dispute, the admins have final authority.

Note that spectators are turned on in the official .cfg file: this is so that admins and/or match broadcasters may view the game. Clans are not allowed to use spectators without the explicit pre-agreement of the opponents.

XI. Match Play

A. Match Preparation

All clans are expected to be ready to play at the default time. Clans have 15 minutes after the default time (or the mutually agreed-on time in case of a rescheduled match) to join the server. Failure to comply will result in a forfeit. Under extraordinary circumstances that affect a significant portion of players in the league, STA may allow an exception.
Clans are encouraged to contact their opponent before Monday to discuss servers, passwords and other settings. Waiting until the last minute is not advisable to have a smooth evening with your match.

Clans should have an active representative in #sta-tf2 at least 15 minutes before match time. Said representative should be wearing your clan tag and have access to the server IP and password information for the evening. Any clan having difficulty in either contacting their opponent or exchanging IP/Password information must have such a representative, and should ask in-channel for their opponent's representative. Failure to have a representative in #sta-tf, should a problem arise, may result in a decrease in sympathy and flexibility from the STA admins that will be called on to make a ruling.

B. Match Play

Either participating clan may refuse to start the match until no later than 15 minutes after game time. At this time the official prematch starts, or the late clan is subject to forfeit. If, after 15 minutes one side still does not have the minimum number of players (7 is the minimum) required for an official match, the match is considered forfeit and must be reported as such.

Once a match has started, the visiting clan may halt play any time up to the 15-minute mark (prematch + 15 minutes) if they notice that there is a problem with any server setting, or if there are map issues (e.g. the map is not the same as the one on the STA TF2 Highlander site). After this time the half is considered legal, and only egregious errors will be entertained as part of any dispute.

Should the visiting clan decide to restart, the server must be reset to STA regulations and the match restarted at time zero. The scores from the aborted half are not counted.

Should a server variable be found to be incorrect after the match, or after the 15-minute time has expired, clans may bring it to the attention of the STA Admins. Please note, however, that an incorrect variable found after the 15-minute mark will not be considered grounds for action unless it had a significant effect upon the match.

After the first half of play is completed, clans may take a break of up to ten minutes. Clan leaders should use this time to exchange server information for the 2nd half (if this has not already been done). After ten minutes, the hosting clan should start the prematch, or the non-hosting clan may request that the prematch be started (in which case the hosting clan must comply, or risk penalties/forfeit). Either clan is allowed one -- and only one -- restart of the prematch restart, but it must be requested in mm1 before the prematch is complete.

C. Server Crashes

If a server crashes unintentionally before the 15-minute mark (not including prematch), then the non-hosting clan may choose from one of two options:

1. Restart that half entirely. Scores from the partial half are discarded.
2. Restart the half and play the remaining time. Scores from both partial halves are added together and submitted as a single score.

If a server crashes unintentionally after the 15-minute mark (not including prematch), then the non-hosting clan may choose from one of two options:

1. Restart the half and play the remaining time. Scores from both partial halves are added together and submitted as a single score.

2. Add the remaining time to the length of the next half. Scores from the partial half are submitted as the final scores for that half.

Please do not leave the server without speaking with the other team, as communication is vital in solving problems. Clans are encouraged to find a mutually acceptable solution; if none can be reached, an STA admin will issue a ruling.

D. Reporting Scores

After the match is done, match results must be submitted using the form found under 'Operations' on the STA website. (In case of difficulties, clans may also report scores by sending an e-mail to the admins). When reporting scores, the Home clan is the one listed first on the schedule, while the second clan listed is 'Away'. For example, if the listing read 'Clan A vs. Clan B' then Clan A is Home, Clan B is Away.

For the sake of accuracy it is good for both sides to report the results, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the winning clan to ensure that results have been submitted if they want their victory recorded. If the winning clan does not post match results by 9:30 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, the match will be entered as a TF.

Deliberately mis-reporting a score for any reason is not acceptable. If discovered, admins may take action against the clan(s) responsible.

E. Forfeits

STA-TF2 Highlander has little tolerance for forfeits, as it wastes time and energy on the part of your opponents and the admins.

At 9:45 pm EST (or 15 minutes after the agreed-upon start time), the hosting clan is to start the official prematch; any clan that fails to have at least seven players in the server by the start of this prematch (15 minutes past) will be considered to have forfeited. (If it is the hosting clan that is short, and they are refusing to start the prematch, an admin should be sought in #sta-tf2hl). This will affect the record and rankings of both clans, counting as a Loss for the forfeiting clan, and a Win for their opponents. The forfeiting team will be assessed a 3 point penalty in the rankings, while the winning team will receive 5 points.

Any clan that fails to show up for the second half of a match will be given a 2 point penalty in the rankings. If a clan engages in this practice on a regular basis, further penalties may be assessed. The non-forfeiting clan will be awarded as many map points in the second half as they had in the first half, while the forfeiting clan will be given zero; if this is not enough for the non-forfeiting clan to come out on top, the match will be recorded as 'Win by ruling' for the non-forfeiting clan. The only exception to this is where one clan refuses to play the 2nd half due to rulebreaking behaviour by the other in the first half; in such an instance, the non-attending clan must file a dispute outlining their complaint. If the dispute is upheld, no punishment will be levied against them. Keep in mind, if a team refuses to play the second half due to egregious behavior by the other team, they lose the opportunity to gain further rankings points.

If both teams in a match forfeit, the match will be declared a TF and no action will be taken. These clans might be matched against one another in the weeks following.

If a clan knows in advance that it will have to forfeit, this information should be conveyed to their posted opponents, and to an admin. Once this is done, the forfeit will be marked as official, and cannot be undone. If no such official notification is given, the match is still considered 'live' until the start of the 9:45 pm official prematch (noted above). If notification arrives far enough in advance that another opponent can be found, however, the forfeiting clan may be given a bye instead and no penalties will be levied.

To report a forfeit (either a full match or one-round forfeit), follow the same procedure as you usually would for reporting the match, but mark the scores for all forfeited rounds as 99-0 (in favor of the non-forfeiting team) and indicate what happened in the comments section.

Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration on a per case basis.

[Califax]

XII. Map scoring

A. Capture the Flag

CTF: (e.g. ctf_2fort, ctf_mach4, ctf_turbine) tf_flag_caps_per_round 0, mp_timelimit 20

Teams play for 20 minutes per half, each intel capture counts for 1 point toward the total score. The scores of both 20 minute halves are added together to decide the overall match winner.

OT: Sudden Death. First team to score wins the match and is awarded the bonus point.

B. Attack/Defend *stopwatch*

AD: (e.g. cp_dustbowl, pl_badwater, cp_gravelpit) mp_maxrounds 2, mp_timelimit 0, mp_winlimit 0, mp_tournament_stopwatch 1

AD (multi-stage)- Dustbowl, Castle, Goldrush

AD maps are played 1 set per half (1 turn attacking & 1 turn defending per half). The first attacking team must capture as many points as quickly as possible. The 2nd attacking team must achieve the same amount of points, or more, in the time that it took the first team. In the case of a tie, the faster team is the winner. The winning team receives a match score of 1-0 for that half. If after 2 halves the overall match score is 1-1 overtime must be played.

OT - In overtime you play another round. This uses the same rules as a normal round.

AD (single stage) - Gravelpit, Badwater

OT - In overtime you play another round. This uses the same rules as a normal round.

C. Command Point
CP: (e.g. cp_well, cp_granary) mp_maxrounds 7, mp_timelimit 30, mp_winlimit 4

The half ends if one of the following three variables are met:
* A total of 7 rounds have been played
* One team has achieved 4 round wins
* Close to 30 minutes have elapsed and neither of the previous 2 variables have been met

Timelimit safeguards against long matches. Keep in mind the half may be less than or longer than 30 minutes.

If after both halves are played and the total scores are tied then an overtime round is to be played.

OT - Sudden Death. First team to score wins the match and is awarded the bonus point.

D. Domination
DOM: (e.g. dom_canalzone) mp_maxrounds 7, mp_timelimit 30, mp_winlimit 4

The half ends if one of the following three variables are met:
* A total of 7 rounds have been played
* One team has achieved 4 round wins
* Close to 30 minutes have elapsed and neither of the previous 2 variables have been met

Timelimit safeguards against long matches. Keep in mind the half may be less than or longer than 30 minutes.

If after both halves are played and the total scores are tied then an overtime round is to be played.

OT - Each team gets 1 chance on each color. The team with the combined higher percentage will win the round and the match. The home team gets to pick what server they would like to start with and the away team picks the color.

XIII. Source TV

STA-TF2 Highlander requires that a Source TV demo be made for all halves of match play, including overtime. This demo will be used by the administrators to aid in dispute resolution and in cheat detection.

The clan running Source TV is required to give the IP (and password) of the Source TV proxy to their opponents. The hoster of the proxy is also required to have at least 1 spot open, one for the other team. The proxy may be password protected to deny anyone else access except one person from the opposing clan. This rule does not mean that other spectators are prohibited, of course, but please realize that if the connection becomes overloaded, you may not use it as an excuse not to run Source TV.

Clans are required to keep Source TV demos on file for two calendar weeks after the match date, after which time they may be deleted. This demo must be turned over to admins upon request; failure to do so may lead to punishment.

Clans are required to turn Source TV demos over to their opponents within 48 hours if the opponents request a copy.

XIV. Personal Demos

Each player participating in an STA TF2 Highlander match must make a personal demo for all halves they play, including overtime. This demo will be used by the administrators to aid in dispute resolution and in cheat detection/prevention. Players are required to keep personal demos for at least two calendar weeks, after which they may be discarded.

Clans are not required to turn over personal demos to anyone except STA Admins. These demos may be requested in case of a dispute, or they may also be requested randomly as spot-checks.

Failure to turn over a personal demo when requested by an STA Admin as part of a dispute investigation may result in penalties to the player and/or team.

If a player cannot record personal demos, they are required to let the admins know BEFORE the admins request a demo from them.

XV. Account Sharing / Login Sharing

The term "Login Sharing" is defined as giving out the username/e-mail and password associated with your STEAM Account to a third party to whom the STEAM account does not belong. This practice is a violation of the STEAM Subscriber Agreement.
The following policies apply to Login Sharing:

· If the login sharing was with a banned player, and the sharing occurred on or after October 5th, 2005, the provider will be added permanently to the ban list themselves regardless of the situation in which the login sharing occured.

· If the Login sharing was with a non-banned player, and the sharing occurred in a league that has policies against login sharing, and the information was used to allow a non-rostered player to participate in a match, then both the provider and the user of the ID will receive a six month timed ban.

· If the Login sharing was with a non-banned player, and the sharing occurred in a league that does not have policies against login sharing, and the information was used to allow a non-rostered player to participate in a match, then both the provider and the user of the ID will receive a three month timed ban.
Although the sale, transfer, or gift of SteamIDs to a friend or family member also violates the Steam Subscriber Agreement, it is not in and of itself a bannable offense. If you choose to give your account information to a third party, however, it is in your best interest to notify the leagues in which you play that you have given away that SteamID and no longer have access to it. Barring such notification, the league will assume it still belongs to you should any issues arise while someone is using it.

May these rules be incentive never to share your login with anyone, and never to accept or use the login information of another player. If you are unsure of the security of your account, we advise you to change your password immediately.

XVI. Sportsmanship

Any exceptionally offensive conduct (including but not limited to: cheating, malicious Internet attacks, using bugs or exploits, switching teams to disrupt opponents, abuse of rcon/admin_mod/etc., and server crashing) during match play is prohibited in STA. STA-TF2 Highlander admins have the final say over the definition and scope of unsportsmanlike conduct, the effect of said conduct to the match, as well as any applicable punishment.

A. Cheating

By joining an STA roster, a player agrees not to use a hack in any of the following: unlocked public servers, pickups, scrimmages, or any competitive environments (such as 2v2, 3v3, tryouts, practice, etc). Players who cheat in these situations will be banned from STA. The useage of a hack is defined by merely having it loaded, not necessarily having any individual part of it enabled. The only situation where a hack is allowed is for testing purposes on a locked server where other players on the server know that it is being used.

A hack is defined as any sort of external program or in-game command that modifies player attributes or otherwise significantly alters the gameplay. If you suspect someone of cheating, notify an STA official at any time; unlike most disputes, there is no 'time limit' before which you must register such a suspicion. When doing so, please supply all available proof, including screenshots, demos, and/or server logs.

B. Malicious Internet Attacks

Nuking, hacking, DOS attacks, ping-bombing, spamming or crashing a match server, or any other form of malicious attack will not be tolerated. If a clan continues to be the cause of problems, they will be removed from STA. Adequate proof in the form of screenshots, demos, and server logs must be provided.

Please note that STA TF2 admins neither monitor nor claim jurisdiction over a clan's individual IRC channel. If someone is causing a problem in your channel, you may ban them at your own discretion. If you face them again, you may exchange server info in #sta-tf2.

C. Exploits

Any player/team found to be abusing a map or engine exploit may be subject to punishment. If something seems like an exploit please contact an admin immediately.

XVII. Disputes

The deadline for filing most disputes is 9:30 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday. Disputes involving hackers/cheaters are an exception, and will be accepted at any time.

Be advised that if you plan to dispute, you should have played the match cleanly yourself. Dispute admins look at the behavior of BOTH teams when reviewing demos; if both sides violated STA TF2 Highlander rules, the admins may throw the dispute out, or they may levy punishment on both sides.

. Submitting a Dispute.

When submitting a dispute, it is imperative to include:

· The original score of the match,

· A thorough description of who and/or what is being disputed, and

· Any supporting evidence you have to back up your dispute, including personal demos, Source TV demos, screenshots, and server logs. Include the server logs from before the prematch started, so that IP addresses and connection information can be found.

The best way to submit evidence is to zip it up and load it to a webpage, then include a link to the .zip file in your dispute. This will negate the necessity of hooking up with an admin to deliver them personally, and allow all admins to access them as needed. If you do not have the capability to do this, it is your responsibility deliver this evidence in another manner; e-mail, DCC in IRC, ICQ, etc.

Once you have all the supporting evidence ready, submit the dispute using one of these two mechanisms:

1. Use the 'Report Dispute' link found under the Operations link (in the left navbar). Select the proper division and matchup, indicate which team you were, enter your clan password, and fill in the information listed above. This is the preferred method of dispute submission, but if the match results have already been posted, you may not be able to select your game from the pull-down list. In that case, use the method below.

2. Send an e-mail to Bucky33, your division admin, and the dispute admins listed on the Staff Contacts page. This e-mail should come from one of the people listed on the Clan Contact page, and be sent from that same e-mail address. Remember to include all the information listed above, including your clan name and division.

It is fine to discuss disputes with admins in IRC, but no match results will be overturned unless a dispute is filed officially using one of these two methods.

Once a dispute has been accepted, the Match Results page will display the score as 'Under Dispute'.

B. Dispute Resolution

The dispute admins will not always contact the clan being disputed against to ask for 'their side of the story'; the dispute itself may be straightforward enough and/or the evidence submitted by the disputing clan may be clear enough that no counter-claim is necessary... or possible. If further information or evidence is required, however, the dispute admins may request an explanation or evidence (Source TV demos, personal demos, or match logs) from the other clan involved in the dispute. If these are not provided in a timely manner, the admins will assume that they are not forthcoming and rule accordingly.

Once a dispute is resolved, admins will update the Match Results page to reflect the decision. Also, they will send out an email to the contact addresses of both clans involved containing: a synopsis of the dispute; the outcome (dispute upheld/rejected); and the consequences of this decision for either or both clans.

XVIII. Rule Updates

These rules may be changed at any time; it is your responsibility to check for updates. Significant, game-affecting rule changes will almost certainly be mentioned in a news item on the STA TF2 site, but small tweaks, updates, or clarifications may pass unannounced.

Anyone participating in STA TF2 may make suggestions on rule changes; the best way to do so is to post in the STA TF2 discussion forum; this allows others to voice their opinion on the subject, and ensures that the idea doesn't get lost or misplaced.