--TOURNAMENT FORMAT--

Double elimination

Best of 3

 

Winner's Semifinals, Loser's Semifinals, Winner's Finals, and Loser's Finals are usually best of 5 (first to 3), while Grand Finals are best of 5 (first to 3).

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Losers bracket finalist must beat the winners bracket finalist two sets in a row in order to win.

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Stage Striking System is Present. (Both players can mutually agree to go to any stage at any point in the set. If both players can't agree, then of course use the Striking System.)

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--STAGE STRIKING SYSTEM--

RACE ONE:

Players pick from the following Stages:

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Player 1 will ban 1 Stage, then Player 2 will ban 2 stages, then Player 1 will pick from the remaining stages.

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RACE TWO BEYOND:

All stages, except Babylon Guardian are legal. (Racers can gentlemen to Babylon Guardian if they mutually agree to do that.

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The winner of the previous round will ban 4 stages, then the loser will pick from the remaining stages.

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The winner then picks their character and gear before the loser.

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Repeat this process until the set is complete.

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---RULES---

 

1) The first rule is a collection of rules on "Player Etiquette", and having good player etiquette.

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• Be prepared before tournament day. If you have to download dolphin, have no clue how to connect to a netplay room, or do not possess the most updated version of the game, you are liable to be DQed to avoid making everyone else wait on you. Bring your own pens to the exam so they say.

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• You will only begin a match when it is called by event staff in the #tourney-signups discord channel. It is advised however, that you connect to you opponent ahead of time. A test lap between you and your opponent should be performed in order to set a comfortable pad buffer. Make sure your name on dolphin is similar to your name on Challonge and Discord.

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• Be to your match on time. You have 15 minutes to start your match from when the match is announced. Time allotted can be subjected to change based on circumstances. We are usually lenient. We like to wait to DQ someone until the match in the next round is actually waiting on a previous set's outcome. Still, circumstances could change so try not to abuse our patience.

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• If your name on discord is different from your displayed name on Challonge, you will be DQed on sight for causing confusion and delays. Tournament staff should not have trouble finding you when they are trying to call your match.

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• In the event of a desync while mid-race, players must restart the game and maintain their current score for the total set. They must also choose the same stage and pick the same gear/character combo. If the race was on the final lap or there is a significant lead and a desync occurs, it is up to the tournament admins whether they should proceed as normal or award a point to the player that was in the lead. Players caught intentionally desyncing their game will be disqualified.

 

2) Ethernet is a requirement for playing. Players on Wi-Fi connectivity must forfeit if their connection causes disruptions. To be specific, if your connection is deemed "unacceptable" by staff/admins, you will be disqualified from the current tournament and blacklisted for all future events.

(Players on the blacklist can appeal if they can provide proof that their connection has improved)

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3) Any kind of tampering (Pausing after the starting gate, or messing with the pad buffer mid-game for example) will result in an instant loss of that round. However, pausing is allowed if a situation occurs that involves Rule 6.

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4) You cannot pick a stage you have already won on in a set. This rule is known as "David's Stupid Rule" or DSR.

(Here is an explanation on why this rule is important to competitive games that employs a dynamic stage list: https://www.ssbwiki.com/Dave%27s_Stupid_Rule )

 

5) Non-spectated games work off an honor system. The player who won will self-report their scores in challonge.

• If a dispute or argument occurs, a tourney admin will join the netplay lobby and spectate the session in full to verify scores.

• Players caught lying about scores will have their rank be wiped from all leaderboards, a permanent ban will be placed for all future tournaments, and possibly a ban from the Riders server.

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6) If an error or glitch occurs that is not considered to be reasonably replicable or well known, the game should be paused immediately, preferably using the emulation pause provided by Dolphin. The situation will be assessed by judges, typically the tournament organizer and/or appointed persons. The course of action, such as a restart or continuation of the game will be determined by the judges based on the game state.

• Examples of these kinds of unexpected errors or glitches are: clipping through the map in spots where collision seems to exist, random instantaneous death, map generated turbulence on Babylon Garden spawning in a way that prevents the race from being completed, or going out of bounds with no method of respawning.

• False invocations of this rule may result in a game or match loss.

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7) Select "Skips" are banned in tournament play. This is to preserve the competitive integrity of the game.

Definition of a Skip: An intended action of a player that exploits the game's mechanics in a manner which the result is bypassing an intended section or sections of a track.

 

The following bullet points form a general criterion of the kind of skips that are not allowed in tournament play

• Skips that bypass 5 seconds or more of a track's fastest intended route (defined as the lowest possible time of that character type using Darkness, any character, and on a Time Trial run, without utilizing any skips) in a single lap.

• Skips that bypass 3 seconds or more of a track's fastest intended route while using a type shortcut in a single lap.

• Skips in which you cannot follow your opponent due to undodgable tornadoes placed before the skip or on the landing spot for the skip. A tornado(es) is also considered undodgable if attempting to dodge it is a greater time loss than taking another route.

• Skips that can only be performed by using death to respawn.

• Skips that can only be performed on 4 gears or less.

• ​Skips that can only be performed using certain technique such as Rail Dashing. Hoop Dashing or Super Leap.

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Perform any "skips" within these criteria, and it'll result in a loss of that round. No exceptions.

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--TOURNAMENT POLICY--

 

The purpose of this policy section is to set ground "rules" and "rights" that players and tournament admins have while participating under the official tournaments in the Riders server.

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Players - representing competing persons in the tournament.

Tourney Admins - representing tournament administrators.

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• Tournaments are NOT legally binding, and players are free to exit the tournament at any time for any reason. Tournament admins have the sole discretion to create, modify, remove, and make exceptions for any rule or match in the tournament. Examples of these modifications can be, but not limited to: Decrease of tournament match timer due to time constraints, increase of lobby wait time due to technical issues, etc.

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• Tournament prize pools are out-of-pocket investments by private persons. There is no entry fee or buy in when competing. Therefore dismissal of persons in the tournament can happen at any time, for any reason deemed acceptable by tournament admins. Please note you are not entitled to any explanation when being dismissed from the tournament.

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• This policy will never be finalized. Changes may be made without discretion or notice to players or tourney admins. An overruling of the policy may occur for certain reasons; such as a dispute outside of tournament scope, rule breaking, and or rogue administrators.