General Rules

1. Staff

1.1	Chain of Command: Please do your best to filter all questions or problems through your Head Admin before contacting a Game or Global Director. Head Admins are in place to handle situations specific to each ladder and often will have more insight into a proper course of action. If the Head Admin is unable to help then you may escalate to the Game Admin. Remember to specify which ladder you are referring to when you are asking questions or making suggestions.
1.2	Staff Hierarchy Our entirely volunteer competition staff is made up of Global Directors, Platform Directors, Game Directors, Head Admins, Ladder Referees, and Community Staff members. You can find details about each staff position by clicking the corresponding entry in the Staff menu linked below. Community Staff Listing Link All rules, mutators, mods, settings and maps will be decided upon as a group by the committee for each ladder, as well as community feedback from the forums. Once changes are opened for discussion the topic will be posted on a forum and discussed with the input of anyone in the community that wishes to voice their opinions. Poll rules are as stated in the poll itself, and/or pre-described by the Admin via email announcement.
1.3	Competitors' problems with a Staff member: Game Directors & Head Admins assign Staff at their discretion. Should you disagree with a Staff member being part of a ladder please contest to the Head Admin.
1.4	Admin Social Connections Game/Head/Global Admins very graciously list their social connection accounts in their profiles. However it is unacceptable & inefficient to bombard these people with questions when they get online. The support ticket system is in place to help assign problems to the proper Admin so that they can handle the situation at their convenience. Please use this system so that we may track the progress of problems, and ensure our Admins are doing their jobs. Support tickets are found at the following LINK HERE.
1.5	Staff contact info You can view all Staff from the Staff/Admins contacts link in the main menu. Here ALL CONTACT information for your Admins can be found, as well as Community Staffers who are not specifically associated with ladders (Web deveolpment, Public Relations, etc...)
1.6	Teams or players are NEVER to badger Refs or Admins about a decision unless they are making an official penalty challenge or complaint. In this case only the site support ticket system should be used. Disregard for this rule can and will result in a site wide suspension.. This includes badgering an Admin through their personal instant Messaging accounts or the site personal message system.

2. Player GUIDs

2.1

Player GUIDs are required on a per-game basis. If you do not have a GUID entered for a particular game, you will be notified when attempting to join a ladder. GUIDs can be quickly and easily added to your account.

2.2

Entering your GUID on FraggedNation follow these instructions:

- Select "My Account Home" icon

(No Image = My Account Home)

- Select "Competition" tab

- Select "Manage GUIDs" icon

- Enter the last 8 characters of your GUID, select game from dropdown, and then select ( ) Add New.

- Repeat all the steps above to add your GUID to more than one game.

Note: There is no seperate area to enter your GUID for add-on games such as PoE for Vietnam or United Offensive for Call of Duty, etc. To add GUIDs for these games, simply add another entry for the parent game.

3. ELO Point System

3.1

OVERVIEW
Players gain rating points for each win, and lose rating points for each loss. Because ratings take into account not only the number of wins and losses but also the skill of each opponent, they are a useful measure of the true skill level of a player.

The rating system used is the same Elo rating system that is used in competitive chess, golf, and tennis. The Elo rating is a scientific model which provides a meaningful way to compare the skill level of different players, based on the assumption that skill levels follow a normal bell curve.

This web page provides an overview of how the rating system works, and how FraggedNation.com maintains its ladders.

PROBABILITY OF WINNING
The probability of each player winning a ladder game is computed based on that player's rating and the ratings of each of the player or team he is playing against. This probability is used to determine how many rating points the player wins or loses for winning or losing the game. A player who wins against a much higher rated player will gain many points for the victory, while a player who wins against a much lower rated player will gain very few points.

The following formula is used to compute the probability of winning:

Probability = 1 / (1 + 10^(-difference_in_ratings / 400))

You can use the following charts to quickly estimate your probability of winning against another opponent:

When playing a HIGHER rated player:		When playing a LOWER rated player:
Rating Difference	Probability of Winning	Rating Difference	Probability of Winning
400	9.1%	0	50%
350	11.8%	50	57.1%
300	15.1%	100	64%
250	19.2%	150	70.3%
200	24%	200	76%
150	29.7%	250	80.8%
100	36%	300	84.9%
50	42%	350	88.2%
0	50%	400	90.9%

Each player is assigned a development coefficient (K), which determines the maximum number of rating points that can be won or lost in any one game. The development coefficient starts at 50 and then drops lower as the player becomes more experienced. This enables new players to move quickly towards a rating that reflects their true ability level, while adding a level of stability to the ratings of more experienced players.

The development coefficient is calculated according to the following rules:

K=50 for new players
K=30 for players who have played 10 or more ladder games
K=20 for players who have played 20 or more ladder games

Each player who completes a ladder game wins or loses points according to the following formulas:

Winner's rating increases by K * (100% - probability_of_winning)
Loser's rating decreases by K * probability_of_winning

All players start out each season with a rating of 1000

Forfeits are assessed as a loss and points are awarded as if the match had been played and lost to both winner and loser.

4. Private Ladders

4.1	Private ladders are "owned" by an individual and may need a password to join. To obtain this password you will need to get in contact with the owner. You may bypass this join password if an invitation to the ladder has been extended to you by the owner through the invitation process.

5. Support Tickets

5.1	Submission of Support Ticket If a team has an issue with their ladder match that they would like an admin to address they can submit a support ticket. Teams have 5 days (120 hours) from the reporting time of their match to submit a support ticket for admin review. If a support ticket is submitted after 5 days from the reporting of the match the support ticket will not be reviewed. The reporting time will taken as the FN system time stamp time which is located in the match details information. In the case of those ladders or events that have a mixture of European and North American players and admins, the 5 days (120 hours) can be extended by 12 hours if the admin is in another continent and the ticket subbsion player or team is in a different continent.
5.2	Ladders Matches Issues Only team captains can submit a support ticket for an admin to review a ladder match. In the case of 1v1 ladders all players have the option of submitting a support ticket. Please do not contact a staff member directly regarding your support ticket. We assure you it will be answered in a timely manner.
5.3	Provide Details When a team/player submits a support ticket it needs to be for a specific issue and detailed so the admins can effectively address your problem. Only specific problems are addressed in a support ticket. If you fill out a support ticket that is vague on details, the admin will respond back to you asking for clarification and further details such as: - Which player broke the rule - What map was the issue in - About how far into the map was the rule broken (it is preferred if you can give the exact time on the timer) - What was the exact error message or what is the name of the server you need addressed. If you submit a support ticket over a call a ref made please provide which call, which player, what map and when in the map. A support ticket will not open a whole match up for review, only for the specific issue the team is asking to be addressed.
5.4	Challenging The Outcome You may wish to challenge an admins judgement if you feel your ticket was handled poorly. To do this, you must create a NEW support ticket and explain your concerns with any proof you may have. You must submit the challenge ticket within 2 days (48 hours) of the outcome of the ticket in question is released/resolved. This ticket will then be reviewed by a higher ranked admin. The senior admin will only review the resulting decisions made by the previous admin to ensure that the outcome was of sound judgement. The senior admin will not go over old ground as this ticket is to ensure the admin was working within guidelines and with everyone's best interest at heart. However, the senior admin may overturn a previously made decision if they feel this would be the correct thing to do. You may challenge an admins judgement once per season. The conclusion of this ticket is final

6. ELO Penalty Points System

6.1

The following is the ELO Penalty point system to be used on FraggedNation, dealing with ladders, tournaments, and general FN issues. Evidence will be present before any of the following infractions are given:

General Issues (Ladders, Tournaments, Rules)
1st occurrence: Team/Player Warning
2nd occurrence: 5pt Team/Player Penalty
3rd occurrence: 10pt Team/Player Penalty (plus the original 5pt = 15pt total)
4th occurrence: Instant Team/Player Suspension (3 day)
5th occurrence: Instant Team/Player Suspension (Season)
6th occurrence: Instant Team/Player Banning (from Site)

-------------------------------

The only exception to the above system would be issues of Match Admin Abuse, the following would be the penalty system for this kind of action:

1st occurrence: Team Warning
2nd occurrence: Instant Team Forfeit (Match Ends Then)
3rd occurrence: Instant Team Suspension or banning

These penalties are match wide, not map specific.

7. User Accounts

7.1	Account Images FraggedNation is a community oriented site that caters to a very diverse population in age, race and culture. Images containing full nudity, vulgar language, offensive symbols or signs, sexually explicit material, racist propaganda, or anything otherwise deemed offensive by members or staff will not be tolerated. Any violation of these rules will result in the offending image being removed, and repeat offenders will be banned from the site without warning.
7.2	Forum Signatures Users are requested to keep all Forum Signatures to text and images only. Images must be clean (i.e. no vulgarity, nudity, cursing, swearing, offensive materials, racist images, etc). Text must be kept to a reasonable size. You can advertise your name, team, ladders, slogans, and other general items as long as it is clean and does not violate other site general rules like advertising of other websites without permission. Please do not include videos in place of image forum signatures. Video signatures are frowned upon and also requires a lot of space on the forum and distracts users from the general viewing experience.
7.3	User Names User names registered at FraggedNation may not be obscene or vulgar. User names containing obscenities, vulgar language, or anything otherwise deemed offensive by other members or staff will not be tolerated. Any violation of these rules will result in a warning to change your name and if not done promptly the offending account will be removed, and repeat offenders will be banned from the site without warning. If you are not certain your choice of name is appropriate please PM an admin to ask for approval.

8. FraggedNation Moderation

8.1	Advertising Advertising on FraggedNation without permission of any products or services - specifically any services that would be in direct competition with FraggedNation - are not allowed and will be removed without warning and may result in a Forum Mute for the offending account
8.2	Post in the Appropriate Forum Please post in the appropriate area so your topics can be best addressed. If you're not sure where to post your topic, post it in the General Banter forum. If your topic belongs in another forum a forum moderator will move your post to the right location.
8.3	Bypassing Language Filters FraggedNation has a list of words that are inappropriate to use on our site. Attempting to bypass the filter by misspelling, inserting spaces or using symbols is not allowed and will result in a Forum Mute for the offending account.
8.4	Allegations of Player Cheating Cheating accusations anywhere other than Support Tickets will not be tolerated and will be removed by the forum police. If you have a concern about cheating submit a support ticket for admin review. No cheating allegations will be entertained without hard evidence.
8.5	Illegal Activities Posts that violate the law are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: Discussing, asking for, or providing any of the following: - Illegal copies of copyrighted software - Methods of circumventing copyright protection - Illegal copies of copyrighted media - Methods of cheating.
8.6	Comments of a Prejudicial Nature No member will post comments using race, religion, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, handicap, nationality, or gender as a means to insult and/or discriminate against other people, whether they are members of FraggedNations or not.
8.7	Repeat Threads If any post is deleted or locked, please do not start a thread identical or similar to the locked/deleted one or make a thread asking why the previous thread was deleted/locked. This includes duplicating posts that were not deleted or locked but are of a similar nature to that previously posted as well as shoutbox posts that have been deleted by FraggedNation. This may result in a Forum Mute for the offending account.
8.8	Sexually Explicit Content Sexually explicit content and sexually suggestive material is inappropriate at FraggedNation. Pornographic pictures/videos/audio or links are not allowed to be posted anywhere on FraggedNation.
8.9	Forum Moderation FraggedNation reserves the right to remove, edit, or move any post/thread we deem necessary without warning of any kind. This is to keep the forum moving on the right track and enjoyable for everyone. Anyone who decides to insult and/or disrespect forum moderators will be muted without warning.
8.10	Thread Bumping To bump a thread on an Internet forum is to post a reply to it purely in order to raise the thread's profile. This will typically return it to the top of the list of active threads. Thread bumping is disapproved of although not disallowed and may result in the entire thread being removed at FN's discretion.
8.11	YouTube Videos FraggedNation allows the posting of your gaming videos. Other non gaming related videos may be removed without notice and all posted videos must comply with forum conduct rules. Your videos must be embedded into your forum post and not simply linked to using the YouTube URL. FraggedNation will not get involved with copyright disputes, take this up with YouTube. FN reserves the right to use any video content posted in it's forums for additional media function. By posting videos in the forums, you agree to these terms.
8.12	Facebook Content The content on the FraggedNation Facebook page is subject to all FraggedNation Moderation Rules.

9. Rung Based Ladders

9.1	Rung based ladders, though much more rare than ELO Point Based Ladders, are not based on wins but rather on placement due to wins and losses. The entire concept is designed to let the winner of a match either A) retain their position B) lose their position to their opponent When losing position, the losing team is bumped down ONE rung, and the winning team is awarded their position in the standings.
9.2	When a team is awarded the position of another team due to a win, it's important to note that ALL standings are affected. When the losing team is bumped down one rung, so is EVERY OTHER participant on the ladder to make room for them in their new spot.
9.3	Consider Rung Based ladders much like "King of the Hill" - doesn't matter how many times you've fallen off, you're still the king if you knock the person on top down.
9.4	Rung Based standings are in NO WAY affected by participant ratings, OR Win/Loss percentage. It's strictly a "Who got themselves on top" situation.
9.5	It's entirely possible that a team with a perfect record be ranked very low in the standings if they are not playing matches and reaffirming their position in the standings. Teams ranked lower can challenge up higher and get placed above them, and it's possible that someone with a perfect record could even be in last place if they're not paying attention! It's all about getting on top, and staying there!
9.6	If a team defends their position in the standings successfully, no changes are made to the standings. There are no penalties for losing a challenge where a team is attempting to take over another teams position - it's up to the team defending their position to do so in order to not be bumped down a rung.
9.7	All rung based ladders are single-challenge ladders, which means that any member may only have 1 pending challenge at a time, unlike ELO ladders where (unless disabled by the admin) many matches can be scheduled for play on the same ladder simultaneously.

10. Voting and Polls

10.1

Polls

Polls created by non members of staff are discouraged and may be removed. Polls should not be created without first obtaining input from an admin. The preferred method, if you have a suggestion is to post your suggestion or idea in the relevant forum. A staff member may then formulate a proper response by way of a poll thus gathering mass opinion in an organized, professional and timely fashion.

10.2

Voting

In order to avoid bias, no member of staff is allowed to vote in a poll including their own, if the poll is related to competition.

11. Reporting a Match

11.1	If you have won or lost a match, you have 4 hours from match end to report the loss. Failure to do so could result in a forfeit or penalties assessed by the Head Admin at their discretion.
11.2	EITHER team may report the match at any time after the specified date and time.
11.3	To report a match, simply choose the Challenge Management icon from your user management bar in the top right portion of your screen: - User Management Bar: - Challenge Management Button: Once you are in the "Challenge Management" area, simply choose the match you wish to report and report the match.
11.4	Continued failure to report matches on time could warrant dismissal from the current ladder at the discretion of the Head Admin.
11.5	Even if the match is potentially subject to review and / or challenge, the match MUST BE COMPLETED AND REPORTED. In the event something needs to be reversed, it will be done by the Admins at the time of such decision. Not reporting a match because of the possibility of an Admin decision is expressly forbidden, and could leave you/your team subject to penalties specific to each ladder.

12. Change Requests

12.1	Anytime a match is rescheduled, a change request must be submitted and accepted at least 4 hours prior to the originally scheduled date and time.
12.2	Accepting a Change request will add reputation points to your account, as will submitting a change request that gets accepted. This is to encourage matches to be played by rewarding them with community reputation points that make a member more credible in the community and available to more community events.
12.3	Unaccepted challenges with at least 3 attempted change requests will not increment the 7 day free decline counter.

13. Ringing / Name Swapping

13.1	Players shall have only one account under the player's name used in the community most frequently. This will be enforced programatically by IP. Any duplicate entries will be reported to the head admins at 12:01 on the day of account creation via scheduled task. Players will only compete under the one account, and under the one name. Changing names for any reason, or playing under any other name could result in permanent banishment from ladder competition pending the situation.
13.2	Under NO circumstances will one player play AS another player for a scheduled official ladder match. In the event someone is found to be doing this (hereby referred to as ringing) they will be banned immediately from 1v1 play until the following season, and penalized 3 team matches on EACH ladder they are a participant of.
13.3	If you feel you have competed against someone ringing for an official ladder match, please inform an Admin so they can do a check of the server logs for IP addresses, and subsequent investigation. This needs to be done ASAP, to have the best & most current info available.
13.4	If a player is banned for misconduct for any reason and attempts to rejoin the ladders for competition until said ban is finished, it will result in a permanent IP level ban.
13.5	If a banned player is a team captain, they will be forced to add another captain to the roster and have themselves removed. Failure to do this could result in the team being removed from play until the situation is resolved.
13.6	In the event the same household / IP has 2 players (such as siblings or spouces) please notify a Head Admin of the situation to ensure the account does not get deleted.

14. General Competition Rules

14.1	Ladder / Tournament / Game Specific Rules: If a rule is not posted in the General Rules section (what you are reading right now), or not in the specific rules for the game / ladder / tournament, then the rule can not, and will not, be enforced.Only rules that are clearly defined in the rules sections for that particular game / ladder / tournament will ever be considered rules that must be adhered to.Conversations in the forums or other such medium shall never, under any circumstances, constitute a rule.
14.2	Code of Conduct In order to create a friendly and comfortable environment for all participants, the following Code of Conduct will be strictly enforced: Members will treat each other with respect at all times. No member will use comments about nationality, age, gender, race, religious belief, or sexual orientation to insult others. Members will exhibit good sportsmanship at all times. There will be no taunting, harassing, or unsportsmanlike conduct verbally, written or any other means. Profanity and language of an offensive nature will not be tolerated, whether on forums or any type of voice or text communications. There will be no discussion of nudity, sexual content, use of illegal substances, or any other adult content, whether by images, text or voice communications. Members will not attempt to manipulate the game or ladder system in an attempt to give any player or team an unearned advantage. This includes intentionally killing one's teammates or oneself. Penalties for violating the Code of Conduct include, but are not limited to: Loss of ELO points, which may affect ladder standings. Forfeit of the match during which the violation occurred. Temporary suspension of the offending member or team. Permanent removal of the member or team from ladder/tournament/event.
14.3	Ladder Membership / Account Activity Your ladder membership will be automatically disabled if you do not participate in at least one (1) match PER MONTH. Furthermore your account will be automatically disabled if you have received 3 consecutive forfeits against you. This is done each night at midnight. If your account is disabled, you may re-enable at any time, however it will continue to be disabled each night until you have played a match.
14.4	FIGHTING & MISCONDUCT Will not be tolerated. Period. If there is a problem with another team or player please contact the Ladder Head Admin or Game Admin to have it resolved. Any bad mouthing or trash talk can result in that person and/or their team being banned from the Ladder.
14.5	HACKS: FraggedNation enforces ZERO TOLERANCE on hacks. Any hack found in use will result in the player and/or team being banned from competition. Hacking into a server owners password to gain access to their server will not be tolerated. If you have not been given the password, or permission by the owner to access the server, then it is deemed that you have done this illegally. This will result in a one game suspension for the first offense. 2nd offense will result in a team suspension for 2 weeks. 3rd offense will have the person banned from FN.
14.6	REPEAT OFFENDERS Who have been punished, but not banned, will be removed from ladder & tournaments, and subsequently banned from FraggedNation. Failure to follow these simple rules will result in disqualification of players & teams from competition.
14.7	MAP FLAWS ANY exploitation of a map flaw without reporting it to an Admin is grounds for disqualification and removal from ladder & tournament competition.
14.8	CHEATING: Will not be tolerated. Any team caught cheating will be banned from FraggedNation immediately. Period. FraggedNation enforces Zero Tolerance with regard to past known cheaters. If there is evidence presented, or the community is threatened by the presence of a cheater, they will be banned - no exceptions. We strive to make FraggedNation a level grounded place for everyone to play, and the comfort of the participants is our primary concern. Should you find yourself banned from FraggedNation competition, we always encourage you to attempt to get community support to return to the fray. If there is enough support to bring a player back, we will consider it - however we will not extend our services or use our staff to propagate such a return as we feel this is not in the best interest of FraggedNation nor a proper use of resources.
14.9	Reporting Cheats / Hackers / Abusers It is possible to bring forward information on an alleged cheater to FraggedNations attention. Proof must be provided within 20 days from when the alleged cheat occurred. FraggedNation will not 'witch hunt' cheaters and will not act on suspicion or out of date logs etc. FraggedNation reserves judgement on all cheating matters based on all accurate information to hand. Please ensure your ladder admin is informed of any information so that FN can investigate matters further. The preferred method of raising any issue is via the support ticket system. Details of any investigation, proof & logs etc plus the outcome of any investigation will not be made public.
14.10	Ladder Ref Abuse Under NO circumstances should the Ref EVER be abused for making a call. If a Ref is harassed in this manner, the team in which the player at fault is on, will be penalized HARSHLY. Repeat offenders will be removed from competition. Please see the section regarding "Challenging a Call" for more information on the proper way to handle these situations.
14.11	Spectators The ONLY people allowed on a server during any ladder or tournament matches are those competing in said match, and appropriate Refs or Admins needed for play. Players and specs not adhering to this rule will be penalized with, but not limited to: - Replaying of maps that specs were watching, regardless of outcome. - Disqualification of match - Forfeits handed out. - Suspension of player account and ladder or tournament membership/participation - Banishment from FraggedNation.com

15. Times and Matches

15.1	A Challenge can be made directly to a participant on the ladder standings page, or posted as an "Open Challenge" in the Match Finder; where available. Some ladders have been configured by the Owners/Admins to disable the Match finder and the ability to have more than 1 challenge open at a time.
15.2	Either winner or loser of a match may report once the match is completed, and this must be done within 4 hours of match start.
15.3	All ladder matches are played in a "Best Of" format. Most ladders are set to 3 rounds which is best of 3. The winner is the team who takes the match in "Best Of 3 - Win 2 maps". Tournaments may vary. Head Admins will prescribe match & tournament format prior to launching.
15.4	Random map generation vs Player/Team selectable Random: All maps are generated at the time of challenge using a random selection algorithm. (System Generated) Selectable (3 Maps): Players/Teams on "selectable map" ladders are as follows: - Challenging team chooses map #1. - Challenged team chooses map #2 - Map #3 is randomly selected (using the random algorithm described above). Selectable (1 Map): - On this system, the map is auto generated using the random algorithm. (System Generated)
15.5	In the event a team does not show at the selected time and server within 10 minutes, the opposing team may request a forfeit. Should the opposing team choose to wait longer, they may (PC Only) - In the event waiting for another player causes an overlap to another match on the same server, both teams or challenging team will receive forfeit. Ensure there are no other matches scheduled on that server before waiting additional time. (Console Only) - In the event waiting for another player causes an overlap to another match, both teams or challenging team will receive a forfeit. Ensure there are no other matches scheduled during the time frame it would take to complete the first match.

16. Challenging, Accepting and Declining

16.1	Accepting, Declining, Changing Matches Click on the Challenge Management icon in the upper right hand portion of the screen: - User Management Bar - Challenge Management Button Locate the challenge you want to accept under "Pending Acceptance" and click the Edit icon to the far right. From there, choose Accept, Decline, or Change request.
16.2	A participant may post a challenge if: 1. The team being challenged is within the challenge point restriction threshold for point based ladders, or within the rung restriction and ranked higher in the standings for rung-based. NOTE: You may not challenge DOWN in rung based ladders 2. They have entered a GUID for the specific game, where applicable. NOTE: Not all games require GUID entry. Please see specific ladder details for this information. 3. If posting a challenge to a particular participant, they have not played this same account inside a 6 hour time period. NOTE: Some ladders may have this time adjusted so see ladder details. 4. They have recently joined a ladder, or rejoined the ladder from inactivity and waited 6 hours. NOTE: Participants will appear as ineligible until this time period has lapsed.
16.3	Challenging Go to the console type, game name, and then ladder standings page. Select the "Challenge" icon beside the members name you wish to challenge: On the next screen, select a Date/Time/Server (where applicable) and a Round 1 map (where applicable) and click 'Post Challenge'. An email will be dispatched to you, and your opponent as confirmation of the challenge.
16.4	Declining a Challenge: Challenges can be declined without penalty, but only under certain circumstances. Condition 1: Each ladder has a configurable option for"Declines/Ignores Per week" allowance. This is defaulted to 3, but may be different for each ladder. The amount of remaining declines for the week can be seen when viewing a pending challenge. Participants may decline that many challenges per week without penalty. Each decline will increase this counter for the seven day period, unless otherwise specified in the other conditions (see below). Condition 2: The challenge was posted with less than 48 hours notice from the time of challenge to the requested date/time of play. Declining this challenge does not increase the Declines per Week counter. Condition 3: The person being challenged has submitted at least 3 change requests to get the match date changed to an acceptable time. Declining a challenge with 3 or more change requests does not increment the weekly decline count. Change requests may be made by the challenger, or the challenge, however only one change request may be active at a time. Declining or Accepting a change request will provide the opportunity to submit a new request. Note: Declining or Ignoring a challenge with an accepted change request will never be a "free" decline and will go against the weekly decline count, and/or an immediate forfeit win for the opponent.
16.5	Ladder Challenge Point Restriction: Each ladder has a pre-defined value for the amount of points that equates to the difference in points between yourself and the opponent you wish to challenge. You will be unable to challenge someone if the distance between point values is greater than the value specified for the ladder. Participants you are unable to challenge will display a 'Cannot Challenge' in place of a 'Challenge' button. In the instance of Rung-Based ladders, the point restriction is replaced with a rung restriction whereby you may only challenge up X rungs, and never challenge DOWN.

17. Ladder Seasons

17.1

FraggedNation ladders will run for periods pre-determined by Game & Head Admins. Each ladder has a start and end date that is visible in the ladder or tournament's details. These dates are listed in the Ladder Header at the top of the screen when viewing the standings.

At the end of the season, the team with the highest point rating, or in the #1 rung will be declared the winner of that season.

All ladder data will be reset at the end of the season except for teams and members. All win/loss record, etc. will start fresh, and matches archived. If there are any prizes to be awarded you will be notified should you be the winner at the end of a season.

18. Ladder Maps

18.1	Maps are selected one of two ways at FraggedNation and depends on the setup of the ladder. 1. Maps are auto-generated by the system. All maps (depending on number of rounds) are automatically selected and assigned to the challenge with no user input. 2. Maps are picked by a combination of the system, the challenger, and the challenged. When making the challenge, the challenger will pick the first map. The challenged will pick the second map when accepting the challenge. The system will auto-generate a tie-breaker third map. Please contact your Head Admin if you have questions about map selection on a particular ladder.
18.2	All matches must be played on the maps that were generated. In the event players/teams are caught in a match be playing on a map that was NOT specified in the challenge, both players/teams will be disqualified and possibly removed from ladder competition.
18.3	Should a map NOT be available on a server at match time, players/teams may agree on a different map to play in the current list of maps for that ladder that are available on that server. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should this occur if the map specified in the challenge details is available for selection. See ladder specific rules regarding penalty points.
18.4	Maps can be added/removed during a season by popular vote only, and said vote must be initiated and mitigated by the Head Admin running the ladder.
18.5	If you are unhappy with a particular map on a ladder, be sure to go and rate the map via the Ladder Standings page. Click the "Detail" tab and then "Maps" tab: The option to rate a map or leave a comment is displayed along with the current ratings or comments left by other members

19. Ladder Servers

19.1	For 1v1 matches Any and all servers listed as a selection for the 1v1 ladders will have at least 1 accompanying Admin on the Ref roster. It is the responsibility as both the challenger and challengee to ensure that an Admin is present *should the need arise*. Admins on 1v1 ladders are not assigned to matches and therefore have no way of knowing they are needed unless contacted specifically.
19.2	Team Matches Your Head Admins will do the best they can to ensure the Admin/Ref assigned to your match has Admin privileges or is at least in contact with an admin for the server selected. If you feel that the Admin assigned to your match does not have the ability to administer or host the server selected, please contact the Head Admin and voice your concerns.
19.3	Matches that Require a Ref You are not permitted to play and report these type matches unless the Ref is present for all maps played. If any team plays a match without a Ref this match is null and void. In the event the match starts without a Ref, simply halt the game, and do not play the match until one is present. In the event a Ref should disconnect and not return right away, both teams should stop playing and contact an Admin right away.
19.4	Server Settings It is important as both the challenger and challengee to ensure that the server is running the proper configuration or settings before starting the match, and certainly before reporting the match. In the event you notice settings or server configuration needs modification, it is your responsibility to notify an Admin to correct the situation BEFORE MATCH TIME or BEFORE THE MATCH BEGINS. All servers are run by different admins, so there is a possibility there may need to be a change.
19.5	Should you specify a custom server when challenging, it is your SOLE responsibility for the readiness of said server. Failure to provide a viable server at the specified time and address will result in full forfeiture of match.

20. Forfeits

20.1	All forfeits that are not automatically processed by the system will require Admin approval. Once submitted, your Head Admin will receive an email notifying them that there is a forfeit request to process. Please be patient with your Head Admins on weekends, when they may not be checking their emails, otherwise Head Admins have a 24 hour period to process forfeits.
20.2	Should you receive a forfeit that you feel was not justified, please contact your Head Admin as soon as possible with all email and/or chatlog correspondence with your opponent. Without proof, your Head Admin will be left with no choice but to let the forfeit stand.
20.3	Holiday Forfeit Procedure: In observance of holidays, we will not be processing forfeit requests that are put in for matches scheduled to be played on the date of any recognized US, Canadian, or European holiday. This includes but may not be limited to. US Holidays: Thanksgiving day(4th Thursday in November) Memorial Day(Last Monday in May) Independence Day(July 4th) Labor Day(First Monday in September) Canadian Holidays: Victoria Day Canada Day(July 1st) Labor Day(First Monday in September) Thanksgiving Day Boxing Day(December 26th) Euro Holidays: Three Holy Kings Day Ascension Day General Holidays: Christmas Eve/Day Christmas Day New Years Eve/Day New Years Day Good Friday Easter Sunday Easter Monday In the event that a match has been scheduled to be played on a holiday, we encourage both teams to use the change request option to reschedule the match. If a new date is not able to be worked out, then the challenge will be deleted without penalties to either team. The no forfeits rule for Holidays in a country in which you do not live, will not apply. Example, if your team is from Europe, Canadian and US holidays will not apply for your team and matches will still required to be played. In order for the match to be considered for a forfeit because of a holiday, your team must be from or have a majority of people from the country in which the holiday is a factor.

21. Teams and Rosters

21.1	Any team on a Team-Based ladder can have as many people on the roster as they would like - however only the specified amount can play during the match.
21.2	You may NOT switch a team member DURING a round of play, *unless* a specific Ladder's own rules permit, persuant to appropriate circumstances.
21.3	You may rotate any eligible member of your roster for play at the beginning of any round.
21.4	You may substitute 1 ineligible player for play during the match. An ineligible player is someone who was NOT on your roster at the time of challenge, but as of the date of the match has been on the roster for at least 36 hours. Any team may substitute an ineligible player who was not on their roster at the time of the challenge, but has signed on AT LEAST 2 HOURS PRIOR to the time and date of the match. This is contingent on agreement from the opposing team. No exceptions will be made for players NOT on the roster 2 hours prior to the match. Substituting more than 1 ineligible player in accordance to the rules above is strictly prohibited unless otherwise specified in the ladder specific rules regardless of any team agreements. Both teams will be penalized.
21.5	You may NOT under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES substitute a non-roster player for play in a ladder match. Should your team not have enough people showing at the match, you will be forced to take a forfeit loss.
21.6	Failure to obey these rules will result in disqualification from current match, as well as a penalty designated by the Head Admin. A 2nd offense will result in removal from ladder competition.
21.7	Players may only compete on ONE Team per Team Ladder, and ONE 'rung' per 1v1 Ladder.
21.8	Players wishing to play on another team on the same ladder as a team they have already joined may be issued a Roster Exception. This roster exception is generated automatically when a conflicting team joins the ladder, and essentially deactivates conflicting team members from the opposing team's roster. To have a roster exception removed, a team member must leave the team, or the team must leave the ladder, and the opposing team may then remove the Roster Exception.

22. Challenging an Admins Call

22.1	If you wish to have a match reviewed or a specific call reviewed you must submit a request via the Trouble Ticket system to a Head Admin or Game Admin. You must submit the following information when putting in an official trouble ticket challenging an admins call: 1: Match date, time, and ladder 2: The name of the admin who was assigned to the match in question 3: What exactly you wish to have reviewed Be patient and wait for the ADMIN to contact you with the results of the review. Once this process is finished do not contest the ADMINS decision. Doing so may result in misconduct penalty. If you do not follow the procedure listed above you risk losing a challenge for that season.
22.2	Admins/Players are required to keep a demo from each match they play in if there is the possibility of a call-turnover. These Demos must be saved for 3 weeks after which time they may be discarded if an admin does not request them. At no time will anyone other than an FN admin view the demo's recorded during any match. If you are challenging a call, you must finish the match and put this through the support ticket system, and then the admin/player must provide the demo to the Head or Game admin for review, and you will be notified when a decision is made.
22.3	Each team will have 5 challenges to use per season. If your team wins the challenge, your 5 challenges remain. If the decision is not overturned by an admin then your team will lose 1 challenge. (Example) Team A challenges a glitching call made against them. They have all 5 of their challenges available. If the admin overturns the Ref's call after reviewing the match, then that team keeps all 5 oftheir challenges. If the admin does not overturn the call, the challenging team loses the decision. Team A will lose 1 challenge and will have 4 challenges remaining for the season. Admins will be noting in the team notes sections when a challenge has been used.
22.4	Teams or players are NEVER to bother Refs or Admins about a Ref's decision unless they are making an official penalty challenge. Disregard for this rule will result in a penalty, assigned by the appropriate Game Admin.
22.5	Once your team runs out of challenges you will not receive any more until the ladder resets for the next season. If you use your challenges wisely, you should not run out.
22.6	Challenging a call made by the Ref should NEVER be done DURING the match. Should any player attempt to argue with the admin mid-match, they will be subject to penalties at the admin's & Head Admin's discretion persuant to the specific ladder's penalty point guidelines.
22.7	You may wish to challenge an admins judgement if you feel your ticket was handled poorly. To do this, you must create a NEW support ticket and explain your concerns with any proof you may have. This ticket will then be reviewed by a higher ranked admin. The senior admin will only review the resulting decisions made by the previous admin to ensure that the outcome was of sound judgement. The senior admin will not go over old ground as this ticket is to ensure the admin was working within guidelines and with everyone's best interest at heart. However, the senior admin may overturn a previously made decision if they feel this would be the correct thing to do. You may challenge an admins judgement once per season. The conclusion of this ticket is final and will count towards your allocation of 5 tickets per season.

1.	Staff
2.	Player GUIDs
3.	ELO Point System
4.	Private Ladders
5.	Support Tickets
6.	ELO Penalty Points System
7.	User Accounts
8.	FraggedNation Moderation
9.	Rung Based Ladders
10.	Voting and Polls
11.	Reporting a Match
12.	Change Requests
13.	Ringing / Name Swapping
14.	General Competition Rules
15.	Times and Matches
16.	Challenging, Accepting and Declining
17.	Ladder Seasons
18.	Ladder Maps
19.	Ladder Servers
20.	Forfeits
21.	Teams and Rosters
22.	Challenging an Admins Call

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