RCS Rules

1. Registration and Scheduling

A. Check-ins

Players must check in as the event starts. Once the event starts you'll have ten minutes to make it to your match and find your opponent.

B. Match Scheduling

Players should communicate with their opponents and RCS Tournament Organizers in the smash.gg chat during all online stages of the tournament. Tournament Organizers may disqualify players who can not be contacted within 5-10 minutes after the match start time, or are not ready to play within 5-10 minutes of the match start time.

2. General Tournament Rules

A. Tournament Type

All events are double elimination, meaning all players will have the chance to compete in a minimum of two sets each event.

B. Game Settings

Tournament matches are initiated through the Online Friendly Match mode with default settings (Dev Mode and Random Stage Select OFF).

C. Match Formats

Matches are played in a best two out of three format unless otherwise specified. The top 8 will be played in a best three out of five format. For online events with a large amount of players that need to be broken down into pools, pool winners and losers will be played in a best three out of five format.

D. Stage Selection

The first game’s stage is selected with last-stage striking (1-1-1-1-1-1) and subsequent games in the series use winner-strikes-one. When choosing stages, a player cannot return to any stage they have previously won on without the consent of their opponent (Dave's stupid rule).

E. Connection

Players must have an adequate internet connection to compete. Players are recommended to use wired connections for best results in online events. Tournament Organizers may disqualify players from the event if their internet is unable to perform at a reasonable level.

If a Player loses connection during a match, that player will forfeit the current match. Players may restart the disconnected match only if both players agree to do so. Disconnections should be immediately reported to a Tournament Organizer.

If a match desyncs or crashes, immediately contact a Tournament Organizer. The match will be replayed with the same stock count it had progressed to before the desync or crash. After each player removes any stocks necessary, the match will start on an agreed upon signal.

3. Reporting Scores

After a game is completed, players must submit the game results. Taking a screenshot of the results screen or saving the replay is strongly recommended in case of disputed results. If a player disputes a game claiming a win and submits proof of their claim, the other player must submit proof of their claim to avoid an automatic forfeit of the game. Any players found to be submitting false or doctored results will be permanently banned from the RCS.

Additional Rules

A. Broadcasting

Every player is allowed to stream the game at any time. If a Tournament Organizer requests that a match be streamed or a replay be shared on an official RCS channel, players will be given instructions on how to do so.

B. Cheating

Using cheats or any third­ party tools outside of Steam is a rules violation and is strictly forbidden.

C. Bugs & Glitches

In the event of a bug or glitch that affects gameplay, the full match should be played out. If a Player calls for a rematch due to the bug or glitch they must record and submit a replay to an RCS administrator for review.

D. Rule Violations

Violating rules of the RCS may result in punishments for players. Punishments are made at the discretion of Tournament Organizers and may include loss of game, loss of match, suspension from RCS events, and ban from RCS events.

These rules are an attempt to insure that the tournament runs fairly and as smoothly as possible. However, unforeseen circumstances may require a special response, and for that reason the Tournament Organizers reserves the right to change any of the tournament rules or remove any player at any time, for any reason, at their sole discretion.

FAQs:

How do online tournaments work on smashgg?

Read this guide for a detailed explanation: https://help.smash.gg/hc/en-us/articles/223789908

You can find your player dashboard here: https://smash.gg/tournament/eu-rcs-week-9/dashboard

What in the world is the RCS?

The Rivals Championship Series is an official 12 week circuit featuring both online and offline events for players in North America and Europe. Players can compete in RCS events for glory, circuit points, and prizes including travel vouchers to our series finale at Genesis 4. In addition to these finals being our biggest planned tournament to date, they will also feature our biggest prize pool yet

How do I connect to another player online?

You'll be provided with your opponent's Steam profile through your match dashboard. Simply add this player to your Steam friend's list and invite them to a match by going to Online > Friendly Match and selecting their name.

Can I play on Wi-Fi?

Although not required, we highly recommend connecting with an Ethernet cable or similar to maintain a stable connection with your router & opponent. We'll try our best to be understanding with Wi-Fi, but players will be disqualified if their connection makes matches unplayable.

What regions may participate?

Events are tailored to specific regions. Please ensure you register for the appropriate event by checking the prefix ("NA" or "EU").

What is the tournament format / striking order / set count?

Check out the rules section above this FAQ for more rules info.

Is there a minimum age requirement?

You must be 13 years of age or older.