Rulebook — Season 3

Match times and schedule are posted in official channels.

Contact staff through Discord Modmail.

All rulings are final. Rule interpretation rests solely with tournament officials.

• •Teams are grouped by skill before the regular season for a round robin per section 2.2.
• •Divisions are based on total registered teams.
• •A player added after initial groups are set does not affect team placement. Further restrictions are in section 4.4.

• •Six weeks of round robin play within groups. Each team plays two 2-game matches per week. Format may be adjusted based on participation numbers.
• •Points per series:
  • •Win 2-0: 6 points
  • •Draw 1-1: 3 points
  • •Loss 0-2: 0 points
• •A team that fails to field players or cannot complete a series receives a 0-2 loss. The opponent receives 6 points.
• •A team that withdraws from the season after it has begun receives a 0-2 loss for all remaining scheduled matches. Opponents receive 6 points for each.

• •Double elimination bracket. The number of qualifying teams per group is determined by group size.
• •Playoffs run 2–3 weeks immediately following the regular season.
• •Playoff matches may be rescheduled once per team with staff approval.

Each team is assigned one streamed match per season. Alternate slots are not guaranteed.

• •Matches are scheduled in private Discord threads with both captains and/or designated POCs by Tuesday 11:59 PM EST of the assigned week. Unscheduled matches result in a 0-2 loss for both teams with no points awarded.
• •Matches may be scheduled from Sunday and played Monday through Saturday at 11:59 PM EST.
• •Team availability documents are a scheduling reference only and are not binding.

• •Reschedule requests should be made 48 hours in advance and may be made at any time.
  • •The opposing team may decline. If declined, the match is played at the original time.
  • •If the requesting team cannot play at the original time after a declined reschedule, they receive a 0-2 series loss.
  • •Teams may make a maximum of 3 reschedule requests per season.

When teams finish with equal points, standings are resolved in the following order:

1. •Head-to-head series record between the tied teams
2. •Net game wins across the season (played games only; unplayed series are excluded)
3. •Coin flip administered by staff

• •Registration opens August 1st, 2026 and closes September 7th, 2026.
• •Roster additions are permitted until September 28th, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. Rosters are locked after this point.

• •Week 1 begins September 21st, 2026.
• •Each week opens for scheduling from the staff's week-start notification through Saturday at 11:59 PM EST.

An organization is a union of college campuses that operate under the same name, are accredited by the same institutions, and are funded and operated with the same philosophy to serve the same demographic. Examples include Community College Districts, State Systems of Community Colleges or Universities, CEGEPs, and private universities with multiple esports teams.

• •Players must be in good standing as determined by their organization.
• •Players must maintain a GPA of at least 2.3 (4.0 scale) or 2.7 (5.0 scale).
• •Players must be enrolled full-time or in a co-op position (employment fulfilling a degree requirement). Graduate students are eligible under the same requirements.
• •Part-time students are evaluated case by case: more than 50% of classes taken at the represented institution, and GPA requirement met.
• •Proof of enrollment is submitted by the team captain through Modmail on request. Accepted documentation includes enrollment letters, transcripts, or equivalent. All submitted documentation is permanently deleted upon verification.
• •Players must compete on a single Steam account, declared at the start of the season and linked to the tournament Discord bot.
  • •Smurfing or use of an undisclosed alternate account results in forfeiture of affected games and disciplinary action.
  • •Account sharing results in forfeiture of the affected game and disciplinary action.
• •All active roster players must have their Discord username and in-game handle linked to the Discord bot.
• •Players must be 18 years of age or have a signed parental consent form at registration.
• •Players must be enrolled at their institution before September 21st, 2026.
• •Players may not compete under a different username or in-game name without prior College Deadlock approval. Names must be readable, free of excessive special characters, contain no spaces, and remain consistent throughout the season. A pronunciation must be provided for non-English names.
• •If a player is found to have been ineligible while competing, the impact on prior match results is determined at staff discretion.

• •Team captains are the default point of contact for all staff communication.
• •Each captain must designate at least one alternate POC reachable through the College Deadlock Discord. POCs must respond to match-related communications in a timely manner.
• •Teams may have up to 4 substitute players.
• •Institutions may field a maximum of 2 rosters in DCS, each uniquely identified per naming guidelines.

• •Substitutes must be registered and approved before roster lock and must meet the requirements in section 4.1.
• •The roster for each game must be declared to the opposing captain at check-in, before draft. Substitutions between games must be declared before draft begins.
• •Players may not be substituted during an ongoing game. Only players declared at check-in may play in the first game.
• •No substitutes may be added after roster lock except under extenuating circumstances approved by staff.

• •No roster changes are permitted after roster lock (see section 3).
• •During the two-week Team Registration Lock period before roster lock, players added may not collectively increase the team's estimated seed by more than 1.25. If exceeded, the team decides which players to retain.
• •Once added to a roster, a player may not transfer to another roster within College Deadlock.
• •Emergency situations may be discussed with College Deadlock staff.

• •Team names must follow the format <Organization Name> - <Optional Identifier> with a 3–6 character code for streams and Discord threads (e.g., Purdue University Black → PDU.B).
• •Teams must provide a PNG or SVG logo approved for use by their institution.

• •Failure to check in within 30 minutes of the scheduled start time results in a 0-2 series loss.
• •Teams must field 6 players at all times.

The higher-seeded team creates the match lobby with the following settings: US South Central server, Normal mode, no bots, Specify Lane Assignments enabled, Visible to Everyone, Duplicate Heroes Disabled, Cheats Disabled. Both teams may agree to a different server region; staff must be notified of any deviation from the required settings. If incorrect settings are discovered during a match, staff may order a replay at their discretion.

Matches follow the draft format in section 9.4. The higher-seeded team chooses Hidden King (first pick) or Archmother (second pick). In subsequent games of a series, the losing team makes the side selection. All draft actions are final once confirmed — incorrect picks or bans may not be corrected. All players must be in the lobby within 10 minutes of draft completion.

Pauses: Each team has up to 3 technical pauses per game, with a combined maximum of 15 minutes per match. Each pause may not exceed 5 minutes; two consecutive pauses may be combined for a single 10-minute pause. Pauses are for technical issues only. Players may not communicate during a pause. Abuse results in penalties.

Disconnects: If a player disconnects and cannot reconnect, an automatic remake is issued if the disconnect occurred within the first 5 minutes of the game. After 5 minutes, the game continues.

Remakes: If the game server crashes, the match is automatically remade. All other situations where a remake may be warranted are at staff discretion.

Both teams must submit match results and final scoreboard screenshots within 24 hours of match completion. Failure to submit results in a 0-2 loss for the non-submitting team.

Only approved streamers and production staff may use the spectator slot. Coaches and substitutes must watch via the in-game Watch tab or the official stream.

• •Players must use a voice channel created in the official College Deadlock Discord for the match. External voice channels are not permitted during a match.
• •Coaches and substitutes may join but must remain muted during draft and any active game. They may speak only before the match starts, between games, and after the match ends.
  • •Violations result in removal from the voice channel. Repeated violations may result in permanent revocation of in-match voice privileges.
• •Teams may not join another team's voice channel. Staff may join any voice channel at any time.

Official matches are broadcast on DCS's Twitch channel with a 2-minute delay.

Live streams of DCS matches are permitted with a minimum 2-minute delay and proper credit. Players streaming their own POV during a match must use a minimum 2-minute delay and notify staff in advance.

Recorded content of DCS matches is permitted with sufficient credit and transformative use.

DCS staff may request that any content creator cease coverage at any time.

Harassment, hate speech, and disruptive behavior are prohibited. The code of conduct extends to public communications including social media, Discord, and other public channels. Public statements that bring DCS into disrepute are subject to the same penalties as in-match violations.

Penalties range from match forfeiture to immediate disqualification.

Unsportsmanlike behavior includes but is not limited to:

• •Harassment or verbal abuse
• •Intentionally throwing matches
• •Collusion between teams
• •Placing bets on any DCS match or attempting to manipulate match outcomes

Penalties range from a strike to instant disqualification.

Use of cheats, hacks, or external software to gain an unfair advantage is prohibited. Accessing live broadcast footage or any outside information source during a match to gain a competitive advantage is prohibited. Any violation results in indefinite player disqualification and immediate team disqualification for the remainder of the season. Reinstatement may be requested after that time.

Report misconduct through Modmail. Reports are handled confidentially.

Disciplinary actions are determined by staff based on the severity of the offense and include strikes, match forfeiture, disqualification, or future tournament bans. Two strikes result in immediate disqualification.

• •Known exploits are designated as allowed or banned in the official College Deadlock exploit list.
• •Use of a banned exploit voids the match result regardless of whether the exploit affected the outcome, and carries the same player penalties as cheating.
• •Use of any unlisted exploit requires staff approval before use in a match.
• •Any unlisted exploit used in a match must be reported to staff for review and classification.
• •The exploit list may be updated during the season. Updates apply prospectively only and do not affect matches played before the update.

Disputes must be reported within 1 hour of series completion.

Staff review disputes and rule based on available evidence. Each team is entitled to one appeal.

Appeals must present new evidence and be submitted through Modmail. Staff may disregard baseless appeals.

Rules may be modified at any time. Changes will be communicated through official channels.

Situations not covered by this rulebook are resolved at staff discretion.

• •The entry fee is $125 per team, due at registration. The fee is refundable until roster lock (September 28th, 2026). After roster lock, the fee is non-refundable.
• •Prize pool details will be announced through official channels prior to the start of the season.

The following format will be used:
Hidden King (Amber Hand) - 1 Character Ban
Archmother (Sapphire Flame) - 1 Character Ban
Hidden King (Amber Hand) - 1 Character Pick
Archmother (Sapphire Flame) - 2 Character Picks
Hidden King (Amber Hand) - 2 Character Picks
Archmother (Sapphire Flame) - 1 Character Pick
Archmother (Sapphire Flame) - 1 Character Ban
Hidden King (Amber Hand) - 1 Character Ban
Archmother (Sapphire Flame) - 1 Character Pick
Hidden King (Amber Hand) - 2 Character Picks
Archmother (Sapphire Flame) - 2 Character Picks
Hidden King (Amber Hand) - 1 Character Pick

Roster and team status communications are sent to captains through the captains chat. Rulebook changes are also posted in #tournament-announcements.

Staff may make rulings outside this rulebook when required in the interest of the league.