1. General Comments

1. 1. Responsibility
      1. While players are of course individually responsible for their own actions, the chain of command is there to reinforce the rules and act if necessary.
      2. Commanders are responsible for the punishment (with approval from the admins) of individual(s) who break team-wide rules.
      3. The admin team is responsible for any individual(s) who break tournament wide rules.
   2. Acceptance of Regulations
      1. By signing up for the Tournament players agree to abide by the regulations herein.
   3. Alterations to Regulations
      1. The Administration reserves the right to change/alter the regulations as they see fit.
      2. To be determined by the severity of the incident, the administrators reserve the right to give punishments in any category lesser than or equal to the specified one.
   4. Administration
      1. The Administrators decisions are final. While you may protest, all protests must be made in a mature manner, and through appropriate channels. Failure to behave appropriately when protesting such a decision may see the protest being ignored or the offender penalized.
      2. Issues should be raised via the Chain of Command. While the Admin team encourages discussion; public arguments, flame fests, trolling and similar will see appropriate penalties imposed.
   5. Protests and Queries
      1. Any protest or query should be raised through the chain of command. If they do not reach the admins in due time you may file a complaint in Reports section directly to the admins.

2. Ethos

1. 1. Ethos
      1. The Tournament's ethos is to provide an environment for players to engage in organized, teamplay-orientated matches that meet high standards of tactical game-play and are hosted in a spirit of good sportsmanship and fair play.
      2. The ethos is upheld by the rules and regulations set forth by the Administration. All players are expected to follow these rules and any new published additions or corrections. The Administration makes all decisions based on this Ethos, while taking other potential factors into account.
   2. Punishment
      1. The administrators expect every member of the community to uphold these standards. As such, should any unsportsmanlike or unfair action be performed by a team or by a member, punishments may be given based on a "Breach of Tournament Ethos."
      2. This breach will result in a punishment deemed proportionate & appropriate by tournament admins.tags

3. Sign-ups & Clan/Community Restrictions

1. 1. Acceptance of Applications
      1. The Tournament Staff along with the Team Commanders reserve the right to reject any applicants they believe will engage in activities detrimental to the Tournament or in breach of the Tournament Ethos.
      2. Any user who has been kicked, due to inactivity, can request to be re-added to his original team (not the opposite team) by submitting such request via support ticket. The request will then be considered by the tournament staff along with his SCO/CO.
      3. Any user whose signup is rejected by the tournament admins, can submit an appeal (One per Campaign Only!) via support ticket, to be considered and discussed by the PRTA Staff along with the SCO/CO of each team.
      4. Any user who is banned on the PRTA Forum can appeal by talking to a PRTA manager on teamspeak. Being unbanned on the PRTA forum does not automatically mean that his signup will be accepted.
      5. Any appeal to be allowed to play in a campaign is limited to a grunt position. No user will be accepted to return and take an officer position, in that specific campaign, after his appeal.
   2. Clan/Community Memberships
      1. Players signing up to the tournament may not include their Clan Tags in their username.
      2. Every player signing up for the Contact! tournament is obligated to mention their Clan or Community Memberships (even if only a recruit) on their sign-up form, as requested. Any sign-up that does not contain such existing information will be invalid and ignored.
      3. Any player that purposely tries to conceal their Clan or Community membership may be removed from the tournament. The administration reserves the right to increase the restrictions for that Clan or Community following any violations.
      4. Any player that joins a Clan or Community while being part of the Contact! tournament is required to inform their Supreme Commander of their new membership. Failure to do so may result in the player being removed from the Tournament.
      5. It is strictly prohibited to advertise Clans or Communities and/or attempt to recruit players to Clans or Communities during a Contact! Campaign.
      6. Players are allowed to use their Clan Tags in combination with their Team tags in unofficial Contact! related events, including public server play. Players should always make sure to remove these tags for any official Contact! battles, trainings, etc.
   3. Clan Restrictions
      1. Every player that signs up for the Contact! tournament, does so as an individual player. However, in order to increase the balance between the teams and to avoid the majority of a team or squad to be controlled by one single clan or community, restrictions must be added.
      2. These restrictions apply to each team separately.
         1. Squad rosters may only have a maximum of 60% of players from the same Clan or Community.
         2. In-Game Squads are allowed to have a maximum of 4 members of the same clan per squad, with the exception being no other squad reserves are available at the time which will allow them to have 6 from the same clan.
         3. 8 Man squads are limited to a max of 6 from the same clan. The other 2 spots must be filled with members from other squads.
   4. Player Preferences
      1. A player can name two other players that he would like to play with.
      2. A player can name the team he prefers to join and that preference will be taken into account when the administration is assigning him to a team. This however does not guarantee him to be added to said team.
      3. Once a player is assigned to a team, he may not be transferred to the other team unless both High Commands and the admins agree on the trade.
      4. Any sign-up of a player that has previously resigned from one team and is attempting to join the opposite team in the same campaign, will be invalid and ignored.
      5. If a sign-up is made with a different account and the player does not mention their previous PRTA account/s, it will be considered a breach of the tournament rules and may result in the player being banned from the tournament.
   5. Reserve Activity
      1. Every reserve is required to Attend 1 team training or battle per month.
      2. Every reserve is required to be on teamspeak while participating in official tournament events.
      3. Every reserve is required to check the PRTA forum at least once every two weeks (exceptions made for LOA's). Supervised by the SCO's and the Administration
      4. Players lack of activity may result in their removal from the team.
   6. Grunt Activity
      1. Every grunt must attend 2 team trainings or battles per month.
      2. Every grunt is required to be on teamspeak while participating in official tournament events.
      3. Every grunt is required to check the PRTA forum at least once per week (exceptions made for LOA's). Supervised by the SCO's and the Administration.
      4. Players lack of activity may result in their removal from the team.
   7. Leave of Absence (LOA) Guidelines
      1. Each team must have an LOA thread where written LOAs may be posted.
      2. The maximum duration for an LOA is one month. Any further length must be discussed with administration and will only be permitted in exceptional circumstance.
      3. Players who do not properly file an LOA may be removed after failing regular activity requirements.

4. Communications

1. 1. In-Game Chat
      1. The use of All-Chat is not allowed for any reason except by SCO/COs and Admins for running the match. Anyone who breaks this rule will be punished. Don't complain - unbind the key before the match!
      2. The team-chat is only to be used for information that is important to the whole team. It is up to the officers to make sure that everyone only uses it when necessary or to set up rules that specify the use of team chat during a match.
   2. Microphone
      1. All players are required to have and use a microphone.
   3. Teamspeak
      1. All players must use the PRTA Teamspeak for tournament-related activities which include battles, team trainings, and squad trainings.
      2. All players must be on Teamspeak to play the match. If they aren't on TS after the SCO/Admin asks or warns them, they will not be allowed to play. No Teamspeak, no game.
      3. All players must use the same nickname on Teamspeak that they use in-game.
   4. Mumble
      1. In-game Mumble may, of course, be used as the primary means of communication during the battle. However, Teamspeak will continue to be mandatory as it is the primary means of communication between the teams and the admins.
   5. Meetings
      1. A clear agenda must be prepared in advance of any scheduled meeting.
      2. Commanding Officers must liaise with each other and the Battle Administrators using Teamspeak both before and after each battle.
      3. Decisions made and actions to be carried out must be recorded in the forums before the end of each meeting.
   6. External Communications
      1. The primary tool for team management and battle planning are the PRTA forums. While other tools like Steam or Discord can be used to coordinate team issues, all significant decisions, team events, sign-ins, and roster management must occur or be posted on the PRTA tournament forums.
      2. Squads may create discord servers/groups to get ahold of each other for pubbing and training purposes, however all tournament events must be scheduled on the PRTA website.

5. Conduct

1. 1. Cheating
      1. Anyone cheating will be banned from the tournament, teamspeak, and forums and their information will be passed to all Project Reality server administrators for a general ban. You will no longer be able to play Project Reality if you use cheats.
      2. Exploiting either known or unpublished/unknown bugs will not be tolerated and will count as cheating. If there are questions about what is and what isn't considered a bug/exploit, the Team Commanders should ask a Tournament Admin and refrain from using them until a decision is made.
      3. Anyone not reporting other players that are breaching these rules are considered accomplices and may also be severely punished.
   2. Language and Profanity
      1. Profane / racist / disrespectful / offensive language on the forums or in-game will be regarded as a breach of forum rules and team discipline.
   3. Fair Play
      1. Players are expected to demonstrate a sense of ‘fair play’ in line with Tournament Ethos as well as all posted Tournament and team rules.
      2. Actions that are deliberately undertaken to manipulate, bypass, or avoid Tournament rules may be considered as cheating and/or a gross breach of the Tournament Ethos.
   4. Forfeits
      1. Teams that are unable to present the required number of players and refuse to play will lose the battle.

6. Prohibited Actions

1. 1. Teamkilling
      1. Intentional team-killing will not be tolerated. This includes before, during and after the battle.
      2. Players who team-kill risk being kicked from the server. Team Commanders are given the right to request the removal of players from the server for team-killing.
      3. Any punishments post-battle need to be team side and will, of course, be backed by the tournament admins.
   2. Editing Client Files
      1. No client files may be edited while taking part in the tournament. If you or others are kicked for editing files, the battle will continue with a reserve taking your spot.
      2. Alteration of client files is considered cheating and a breach of Tournament Ethos (editing maps for practice is allowed as long as it follows the PR server agreement).
   3. Suicide Tactics and Deliberate Asset Destruction
      1. Nobody may use any suicide tactics at any point. Any instances of suicide which abuses this rule or the ticket system will be punished.
      2. The deliberate destruction of the team's own assets is not allowed unless ordered by an Officer and/or approved by the Commander.
      3. If any of the above rules are broken, both the team and the specific individual(s) may be penalized.
   4. Live streaming and recording
      1. Live streaming is forbidden under any and all circumstances.
      2. Recordings of entire matches may be posted only after the campaign has concluded.
         1. Funny moments or highlights of matches may be posted with approval of the commander.

7. Battle Cycle

1. 1. Procedures
      1. Each battle-cycle begins on Sunday and runs for two weeks. The first weekend is reserved for a team training activity and the second Saturday at 18:00 UTC is the battle day.
      2. Maps are played in a pre-set order which will not be changed.
      3. Factions are decided by the loser of the previous battle. The deadline for decision is the Sunday after the previous battle (i.e. the next day) at 19:00 UTC, and the choice must be submitted in the appropriate thread. If a team fails to choose a faction in time the factions may be chosen by the other team.

8. Pre-Battle

1. 1. Pre-Battle Procedure
      1. The server information will be released 45 minutes prior to the battle start time. Players should start joining the server 15 minutes before the battle starts.
      2. At the battle start time, the map will be reloaded and the battle will be live.
   2. Joining the Server
      1. Permission must be given by an officer on teamspeak prior to joining the server.
      2. Players must use the same name ingame, as on teamspeak and on the forum.
      3. Players are required to use their team tag account whenever joining a tournament server.
      4. If a player joins the server without following the above rules they will receive a warning followed by a kick if they have not complied.
   3. Conduct
      1. Players are only allowed to spawn after receiving permission from the SCO or CO.
      2. Players are not allowed to leave their main base until the official start of the battle.
   4. Start of the Battle
      1. The round is live when the Battle Administrator states it is, with a “Live Live Live” message.
         1. Administrators are not responsible for those who do not pay attention to the message or may be away from the computer.
      2. There is a 3 minute countdown at the beginning of the match for Commanders to report problems or possible issues to the admins.
   5. Team Numbers
      1. Teams are expected to field at most 50 players and at least 40 players.
         1. The difference between the teams should never be more than 5 players.
         2. If one team fields less than 40, the other team can maintain a number of 45 at maximum.
         3. If this number is exceeded, the team CO's will be informed to reduce it within the next 2 minutes. If that time has passed and the number is still exceeded, the team will have some of its players kicked until the numbers are corrected.
      2. Teams are allowed to replace players mid-battle as long as the Battleday Admin is informed on Teamspeak.

9. During the Battle

1. 1. Rounds
      1. The server will run 1 live round of the map that had been previously decided and announced by the administration.
   2. Battle Restarts
      1. If a battle crashes less than an hour in it is replayed within the same day.
         1. If a team cannot produce the required numbers as mentioned in section 8.5.1 they have the option to forfeit or play with that they have.
      2. If a battle crashes more than an hour in, then:
         1. If one team has at least a 100 ticket lead they are awarded the win.
         2. If no team has a substantial lead, the battle will be rescheduled.
   3. Squads
      1. All soldiers are to be in a squad at all times.
      2. Players may move freely between squads at the discretion of the team commander.
   4. Tags
      1. During battle all players must have their correct tags and nicknames for Teamspeak and in-game. Tags are to be as followed: C|XXX Username
      2. Players with incorrect tags will be warned and kicked if not compliant.
   5. Building Assets
      1. Mortars must not be built in a location where the fired shells will pass through buildings, textures, or any other static objects on the map.
         1. Exception: Mortars may be built in a forest but the mortar round must be fired without impacting a tree.
         2. Mortars may not be destroyed and be rebuilt in order to bypass rearming them.
      2. FOBs may be built indoors as long as they do not completely impede access to the building or room in which they are placed.
         1. No part of a FOB (except the dirt skirt) can be 'glitched' inside a part of a non-enterable building or static.
         2. The FOB must not spawn players into a non-enterable building.
         3. Razor-wire and sandbags may be used to block access points.
   6. Admin Support
      1. Admins will be available on Teamspeak for any serious issues that may need immediate action.
         1. They are only to be contacted by the Supreme Commander or the In-Game Commander.
         2. Requests to kick a player from the server will have to be well-based. The player in question will have to be warned first to give him the possibility to change their attitude or action. If the player has not complied he will then be removed from the server and not allowed to return for the duration of the battle.
      2. Admins may never join a squads channel during a battle for any reason, unless requested by the commander or supreme commander of that team.

10. Post-Battle

1. 1. Battle Results Release and Battle Review
      1. There will be an official announcement of the winner of the battle the day after the battle (or later if complaint review is necessary).
      2. Battle Recorder / PRISM recording in conjunction with screenshots and chat logs are what the Administrators use to determine the validity of complaints and to issue penalties.
   2. Battle Related Complaints
      1. Battle-related complaints must be sent no more than 24 hours after the start of the match (not all the data to back it up, just the complaint itself).
      2. All complaints must be filed in the appropriate forum.
      3. The only people eligible to lodge an appeal ticket are the Supreme Commander and the In-Game Commander of the respective team.
      4. Approximate times of violations must be kept. Any relevant screenshots or videos (scores, times, etc) should be included in the thread for comparison with Battle Recorder.
      5. Any complaint that is not valid could result in penalties being placed on the team that reported the complaint.
      6. Any complaints not raised in accordance with this section may be ignored.
   3. Point system
      1. Every battle has a total of 16 points which can be earned. This is split up in 2 points for each flag 1 point for every neutral flag the remaining points go to the winner.