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Gameplay Rules

6.1 Match Information

  • 6.1.1 For each regular season match, one game will be played. Each match will be between two teams. In the playoffs, a Best of 3 will be played.

  • 6.1.2 League matches will be played on the most up-to-date patch for all game settings including any and all weapon buffs and nerfs, even if the patch takes place mid-season. This does not include an updated map pool.

  • 6.1.3 League matches will only be played on maps from the current Valve active duty map pool at the start of a given season, defined as the moment the draft concludes. The current maps are listed below for reference and are changed when needed without requiring a formal RC vote. As of Season 16 these maps are:

    • Anubis

    • Mirage

    • Dust II

    • Nuke

    • Train

    • Inferno

    • Ancient

  • 6.1.4 If the competitive map pool changes during a CSC season, our pool will remain as is until the following season.

  • 6.1.5 Games will be played with the following server settings:

    • 6.1.5.1 MR12 (i.e., 12 rounds per half, best of 24)

      • Round time: 1 minute 55 seconds
      • Bomb timer: 40 seconds
      • Freeze time: 20 seconds
      • Buy time: 20 seconds
      • Round restart delay: 7 seconds
      • Halftime: 30 seconds

    • 6.1.5.2 Friendly Fire Enabled

    • 6.1.5.3 Overtime enabled (MR3, $12500 starting money)

  • 6.1.6 Timeouts

    • 6.1.6.1 Per map, each team can use 4 tactical timeouts of 30 seconds each; tactical timeouts can be used for any reason. Each team may also use up to two technical pauses totaling ten minutes for emergencies, tech issues, or any other non-tactical reason.

    • 6.1.6.2 Misuse of timeouts may result in a retroactive forfeit at admin discretion. This includes using technical pauses for tactical purposes and exceeding the total duration/total use limits of their technical pauses. In order to report the offending team, the opposing team must first tell them to unpause in match chat; this serves as the former's only warning. If there is continued misuse or the warning is not quickly heeded, the incident may be reported through a general (mod/admin) ticket. The game shall continue and be played out if possible. A vote of at least all admins but one will result in a retroactive forfeit.

  • 6.1.7 Live Coaching

    • 6.1.7.1 A person may be in both match team comms and spectating the active match at the same time. A spectator or coach may not communicate to players during the match.

    • 6.1.7.2 Evidence of a person, who is not actively playing in the match, coaching or providing any kind of competitive assistance during the game may result in a retroactive game forfeit.

 

6.2 Game Servers

  • 6.2.1 CSC uses its own game servers for matches.

    • 6.2.1.1 Server locations are Dallas and Chicago. The home team's preference, and in the case of playoffs, the higher seed's preference of server dictates which of these locations are chosen for the entire series. This preference should be communicated to the tech head. Any preference changes will take at least one match day (that the given team plays a complete game in) to go into effect unless at the start of the season. This preference is not guaranteed if there are server issues.

    • 6.2.1.2 If a player has connection issues prior to all players being ready, there is an extra server available for use. This will be on a first come, first serve basis, and will be located in Dallas.

  • 6.2.2 The maps for regular-season games are decided by a veto vote. The captains of each team alternate map vetoes such that the Away Team bans first and the Home Team chooses between the final two maps. Starting sides are decided by the Away Team.

  • 6.2.3 The maps for any best-of-1 playoff matches follow the regular-season map veto order, with the higher-seeded team choosing whether to veto first or second. Starting sides are decided by the team to veto first.

  • 6.2.4 For best-of-3 games, the higher-seeded team will choose whether they veto first or second. The order is as follows: veto-veto, pick-pick, veto-veto, with one map remaining. Each team selects their starting side on their opponent’s map pick. Starting sides for map 3 are decided by the team to veto first.

  • 6.2.5 In the case of a server restart, the outcomes of any previous map vetoes, knife rounds, or side selections must be replicated, unless the server was restarted to correct an unintended selection. Both teams must consent to any change unless it is a mandated outcome (e.g. team that should get side choice in playoffs winning knife round).

  • 6.2.6 Teams MUST join/start their match server at game time, unless otherwise agreed upon for another time by the respective GMs and they have notified the League Staff in their respective transaction channels.

    • 6.2.6.1 Each team in a match has 10 cumulative minutes to complete their bans. And each has 5 minutes to ready up in the server once the first person has connected or 15 minutes past the original game time (whichever is later). If either of these amounts are exceeded (ban time or server joining) the game may be forfeit. The offended team shall report this immediately in match support by pinging the opposing captain, or if absent, the opposing team's players. This must occur before the end of freeze time of the round after the first pistol and with a (free) tech pause. If the forfeit is then contested the game shall be played out until logs can determine forfeit accuracy.

      • 6.2.6.1.1 Delays caused by staff conducting league business or technical issues that affect a majority of the players in the game do not count towards this time.

    • 6.2.6.2 If a preceding league match or league-wide tech issues interfere with the start of the game for more than 15 minutes, a single team may require the match to be rescheduled (without a given new time) without the consent of the other team. Both teams are expected to work in good faith to establish a new time to play. If rescheduled in this way, they may play a regular season game more than a week past the original date. Other rescheduling rules shall still be followed including limitations near the postseason.

      • 6.2.6.2.1 If a match is rescheduled in this way with only one team giving consent and it is not played before playoffs, it will result in a 0-13 FF for each team. If there is evidence that one team did not work in good faith to play the new match, admins may override this policy.

  • 6.2.7 For Playoff matches, games beyond the first game have a break period of up to 10 minutes. If one team is not ready at that point, the team that is ready may ping the opposing captain and GM in #match-check-in. Once that ping is made, the unready team has 5 minutes to become ready. If they are still not ready, that game is forfeited by the unready team. A substitution or remake of the game will reset all of these timers.

 

6.3 Bugs and Exploits

  • 6.3.1 The intentional use of any bugs, glitches, or errors in the game is forbidden. It is up to the admin’s discretion to determine whether or not the use of said bugs had an effect on the match, and whether or not he will award rounds, or the match to the opposing team, or to force the match to be replayed. The usage of the following bugs is strictly forbidden, if any bug is used, which is not listed in the following rule, it is at the admin’s discretion whether or not a punishment is necessary.

    • 6.3.1.1 Examples of forbidden bugs:

      • Moving through clipped areas where the movement is not intended by the design of the map is strictly forbidden (any walls, ceilings, floors etc).
      • The bomb may not be planted in a location where it cannot be defused. Planting the bomb in such a way that no one can hear the beeping sound, or the planting sound is also forbidden.
      • Boosts are generally allowed as long as they do not break other rules such as pixel walking or clipping, etc.
      • Pixel walking is forbidden. A player will be considered to be pixel walking if they sit or stand on invisible pixels on the map, where there is no visible edge.
      • Disrupting any map features with the use of items (e.g. stopping the train on Overpass) is not allowed.
      • Abusing bugs in server configuration or plugins to cause unintended functionality or to bypass intended restrictions.
      • Throwing molotovs purposely meant to clip/spread through walls or floors.

  • 6.3.2 It is recommended to check with Admins to find out whether or not a certain bug or glitch is considered legal. Admins reserve the right to make changes, even retroactively, to this list, and rule use of bugs on a case by case basis.

    • 6.3.2.1 Examples of allowed bugs:

      • Skybox mollies. Throwing molotovs/incendiary grenades further than they would normally be able to be thrown before exploding by taking advantage of skybox design on a given map.
      • Silent drops. Players can exploit or clip onto displacement brushed (textured) surfaces when dropping to reduce fall speed. Completely halting vertical movement through this method for a visible amount of time is not allowed.

 

6.4 Disconnect Rules

  • 6.4.1 If a player disconnects mid-game, they are allowed to join back as soon as possible.

    • 6.4.1.1 Technical pauses, as outlined in Rule 6.1.3.2, are allowed here to give the disconnected player reasonable time to reconnect.

  • 6.4.2 In the event that someone has technical issues before their team has taken or dealt any damage in a round the following process may/shall be followed for all regular season and post-season matches:

    • Team with issue puts .stop in chat midround, prior to any damage taken or dealt by the requesting team
    • Other team MUST also put .stop in chat unless they are aware of inter-team damage prior to the request in which case they should notify the other team in game chat
    • If only one team .stops and the requesting team has taken or dealt no damage, then take a .tech and play out the remainder of the round and report the incident in match support so that a manual restore can be conducted. If this process is followed correctly and the round restarted, then it will not consume any tech pause resources of either team. If the situation remains disputed, the round shall still be repeated with an investigation taking place after the match.
    • If support is unresponsive after 10 minutes or support is unable to address appropriately the match shall be played out unless teams consensually agree to continue waiting or reschedule.
    • Abuse of this process is subject to admin oversight

  • 6.4.3 If the game was completed the round of the disconnect the stats, as recorded at the end of the game, stand.

 

6.5 Game Results

  • 6.5.1 It is the responsibility of the GMs or Captains of both teams to report the scores for their match.

  • 6.5.2 Scores should be reported in the score reporting channels for the respective tier the match was played in.

  • 6.5.3 For the purposes of tiebreakers, an OT result will include 12-12 plus the last overtime scoreline. (EX: A 22-18 score will count as a 16-12 score for tiebreakers)

  • 6.5.4 Mandated forfeits from disciplinary actions that involved a player being banned will result in a 0-1 scoreline. All other forfeits, including from failing to field a team, will result in a 0-13 scoreline.

 

6.6 Additional Game Rules

  • 6.6.1 Using agent skins other than the default on a given map is not allowed for CSC league matches. If a player is using a different skin, the opposing team may clearly request at any time that they unequip all agent skins for the match. The team with the offending player will then take a tech pause to resolve the issue within the next two rounds. This consumes one of the offending team's tech pauses (if no pauses are left the player must still leave and unequip all agent skins). If the team and player do not make this change after being requested, they will be subject to retroactive disciplinary actions. Regardless, the game will be played out.

    • 6.6.1.1 A player that leaves the game to equip a non-default agent skin after having default skins may be subject to punishment regardless of any attempts to correct the issue.