Game Titles: For Fall Club and Winter Varsity Season. Spring titles are TBD. 

• Chess (1v1 – Chess.com)  

• Fortnite Zero Build Battle Royale (Duos)  

• League of Legends (5v5)  

• Mario Kart 8 (2v2)  

• Minecraft Bedwars Java Edition (4v4)  

• Rocket League (3v3)  

• Super Smash Bros Ultimate (1v1)  

• VALORANT (5v5)  

Subscribe to the MNVL Google Calendar here: MN Esports  

Important Dates: Fall Club  

• Registration Period: August 19th – Closes September 15th. Teams need to be created and signed up for their respective seasons on the league platform by this date. MNVL will allow late registrations for Club leagues by admin request.  

• Preseason Dates: September 16th – September 20th   

• Regular Season Dates: September 23rd – October 25th  

• Online Club Finals Week: October 28th – November 1st   

  Important Dates: Winter Varsity  

• Registration Period: October 14th- November 6th. Teams need to be created and signed up for their respective seasons on the league platform by this date.  

• Coach clinic is planned but date is TBA.  

• Preseason Dates: November 11th – November 22nd  

• Regular Season Dates: December 2nd – January 31st  

• Divisional Playoffs: February 3rd – February 7th  

• See the MNVL Calendar for specific tournament dates  

• All Stars Weekend:  February 14th – February 16th  

• State Tournament Dates and Location: February 28th – March 2nd at St. Cloud State University  

Important Dates: Spring Club  

Game Titles: TBD; expect new titles and formats. This will be our experimental club season.  

Game Days and Times: TBD  

Important Dates:  

• Registration Period: March 10th – April 2nd. Teams need to be created and signed up for their respective seasons on the league platform by this date. MNVL will allow late registrations for Club leagues by admin request.  

• Preseason Dates: April 7th – 13th   

• Regular Season Dates: April 14th – May 18th    

• Club Finals:  May 19-23rd  

Game Titles:  

• Chess (1v1 – Chess.com)  

• Fortnite Arena (2v2) 

• Mario Kart 8 (2v2)  

• Minecraft Bedwars Java Edition (2v2)  

• Super Smash Bros Ultimate (1v1) 
  

Important Dates: Winter Season  

• Registration Period: November 4th-December 4th. Teams need to be created and signed up for their respective seasons on the league platform by this date.  

• Preseason Dates: December 9th – December 20th  

• Regular Season Dates: January 6th – February 14th  

• MNVL Jr Finals Dates and Location: March 2nd at St Cloud State University 
  

Note: Middle School teams will be allowed to register for the MNVL Club seasons ONLY for the titles supported by MNVL Jr. (SSBU, Minecraft, Chess, Mario Kart, and Fortnite) See above for dates and details about our Club Seasons. 

The spirit of MNVL is to always play if you can, and never take a forfeit win unless you absolutely must. Although not a rule, this is a standard we hope all our teams and players try to live up to!

1. Default Game Times

The regular season will consist of one game per week as outlined below.

The default weekly game time for games are as follows:

Monday

• 4:30pm : Super Smash Brothers Ultimate
• 5:30pm: Minecraft Bedwars

Tuesday

• 4:30pm: League of Legends
• 4:30pm: Fortnite Duos – Lobby #1
• 5:30pm: Fortnite Duos – Lobby #2

Wednesday

• 4:30pm: Valorant
• 5:30pm: Chess

Thursday

• 4:30pm: Rocket League
• 5:30pm: Mario Kart 8

2. Season Structure:
Please see the “League Structures: Open/Varsity/JV/Club” section below for all season structure information.

2.1 Regular Season League formats

• Swiss / Queue System Swiss
• Round Robin / Double Round Robin

Formats are determined each season based on registrations, and we send that information to all coaches before the start of the regular season.

What is a Swiss: This is a format where teams always play against another team with the same record (e.g. a 2-0 team will play against another 2-0 team). Schedules for Swiss leagues are released weekly on the day after your title’s default game time. Our queue system leagues also follow the Swiss format. Learn more about our queue system HERE

What is a Round Robin: All teams in a group play against each other one time. In a double round robin all teams play each other twice. Full season schedules for a round robin are released at the start of the season.

2.2 Preseason
Preseason matches will function like a regular season match, in that players will still need to check-in and connect with their opponent on Leaguespot and report their scores. Results of preseason matches do NOT count towards your regular season record and do not affect qualification for the state finals. Players or teams that miss both of their scheduled preseason matches will be dropped from the league unless there is prior communication with MNVL staff and permission is given to miss the matches.

3. Playoffs and Finals
Playoffs will be executed as a single or double elimination playoff tournament with seeding based on regular season or divisional playoff results, with a match for third-place. Playoff rules will be outlined in specific game rules posted on the MNVL rulebook. Teams making playoffs will be as such for the following games, unless there are less than the specified amount of teams participating in the league for that game. If there are less than the following number of teams, the tournament will be played with all participating teams with first round byes for the top seeds. Players and teams in our Club and JV leagues do not qualify for the MNVL State Finals.

WINTER VARSITY & FALL CLUB

• Super Smash Brothers Ultimate: Top 32 Players
• Minecraft Bedwars: Top 16 Teams
• League of Legends: Top 8 Teams
• Fortnite Duos: TBD
• VALORANT: Top 8 Teams
• Chess: Top 16 Players
• Rocket League: Top 16 Teams
• Mario Kart 8: Top 16 Teams

(*The number of teams/players entered are subject to change based on needs or considerations by the league admin)

Titles that will be a pool play into single elimination tournament:

• Rocket League
• Minecraft
• Mario Kart 8

Titles that will be a single elimination tournament:

• VALORANT
• League of Legends

Titles that will be a double elimination tournament:

• Super Smash Brothers
• Chess

Titles will have a custom format:

• Fortnite Duos

3.1 Tiebreakers
Teams/Players making the playoffs will be based on seeding, which considers standings score first, then average game/round differential, then head to head (if applicable), and difficulty of schedule.

Standings Score will be calculated with the following values:

• Win by Play: 4 points
• Forfeit Win: 4 points (not counted in game differential)
• Bye Win: 4 points (not counted in game differential)
• Tie: 2 points
• Loss by Play: 1 points
• Loss by Forfeit: 0 points

If there is a tie in both standing score and game differential, the teams have not played vs each other in the regular season, and one of the teams/players will not make playoffs and the other will (the tie is at the cutoff point), then a single tiebreaker match can be played at request of admin to see who makes it to the playoffs.

4. Checking In and Reporting Scores
A team should check in all participating players for that match on the Leaguespot match page prior to starting their match. In the event that a team decides to play with a reduced player count, Leaguespot still requires you to check in a full roster. In this scenario, a team should declare on the Leaguespot match chat which players are missing before checking them in.

If both teams fail to check in to their match on the Leaguespot platform at the default time, both will receive a forfeit loss for the match. If one team is checked in and the other is not after the check-in time has expired, the team present is expected to wait 15 minutes after the start time of their match for their opponent. Once 15 minutes has expired, the absent team will receive a forfeit loss automatically through the Leaguespot platform.

Scores will be reported using the Leaguespot score reporting tool

• Both teams are responsible for reporting scores and saving replays/screenshots that prove their claim.
• All reported matches must have a screenshot attached for the LeagueSpot platform
• Procedures on how to report scores can be found in each title’s separate rules section
• You can learn how to report your scores at https://www.mnvl.org/faq

All scores must be reported directly following the match or both teams will receive a loss

5. Rescheduling Games
Games are NOT allowed to be rescheduled EXCEPT in the following cases:

• School holidays
• Both teams agree to play in person (in the same room)

If you need a game to be rescheduled for one of the stated reasons, contact an admin on the MNVL Discord server or email us at MNVL@Fenworks.com and we will assist you.

If teams need to reschedule their game to another time, then both coaches must agree upon a new time. Games may be rescheduled to another week, but MUST be played before the Monday of the last week of the regular season.

If a team/player drops out of MNVL during the regular season, MNVL reserves the right to reschedule remaining games in the league to reduce the number of forfeits that would have been caused by the dropout.

5.1 School Holidays
All leagues, including Varsity, can reschedule their matches the week of federal and state school holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving).

6. Home/Away
The team shown on the left on the Leaguespot match page is the home team and the team shown on the right is the away team for that match. This is not in effect for playoffs, where teams gain home advantage based on seeding.

7. Player Eligibility A player is any participant who plays in an official match. All players must be currently enrolled in the school they are representing, must be 13 years of age or older, and must be 21 years old or younger. They also must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average to be eligible to play. Players who are homeschooled may participate for a school if they live within the defined district lines for the school district in question. Players in Middle School and 13 years or older are eligible to compete in MNVL. They may play for only one high school in the same school district as the middle school they attend. Players over the age of 21 are ineligible to play in the MNVL.

A player can only be rostered to one team and play in one match per week per title. If they play in more than one match of the same title, those games will be null and their team will forfeit. Players can, however, play multiple titles in a season. For example, Student A can not compete or be rostered on two Rocket League teams, but can compete on one Rocket League team and one Minecraft team.

There is not a restriction on the number of teams or players that can compete from each school.

*Eligibility is subject to change at the League’s discretion, but must be communicated to all schools before any changes take effect.

7.1 Open and Club Roster Changes and Substitutions
Any changes to rosters must be done at least 72 hours before the roster’s next scheduled match. Players cannot be added to a roster if their next match is within the 72 hour time period. In this case, coaches must wait until after the roster’s next scheduled match to add another player to the roster.

Substitutions are allowed as long as all players involved have been on the roster for 72 hours before the match. Substitutions can be made in between games in a series, but not during a game that is currently in play.

7.2 Varsity and JV Substitution Rules
Teams must maintain a full active roster for varsity during the entirety of the season with the minimum amount of players required per game.

• Players on a varsity roster cannot participate in any junior varsity matches
• Players on an active junior varsity roster are allowed to substitute for official varsity matches

To substitute a player from JV onto the Varsity team for a match, the captain and/or coach needs to notify their opponent through the Leaguespot match chat. They must communicate which player from the Varsity roster will not be playing, as well as the name and account of the sub from the JV roster that is filling their spot. After your opponent has acknowledged they have seen your message, you will then check in your full Varsity roster on Leaguespot. This will include the player being subbed out (who is absent), and once checked in simply add the JV player to the game lobby in place of the absent Varsity player.

8. Spectators
Only the players from the two teams competing in the official MNVL match are allowed in the game lobby. The one exception is if a spectator is joining to stream their team’s point of view (POV) for their official school stream and the opposition is made aware. The spectator must have an open mic for the entirety of the stream to prove they are not in contact with either team.

Players competing in the match may stream their own POV. Stream malfunctions do not qualify as a reason for pausing a match.

Any team caught breaking these rules are subject to penalties listed in section 11.

9. Names
A player’s name in-game must match the name that they have registered for that game on their MN Varsity League Leaguespot profile. All participants names or profiles are prohibited from including:

• Gang Affiliation
• Drugs (including alcohol and tobacco)
• Sexual Material
• Offensive Material
• Politically Charged Symbols/Images
• Homophobic or Racially Insensitive Material

This includes our Discord community.

10. Cheating
Any manipulation of gameplay including, but not limited to, scripts, wallhacks, aimbot, 3rd party applications, sound changes, or having another person play on an official players account during match time will be considered cheating. Any team or player caught cheating will be subject to the items outlined in section 11.

10.1 Harassment:
Players and coaches are expected to abide by the MNVL Code of Conduct at all times. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action as outlined in the following section.

11. Disciplinary Action
If Minnesota Varsity League decides that a Player has violated any of the Rules, Minnesota Varsity League may take the following disciplinary actions (as applicable):

• Verbal Warning
• Game and/or Match forfeiture
• Issuance Public warning (Verbal or written) to the Player
• Disqualification of the Player from participating in one or more Matches of the Tournament.
• Stoppage of the Player from participating in one or more future competitions hosted by Minnesota Varsity League.
• Stoppage of the School from participating in one or more future competitions hosted by Minnesota Varsity League.

If a Player is suspended/banned by a MNVL, they will be notified via email and/or discord. An appeal can be sent after 30 days of the initial penalty by the coach or program coordinator representing the Player. Please send all appeals via email to MNVL@Fenworks.com

12. Spirit of the Rules
Finality of Decisions. All decisions regarding the interpretation of these rules, player eligibility, scheduling and staging of the Tournaments, and penalties for misconduct, lie solely with MNVL Officials, the decisions of which are final.

Amendments. MNVL may update, revise, change or modify these Rules at any time in order to ensure fair play and the integrity of the league. Each Player’s participation in MNVL after any update, revision, change or modification to these Rules will be deemed as acceptance by such Player of these Rules as updated, revised, changed or modified.

1. League Structure – Open

1.1 Teams 
Schools are allowed to field unlimited Open league teams. 

1.2 Divisions 
Open leagues will be sectioned into divisions of eight or more teams 

Divisions will be determined by the following considerations: 

1. Region/Location
   

1.3 Season 
Open league seasons will be a two week preseason, followed by an eight-week regular season, and a LAN tournament for playoffs (State Finals). 

1.4 Format 
Open leagues use the following formats: 

• Round Robin 

• Double Round Robin 

• Swiss 

• Swiss (queue)
  

1.5 State Finals Qualification 
Top teams from each open league division will advance to the state finals based on regular season results. See section 3 in “General Rules” for the amount of teams that make it for each league. 

2. League Structure – Varsity 

2.1 Teams 
Only one team per school will be allowed to compete in Varsity leagues. If FENWORKS does not run a junior varsity league for that title, then a school can field unlimited Varsity teams. 

2.2 Divisions 
Varsity leagues will be sectioned into divisions of eight or more teams 

Divisions will be determined by the following considerations: 

1. Region/Location
   

2.3 Season 
The varsity season will be a two week preseason, followed by a seven-week round robin with an online divisional playoff tournament the 8th week, and ending in a LAN tournament (State Finals). Divisional and State Finals playoff dates and times will be announced each season on the FENWORKS Discord, Calendar, and other channels. 

It is recommended that the average rank for a Varsity roster is Gold or higher. This is a suggestion but not a requirement. 

2.4 Format 
Varsity leagues use the following formats: 

• Round Robin 

• Double Round Robin
  

2.5 State Finals Qualification 
Top teams from varsity leagues make it to the state finals tournament based on divisional playoff results only. Regular season record affects divisional playoff seeding, but does not affect state finals qualification. See section 3 in “General Rules” for the amount of teams that make it for each league. 

3. League Structure – Junior Varsity 

3.1 Teams 
Schools are allowed to field unlimited Junior Varsity teams. 

3.2 Divisions 
There are no divisions in junior varsity. All teams compete in the same pool. 

3.3 Season 
Junior varsity league seasons will be a two week preseason, followed by an eight-week regular season. 

It is recommended that the average rank for a Junior Varsity roster is Silver or lower. This is a suggestion but not a requirement. 

3.4 Format 
Junior varsity leagues use the following formats: 

• Swiss (queue)
  

3.5 State Finals Qualification 
Junior Varsity teams are not eligible to compete in State Finals. JV seasons end after the last match of the regular season. 

4. League Structure – Club 

4.1 Teams 
Schools are allowed to field unlimited Club teams. 

4.2 Divisions 
There are no divisions in Club. All teams compete in the same pool. 

4.3 Season 
The Club season will be a one week preseason, followed by a five-week regular season with an online finals tournament during the 6th week. The Club Finals tournament dates and times will be announced each season on the FENWORKS Discord, Calendar, and other channels. 

4.4 Format 
Club leagues use the following formats: 

• Swiss (queue) 
  
  

4.5 Club Finals Qualification 
The top teams from the club league make it to the Club Finals tournament. See section 3 in “General Rules” for the amount of teams that make it for each league. Club leagues do not include a LAN state finals tournament. 

Teams will advance to the Club Finals based on the tiebreakers in section 3.1 in General Rules with one additional point awarded to their win/loss differential for each match participated in during the regular season. 

For example: 

• Team A: 4-4 record = +8 (net 0 with additional 8 points for matches played) 

• Team B: 3-1 record = +6 (net +2 with additional 4 points for matches played) 

• Team C: 3-4 record = +7 (net -1 with additional 8 points for matches played)
  

4.6 Prizing 
Club leagues will have prizing attributed to the league winners, but club leagues will not give medals or trophies. 

• Special Discord role (Club Champion) that allows gif posts (must still follow FENWORKS Discord rules when posting gifs) 

• $50 equivalency in in-game currency to the first place team 

Disclaimer
Nintendo is not a sponsor of or affiliated with this tournament. Terms for participating in and viewing Community Tournaments using Nintendo Games can be found here.

1. Supported Platforms
All official matches will be played on the Nintendo Switch.

Note: Players are strongly encouraged to play all MNVL matches with an ethernet adapter or from the same room as their internet router if wifi is being used to ensure the best quality of matches.

2. Default Match Time & Match Format
The default match time is 4:30pm on Mondays.  

• Regular Season: All regular season matches will follow a best-of-5 format.  

• Playoffs and State: TBD based on team numbers. 

3. Players
All official matches will be 1 vs 1 (a one-player team vs another one-player team).  Substitutions are not allowed. If a player cannot play in the match, they will receive a forfeit.  

4. Lobby Setup and Process 
If the incorrect ruleset is used, the match must be restarted immediately. If previous games were under the wrong ruleset, they are void and must be replayed. It is up to both teams to review the settings and make sure they are correct. 

• 4.1 Lobby Settings Official matches must use the following settings The home team/higher seed will create the lobby (“Online” > “Smash” > “Battle Arenas” > “Create Arena”) and provide lobby ID and Password. When creating the lobby, make sure the name is easily recognizable and set a simple password to share with your opponent via Discord or match chat so they can join the arena. Additionally, you’ll need to share the Arena ID with your opponent so they can find and join your arena. This is found in the top right of your arena after you’ve created one. The following settings are to be used in official matches.  
• Type: Host preference 

• Visibility: Public 

• Format: 1-on-1 

• Rules:
  • Style: Stock 
  • Stock: 3 
  • Time Limit: 7 minutes 
  • FS Meter: Off 
  • Damage Handicap: Off 
  • Items: Off and None 
  • Stage Hazards: Off 
  • Launch Rate: 1.0x 
  • Pausing: Off 
  • Score Display: Off 
  • Show Damage: Yes 
  • Rotation: Host preference 
  • Max Players: 2 
  • Stage: Choice 
  • Spirits: Off 
  • Voice Chat: Off 

• 4.2 Stage Selection 
  The stage selection process is as follows and is done throughout the match: Player 1 (P1) is the home team and Player 2 (P2) is the away team.
  1. Players will both announce their starting character before starting the stage selection process  
  2. P1 strikes a starter stage  
  3. P2 strikes a starter stage  
  4. P2 strikes a starter stage  
  5. P1 strikes a starter stage  
  6. The remaining starter stage is played on for Game 1  
  7. After Game 1, and for each following game in the match, the winner will strike three stages from the list of starter and counter pick stages  
  8. The losing player will select the next stage from those remaining  

• 4.3 Starter Stages
  The following starter stages are permitted for use in official matches:
  • Battlefield  
  • Small Battlefield  
  • Town & City  
  • Pokémon Stadium 2  
  • Smashville  

• 4.4 Counter-pick Stages
  The following counter-pick stages are permitted for use in official matches:
  • Kalos Pokémon League  
  • Final Destination  
  • Hollow Bastion  (DLC only – As long as one of the players has the DLC; the other player can still play on it) 

5. Restrictions

• 5.1 DLC Fighters
  DLC Fighters are prohibited from being used in official matches for the first two weeks of their release. After the two-week restriction has passed, a DLC Fighter will be used in official matches.  

• 5.2 MII Fighters
  Players must use a Guest Mii. If a player chooses to use a Mii Fighter, they must declare to their opponent the type and move set listed in the format “Type XXXX” (e.g., “Gunner 1321”). Any combination of moves may be used, but any Mii Fighters that a player may want to use during a match must be created before the match begins (up to a limit of three Mii Fighters), or else they will be prohibited from doing so. Using Mii Fighters that do not follow these rules may result in a player forfeiting the game in which the illegal Mii Fighter was used.  

• 5.3 Amiibo
  All amiibo figures are prohibited from being used in official matches.  

• 5.4 Stages
  Only the stages listed in sections 4.3 and 4.4 are allowed. All other stages are prohibited from being chosen in official matches. Using the Omega or Battlefield version of any legal stages is also prohibited.  

6. Self-Destruct Finishes, Sudden Death, and Tiebreakers

• 6.1 Self-Destruct Finishes
  The results screen will determine the winner if the game ends due to a self-destructive move. 
• 6.2 Sudden Death
  If time expires or if both players are knocked out at the same time, players WILL NOT play the in-game sudden death. To determine the winner, follow the instructions below.
  • The player with the most stocks is the game’s winner.  
  • If both players have the same number of stocks, the player with the lower percentage wins.  
  • If both players have the same number of stocks and the same percentage, players should follow the below tiebreaker game setup.
    • Players will play a tiebreaker game on the same stage with the same characters using the official match format with the following modifications:
      • Stock: 1  
      • Time: 3 minute 

7. Stoppage of Play and Player Disconnects
Stoppage of play is not permitted during a game.

Players unplugging their controller at any time, accidentally or intentionally, will result in a forfeiture of the game and potentially the match. If a player’s controller malfunctions during a game, it is the player’s responsibility and will not force a game/match to restart.  

During a game, if players on the same team intentionally disconnect and bring the number of players under the minimum number, that team will forfeit the remainder of the game to the opposing team unless a stoppage of play has been communicated.  

• 7.1 Game Reset
  If a player has internet connectivity issues that cause them to drop out of the game, the game will be reset only if 1) both players have all their starting stocks, 2) both players together have not combined more than 60% damage, and 3) have not passed a minute in-game. If these conditions are not met, the player will forfeit that game unless their opponent agrees to a redo.

  If the game server is lagging (e.g., it takes much more than a second for an in-game second to pass, or the smash ball loading icon constantly appears), the game may be reset only if both players consent to the reset.

8. Outside Communication
Teams/players may communicate with a coach before and after each game in the match and during the character and stage selection process. All coaches and other spectators may not speak with that team/player while a game is actively being played. 

9. Tactical Pauses
Teams are allowed one tactical pause per match. It must occur between the games of the match. It cannot happen during gameplay. This pause may last up to 3 minutes per team. Pauses must be declared to the opposing team when they begin and when they end. 

10. Reporting Scores
Scores for Super Smash Bros should be reported as the stock score for each game in the match.  

• Example:
  • Match 1: 1-0  
  • Match 2: 2-0  
  • Match 3: 0-1  
  • Match 4: 3-0  

The spirit of MNVL Jr is to always play if you can, and never take a forfeit win unless you absolutely must. Although not a rule, this is a standard we hope all our teams and players try to live up to!

1. League Structure

The Minnesota Varsity League – Junior High (MNVL Jr) will have a two week preseason, followed by a regular season consisting of six weeks, and a tournament for playoffs/finals. Regular season games will determine both qualifying and seeding for playoff tournaments.

The regular season will consist of one game per week as outlined below.

The default weekly game time for games are as follows:

Spring Season

Tuesday –

• 4pm: SSBU 1v1
• 5pm: Minecraft Bedwars 2v2

Thursday –

• 4pm: Mario Kart 8
• 5pm: Chess
• 5pm: Fortnite 2v2

2. Season Structure

The MN Varsity League Jr will run for two weeks of preseason, followed by six weeks of regular season, and one week of playoffs/finals. Junior finals will be an in-person LAN event.

2.1 Teams

Schools are allowed to field unlimited teams.

2.2 Divisions

MNVL Jr leagues will be sectioned into divisions of eight or more teams

Divisions will be determined by the following considerations:

1. Region/Location

2.3 State Finals Qualification

Top teams from each open league division will advance to the state finals based on regular season results. See section 3 in “General Rules” for the amount of teams that make it for each league.

2.4 Preseason

Preseason matches will function like a regular season match, in that players will still need to check-in and connect with their opponent on Leaguespot and report their scores. Results of preseason matches do NOT count towards your regular season record and do not affect qualification for the state finals. Players or teams that miss both of their scheduled preseason matches will be dropped from the league unless there is prior communication with MNVL staff and permission is given to miss the matches.

2.5 Regular Season League formats

• Swiss / Queue System Swiss
• Round Robin / Double Round Robin

Formats are determined each season based on registrations, and we send that information to all coaches before the start of the regular season.

What is a Swiss: This is a format where teams always play against another team with the same record (e.g. a 2-0 team will play against another 2-0 team). Schedules for Swiss leagues are released weekly on the day after your title’s default game time. Our queue system leagues also follow the Swiss format. Learn more about our queue system HERE

What is a Round Robin: All teams in a group play against each other one time. In a double round robin all teams play each other twice. Full season schedules for a round robin are released at the start of the season.

3. Playoffs and Finals

Playoffs will be executed as a pool play into single elimination or a double elimination playoff tournament with seeding based on regular season results, with a match for third-place. Playoff rules will be outlined in specific game rules posted in the MNVL rulebook. Teams making playoffs will be as such for the following games, unless there are less than the specified amount of teams participating in the league for that game. If there are less than the following number of teams, the tournament will be played with all participating teams with first round byes for the top seeds.

Winter Season

• Super Smash Brothers 1v1 (SSBU): Top 32 Players
• Minecraft 2v2: Top 16 Teams
• Chess: Top 16 Players
• Mario Kart 8: Top 16 Teams
• Fortnite 2v2: top 16 Teams

(*The number of teams/players entered are subject to change based on needs or considerations by the league admin)

Titles that will be a pool play into single elimination tournament:

• Minecraft 2v2
• Mario Kart 8
• Fortnite 2v2

Titles that will be a double elimination tournament (all others will be single elimination)

• Super Smash Brothers Ultimate (SSBU)
• Chess

3.1 Tiebreakers

Teams/Players making the playoffs will be based on seeding, which considers standings score first, then game/round differential, then head to head (if applicable), and difficulty of schedule.

Standings Score will be calculated with the following values:

• Win by Play: 4 points
• Forfeit Win: 4 points (+0 game differential)
• Bye Win: 4 points (+0 game differential)
• Tie: 2 points
• Loss by Play: 1 points
• Loss by Forfeit: 0 points

If there is a tie in both standing score and game differential, the teams have not played vs each other in the regular season, and one of the teams/players will not make playoffs and the other will (the tie is at the cutoff point), then a single tiebreaker match can be played at request of admin to see who makes it to the playoffs.

4. Checking In and Reporting Scores

Coaches are required to check in their teams and report scores for all MNVL Jr Matches.

A team should check in all participating players for that match on the Leaguespot match page prior to starting their match. In the event that a team decides to play with a reduced player count, Leaguespot still requires you to check in a full roster. In this scenario, a team should declare on the Leaguespot match chat which players are missing before checking them in.

If both teams fail to check in to their match on the Leaguespot platform at the default time, both will receive a forfeit loss for the match. If one team is checked in and the other is not after the check-in time has expired, the team present is expected to wait 15 minutes after the start time of their match for their opponent. Once 15 minutes has expired, the absent team will receive a forfeit loss automatically through the Leaguespot platform.

Scores will be reported using the Leaguespot score reporting tool

• Coaches are expected to report scores properly and on time
• Both teams are responsible for reporting scores and saving replays/screenshots that prove their claim
• All reported matches must have a screenshot attached for the LeagueSpot platform
• Procedures on how to report scores can be found in each title’s separate rules section
• You can learn how to report your scores at https://www.mnvl.org/faq

All scores must be reported directly following the match or both teams will receive a loss.

5. Rescheduling Games

Games are NOT allowed to be rescheduled EXCEPT in the following cases:

• School holidays
• Both teams agree to play in person (in the same room)

If you need a game to be rescheduled for one of the stated reasons, have a coach contact an admin on the MNVL Discord server, request an admin through the match chat feature on Leaguespot, or email us at MNVL@wisdom.gg and we will assist you.

If teams need to reschedule their game to another time, then both coaches must agree upon a new time. Games may be rescheduled to another week, but MUST be played before the Monday of the last week of the regular season.

If a team/player drops out of MNVL Jr during the regular season, MNVL Jr reserves the right to reschedule remaining games in the league to reduce the number of forfeits that would have been caused by the dropout.

5.1 School Holidays

All leagues can reschedule their matches the week of federal and state school holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving, Spring Break, etc.).

6. Home/Away

The team shown on the left on the Leaguespot match page is the home team and the team shown on the right is the away team for that match. This is not in effect for playoffs, where teams gain home advantage based on seeding.

7. Player Eligibility

A player is any participant who plays in an official match. All players must be in 5th-8th grade and are currently enrolled in the school they are representing, and must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average to be eligible to play. Players who are homeschooled may participate for a school if they live within the defined district lines for the school district in question. Players in Elementary/High School outside of 5th-8th grade are ineligible to compete in MNVL Jr. Students over the age of 13 may compete in either MNVL or MNVL Jr., but not both simultaneously.

A player can only be rostered to one team, and play in one match per week per title, with exceptions made for matches being rescheduled from a previous week. If they play in more than one match of the same title, those matches will be null and their team will forfeit. Players can, however, play multiple titles in a season. For example, Student A can not compete or be rostered on two Rocket League teams, but can compete on one Rocket League team and one Minecraft team.

There is not a restriction on the number of teams or players that can compete from each school.

*Eligibility is subject to change at the League’s discretion, but must be communicated to all schools before any changes take effect.

7.1 Roster Changes and Substitutions

Any changes to rosters must be done at least 24 hours before the roster’s next scheduled match. Players cannot be added to a roster if their next match is within the 24 hour time period. In this case, coaches must wait until after the roster’s next scheduled match to add another player to the roster.

Substitutions are allowed as long as all players involved have been on the roster for 24 hours before the match. Substitutions can be made in between games in a series, but not during a game that is currently in play.

8. Spectators

Only the players from the two teams competing in the official MNVL Jr match are allowed in the game lobby. The one exception is if a spectator is joining to stream their team’s point of view (POV) for their official school stream and the opposition is made aware. The spectator must be a listed “Manager” on the school’s Leaguespot page, and have an open mic for the entirety of the stream to prove they are not in contact with either team.

Players competing in the match may stream their own POV. Stream malfunctions do not qualify as a reason for pausing a match.

Any team caught breaking these rules are subject to penalties listed in section 11.

9. Names

A player’s name in-game must match the name that they have registered for that game on their MN Varsity League Jr Leaguespot profile. All participants names or profiles are prohibited from including:

• Gang Affiliation
• Drugs (including alcohol and tobacco)
• Sexual Material
• Offensive Material
• Politically Charged Symbols/Images
• Homophobic or Racially Insensitive Material

This includes our Discord community.

10. Cheating

Any manipulation of gameplay including, but not limited to, scripts, wallhacks, aimbot, 3rd party applications, sound changes, or having another person play on an official players account during match time will be considered cheating. Any team or player caught cheating will be subject to the items outlined in section 11.

10.1 Harassment

Players and coaches are expected to abide by the MNVL Jr Code of Conduct at all times. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action as outlined in the following section.

11. Disciplinary Action

If Minnesota Varsity League Jr decides that a Player has violated any of the Rules, Minnesota Varsity League Jr may take the following disciplinary actions (as applicable):

• Verbal Warning
• Game and/or Match forfeiture
• Issuance Public warning (Verbal or written) to the Player
• Disqualification of the Player from participating in one or more Matches of the Tournament.
• Stoppage of the Player from participating in one or more future competitions hosted by Minnesota Varsity League.
• Stoppage of the School from participating in one or more future competitions hosted by Minnesota Varsity League.

If a Player is suspended/banned by MNVL Jr, they will be notified via email and/or discord. An appeal can be sent after 30 days of the initial penalty by the coach or program coordinator representing the Player. Please send all appeals via email to mnvl@wisdom.gg

12. Spirit of the Rules

Finality of Decisions. All decisions regarding the interpretation of these rules, player eligibility, scheduling and staging of the Tournaments, and penalties for misconduct, lie solely with MNVL Jr Officials, the decisions of which are final.

Amendments. MNVL Jr may update, revise, change or modify these Rules at any time in order to ensure fair play and the integrity of the league. Each Player’s participation in MNVL Jr after any update, revision, change or modification to these Rules will be deemed as acceptance by such Player of these Rules as updated, revised, changed or modified.

*All players must be at least 13 years old to be eligible to participate in Fortnite 2v2

1. Supported Platforms

• Xbox
• Nintendo Switch
• PC
• Playstation

This game supports crossplay. All teams will compete in the same league, regardless of platform.

2. Default Time and Match Length
Default game time is at 5pm on Thursdays.

Matches will be played as a best of 1 in the regular season and state finals. Each individual game within a match will consist of a best of 15 format, where 5 matches will be played on each of the following game types. The team with 8 or more wins at the end of the match will receive the win:

• Box Fight
• Zone Wars
• Realistics

3. Game Lobby
Players will invite the other duos to the creative lobby where they will enter the code for the Map made and hosted by Minnesota Varsity League. All four players will queue up together in the same match.

Use lobby the following lobby code for all MNVL Matches: 4201-4963-2615

4. Match Format
Teams will choose their team number. This will be determined by the captains of each team. As a result all teams are to adhere to their number chosen every single round. Players are encouraged to document proof of their match to aid in any potential match disputes. Screenshots/Clips/Videos will be accepted.

Players will play the map created by MNVL and compete in 15 Rounds. The team with the most round wins (8+) will be the winner of the match. All 15 rounds must be played even if a team reaches 8 or more wins before the last round is played. Game differential will be important to tiebreakers, so players should treat every round as important even if one team achieves 8 wins.

A game ends when all 15 rounds have been played.

There are bugs, so if a situation occurs where the losing team actually shows victory and the winning team shows defeat, please count it correctly.

5. Restricted Items/Play
Any gliders/umbrellas, outfits, harvesting tools, back blings, contrails, loading screens, emotes, vehicles, or items that are currently disabled in public queues are prohibited from use for as long as they remain disabled in those queues.

6. Stoppage of Play
In the event that a player disconnects from the server during a game, the current round will be played out and then paused until the disconnected player can rejoin. After the disconnected player rejoins, then the match will continue. If the disconnected player hasn’t rejoined five minutes after pausing, then the match will continue and that player can rejoin when able.

7. Player Count
“DUO” matches are played as a 2 v 2, meaning that only two players may participate in the match for either side. No player substitutions may be made at any point during the match.

8. Disqualifications

• Teams must go in to their respective numbers as determined between teams, if a team does not go into their number, they can be disqualified for the round.
• Excessive toxicity: some dancing is fine however if it is deemed toxic that can/will result in a dq for that round.

9.Players
Both teams must provide 2 players at the beginning of the first game, and 1 for each game following (unless the team with more players present agrees to play the match with a player advantage). During a game, if a team has 2 players intentionally disconnect from the match at the same time, that team will forfeit the remainder of the game to the opposing team.

10. Outside Communication
Teams may have communication with a coach only before matches begin, and in between games in a series. They may not speak to their team while they are actively in the game.

11. Tactical Pauses
Teams are allowed one tactical pause between matches, but not during a match. This pause may last up to 3 minutes per team. Pauses must be declared to the opposing team both when they begin and when the pause expires.

12. Ties
In the situation that the match ends in a tie, both teams should queue into one more sudden death round on the MNVL creative map. Whoever wins this round will win the match. In this case, please submit the screenshot of the tie when submitting the final score (MNVL will know who won the tiebreaker match based on the game results submitted)

13. Reporting Scores
Scores for Fortnite should be reported as the round score for each match in the series.

• Example:
  • Match 1: 9-6

1. Supported Platforms and Version

All official matches for MNVL will be played on PC on Minecraft Java Edition version 1.18.1, no snapshot. Version 1.9+ PVP will be used.

2. Default Game Time and Match Length

• The default game time for Minecraft 2v2 is Tuesday at 5pm.

• All matches for the regular season and playoffs will be a best of 3.

3. Players

All official MNVL matches will be 2v2 (two-player team vs another two-player team). A match must be started with both players for each team present. Should a team not have their full two player roster they may ask their opponent to play the match at a reduced player count. The opposing team (team with their full roster) will have the option to play or to take a forfeit win.

4. Game Server

All official MNVL matches will be played on the MNVL server. The MNVL server address will be given to all participants once they have registered to the league.

5. Map Selection

There will be five maps available for official MNVL matches.

• 2v2:

  • Y’s Island

  • Dragon

  • Jungle

  • Archipelago

  • Stadium

Ban Process:

– Away team will ban one map

– Home team will ban one map

– Away team will ban one map

– Home team will select which of the remaining two maps will be chosen for game 1

– The losing team of each game selects the next map for Game 2 and then Game 3, if needed

After the first game in the best of three series, all five maps are made available to be selected for Game 2 and Game 3 by the losing team. For playoffs, the higher seed will act as the home team and the lower seed will act as the away team

6. Player Disconnects

If a player disconnects before the first kill, or before the first upgrade is purchased (whichever comes first) then the game shall be restarted using the same map. If either of those events have occurred, the game will be played out. A player can rejoin after disconnecting by using the /rejoin command

7. Mods & Clients

No add-ons are allowed for official MNVL matches, and all players must use the default Minecraft client. Optifine is the only permitted mod.

8. Anti-Cheat

If a player is found to use any type of cheating program, software, bug exploit, or anything deemed to give them an unfair advantage they will be subject to forfeit all matches played up to that point in the season and will be banned from participating in any future MNVL matches or tournaments.

9. Minecraft Game Day Procedures

As part of the MNVL Minecraft Bedwars season you will need to add the MNVL multiplayer server. The server address will be given to your coach and can be found at the top of the Minecraft league page in Leaguespot.

Once on the server follow these steps to set up and play your match:

1. Create a party of your teammates by using the “/party invite” command and typing or selecting the name of your teammates (For example: /party invite thundermcfadden11)

   1. They will have to click accept or type “/party accept” to join

2. Once you have a full party, communicate with the opposing team using the server chat function or the Leaguespot chat function

   1. The away team bans one map, and the home team selects one of the remaining two maps to play

   2. Each map has 5 copies (e.g. Jungle1, Jungle2, Jungle3…). Coordinate with your opponents to choose a specific numbered version of the map that is not being currently used by any other teams.

      1. If all instances of a map are being used, please wait until one is available. You should not play on a different map unless both teams agree.

3. Once you have decided the map, both captains must queue for that particular map using the NPCs at the edge of the lobby.

   1. Click Map selector and choose the selected map to queue into it

4. Once all players are loaded into the map, a countdown will start. Once it reaches zero, the match will begin and players will spawn at their base

5. Make sure to save a screenshot once the game is complete as you will need it when reporting your results.

    

10. Sudden Death and Tiebreaker

Sudden death occurs six minutes after the last emerald generator upgrade. In sudden death, both teams’ beds are destroyed and players fight until one team is eliminated. If after five minutes both teams are still alive, the match will end. In this case the tie will be resolved by both teams choosing a single player as a representative, and those two players will battle in a 1v1. This will take place in the MNVL Gym Arena as a best of 1 to determine the victor. All arena armor and items are available for use in the tiebreaker.

11. Anti Griefing Clause

The intentional use of exploits, bugs, or using features on the MNVL server in a way that they are not intended is considered griefing. Instances of griefing will be subject to league penalties as outlined in General Rules section 11. The severity of the penalty will be based on the following factors:

• Effect on gameplay

• Subject matter

• Previous offenses

• Motive

 

12. Tactical Pauses

Teams are allowed one tactical pause in between matches, but not during a match. This pause may last up to 3 minutes per team. Pauses must be declared to the opposing team both when they begin and when the pause expires.

13. Outside Communication

Teams may have communication with a coach only before matches begin, and in between games in a series. Coaches may not speak to their team while they are actively in the game.

14. Reporting Scores

Scores for Minecraft should be reported as a 1 for the winner in each match in the series

• Example:

  • Match 1: 1-0

  • Match 2: 0-1

  • Match 3: 0-1

Note: Players are strongly encouraged to play all MNVL matches with an ethernet adapter or from the same room as their internet router if wifi is being used to ensure the best quality of matches.

1. Supported Platforms

• Nintendo Switch

 

2. Default Game Time and Match Length

The default game time for Super Smash Bros 1v1 is Friday at 5pm.

Matches are played as a best of 5 in the regular season and club finals tournament.

 

3. Game Lobby

The higher seed will create the lobby (“Online” > “Smash” > “Battle Arenas” > “Create Arena”) and provide lobby ID and Password. Official matches must use the following settings:

• Type: Host preference

• Visibility: Friends

• Format: 1-on-1

Rules:

• Style: Stock

• Stock: 3

• Time Limit: 7 minutes

• FS Meter: Off

• Damage Handicap: Off

• Items: Off and None

• Stage Hazards: Off

• Launch Rate: 1.0x

• Pausing: Off

• Score Display: Off

• Show Damage: Yes

• Rotation: Host preference

• Max Players: 2

• Stage: Choice

• Spirits: Off

• Voice Chat: Off

If the incorrect ruleset is used, the match must be restarted. If previous games were under the wrong ruleset, they are void and must be replayed.

 

3. Stage Selection

The stage selection process is as follows and is done throughout the match:

• Home team selects the first stage for game 1

  • The home team is listed on the left in the Leaguespot match page

• The losing player will select the next stage

• Repeat step 2 until the match is complete

4. Stages

The following stages are permitted for use in MNVL matches:

• Battlefield

• Small Battlefield

• Town & City

• Pokémon Stadium 2

• Smashville

 

5. Self-Destruct Finishes

In the event where the game ends due to a self-destruct move, the results screen will determine the winner of the game.

 

6. Sudden Death

If time expires and a sudden death is started, the player with the highest number of stocks is the winner of the match. If both players had the same amount of stocks, the player with the lower percentage wins. If both players had the same amount of stocks and the same percentage, players should execute the below scenario:

In the event where both players knock-out at the same time and initiate a sudden death, players will play a tiebreaker game on the same stage with the same characters using the official match format with the following modifications:

• Stock: 1

• Stock & Time: 3 minutes

 

7. Restrictions

7.1 DLC Fighters

DLC Fighters are prohibited from being used in MNVL events for the first two weeks of their release. After the two week restriction has passed a DLC Fighter will be allowed to be used in MNVL matches.

7.2 MII Fighters

Players must use a Guest Mii. If a player chooses to use a Mii Fighter, they must declare to their opponent the type and moveset listed in the format “Type XXXX” (e.g. “Gunner 1321”). Any combination of moves may be used, but any Mii Fighters that a player may want to use during a match must be created before the match begins (up to a limit of three Mii Fighters) or else they will be prohibited from doing so. Using Mii Fighters that do not follow these rules may result in a player forfeiting the game in which the illegal Mii Fighter was used.

7.3 Amiibo

All amiibo figures are prohibited from use in official matches.

7.4 Stages

Alternate forms to the stages listed in section 4 or 5 are prohibited from play in official matches.

 

8. Stoppage of Play

Players unplugging their controller at any time, accidentally or intentionally, will result in a forfeiture of the series. Any controller malfunctions are the player’s responsibility, and as such the MN Varsity League will not force a game/match restart should a player’s controller malfunction during a game.

In the event that a player should have internet connectivity issues that causes them to drop out of the game the game will be reset only if both players have all their starting stocks, combined have not accumulated more than 60% damage, and a minute in-game has not passed. If these conditions are not met, then the player will forfeit that game, unless their opponent agrees to a redo.

In the event where the game server is lagging (e.g. it takes much more than a second for an in-game second to pass or the smash ball loading icon is constantly appearing), the game may be reset if and only if both players consent to the reset.

 

9. Player Count

Matches are played as 1 versus 1, meaning that only one player may participate in the match for either side. Substitutions are not allowed.

 

10. Outside Communication

Players may communicate with a coach only during the ban process before the match and in between matches, not during gameplay.

 

11. Reporting Scores

Scores for Super Smash Bros should be reported as the stock score for each match in the series

Example:

• Match 1: 1-0

• Match 2: 2-0

• Match 3: 0-1

• Match 4: 3-0