Google Calendar: SD Esports  

Important Dates:  

• Esports Development Clinic: Tuesday, July 14th at Dakota Valley High School in North Sioux City, SD.
  • More information and registration link TBA soon!
•  Registration Period: September 14th – October 14th
  • Teams need to be created and signed up for their respective seasons by this date.
• Preseason Dates: October 26th – November 6th
• Regular Season Dates: November 9th – January 29th
  • Holiday Break: November 21st – November 29th
  • Holiday Break: December 12th – January 3rd
  • Playoffs/Divisionals: January 25th – January 29th
• Prep Time for Tournament: January 30th – February 12th
• State Tournament Dates and Location: Friday and Saturday, February 12th – February 13th at Dakota Valley High School in North Sioux City, SD.

Game Titles:

• For the Varsity Winter Season. 
  • Chess (1v1 – Chess.com)  
  • League of Legends (5v5)   
  • Mario Kart 8 (2v2)  
  • Marvel Rivals (6v6)
  • Minecraft Bedwars Java Edition (4v4)  
  • Rocket League (3v3)  
  • Super Smash Bros Ultimate (1v1) 
• For the Winter Club Season
  • Club Fortnite (2v2)
    • Club Fortnite is not endorsed by SDHSAA and will not be included in the State Tournament.  

*Note: A season may be canceled due to low registrations, as determined by Fenworks.

Please review the below SDHSAA Handbook in addition to the season information.

Fenworks SD Rules Handbook

Please read the general rules, then see the game-specific rules below.

General Rules

The spirit of FENWORKS 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 weekly game, as outlined below. 

The default weekly game times for games are as follows.

Some titles use our queue system (indicated by a *) and these titles will have multiple days where teams can queue up for a match. Teams participating in queue leagues can only queue up for one time slot each week (for example, if you play a Mario Kart match on Monday, you cannot queue again on Tuesday).

Monday 

• 5:00 PM CT:
  • Super Smash Bros Ultimate 1v1* (Time Slot A)
  • Mario Kart 2v2* (Time Slot A)
  • Club Fortnite 2v2* (Time Slot A) 
• 6:00 PM CT:
  • Minecraft 4v4

Tuesday 

• 4:00PM CT:
  • Super Smash Bros Ultimate 1v1* (Time Slot B)
  • Mario Kart 2v2* (Time Slot B)
  • Club Fortnite 2v2* (Time Slot B)   
• 5:00 PM CT:
  • Marvel Rivals 6v6
  • Chess* (Time Slot A)

Wednesday

• No Matches: Scrimmage Day

Thursday

• 5:00 PM CT:
  • Rocket League
  • Chess* (Time Slot B)
• 6:00 PM CT:
  • League of Legends

2. Season Structure:

Please see the “League Structures: Open/Varsity/JV” section below for all season structure information. Each season will have one of these indicators listed in the name of the season (E.G. Winter 25-26 Rocket League Varsity) to indicate what structure it adheres to.

2.1 Regular Season League formats

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

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

What is a Swiss: This is a format where teams 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 robins 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 Fenworks platform 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 all of their scheduled preseason matches will be dropped from the league unless there is prior communication with Fenworks staff and permission is given to miss the matches.

3. Divisional Playoffs and State Tournament

Below you will find information on how Fenworks runs playoffs and the State Tournament. All information below is subject to change, pending time, equipment capacity at the State Tournament venue, and the number of teams competing in each game title. This will be confirmed once registration closes.

Please note that game titles may overlap at the State Tournament. Fenworks will not rearrange the State Tournament schedule to accommodate students participating in multiple game titles. Please make sure that all students understand this prior to the State Tournament, and make sure that all teams have substitutes to accommodate this potential issue.

3.1 Divisional Playoffs  

Divisional playoff tournaments are single elimination tournaments consisting of teams within each regular season division. All teams in the division that have played in a minimum of four matches during the regular season will qualify for the Divisional Playoff Tournament. Seedings for the tournament will be based on regular season results. The top specified number of teams per division will advance to state based on tournament results (See section 3.2). There are no Divisional Playoffs for Open and JV leagues. 

Divisional playoffs will follow the game rules posted in the title ruleset. 

Dates and times: 

All divisional tournaments start at 4PM CT during the final week of the season (Week 8 for most titles, and week 9 for Rocket League in order to avoid overlap with Valorant): 

Week 8:  

• Monday: Minecraft 
• Tuesday: Marvel Rivals 
• Thursday: Rocket League

3.2 State Tournament

The State Tournament will be executed as a single-elimination, double-elimination, or pool play into single elimination formats, with a match for third place. Seeding will be based on the regular season and/or divisional playoff results. Players and teams in our JV leagues do not qualify for the State Tournament.

Number of State Participants:

• Chess: Top 32 Players
• League of Legends: Top 8 Teams
• Mario Kart 8 2v2: Top 16 Teams
• Marvel Rivals: Top 16 Teams 
• Minecraft Bedwars 4v4: Top 16 Teams
• Rocket League 3v3: Top 16 Teams
• Super Smash Brothers Ultimate: Top 32 Players

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

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

• Mario Kart 8
• Minecraft
• Rocket League

Titles that will be a single elimination tournament:

• League of Legends
• Marvel Rivals

Titles that will be a double elimination tournament:

• Chess
• Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

3.3 All Around Champion 
The SDHSAA has a section on the All-Around Awards. Please see the SDHSAA Handbook for more information. It is also copied below. 

Section 1. SCHOOL AWARDS FOR THE ESPORTS EVENTS.

A. Plaques will be presented to the schools of the 1st through 4th place teams for each title.

B. All-around Championship and Runner-up trophies will be presented to the schools who amass the most and second-most total team points, with 10 points for first place in a title, 7 points for second place in a title, and 4 points for third place in a title, and 1 point for fourth place in a title. Plaques will be given to the 3rd and 4th place teams.

All-Around tiebreakers are:

• a. The largest number of State Champions
• b. The largest number of 2nd place recipients
• c. The largest number of 3rd place recipients.
• d. The largest number of 4th place recipients. 

3.4 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

4. Checking In and Reporting Scores

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

If both teams fail to check in to their match on Fenworks 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 have expired, the absent team will receive a forfeit loss automatically on the Fenworks platform.

Scores will be reported using the Fenworks platform 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 on Fenworks platform
• Procedures on how to report scores can be found in each title’s separate rules section

All scores must be reported directly following the match, or it will be considered a loss for both teams. FENWORKS staff have the right to adjust the score if evidence is presented that the match was played.

5. Rescheduling Matches

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

• School holidays (building is closed)
• Both teams agree to play in person (in the same room)
• School closures due to extreme weather events

If teams decide to reschedule a match, contact an admin on the Fenworks platform or email us at [email protected], and we will assist you.

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

If a team/player drops out of the league during the regular season, the league reserves the right to reschedule the remaining matches to reduce the number of forfeits the dropout would have caused.

6. Home/Away

The team shown on the left on the Fenworks platform 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. Refer to the game title for specific rulesets on how home and away affect pick/ban processes.

7. Player Eligibility

A player is any participant who plays in an official match. All players:

1. Must be enrolled in the school they are representing

   1. Homeschooled players may participate with a school if they live within the defined district lines for the school district in question and have received approval from the school district to participate.

2. Must be 13 years or older, in 7th – 12th grade, and be 21 years old or younger.

   1. A player may play for only one high school in the same school district.

   2. Players who are 12 years of age or younger are not eligible to compete in the Fenworks high school league. However, if a player turns 13 in the middle of the season, they are eligible to compete on and after the day of their 13th birthday.

3. Must meet and maintain the district’s eligibility requirements for GPA and attendance to be eligible to play. School Administrators and GMs are responsible for following and enforcing this policy and their school policy. Fenworks suggests a 2.0 GPA or higher to participate.

4. Can only be on one roster per game title

   1. A player can only be rostered to one team and play in one weekly match per title. If a player plays in more than one match of the same title, those games will be forfeited. Players can, however, play in multiple titles in a season.

      1. For example, Student A cannot compete or be rostered on two Rocket League teams but can compete on one Rocket League team and one Minecraft team.

   2. There is no restriction on the number of teams or players that can compete from each school.

5. A player cannot compete in the Fenworks High School League and the Fenworks Middle School League simultaneously.

*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 made by noon on the day of the scheduled match. If noon has passed on the day of the match, then the general manager must wait until after the match to add the new player to the roster.

Substitutions are allowed if players involved are currently on the roster. Substitutions can be made between games in a series but not during a game currently in play. Teams should never substitute during an individual game (I.e., passing their controller off).

Substitute players are not allowed for individual game titles (1v1s). If one of those students cannot play their match in a week, they will have to forfeit their match.

7.2 Varsity and JV Substitution Rules

Teams must maintain a full, active Varsity roster for the entirety of the season, with the minimum number of players required per game.

• Players on a Varsity roster cannot participate in JV matches.

• Players on an active JV roster can substitute for official Varsity matches.

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

8. Spectators

Only the players from the two teams competing in the official Fenworks 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 position in game lobbies does not give privileged information and does not require opponent permission to stream, except for the following titles:

• League of Legends: Spectator Delay is set to “Add Delay”

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 12.

9. Names/Usernames

A player’s name in-game must match the name they registered for that game on their Fenworks platform profile. This includes our Discord community. See the Code of Conduct as well for additional guidelines. 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

• Anything else at the discretion of

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 player’s account during match time will be considered cheating. Players must also follow the Code of Conduct. Any team or player caught cheating will be subject to the items outlined in section 11.

11. Harassment

Players and coaches must always abide by the Fenworks Code of Conduct. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action, as outlined in the following section.

12. Disciplinary Action

If Fenworks decides that a Player has violated any of the Rules, Fenworks may take the following disciplinary actions (as applicable). More information can also be found in the Code of Conduct:

• Verbal Warning

• Game and/or Match forfeiture

• Issuance of 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 Fenworks.

• Stoppage of the School from participating in one or more future competitions hosted by Fenworks.

If a Player is suspended/banned by Fenworks Representative, they will be notified via email and/or Discord. Within 30 days of the initial penalty, an appeal can be sent by the coach or program coordinator representing the Player. Please send all appeals via email to [email protected].

13. 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 Fenworks Officials, and their decisions are final. This includes the exclusive right to make definitive rulings on matters not specified within the rules and handbook.

Amendments

Fenworks may update, revise, change, or modify these Rules at any time to ensure fair play and the league’s integrity. Each Player’s participation in Fenworks 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.

Last Updated: 05.20.2026 

League Structure – Open

1. Teams
   1. Schools are allowed to field unlimited Open league teams.
2. Divisions
   1. Open leagues will be sectioned into divisions of eight or more teams
   2. The following considerations will determine divisions:
      1. Region/Location
3. Season
   1. Open league seasons will have a two-week preseason, followed by eight weeks of regular season, and end with an in-person LAN State Tournament.
4. Format
   1. Open leagues use the following formats:
      1. Round Robin
      2. Double Round Robin
      3. Swiss
      4. Swiss (queue)
5. State Tournament Qualification
   1. A roster must compete in 7 or more matches to be eligible to participate in the State Tournament. 
   2. The top teams from each open league division will advance to the State Tournament based on regular season results. See section 3 for the number of teams that make it for each league.

League Structure – Varsity

1. Teams
   1. Only one team per school or co-op will be allowed to compete in Varsity leagues.
2. Divisions
   1. Varsity leagues will be sectioned into divisions of eight or more teams.
   2. The following considerations will determine divisions:
      1. Regions/Location
3. Season
   1. Varsity league seasons will have a two-week preseason, followed by seven weeks of regular season, an online divisional playoff tournament in the 8th week, and end in an in-person LAN State Tournament. Divisional and State Tournament playoff dates and times will be announced each season on the Discord, Calendar, platform, 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.
4. Format
   1. Varsity leagues use the following formats:
      1. Round Robin
      2. Double Round Robin
5. State Tournament Qualification
   1. The top teams from Varsity leagues make it to the State Tournament based only on divisional playoff results. Regular season record affects divisional playoff seeding but does not affect the State Tournament qualification. See section 3 in “General Rules” for the number of teams that make it for each league.

League Structure – Junior Varsity (JV)

1. Teams
   1. Schools are allowed to field unlimited JV teams.
2. Divisions
   1. There are no divisions in JV. All teams compete in the same pool.
3. Season
   1. JV league seasons will have a two-week preseason, followed by seven weeks of regular season, and an online JV Finals tournament during the eighth week. It is recommended that the average rank for a JV roster is Silver or lower; this is a suggestion but not a requirement.
4. Format
   1. JV leagues use the following formats:
      1. Swiss
      2. Swiss (queue)
5. State Tournament Qualification
   1. In the eighth week of the season there will be an online JV Finals tournament consisting of the top teams from the regular season.