Season 01 - Rules & Format

1.1 Purpose

LEAGUE7 provides a structured competitive environment for Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions players of all skill levels. These guidelines establish the rules and framework to ensure fair competition while building a strong community.

1.2 Season Overview

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions runs approximately 2-month seasons (estimated based on Season 1 arrival date). LEAGUE7 extends this to trimester-based seasons for more comprehensive competition, while keeping the names in alignment with the official seasons on the start dates.

Each LEAGUE7 season is divided into two phases:

O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels): Qualifying round using round-robin format
N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests): Top teams compete in a double-elimination tournament

2. Season Timeline

2.1 Season Duration

Each season spans approximately three months:

2 weeks for team registration and preparation
7-15 weeks for O.W.L.s matches (depends on number of registered teams and number of matches per week)
2 weeks for N.E.W.T.s matches

2.2 Registration Timeline

Team registration ends one week before season start
This time cannot be shortened to allow time for Captains' Council discussions
Each team needs:
A captain who owns team branding rights
A roster of registered players
Additional requirements will be listed on registration forms

2.3 Minimum Requirements

The league will officially begin when at least 7 teams have registered to participate
If 5-7 teams register by the deadline:
A pre-season exhibition period will be held to attract more teams
This period will last up to 1 month
If 7 teams are not registered by the end of this period, the league start will be postponed
If a team drops out mid-season, all their remaining matches count as forfeits
Forfeits are recorded as 2-0 wins for opponents
Scoreboard records 0-0 for each forfeited game

3. Team Management

3.1 Roster Rules

Roster sizes:
Minimum 6 players
Maximum 9 players
Players can only be registered with one team at a time
Players cannot be substitutes for other teams
Players must complete current season or be formally removed before joining another team
Teams must maintain minimum roster size throughout season
Each team player must be available in the official LEAGUE7 Discord server at all times.
Season 1 Exception - Roster Adjustments:
Due to game's early state, roster changes are allowed during Season 1
Limited to 4 total changes (player addition) after season starts. Player departures do not count as roster changes
48-hour notice required before any new player's first match, including emergency substitutions
Emergency substitutions must use existing substitute players as first response, and contact staff immediately when situation arises
All changes must be registered and announced through official Discord
Roster changes freeze 2 weeks before O.W.L.s conclusion
N.E.W.T.s roster must be subset of O.W.L.s roster

Note: LEAGUE7 uses a flexible roster system - We only maintain a list of all registered team players. There is no distinction between starters and substitutes. Captains can freely select any registered players for each game. No need to declare player roles or game lineups in advance

3.2 Division Structure

Regional Divisions Contingency

Regional divisions will be formed if team count exceeds manageable limit for timeline
Implementation may depend on game features (such as server selection) and network stability
Teams are assigned to divisions based on:
Team region preferences
Number of players in each region
Team time zone distribution
Need for balanced division sizes

Note: Division structure may change between seasons as game features develop. Region-locked grand divisions may be implemented if server selection becomes available and network stability requires it.

4. O.W.L.s

4.1 Match Format

Teams play against all other teams in the division (round robin format)
Each match is best-of-3 games, winning two games secures victory
Teams must complete at least one match every week
Teams may schedule up to two matches per week with Staff approval

4.2 Match Scheduling

Both team captains must confirm schedule agreements in writing on LEAGUE7's official Discord
Teams must complete schedule agreement by Wednesday of the match week
Default match times for Season 1 (effective after January 6th):
East Division: Saturday, 12:00 PM Pacific Time
West Division: Sunday, 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Default times apply only when:
Captains cannot agree on a time by Wednesday of the round's week
This applies to initial scheduling only, not rescheduling
Originally scheduled times take precedence over default times
If captains cannot agree on a match time, the captains need to let Staff know about the situation.
Non-responsive team(s) may be treated as if declaring a forfeit.

4.3 Scoring System

Teams are ranked by match series won
Example: Winning a best-of-3 series counts as 1 match win
When teams have equal match series wins, the following tiebreakers apply in order: 1. Total game wins: All individual games won across all series
- Example: Team A (2-0, 2-1, 1-2) has 5 game wins 2. Game Win Rate: (Games Won / Total Games Played) × 100
- Example: Team A won 5 games out of 7 = 71.4% 3. Point Differential: Sum of all score differences across all games
- Example: Winning games by (+30, +20, -10) = +40 total
If there is still a tie, staff will offer resolution options (in order): 1. Teams available: Play tiebreaker match within 48 hours 2. Teams agree: Follow captains' mutual decision 3. No agreement/availability: Staff conducts coin flip

4.4 Grading Scale

Grade	Standing	Team Percentage
Outstanding (O)	Top	10%
Exceeds Expectations (E)	Upper	20%
Acceptable (A)	Middle	30%
Poor (P)	Lower	20%
Dreadful (D)	Bottom	10%
Troll (T)	Lowest	10%

Note: Grades are a fun classification inspired by the Harry Potter universe and do not affect advancement. They will be used for historical tracking and community events.

5. N.E.W.T.s

5.1 Advancement Requirements

The 7 highest-ranked teams advance based on O.W.L.s ranking using the following criteria: 1. Match series wins 2. Total game wins across all series 3. Game Win Rate: (Games Won / Total Games Played) × 100 4. Point Differential: Sum of all score differences across all games
The 8th spot (Wildcard/Howler) is determined by: 1. Team with least number of forfeits among remaining teams 2. If teams are tied on number of forfeits, highest point differential in scored games 3. If still tied:
- Higher position in original O.W.L.s standings
- Total points scored in all games
- Head-to-head record during O.W.L.s
In case of multiple divisions:
Even distribution of top teams from each division advances
Example: In a 2-division format:
- Top 3 teams from each division advance automatically
- 1 Wildcard/Howler spot determined using criteria above
- If divisions have uneven sizes, advancement numbers may be adjusted proportionally
All advancing teams must:
Maintain minimum roster requirements
Have no outstanding rule violations
Use only players who were on their O.W.L.s roster

5.2 Tournament Format

8-team double elimination bracket
Seeding based on O.W.L.s final standings
Wildcard team enters as 8th seed
Matches are best-of-3 until the grand final
Championship match is best-of-5

6. Match Operations

6.1 Game Settings

Specific game settings and configuration will be announced following the official 6v6 mode release. If custom options are provided, staff will provide polls to collect Captains' Council votes on settings such as skill/broom normalization, map selection, etc.

6.2 Staff Observation

Staff members will be available to observe matches (when possible)
Primary purposes:
Recording gameplay footage
Verifying scores and incidents
Providing immediate rule clarification
Monitoring fair play
Players with connectivity or hardware issues may opt out of staff observation

6.3 Match Protocols

Pre-Match:
Staff verifies rosters and game settings with captains
Staff addresses any pre-match concerns
During Match:
Staff remains available in voice channels
Records significant events and responds to captain requests
Documents technical issues and scoring events
Post-Match:
Staff verifies final score with both captains
Archives match documentation and footage
Confirms match completion

6.4 Matches Without Staff

Both team captains must provide a record their gameplay (when possible)
Teams must share final scoreboard screenshots in match-reporting channel
Both captains must confirm match results in writing
Teams should maintain their own match notes of significant events
Any disputes will be reviewed by Staff post-match using available recordings

6.5 Match Reporting

Both captains must submit scores within 30 minutes of match completion
Screenshots required for:
Final scoreboards
Any disputed plays
Technical issues
Staff verification required for:
Disputed scores
Technical issues

6.6 Match Forfeiture

A team forfeits under the following conditions:

Team does not show up for scheduled date
Team unable to field six (6) players by game time
Teams unresponsive regarding scheduling (without alerting staff prior)
Either team demonstrates intentional use of an in-game exploit
Either team violates LEAGUE7 Code of Conduct or Seasonal Rules prior to or during game

Forfeiture Results:

Forfeiting team receives 0-2 Loss
Score difference recorded as 0:0
When applicable, non-forfeiting team receives 2-0 Win with 0:0 score difference

7. Technical Management

7.1 Technical Issues and Disconnections

No matter which team has issue, players must secure a screenshot of the technical issue.
Team captains' mutual agreement takes precedence in handling technical issues.
Captains will be allowed to discuss for 7 minutes to find a mutual agreement.
Captains are advised to discuss all possible scenarios pre-game.
When captains cannot agree, follow resolution table:

Time \ Points Diff	0	10	20	30	40	50	60	70	80	90
> 5:00	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
5:00 - 4:30	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	S
4:30 - 4:00	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	S
4:00 - 3:30	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	S
3:30 - 3:00	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	S
3:00 - 2:30	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	S	S
2:30 - 2:00	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	S	S	S
2:00 - 1:30	R	R	R	R	R	R	S	S	S	S
1:30 - 1:00	R	R	R	R	R	S	S	S	S	S
1:00 - 0:30	R	R	R	R	S	S	S	S	S	S
< 0:30	R	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

where,
R is Restart: The results of the current game is discarded.
S is Substitute: Game continues while player (disconnected or substitute) attempts to rejoin ongoing game.
If a random player joins instead, game ends with current scoreboard at the time of the technical issue.

7.2 Issue Monitoring

Suspicious patterns result in investigation
Staff maintains a record of all disconnections
Multiple disconnections from the same player or team will trigger a review
If the same player disconnects repeatedly during a match series, Staff may require the team to use a substitute player

7.3 Patch Management

When a patch is announced from UBS or WB:
All scheduled matches until patch day proceed normally
Matches scheduled after patch release are temporarily suspended
Staff coordinates with teams to adjust schedules as needed
Captains' Council evaluates each patch within 48 hours through voting:
Option 1: Resume matches immediately (patches are minor)
Option 2: Adjustment period is needed, resume matches after one week
Option 3: Major impact - requires rule assessment (for drastic changes)

8. Broadcasting and Streaming

8.1 Official Broadcasts

N.E.W.T.s winners bracket matches receive priority for live broadcasting
League integrity takes precedence over streaming concerns
Teams must allow match recording but may decline live streaming
Staff may record matches for post-production content
Winners bracket matches prioritized for the weekends for live broadcasting purposes
If teams cannot participate in live broadcast times, matches will be scheduled at their convenience
Staff may record these matches for delayed broadcast during weekend streaming hours

8.2 Player Streams

Teams may broadcast their own gameplay on private channels
At least one stream must be available in Discord for verification purposes
Non-team broadcasters must:
Request and receive permission from teams before broadcasting gameplay
Mark broadcasts as "Unofficial" in title, description, and verbal communication
Comply with captain/team requests to stop unauthorized broadcasting
Players are advised to maintain professional conduct while streaming to avoid interpersonal conflicts:
Avoid negative commentary about opposing teams or players
Consider disabling personal streams if heated or tilted