1. League Information

Team Fortress 2 (TF2) 8vs8 and TF2 6v6 are public leagues that are part of the Team Fortress League (TFL). These leagues are comprised of divisions with different levels of competition, ranging from new clans looking for a place to start to highly competitive clans looking to be the best in the game. Both 8vs8 Division and 6v6 Division uses a ladder format for clan rankings and scheduling clans and is used for placement in the TFL Open Tournament. The TFL Open is for the top ranked clans in each division at the end of regular season play. The TFL Open determines the champions of each division.

Please contact a league official if you have any questions, suggestions, and comments about TFL or TFL's TF2 8vs8 or TF2 6v6league.

A summary of rules can be found at the Rules FAQ

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2. Joining TFL

A clan needs to have a minimum of ten (10) for 8vs8 or a minimum of eight (8) active members for 6v6 on an active roster hosted on the clan's web page. Clan must also have a registered and active internet relay chat (IRC) channel and a valid contact email of clan leadership.

If your clan meets the above requirements please sign up for the TF2 8vs8 OR TF2 6v6 league by clicking on the Sign Up Link. In the comment section of your application you should also state if your team is interested in playing 8vs8 or 6v6.

By joining the TFL as a team or if you join an establised TFL team, you as a clan or as an individual, are consenting that you have read these rules and that you will abide by them. Failure to do so will result in suspension or expulsion from the league and forfeiture of any and all prizes offered (if any).

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3. Scheduling Information

A. Match Schedule

The default TF2 8vs8 match time is Thursday, 9:30PM Eastern Standard Time (EST). Clans can alter the start time of the match to no later than 10:30PM est, but matches must take place on Thursday. The agreement to alter the start time of a match must be presented to your Division Admin 1 hour before the match is to be played. TF2 8vs8 schedules will be posted on the Saturday before matches.

A tentative start time for TFL TF2 6v6 matches is 8:00pm est on Thursday nights. Clans can alter the start time of the match to no later than 10:45PM est, but matches must take place on Thursday. The agreement to alter the start time of a match must be presented to your Division Admin 1 hour before the match is to be played. TF2 6v6 schedules will be posted on the Saturday before matches.

This may be subject to change as we gather input from the 6v6 teams.

Scores and forfeits must be reported no later than Friday night at 11:59PM Friday. If you fail to report your match scores by the deadline, the match will be reported as a double forfeit.

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B. 8vs8 and 6v6 Seasons

TF2 8vs8 and TF2 6v6 consist of 12 weeks per season. At the end of the 12 weeks, TFL will host the TFL Open Tournament in each division for the 8 (subject to change) top rated clans in each division. There will be at least a one week intermission between seasons.

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C. League Maps

All servers must have the correct map version. The definition of "correct map version" is: The map located on the TF2 files page and any corresponding entity update also located on the files page:
TFL map list.

The maps will be decided by the TF2 Admins. Teams can play a different map provided both teams agree on the new suggested map. Map change agreements must be presented to your TFL Division Admin before the match is played. If an agreement about a new map can not be made, the teams must play the default map.

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4. Game Servers

A. Server Requirements

A. Servers must be able to reasonably handle the bandwidth and CPU load of a full game. TFL has the final authority in determining what is or is not reasonable. If you have a chronically bad server that receives multiple complaints you may be asked to find a different server for Official TFL matches.

8vs8 servers will need 19 slots for 8vs8 play (16 slots for players, one slot for an admin spectator, one for sourceTV, and one for broadcasting).

6v6 servers will need 15 slots for 6v6 play (12 slots for players, one slot for SourceTV, one slot for an Admin spectator, and one slot for broadcasting).

Matches must be played on a T1 server or better. Cable and DSL servers will not be allowed in TFL.

TFL Admins reserve the right to spectate any TF2 match at their discretion. Refusal to allow a TFL Admin to spectate your match will result in forfeiture of your match and possible expulsion/suspension from the league.

B. Broadcasting

All matches are subject to broadcast. It is for this reason, that servers be able to handle the required amount of slots as described in 4-A

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B. Required Software

1. Clans must use an up to date TFL server .cfg which must match the play style of the map being played.
2. Servers must be Valve Anti-Cheat Secure (VAC) during match play.
3. Clans may be required to use an up to date version RingerFree.
4. Clans must provide SourceTV proxy.
5. Clans may be required to use an up to date version of TFL Anti-Cheat Software or server plug-in.

TFL Server.cfg
All clans must use the latest TFL Server .cfg file (TFL_CTF.cfg, TFL_CP.cfg, or TFL_AD.cfg) which can be downloaded by clicking here.

Valve Anti-Cheat
All clans must have Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) enabled on their servers during a TFL match. To enable VAC, you must edit the file "liblist.gam" via FTP on the server and add the following line:

secure "1"

Then restart the server. If you need help with this, please contact a TF2 Admin.

RingerFree
TFL may require the use of the newest version of RingerFree (RF) for all TFL matches. This is a server side program that only needs to be run on one computer associated with the "home clan" of each round. This program checks the people playing in the TFL match with the respective TFL rosters. If players with the wrong Steam ID are found in the server, they may be kicked and/or banned from the server. Ensure that your clan's rosters are current and correct prior to the roster "lockdown" period. RF will also check various server CVARs. Any incorrect CVAR will be automatically corrected.

Violations found by RF will be broadcast to the players on the server, and will automatically notify TFL staff of any infractions. Failure to run RF properly or not at all could result in forfeiture of said match. If two clans agree that a non-rostered player can play in a game, then the Division Admin or League Admin may, at their discretion, agree to allow the player(s) in question to play by adding the player(s) to the Ringer Free exception list. This is solely at the Division Admins or League Admins discretion, and is in no way to be considered a process or entitlement by the TFL clans. If you wish to have the members in question added to the RF exception list, have your opponent contact the league admin a considerable time prior to the match with the request.

All RF disputes must be filed before the dispute time-limit expires.

SourceTV
Use of SourceTV during Official TFL Matches is Mandatory by all clans playing in TFL.

Clans must follow these rules when using SourceTV:

1. Use of the SourceTV is mandatory by all clans.
2. You must provide your opponent with the IP along with the password to the SourceTV Server.
3. You must provide any TFL Admin with the SourceTV IP/passwords/logs upon request and without delay.
4. You must provide a minimum of 2 slots in your SourceTV for spectators. One for your opponent and one for a TFL Admin. More spectator slots can be used at the discretion of the the hosting clan.
5. TFL reserves the right to change/adjust these guidelines without notice at anytime.

Recording SourceTV demos is required in TFL. If your clan files a dispute for a round played on your server and you cannot provide your SourceTV demo, the dispute may be rejected by TFL. If the round disputed was played on your opponent’s server, the SourceTV demo for that round is still required. Clans must provide their opponent a link to download SourceTV demo's within 24 hours of the match even if no dispute was filed. SourceTV demos should be available to TFL Staff and to your opponents up to 14 days after a TFL Match via the provided link.

Random SourceTV demo checks (pulls) can happen at any time and at the discretion of TFL. Failure to provide your SourceTV Demo to TFL within 24 hours of said request will result in a 2 week suspension of the team's captains (which includes the the team's TFL contact) or a two week team suspension.

It will be the responsibility of the hosting clan to ensure that there is an SourceTV server up and running for the match.

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Anti-Cheat Software

TFL reserves the right to require TFL Anti-Cheat Software.

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C. Prohibited Software

The use of Admin Mod, Beetles Mod or other such server control addon (plugin) in any Official TFL Match is strictly prohibited. The round in which the server addon is used, the hosting clan will have their points forfeited; in addition to possibly losing use of that server in future TFL matches. If any server addon commands are used during the match can result in suspension or removal from TFL.

The use of any unapproved Anti-Cheat software in TFL is strictly prohibited. If a server is found running any unapproved anti-cheating software, the visiting clan has the right to refuse to play on that server (and must notify a TFL Admin immediately). In addition, the hosting clan found using anti-cheating software on their server during their round, runs the risk of losing any dispute related to the round or match, their points forfeited during the round it was ran, and possibly losing use of that server in future TFL matches.

If you have any suggestions as to which anti-cheating software should be used in TFL, please contact your division admin with all the relevant information concerning the proposed anti-cheating software.

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D. Server Crashes

If a server crashes unintentionally before the 15 min mark, the visiting clan has the option to restart that round or to add the remaining time to the next round. If the latter option is chosen, any captures up to that point will be counted. If a server crashes unintentionally and the match has proceeded for at least 15 minutes, the visiting clan has the option to add on the lost minutes to next round (if there is one), or keep the score when the round ended as the official round score.

Should the visiting clan decide to restart due to a server crash before the end of the first 15 minutes of play of the round in question, the server must be reset to TFL norms and the match restarted at time zero. The scores from the aborted round are not counted.

Should a server variable be found to be incorrect after the match or after the first 15 minutes of play in the round in question, clans may bring their cases to TFL in the form of a dispute. For the most part if a variable is noticed to be incorrect after 15 minutes of play in the round in question, TFL may view this as your acceptance of the server settings. During pre-match. it is the responsibility of the visiting clan to check if the server is set up correctly.

Clans are encouraged to find a mutually acceptable solution to server crashes, wrong match .cfg, and incorrect variable settings. In the case a mutually acceptable solution can not be reached then the above solution will apply.

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5. Match Play

A. Pre-Match

It is mandatory that all clan contacts meet in IRC 30 minutes prior to your match to contact your opponent to make sure that there are no problems and server info and SourceTV info can be swapped. TFL is located on irc.gamesurge.net, #tfl-tf2. Early contact with your opponent will help avoid and or resolve potential issues.

Clans have 15 minutes after the default time (or the mutually agreed to time) to join the server and start match play. Failure to comply will cost the late clan a forfeit. Under extraordinary circumstances, such as Internet problems due to steam updates for a significant number of players, TFL may allow exceptions to this rule. Clans must have a minimum of six (6) players in 8vs8 matches or a minimum of four (4) players in 6v6 matches to start a match and for that match to be legal in TFL. If a clan cannot field the minimum number of required active members by the end of the 15 minute grace period, the clan will be forced to forfeit the match and will receive as a loss for the match. If neither clan can field the minimum number of players, then the match will be a double forfeit.

Clans who can field the minimum of 6 active members for 8vs8 or the minimum of 4 active members for 6v6 matches must begin match play before the end of the 15 minute grace period for round 1.
There is not a grace period for round 2.
Teams must be prepared to begin round 2 after the 5 - 10 minute break.

By no means is a player allowed to engage the enemy or to go to the enemy's side during set-up time. TFL will not tolerate this unsportsmanlike behavior. The player will be suspended and the match could be overturned at TFL's discretion.

Personal demos are required of all players in TFL matches. Failure to record personal demos can contribute to forfeiture of match.

Random personal demo(s) pulls will be conducted by TFL without warning. Failure to provide your personal demo(s) to TFL with in 24 hours of such request will result in that player(s) being suspended for 2 weeks (First offense).

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B. Playing A Match

TFL has a 2 medic and 2 Engineer limit in the 8v8 division. Please adhere to these restrictions.

CTF maps:
Matches consist of two 31 minute rounds. Winner is determined by the total number of points from both rounds. For example:
Round 1 – Clan A: 4, Clan B: 2
Round 2 – Clan A: 2, Clan B: 3
Winner: Clan A over Clan B, 6-5.

After the first round is completed, clans may take a break of no more than 10 minutes.

CTF Overtime:
If the match is tied after two rounds of 31 minutes: (The definition of a tie is when the sum of both team's score in round 1 and round 2 are equal), then the match will continue as a 31 minute sudden-death round on the hosting clan's choice of server after a 5 minute break to allow for roster changes. FIRST CAP WINS THE MATCH. Should the 3rd round end as a tie, a final match must be played, sudden-death 6vs6 (for 8vs8 matches) or 4v4 (for 6v6 matches) on the same map. FIRST CAP WINS THE MATCH. If the match is still tied after this it will be considered a draw.

CP Maps:
Cp_maps such as - cp_granary or cp_well for example will use the tfl_cp.cfg

CP matches will consist of two, thirty minute rounds. Round one Clan A will be red team and Clan B will be blue team. Round two the clans must swap teams; therefore, Clan A will be blue team and Clan B will be red team. The clan with the highest total cap points (total for both rounds) is the winner. If there is a tie after 2 rounds, an overtime round (timelimit 30 minutes) must be played.
First capture wins. Or if the time limit expires, the clan controlling the majority of points wins the match. OT scores should be reported as 1 - 0 etc.

AD Maps:
ad maps will use the tfl_ad.cfg.

Teams will play one round of Offense each in a match. If tied at end of regulation play, an overtime round must be played. During overtime, each team will play Offense once. The team with the most caps wins the OT. In case there is a tie after the OT rd, the team with the quickest cap will win the OT round. OT scores should be reported as 1 - 0 etc.

All clans need to keep in mind that excessive and unnecessary restarts before rounds to delay your opponent can result in forfeiture of the match.

Only clan leaders and league admins are allowed to use mm1 during a match. Excessive mm1 spamming may result in a forfeit of the rounds, suspensions of players involved, in question. Treating your opponent in an unsportsmanlike manner will be dealt with appropriately. It is advisable to NOT respond to clans doing so, but to play the match to completion and then dispute the round in question.

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C. Post Match

To report a match, the winning Clan MUST submit the results no later than 24 hours after the start of their match. Failure to do so will results in a double forfeit for both teams. If there is a problem with submitting your results on the website, contact an Admin before Friday night at 9:30pm est.

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D. Forfeits

TFL will not tolerate forfeits due to the lack of available players by any clan actively participating in TFL-Sanctioned Matches. By joining this League, your team has committed to arrive and compete with at least the minimum number of players per League requirements.

However, we recognize that sometimes things do not go as planned. Out of respect to your opponents, your team is expected to provide notice whenever possible if your team is unable to meet their match commitment.

If you are aware that your clan will be short of players for your scheduled match, it is your responsibility to notify your Division Admin and your opponent’s contact of your intention of forfeiting a match due to lack of available players. Failure to do so will be classified as a No-Contact Forfeit, and your team will be subject to sanctions. If your clan notifies your Division Admin 1 hour before the scheduled match, your team may not be sanctioned.

Forfeits are defined as:

Any clan that fails to arrive in a timely manner with the minimum number of players (8v8: 6 | 9v9: 7 | 6v6: 4) or refuses to play using the minimum number of required players for a TFL-Sanctioned match. Overtime/Sudden Death rounds are inclusive. See the Overtime/Sudden Death Rounds section for further detail.

No-Contact Forfeits are defined as:

Any clan that fails to make contact with their opponent and Division Admin and/or fails to show for an officially scheduled TFL match/round.

Sanctions in regard to Forfeited matches are as follows:

First Offense: One Week Team Suspension and a .0625 deduction from end of season "Win %" points.

Second Offense: Two Week Team Suspension, if previous offense is within an 8 week timeframe and a .1250 deduction from end of season "Win %" points.

Third Offense: Team will be set to inactive until they prove to TFL they can field a team and will serve a minimum of 3 week team suspension (which ever is longer) if previous offense is within an 8 week time frame. Also a .0625 point deduction (for each match missed during the 3 week suspension or for the amount of matches missed due to the clan's inability to prove to TFL they clan regualrly field a team) from end of season "Win %" points.

Fourth Offense: Subject to review by TFL Staff, if previous offense is within an 8 week timeframe. Will likely result in expulsion from TFL.

TFL Admins may, under certain circumstances, vary the sanctions for contact and/or non contact forfeits as they deem necessary on a case-by-case basis.

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E. Contacting Admins Before Matches

If you have a question for an Admin before the match begins type in ".admin" in the #tfl-tf2 or #TFLeague IRC channel. If an Admin does not answer your channel message please private message the Division Admin for your division, TF2 League Admin (Necron99), Senior Operations Admin (MD44), TFL League Admin (bcr), in that order if no reply, for urgent matters.

6. Clan Placement/Divisions

A. Clan Placement

When applying for TF2 8vs8 or TF2 6v6, clans may request which division to be placed in, but the league has final say in where a clan will start. Divisions 1 and 2 will be for TF2 8vs8 and divisions 3 and 4 will be for TF2 6v6. Factors used to determine clan placement include, but are not limited to the team's league experience, roster composition, individual player skills, and reputation.

On your application please state in the comment section if you wish to play 8vs8 or 6v6.

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B. Changing Divisions

TFL encourages clans to strive to reach the next level. With that in mind, the following will apply to clans moving between divisions in TFL:

Movement to a Higher Division
If a clan wins the title match of their division, they must successfully defend the title in their next two (2) matches. If the clan accomplishes this, they will be moved to a higher division. In addition, if a clan achieves a record of plus six (6) wins over .500, they will be moved to a higher division.

Movement to a Lower Division
If a clan achieves a record of minus six (6) loses below .500, they will be moved to a lower division. In addition, if a clan has a streak of six (6) loses, they will be moved to a lower division.

The Admins reserve the right to move a clan between divisions at any time.

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7. Clan Operations

A. Clan Roster/Member SteamID

Each clan will be required to maintain a complete and accurate clan roster on the TFL Site. Leaders who have access to the Clan Management function will be able to maintain this roster. Each Clan will also have to provide a current list of SteamID's of all members playing on their roster. This information is used for tracking and various other details available to League Admins.

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B. Roster Violations

Non-Match Violation

Any clan found to have an inaccurate or incomplete clan roster will be placed on suspension till one or both violations are resolved to the satisfaction of your Division Admin.

Clans may seek their opponent’s permission to play a new recruit in a match. Once permission is given, no dispute involving said player would be accepted as it pertains to this section. Logs will suffice as proof of said permission upon request by any TFL Admin. Admins do not have the power to Add/Remove members from rosters once they are locked from 12:00AM on Wednesday until 12:00AM on Thursday. The TF2 Division Admin reserves the right to refuse to add any late additions to rosters for ANY reason. It is a request, not a process. Do not request to use a recruit that is still listed on their old team's TFL TF2 roster.

Match Violation

A non-rostered player is defined as a player of a clan who is not listed in any form on the TFL roster page of the clan in question. Any clan found to have a non-rostered player in a match would be subject to a thorough investigation. Upon completion of said investigation, the Division Admin will hand down a ruling based on the results of the investigation.

If a clan can prove that the non-rostered player is in fact apart of their clan, only the round or rounds in which the non-rostered player played in will be forfeited. Proof of this can and will consist of logs from a previous organized league match such as CAL/STA/IGL/OGL, in which said player is shown in the match. Excessive violations of this rule will constitute increased resolutions including but not limited to 2-week suspension and or removal from the league.
If a clan cannot prove that the non-rostered player is a part of their clan, that clan will be subject to TFL’s Ringer Rule.

A mis-rostered player is defined as a player who has a SteamID entered incorrectly, but can be verified as the player in question through TFC databases, server logs, ip lookups, or other resources. A mis-rostered player is different than a non-rostered player. Clans found guilty of having and or using a mis-rostered player in an official TFL match, will run the risk of having said match and or round(s) forfeited in which the mis-rostered player in question was used. Admins reserve the right to determine said course of action.

Using a player banned from the TFL for any reason will invoke the same penalties as using a ringer.

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C. Conduct with TFL Admins

To put this in plain English, the TFL staff will be courteous to you when attempting to resolve a dispute or perform their duties. Please extend this same courtesy back to them. Failure to do so may incur undesirable consequences, including removal from TFL.

Refusals to provide requested logs, demos, screenshots, or other files and failure to respond to emails and other methods of communication, are grounds for suspension or removal.

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D: Sportsmanship

Poor sportsmanship is defined as follows:

Abusive, disruptive and offensive general conduct & language during TFL-sanctioned matches, Official TFL, IRC channels, and TFL match write-ups.

Those clans and individuals that choose to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct will be subject to IMMEDIATE sanctions pending review by league officials ranging from a warning to removal from the League. Clans and individuals removed from TFL will be required to resubmit their registration to the League Director for reconsideration.

Admins reserve the right to determine what is and what is not offensive.

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E. Player Removals

The normal procedure for removing/adding players either prior to/after the TFL rosters lock is by way of the Clan Captains (Clan Leadership), as it is their responsibility to manage their team's roster efficiently in TFL. Failure of Clan Leadership to remove a player from his/her TFL Roster after the player has provided sufficient notice will result in a one week suspension for the offending clan, subject to Division Admins' discretion. Further incidents will incur more severe sanctions.

If a player claims that he/she has requested to be removed from a given roster and has not been removed by his/her Clan Leadership, the following rules apply to ensure player removals are performed by the Clan Leadership in a timely manner, as well as ensuring the Clan is not abandoned by the player at the last minute. In order for the player to be removed by the TF2 Division Admin the player must complete the following procedure:

1. The player must give notice the Clan Leadership that he/she wishes to be removed from the roster.
2. Email his/her Clan Leadership (See Clan Contacts Page) and carbon-copy (CC:) his/her Division Admin of his/her request to be removed from their roster. Please include name and your STEAM ID. It is also encouraged to CC: the new Clan Leadership as well.

These steps must be completed and received by TFL Staff no later than three days prior to the next match (The Monday, by midnight, prior to your next scheduled match). Failure to do so will result in the player's ID remaining on his original team's roster until the TFL rosters unlock. Your Division Admin will intervene on the Player's behalf ONLY if the above tasks are performed as outlined above.

The reason we require players to email their requests for removal is to provide a paper trail that demonstrates that the player in question isn't abandoning the clan at the last minute. This is also proof for the player and TFL that reasonable notice (Minimum of 3 days before match day) was provided to Clan Leadership, so we can hold clan leadership accountable as well.

IRC Logs are not under any circumstances acceptable as the above required documentation.

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F. Requested Byes & Requested Leave

In general, we grant requested byes or temporary requested leave in so far as possible. TFL reserves the right to implement the following even if prizes are not being awarded for this season. Due to the possibility of clans taking advantage of loop holes we have implemented the following rules:

Starting Jan 06, 08, a %.0625 penalty will be given for each Requested Bye your clan takes. Example: If between today and the end of the season your clan takes 3 Requested Byes your clan will be penalized a total of 0.1875 (3 x .0625) points from your end of the season "Win %" points.

For Requested Stays of Inactivity a %.0625 penalty will be given for each match your clan misses during your inactivity. Example: If your clan requests to go inactive tomorrow and your inactivity makes you miss 4 matches, your clan will be penalized a total of .2500 (4 x .0625) points from your end of the season "Win %" points.

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8. Cheating

TFL has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy on cheating of any kind. If a suspicion of cheating has been brought to the Admin's attention he will spot-check that team in game. Personal demos, Sourcetv demos, and server logs may be requested by TFL. It is in all of our best interest to not accuse a clan of cheating openly or the likelihood of the Admin finding a cheat the following week will be slim. In addition to these spot checks, TFL will randomly spot check game in progress every once in awhile to ensure that everything looks okay.

Make no mistake this league will not hesitate to deal with cheating clans in the most drastic of manners. Please consider carefully the members you recruit and consider implementing spot checks periodically on your members in practices/pre-matches to ensure that your team is cheat free. If TFL determines to our satisfaction that your clan has a history of recruiting or having members who cheat, your clan will be removed from TFL. TFL Admins has final authority on what determines a "cheating history" on a case by case basis.
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A. Hooks/Wrappers

A. Hooks/Wrappers

Hooks or OpenGL Wrappers with the following features are banned from league play:
Speedometers
Pogo-Style Jump/Bhop Assist

Any player found using these features will be banned and the match may be overturned.

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B. Ringers/Multi-clanning

TFL will not tolerate any kind of "ringers" or "multi-clanning" within TFL.

RINGERS:
That is to say, Any TFL clan who plays a TFL match with a player who is not on their official team's roster will be considered a "ringer." (with the exception defined in the previous section)

Clans using ringers, or lending out ringers, and/or using a multi-clanner with in TFL will forfeit affected match or matches, have their rankings reset, forfeit any title or prizes the clan may hold or would have been awarded, and will be removed from TFL.

MULTI-CLANNING:
Any player on two or more official TFL team rosters within the same styles of play (ie: two 8v clans, two Highlander clans, or 2 6v clans) will be considered "multi-clanning.

At this time, TFL will not have a multi-league, multi-clanning rule. For example, you will be able to play in TFL 8v8, TFL Highlander, or TFL 6v for Clan Z and play in another league (ie:STA, UGC, CEVO) for Clan AA.

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C. Other

Exploits: Exploits used in a malicious manor to gain and place an unfair advantage over your opponent in any map used and played with in TFL will be grounds for an automatic forfeit and a two week suspension. Also, any instance of a medic using an exploit to create a permanent Uber is cheating, and will be treated as such. TFL will not tolerate exploiting the game physics in any way.

This rule can and does extend to TFL's Sportsmanship rule. It also, can, and will be treated as if it were one in the same. TFL reserves the right to determine the extent of this and any violation of this rule. Proof of such intentions and or act's must be in the form of a demo and log and brought to the immediate attention of your Division Admin.

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9. Disputes

A. Submitting A Dispute

Should there be any kind of dispute between Clans, you must submit the dispute using the website interface on the TF2 site: http://tf2.tfleague.com
The Dispute admins and/or Division Admin will then look over both sides, and make a decision based on the grievance before them. To aid in this decision, clans should provide as much evidence (personal demos, server logs, sourcetv demos, screen shots) as possible. If, for what ever reason the "Submit Dispute" link is not operating contact a Dispute Admin in IRC, #TFLeague and email the dispute along with all evidence to that Dispute Admin. If a Dispute Admin is not available you can contact a TF2 Division Admin. Timestamps which pin point actions you are concerned about must be provided with all demos. To aid in the rendering of a decision of a dispute, please have at least one member of your clan submit a personal demo of a TFL match. Without at least a demo and timestamps, disputes may not be heard by TFL.

All disputes must be filed before the dispute time limit expires. The current dispute time limit is 6 days from the end of the match. Disputes that involve cheating are not affected by this time limit.

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B. Resolving A Dispute

All disputes will be resolved in a timely manor or until such time that TFL Admins are satisfied that the proper decision has been made. If more time is needed, both clans involved will have the decision sent to them via email. Should the decision not be satisfactory, clans have the right to appeal any decision made in the following order:

Division Admin (Flux), TF2 Senior Admin (Necron99), Senior Operations Admin (MD44), League Admin (bcr).

Any decision made by the League Admin is final.

Disputes will be resolved with consideration of both the letter of the law, as well as the intent. Although we have written rules to typify the standards which we expect from the players of TFL, the administration can and will use their best judgment to determine what the original intent was when the rule was created. We support the values of fairness, honesty, integrity, and sportsmanship. It is these principles, which we will use to determine the outcome of every dispute. If more time is needed to ensure that the aforementioned values are upheld, then our Admins will take such time to ensure that each dispute is handled with fairness and integrity to all parties involved.

(last edited 11/28/07)

10. Rule Updates

It is your responsibility to periodically check for updates on this page. TFL reserves the right to make changes, add or remove rules governing this League at any time without notice to anyone, written or otherwise.

We will attempt to date the latest revision on each section and sub-section page. This may not always be entirely accurate, but we will make a "good faith" effort to ensure that the dates are current. In addition, rule changes are typically announced on the news page at http://tf2.tfleague.com.

(last edited 11/28/07)

11. Miscellanea and Summation

Following are various rules that are commonly asked or are important enough to be mentioned again.

1.) SourceTV demo links must be provided within 24 hours to your opposition, and remain active until the dispute time limit expires.
2.) Personal demos are required to be recorded and kept for 2 weeks.
3.) Server logs/Personal Demos/SourceTV Demos are to be provided on request to TFL staff. If due to RL situations (leaving for work, school) you can not provide the items requested right then, you will be given 24 hours from the time of the request to submit all requested items to TFL
4.) Being rude or abusive to TFL staff will be dealt with in a grave manner.

(last edited 11/28/07)

Account and Password sharing

Login-Sharing" is defined as giving out the username/e-mail and password associated with your STEAM Account to a third-party to whom the STEAM account does not belong. This is a violation of Steam's subscriber agreement.

ALL parties caught sharing accounts on or after May 20, 2006 will be removed from TFL and added to our banlist as follows:

1. Login-sharing with a currently banned player is a permanently bannable offense for the PROVIDER regardless of the situation in which the login-sharing occurs, and ALL IDs of the provider will be banned. "I didn't know it was a banned player" is no excuse. Any logins that can be shown to have been used by a banned player prior to May 20, 2006 will be placed on the ban list as compromised, however the previous owner of that login will not be banned personally.

2. Login-sharing with a non-banned player in a league that has policies against login-sharing is illegal if the login-sharing was used to allow a non-rostered player to participate in a match. This will result in a 6 month ban for BOTH the PROVIDER of the ID as well as the USER/receiver of the ID. However, ALL parties, both the provider and recipient, caught sharing accounts in this manner in TFL matches after May 20, 2006 will be suspended for six months.

3. Login-sharing with a non-banned player in order for the recipient to participate in a match in a league that does not regulate login-sharing will result in a 3 month Suspension for BOTH the PROVIDER of the ID as well as the USER/receiver of the ID.

The sale, transfer, or gift of steamids to a friend or family member is not a bannable offense, although it DOES violate Steam's subscriber agreement. If you still choose to hand your account information to a third party, it is in your best interest to notify the leagues in which you play that you have given away that STEAMID and no longer have access to it. TFL reserves the right to disallow use of Steam IDs which were transfered (gifted, sold, or loaned) to another player(s).

May these rules be incentive NEVER to share your login with ANYONE, and NEVER to accept or use the login information of another player. If you are unsure of the security of your account, we advise you to change your password.

(last edited 11/28/07)

Disclaimer

Cash/Prize Awards:

TFL reserves the right to delay the official announcement of the qualified winner for a minimum of 15 days and a maximum of 30 days. If needed, this delay will provide TFL ample time to verify matches and clan records. If it is determined that a team has violated any of TFL's Team Fortress TF2 rules (i.e. but not limited to: cheating, sportsmanship, forfeits, inactivity, etc.) during Season 1, ALL prizes that the team would have earned will be FORFEITED and will be awarded to the qualifying clan next in rankings. Please refer to TFL's TF2 rule section.

All prizes must be claimed by the clan's official TFL TF2 League contact within 30 days of TFL's official announcement of the winner. TFL reserves the right to solely distribute money winnings ($1000.00) thru PayPal transfer(s). It will be the winning clan's responsibility to acquire PayPal so the transfer(s) will be possible. TFL is not responsible for any fees PayPal may charge for said tranfer(s). TFL is not and cannot be held responsible for taxable issues concerning your winnings. If so required, you are responsible for reporting you winnings to your government's tax department.

Vent and Game Server Awards:

To the qualified winner of TFL's TF2 League Season One, TFL will provide a 14 slot vent server and a private 18 slot TF2 game server for use with no charge for one year. TFL reserves the right to present this as a package or as individual servers. The qualified winning clan understands and accepts the following conditions:

The qualified winning clan will adhere to the hosting company's "Condition of Use" policies and or any other policy the hosting company may require. TFL cannot be held responsible if you lose the vent server and or TF2 game server due to violations of any policy mentioned above or due to violation of any policy the hosting company may have which TFL may not be aware of.