Rulebook: EA FC

Last modified: July 2nd, 2025

These rules are subject to change and interpretation at the Tournament Organizer’s discretion. If rules should change, all captains will be notified accordingly.

The Handbook’s General Rules apply to all CEA games, please read them first! However, any direct contradictions mentioned in this game-specific rulebook take precedence.

I. Event Structure

Schedule: This is a single-day tournament.
- 10:00 AM PDT: Player Check-in opens. All players must check-in by 10:45 AM PDT.
- 11:00 AM PDT: Tournament bracket officially begins with rounds starting approx. every 20 minutes
- Winner ceremony at approximately 1:30pm PDT
Registration: The event donation pool contribution is $40.00 per team. Registrations are possible until start of player check-in. Donation pool contributions are optional but encouraged. Message [email protected] if you prefer not to contribute.
Tournament Format: Depending on number of participating teams
- <8: Round Robin with every team playing every other team. Max 7 Rounds.
- >8 teams: Swiss System matching (pairing teams of equal record) for 5 rounds followed by Semifinals (1v4 and 2v3) and Finals
Prizes: 75% of donation pool contributions are allocated to charities of winning teams’ choice (60%/30%/10% for 1st/2nd/3rd place). The remaining 25% are allocated towards growing the Corporate Charity Championship series.

II. Team Rules Overview

Player Eligibility: Only registered players are allowed to play in the tournament. There is no restriction on players on a team.
Team Roster: Match roster of 2. You may register up to 3 players and substitute between matches.

III. Match Rules

Game Version: All players must have their game up to date with the latest patch.
Game Mode: 2 vs 2, Kick-Off Mode, Best of 1
Game Settings:
1. Match Length: 6 minutes per half (12 minutes total game time).
2. Game Speed: Normal
3. Difficulty: Legendary
4. Camera Setting: Default
5. Ball Type: Default
6. Injuries: On
7. Home Team: First named team in matchup listing.
8. Teams: Home team has choice of choosing club or national team. Away team is expected to match selection.
Platform: PC, PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S. Cross-play will be enabled.
Server: North America (NA) Server.
Match Winner: The team with the higher score at the end of the match is declared the winner earning 3 points for their team.
Tie-Beakers (in case of playoffs):
1. If a match is tied after regulation time, Extra Time (2 periods of 15 minutes in-game) will be played.
2. If the match remains tied after Extra Time, a Penalty Shootout will determine the winner.
Lobbies: The Home team will be responsible for creating the private match lobby for the match and sharing its information to their opponents.
Score Reporting: Scores are to be reported by the winning team to the Game Lead in the CEA Discord and the corresponding event channel.
Forfeits: Failure to show up for a given match within 5 minutes of announced round time start results in an automatic 0-3 loss. Teams with two or more forfeits without reasonable cause may be removed from the tournament.

IV. Technical Issues

Stoppage of Play

Technical Issues: If a player experiences a hardware malfunction (e.g., controller issue), physical disruption, or game configuration problem, they should immediately pause the game and notify their opponent and the Game Lead. The Game Lead will assess the situation.
Game Server Crash/Connection Issue: In the event of a game server crash or widespread connection issue, the match will be voided. The Game Lead will determine next steps, including potential replaying of the match.
Pauses: Players may pause the game only for technical issues or a brief comfort break (maximum 1 minute). Abuse of pausing (pausing to disrupt opponent or gain unfair advantage) will result in penalties, potentially including a forfeit.
Total Pause Time: Total pause time should not exceed 3 minutes per game, unless extended by mutual agreement of both players and Game Lead approval.

Game of Record

A game of record (“GOR”) refers to a game where both players have loaded and which has progressed to a point of meaningful interaction. Prior to this point, if a serious issue has occurred, players should pause the game and contact the designated Game Lead. Once a game attains GOR status, the game will be considered “official.” After the establishment of GOR, game restarts will be allowed only with Game Lead approval.

V. Misc

Conduct and Sportsmanship

Players are expected to exhibit good sportsmanship at all times.
Any disrespectful, offensive, or racist expressions towards opponents, administrators, or staff will result in immediate disqualification and potential future bans from CEA events.
Bad language or threats against staff or other players will lead to instant disqualification.

Additional Notes

Tournament matches may be streamed or recorded for promotional purposes. Participants agree to this upon registration.
Individuals are entitled to steam or record their own personal matches, given permission from the opposing player.

Contact Information

Discord Server: discord.gg/cea (for tournament announcements and support)
Email Contact: [email protected]