Rulebook: Teamfight Tactics

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 two-day, single-weekend tournament. Matchups depend on the number of participating teams.
- Saturday (Day 1):
  - 10:00 AM EDT: Team Check-in opens. All teams must check-in by 10:45 AM EDT.
  - 11:00 AM EDT: Matches begin with new rounds approx. every 30-40 min
- Sunday (Day 2):
  - 10:00 AM EDT: Remaining teams check-in.
  - 11:00 AM EDT: Matches begin with new rounds approx. every 30-40 min
Format:
- <8 participating teams:
  - Round Robin with every team playing every other team
  - Rounds 1-4 are played on Day 1. Rounds 5-7 are played on Day 2
  - All matches played as Best-of-1
- >8 teams:
  - Day 1: Swiss System matching (pairing teams of equal record) for 5 rounds. Played in Best-of-1 format
  - Day 2: Top 4 teams advance to Semi-finals and Finals. Played in Best-of-3 format
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: Teams of 4 players will compete in custom lobbies against opposing teams. Teams will earn points based on their collective performance in each match.
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:
1. All players participating must have an active North American League of Legends account in good standing displayed on their tournament interface profile.
2. Only registered team members playing under their main account are allowed to play for a team.
3. There is no further restriction of players on a team (e.g. requirement to work for the same company)
Team Roster: Match roster of 4. You may register up to 6 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: Normal TFT Game (8 players per lobby).
Server: North America (NA) Server.
Match Winner: Two teams of 4 players will participate in the same 8-player lobby. While all players compete individually for placement, their individual scores will contribute to their team’s overall score for that game.
- 1st place = 9 points, 2nd place = 7 points, 3rd place = 6 points, 4th place = 5 points, 5th place = 4 points, 6th place = 3 points, 7th place = 2 points, 8th place = 1 point
- The team with the highest total accumulated points from their four players in a single game wins that game.
Tie-Beakers: In the event of a tie in total team points for a match, the tie will be broken by:
1. The team with the highest placing individual player.
2. If still tied, the next highest placing individual player, and so on.
3. If still tied after comparing all individual placements, the higher seed team will advance.
Lobbies: The team captain designated as the “host” for the round (determined by bracket seeding or mutual agreement) is responsible for creating a custom Normal TFT game lobby and ensuring all 8 players (4 from each competing team) are in the lobby. The lobby password will be shared via Discord.
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 10 minutes of announced round time start results in an automatic loss. Teams with two or more forfeits without reasonable cause may be removed from the tournament.

IV. Technical Issues

In-Game Issues (Player Side): Teamfight Tactics games cannot be paused once begun. Players experiencing individual hardware malfunctions or physical disruptions (e.g., equipment failure, power outage) should notify their teammates and the Game Lead via Discord. The game will continue.
Pre-Game Restarts (Game of Record): A player may call for a restart of the game prior to Game of Record (GOR) being established. The player must be experiencing a hardware malfunction or a physical disruption and must declare “RESTART” in all-chat. The Game Lead should be contacted immediately.
- Game of Record (GOR): TFT games will be treated as GORs at Stage 2-1. Once GOR is established, game restarts will only be allowed with CEA admin approval under exceptional circumstances.
Game Server Crash/Server-Wide Connection Issue: In the event of a game server crash or a server-wide connection issue affecting multiple players or the entire lobby, the game will be voided regardless of outcome. The Game Lead should be contacted immediately and will determine next steps, including potential replaying of the game or match.
The Game Lead may also void the outcome of a game in the event of exceptional circumstances not covered by these terms.

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.

If a player sincerely believes that their opponent violates the CEA’s Conduct & Sportsmanship rules, please follow this step-by-step process:
- Take screenshots or make a desktop recording of the behavior in question.
- Contact your Team Captain and present your evidence to them.
- Your Team Captain should then contact the Game Lead via Discord and make the case clear to them.
- The Game Lead and the CEA team will then decide what action needs to be taken, if any.
The CEA investigates thoroughly all claims of cheating. If the CEA determines that a player deliberately and knowingly violated rules set out by the CEA, the game publisher, or game platform in order to achieve an in-game advantage, that player will be removed from all CEA events for the remainder of the season. In addition:
- All games in which the cheating player participated will be marked as a loss for the cheating player’s team.
- Other penalties will be applied as appropriate, up to and including disqualification of the entire team from the tournament.

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]