League Format

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• Structure: Round Robin – every team will play each other once.

• After teams play their 15 weekly matches a final tournament will be played

• No player participating in the 2026 UCS official league will be allowed with the exception of players that qualified thru Challenger's Rise

• Match Days: All matches are static and will be played on Saturdays at [set time, e.g. 8:00 PM EST until 11 PM EST] (you can approach the admin if you need a diffrent time). 

• Match Format: All matches are Best-of-3 (Bo3).

• Standings: Teams are ranked by Win Rate (WR).

• Main roster must be 5 players from the NA region, with the exception of those that qualify thru Challenger's Rise

• Seeding will go by who has more points in the table, if they have a tie a coinflip will put on place

• NO active UCS player of Pokémon Unite League can participate at all (with the exception of subs, which are limited to 3 UCS appearances) 

• Tiebreakers:
   

  1. Head-to-Head result (the winner of the direct match between the tied teams places higher).
      

  2. If more than two teams are tied and head-to-head does not resolve it, additional admin ruling or tiebreaker matches may be scheduled.

  3. Scored Points (surrender is not allowed because of this reason)

 

Scheduling

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• All league matches will be played on Saturdays at the scheduled time (e.g., 8 PM EST).
   

• Teams must be ready to play on time. Failure to show within 15 minutes of the scheduled start results in a forfeit for that match.
   

• Reschedules are only allowed with prior admin approval and must be requested at least 24 hours in advance.
   

• If technical issues occur, teams must immediately notify the admins via the official Discord Server (Unite Academy Tournament Nexus). Admins will determine whether a restart, reschedule, or continuation is appropriate.

 

Roster Rules

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• At least 3 of the original qualifier players must remain on the team roster for the league season and 2 roster changes will be allowed during the mid season
   

• Teams are allowed a maximum of 2 sub

• Substitutes can be swapped in and out as needed throughout the week.
   

• All players, including substitutes, must be members of the EX Frontier League server. and all participants must be on a VC within the server to make sure there is no match fixing)

 

Match Setup

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• Mode: Custom Lobby → (Tournament Mode) → UCS MAP
   

• Team Size: 5v5.
   

• The home team (or designated lobby host) must ensure correct settings before starting the match.
   

• Lobby side selection:
   

  • The team higher in the league standings chooses their side (Blue/Orange), losing team picks the next side

  • If both teams are tied in the standings, a coin flip will determine which team chooses their side.

  • Surrender is not allowed

  • If teams are tied after all the tie breaker checks, points scored will be the next factor for seeding
     

• Both captains must confirm readiness before the match starts.
   

• Any match that starts with incorrect settings must be restarted with admin approval.

 

Game Rules

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1. Emblems are not allowed.
    

2. There are no restrictions on held items, battle items, or holowear.
    

3. Players must use their accounts that are members of the UA Tournament Nexus server.
    

4. New Pokémon Rule: Any Pokémon released within 7 days before the match is banned. If TiMi disables a Pokémon in-game, it is automatically banned from the league.
    

5. Account Names: Players are not allowed to change their in-game names without consulting the admins first.

Communication Rules

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• All official communications regarding matches, scheduling, disputes, or substitutes must take place in the EX Frontier League server.
   

• Communications outside of the server (e.g., Discord DMs, other platforms) are not valid for rulings or dispute resolution.
   

• Teams must notify admins immediately of any issues, including technical problems, disconnects, or player changes.

 

Disconnects & Restarts

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• If a disconnect happens before 9:00 → game may be restarted once with TO approval

• After 9:00 → match continues unless both captains agree to restart

• Intentional disconnects = forfeit

 

Sportsmanship & Fair Play

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• Cheating, harassment, stream sniping, or exploiting bugs/glitches is prohibited

• Tournament staff may issue warnings, game losses, or disqualifications if rules are broken

 

Spectators & Streaming

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• No spectators allowed (only the admins and the observer can join your lobby)

• Players are allowed to stream their games

 

Reporting Results

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• The winning team captain is responsible for reporting the match result in the UA Tournament Nexus server immediately after the match ends.
   

• Teams are strongly encouraged to provide a screenshot of the results screen to prevent disputes.
   

• If there is a disagreement about the result, teams must submit proof (screenshot or video) and notify admins right away.
   

• Admins have the final authority in resolving disputed results.

 

Admin Authority

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Admins have the final say during disputes

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If a team drops out of the league it will be replaced with a new one

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Teams that drop out of the league will be backlisted for future leagues and the members will have to appeal to participate in future leagues.