I. Introduction

This official handbook (the “Handbook,” “Rules,” or “Official Rules”) serves as the primary governing document for all elements of the U18 Esports Call of Duty League and applies to all Teams, Players, Coaches, Team Owners, Partnered Teams, or any other affiliates or persons participating in any element of the Program (each a “Participant” and collectively the “Participants”).

This Handbook will govern all aspects and competitive elements of the Program, including Online Events, LAN Events, Free for All Events, and any other events or activities related to the Program as described in this Handbook.

A. Applicability

This Handbook is in addition to provisions provided in the Activision Blizzard Terms of Service, privacy policy, and other applicable agreements associated with ownership of an Activision account or participation in the Program.

All Participants are required to read, understand, and agree to the Handbook prior to gaining eligibility to participate in the Program.

Should this Handbook conflict with the stipulations laid forth in the Terms of Service, privacy policy, or any other applicable agreements, this Handbook will govern as the primary source for rules and regulations related to the U18 Esports Call of Duty League.

B. Changes

The Administration, as defined in Section II and Section III, may add to, alter, change, or otherwise modify this Handbook, either in portions or in its entirety, at any time and without advance notice to Participants.

II. Terms and Definitions

Administration: U18 Esports and its League Operations Management Partners, including Zonedout Gaming League (ZGL), will handle the administrative powers and responsibilities for all competitions in the Program. ZGL will manage league and tournament operations, staffing, and administrative tasks throughout the season. Any other third parties involved in administering competitions will do so at the discretion of U18 Esports and ZGL.

Coach: Any person registered for any element of the Program as a Coach. Coaches are non-Player Participants who are permitted to communicate with Players during Matches.

Game: A competition within a Match usually consists of a single round of play.

LAN Event: A tournament or event where players are connected via a local area network (LAN) within a shared physical space.

Match: A series of Games in which Teams compete until a designated majority of Game wins is achieved (e.g., Best of 3, Best of 5).

Online Event: A tournament or event where players participate via an online connection, playing from their own provided location and equipment.

Participant: Any person or entity competing or participating in any element of the overall Program. This includes other defined roles, including but not limited to Players and Coaches.

Partnered Team: An entity that has entered into an agreement with U18 Esports to participate as a competitive unit within the Program. Partnered Teams have exclusive rights to lock in players to their roster, compete for U18 points, and automatically qualify for all events.

Player: Any person who has registered for any element of the Program for the purpose of competing.

Team: An entity that consists of a combination of Players (required) and a Coach (optional) for the purposes of competing in any element of the Program.

III. Roles

A. Administration

The U18 Esports Administration, in partnership with Zonedout Gaming League (ZGL) as the League Operations Management Partner, reserves the right to oversee and facilitate all elements of the Program. The Administration serves as the sole decision-making body behind any changes made to the Program.

As the main governing body, the Administration’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Setting and approving dates and locations for all events and competitive elements.
• Deciding the cadence, occurrence, or field of play for all events and competitive elements.
• Selecting and approving any third-party operators for elements of the Program.
• Having the final authority to grant or deny any Participant eligibility in the Program.
• Issuing final judgment on the outcome of all match disputes or tournament contentions.
• Exercising sole power to levy fines and penalties in accordance with the Handbook and Code of Conduct.
• Creating, updating, and maintaining these Official Rules.

In addition to the above responsibilities, the Administration reserves the right to oversee and manage any and all decisions regarding the general operation of the Program.

B. Partnered Teams

The role of Partnered Teams is to benefit the overall Program by expanding the reach of all partners and affiliates through cross-promotion and by helping to grow and nurture the competitive ecosystem for players, from newcomers to top competitors.

Partnered Teams will not receive any competitive advantages and will be treated in the same manner as non-partnered Teams with respect to all competitive elements of the Program. This includes, but is not limited to, being subject to the same rules, paths of progression, qualifications, and competitive standards.

IV. Player Eligibility

The U18 Esports Administration, in conjunction with Zonedout Gaming League (ZGL) and Activision, reserves the right of final approval over any persons seeking eligibility in the Program and may grant or deny eligibility at its discretion.

A. Required Accounts

Activision / Battle.net Accounts

Players must have an Activision ID linked to a Battle.net or console account (PlayStation Network or Xbox Live) that is in good standing. These Rules are in addition to the Activision Terms of Service, the Activision Privacy Policy, and any other policies or terms applicable to the use of Call of Duty in connection with any portion of the competition (“Activision Terms”). Players must be able to access and use their personal Activision ID and associated accounts as they may be required to use them at certain LAN or online events.

The current versions of the Activision Terms are at:

• Activision Terms of Service: https://www.activision.com/legal/terms-of-use
• Activision Privacy Policy: https://www.activision.com/legal/privacy-policy

B. Additional Accounts

Participants are required to own and maintain a U18 Esports Account in order to register, compete, and be eligible for any U18 event, match, or tournament. Players must register through the U18CODLeague.com website to create their U18 Esports Account and participate in any competitive elements of the Program.

While additional accounts may not be mandatory for all U18 events, Participants are strongly encouraged to maintain accounts on platforms specified by U18 Esports for the purposes of event participation and eligibility. This ensures they are prepared for any online or LAN events where additional platforms may be required.

U18 Esports Account

Players must register through the U18CODLeague.com website and maintain an active U18 Esports Account to compete in any official U18 events, matches, or tournaments. Players will not be eligible for competition without a properly registered account.

C. Account Maintenance Requirements

Participation in the Program is contingent on ownership and maintenance of accounts with certain native and third-party entities. In addition to ownership, Participants must maintain the following conditions in order to be eligible for competition:

• Be the sole owner and maintain sole access to the required accounts;
• Required accounts must be considered in “good standing” by the Administration and in accordance with all applicable terms and conditions;
• Players are permitted to own only one (1) of each account; and,
• Players are prohibited from trading, sharing, or otherwise transferring ownership or access to any of their personally owned, required accounts.

D. Age

To compete in the U18 Esports CDL, Participants must meet the following age requirements. Any prospective Player must meet the age requirement on or before the first day of the event they are competing in.

• Minimum Age Requirement: Players must be between the ages of 13–18 years old to compete in any U18 event, match, or tournament.
• Players Under 13: Any Player under the age of 13 must receive prior Administration approval to compete.
• Players Aged 18: If a Player is 18 years old and still a current high school senior, they may compete with Administration approval. The Player must provide proof of high school enrollment for eligibility.

Players who are minors as defined by the laws of their country of residence must have a parent or legal guardian review and consent to these Official Rules before participating in the Program. In addition, the parent or legal guardian must also complete the U18 Esports Parent Consent Forms during the player registration process before the Player is allowed to participate.

E. Names

While the U18 Esports Administration encourages Participants to express their individuality during the Program, certain elements of customization must comply with basic restrictions due to their potential appearance on public channels, including broadcasts.

A Name is any form of identification that Participants may designate for themselves during their participation in the Program, including but not limited to team names, player names, or aliases.

Participants are prohibited from choosing a Name that could be considered vulgar, discriminatory, denigrating, or otherwise inappropriate. For example, Names may not include:

• Obscene or suggestive language;
• The name of a corporation, company, sponsor, product, or service (unless authorized by U18 Administration);
• References to U18 Esports, KAOS Esports, Zonedout Gaming League (ZGL), or any shorthand of the aforementioned.

The U18 Esports Administration reserves the right to deny the use of any Participant-submitted Name for use in any element of the Program.

V. Competition Eligibility

A. Team Competitions

Teams are defined as a roster made up of four (4) Players (required) and one (1) Coach (optional) that participate together in team competitions within the Program.

Participants are prohibited from competing on more than one (1) Team within a single competition.

B. Solo Competitions

Solo Competitions require Participants to compete as an individual. Participants are eligible to compete in Solo Competitions without joining or owning a Team.

VI. Code of Conduct

A. General Philosophy

All Participants are expected to exercise courtesy, professionalism, and respect while participating in the Program. All Participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which reflects positively on their Team or Organization, the Program, Administration, affiliates, members of the press, and any other Participants, affiliates, or fans of the Program. Failure to comply with this philosophy may result in suspension or exclusion from the Program.

This Code of Conduct applies to all Participants, and all Participants are expected to adhere to these standards, including when not participating in official Program events.

In addition to this Code of Conduct, all Participants are expected to follow applicable local, state, federal, and country laws. Violations of this Code of Conduct, either suspected by or made known to the Administration, will be investigated, and appropriate action will be taken in accordance with this Handbook.

If a Participant becomes the subject of public disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule or behaves in a manner that, in the sole judgment of Administration, reflects unfavorably upon the Administration, Competition, Tournament Organizer, tournament, or any of their products, such act(s) or omission(s) shall constitute a violation of these Official Rules, and Administration shall, in addition to any other rights and remedies available to it hereunder, have the right to remove a Participant from any tournament or suspend the Participant from entry into any future online or live tournament or event.

B. Reporting

All Participants are required to immediately report any violation of the Code of Conduct using an Administration-approved channel. Examples of an Administration-approved channel can include physically reporting violations to an Administration official at a LAN Event, support systems designated by the Administration as they are related to Online Events, or electronic communication by means of email. Failure to report a violation may lead to disciplinary action.

C. Cheating

The Administration understands that it has an obligation to facilitate a level playing field for all competitors. Competing fairly and to the best of your ability is important towards fostering a healthy competitive environment, and the Administration is committed to ensuring the facilitation of fair competition throughout the duration of the Program and beyond.

Any form of cheating, whether intentional or not, by any Participant is strictly prohibited. Participants are required and expected to maintain cognizance of these Official Rules, and any form of cheating or violation of these rules, or the spirit of these rules, either intentionally or unintentionally, will result in penalties in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

All Participants are prohibited from influencing or manipulating a Game or Match so that the outcome is determined by anything other than fair and reasonable play. Examples of Cheating include, but are not limited to:

• Collusion: An arrangement or agreement made between multiple Participants with the intention of manipulating the results of gameplay outside of reasonable play; forming an agreement to adhere to rules outside the bounds of the required Gameplay Rules; negotiating the distribution of prize money and/or any other compensation with a third party; intentionally losing a Game or Match, altering performance for any other reason, or attempting to induce other Participants to do so; signaling, by sending or receiving any type of message in order to gain an advantage; or any form of match-fixing.
• Hacking: Using any cheats, hacks, or other third-party “helper” applications, or the modification of game code or files beyond the intended use of standard game options while competing in any element of the Program for the purpose of gaining an unfair competitive advantage.
• Exploiting: Committing an intentional abuse of in-game mechanics outside the scope of normal gameplay, including abusing any known exploits in the game.
• Network Abuse: Intentionally delaying or slowing gameplay, including but not limited to stalling, disconnecting network cables, interruption of network connectivity, or any other known or unknown manner of tampering with gameplay.
• Spectator Monitors: Attempting to view gameplay feed from any source outside of a Participant’s personal monitor or screen, including opponent’s monitors, spectator displays, etc.

D. Heightened Competitive Integrity Measures

The Administration may require additional, heightened measures to promote competitive integrity. Such measures may include but are not limited to installing and maintaining supplemental software (e.g., “anti-cheat”); submitting system logs; use of video capture hardware, or other measures as deemed necessary by Administration. Should the Administration deem additional measures necessary, each Participant must comply with the reasonable instructions from the Administration in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

E. Betting and Gambling

In the interest of preserving the integrity of the Program, any form of betting or gambling on any official activity is strictly prohibited. Participants will not be permitted to partake in any gambling activity as it relates to the Program in any capacity.

Participants are not permitted to offer inside information, influence, or in any way participate in betting or gambling either through direct or indirect participation.

The public promotion of any betting or gambling related to any competitive element of the Program is strictly prohibited.

F. Bribery

Participants are prohibited from directly or indirectly requesting or accepting a gift for services promised or rendered in connection with Games, Matches, or any other element of the Program.

G. Anti-Harassment

While the Administration acknowledges that competition can bring about passionate and spirited interactions, Participants are expected to treat their opponents, members of the Administration, fans, and all additional staff and personnel of Teams or the Administration with respect.

Participants are prohibited from engaging in or using language that disparages a person’s race, gender, sexual orientation, color, age, nationality, disability, religion, or any other characteristic or status protected by law or engaging in physical altercations.

H. Non-Disparagement

While the Administration will always value constructive criticism and feedback in relation to the Program and encourages Participants to express their opinions in a professional manner, disparagement and harassment will not be tolerated.

Participants are prohibited from using language or otherwise communicating to any person, public forum, or entity in a way that would be considered disparaging or slanderous in connection with the Administration, the Program, or any associates or affiliates of the Administration.

I. Treatment of League Officials

League officials, including members or representatives of the Administration, Referees, or any other associates or affiliates of the Administration, are to be treated with respect and Participants are expected to comply with their reasonable requests.

Participants are prohibited from engaging in the use of language or other communication that may be considered demeaning, harassment, denigrating or otherwise unacceptable behavior deemed as such by the Administration in its sole discretion.

J. Sportsmanship

Participants of the Program will be held to a high standard of behavior, communication, and action. Participants are expected to represent the Program in a professional and courteous manner and are strictly prohibited from engaging in communication or actions that could be considered vulgar, toxic, antagonistic, inflammatory, threatening, or generally misrepresent the Administration in relation to the Program at any time.

Examples of prohibited behavior include:

• Hate speech or discriminatory behavior
• Violent or physical aggression or behavior
• Threats
• Sexual harassment of any kind
• Racist or sexist words, phrases, or gestures
• Extreme profanity
• Any “sound-alike” or “look-alike” words or phrases that reference these topics
• Any other type of conduct deemed inappropriate at the discretion of the Administration or tournament organizer

K. Ringing

Ringing is defined as the action of participating in any competitive element of the Program under the unapproved guise of another Player’s identity by any means. At all points in the Program, Players are required to participate using their own personal and required accounts or aliases.

Participants are strictly prohibited from participating in any competitive element of the Program while using any Required or Additional Accounts outside of their own personal and assigned account(s).

L. Account Sharing

Participants are prohibited from any action that could be considered Account Sharing, defined as the act of using any account or profile that does not belong to them for the purposes of bypassing competition restrictions or for use in content creation.

M. Profanity / Vulgar Speech / Gestures

Participants are strictly prohibited from using language that would be considered excessively profane, vulgar, demeaning, discriminatory, or otherwise unacceptable as deemed by the Administration in its sole discretion.

Participants are strictly prohibited from engaging in physical gestures that may be considered offensive, inflammatory, or otherwise unacceptable as deemed by the Administration in its sole discretion on or off official broadcasts or personal channels.

N. Confidentiality

The Administration may at times share sensitive or confidential information with Participants. The sharing or distribution of confidential information or material given to Participants by the Administration, either intentionally or unintentionally, is strictly prohibited.

O. Non-Compliance

Participants are required to comply with the reasonable instructions given to them by the Administration, including Referees, representatives of the Administration and all auxiliary associates or affiliates of the Administration. Failure to comply with instructions levied by the Administration or its designated representatives may result in penalties.

P. In-Game Behavior

Participants must adhere to professional standards and represent themselves, their Team or organization, and the Administration in a positive light on broadcast, on streams, and in-game.

VII. Disciplinary Actions & Penalties

Disciplinary Actions

U18 Esports is committed to fostering a fair and safe environment for all Participants. While ideally, penalties would not be required, they are necessary to maintain the integrity of the League and the safety and well-being of Participants. U18 Esports will investigate and evaluate alleged offenses, considering the context, reach, and impact, even if outside the standard scope of the League.

The Administration reserves the final right to levy punishments deemed appropriate to protect the integrity of the League. The penalties listed below are guidelines and may include additional penalties as deemed necessary.

Appeals Process

If U18 Esports decides to impose a penalty, the affected party can appeal by following the procedure outlined here. Appeals apply to penalties listed in this section and do not apply to in-game or intra-tournament penalties like match forfeiture or disqualification.

• Appeals must be submitted within 72 hours of the official notice of the penalty. Failure to do so results in the acceptance of the penalty.
• U18 Esports will review the appeal and issue a final ruling within seven (7) days. The ruling may result in the reversal, amendment, or upholding of the penalty.
• Once a final decision has been made, no further appeals will be accepted.

Reporting

Failure to Report

Minimum Penalty: Warning
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Cheating

Purposely playing poorly (“Throwing”)

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Non-Sanctioned Rules Agreement

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Match Fixing

Minimum Penalty: Permanent Ban

Cheating or Foul Play

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Permanent Ban

Hacking

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Permanent Ban

Exploiting or Abuse of In-Game Mechanics

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Attempting to View Spectator Monitors

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Network Abuse

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Betting and Gambling

Participation in Betting or Gambling

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Permanent Ban

Promotion of Gambling or Gambling Services

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Bribery

Participation in Bribery

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Permanent Ban

Failure to Report Bribery

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Anti-Harassment

Harassment

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Physical Harassment

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Permanent Ban

Hate Speech

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Permanent Ban

Non-Disparagement

Disparagement

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Severe Disparagement

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Permanent Ban

Treatment of League Officials

Mistreatment of League Officials

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Severe Mistreatment of League Officials

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Permanent Ban

Sportsmanship

General Misconduct

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Social Media Misconduct

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

On-Broadcast Misconduct

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Ringing

Ringing

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Account Sharing

Account Sharing

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Profanity / Vulgar Speech / Gestures

Egregious Profanity

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Offensive Gestures

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Vulgarity

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Confidentiality

Violation of Confidentiality

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Non-Compliance

Failure to Comply with Instructions

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Refusal to Participate in Media Activities

Minimum Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Indefinite Suspension

Criminal Conduct

Any player convicted of a crime will be permanently banned.

VIII. League Rules

Match Scheduling and Rescheduling Policy

League-Scheduled Matches: All league matches will be pre-scheduled by the league to take place on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 8:00 PM EST.

Streaming: Matches will be streamed either on the official league channel or by an approved caster.

Team-Hosted Streams: Teams may also arrange for matches to be streamed by a caster of their choice, provided both teams mutually agree to this arrangement.

Rescheduling Matches:
If a match needs to be rescheduled to a different date or time, teams must receive league admin approval at least 4 hours before the originally scheduled match time (approval must be granted in advance—requests made within the 4-hour window may be denied).

Match Timing and Forfeit Rules

Pre-Match Readiness

• Teams must have all players in the lobby within 20 minutes of the scheduled match time or the match will be forfeited.
• Teams are encouraged to begin vetoes before match start time.
• Example: For an 8:00 PM EST match, all players must be ready in the lobby by 8:20 PM EST.

Map Transition Timing

• Teams have 5 minutes between maps.
• Exceeding this time may result in a map forfeit.

Hosting Matches & Map Vetoes

CDL Competitive Settings:
https://callofdutyleague.com/en-us/competitive-settings#items

Tie-Breakers

How do tiebreakers work in the U18 Call of Duty League?

If two or more Teams are tied in qualifier or regular season standings, ties will be broken in the following order:

• Head to Head Match Win Percentage (skipped if all Teams have not played each other)
• Head to Head Game Win Percentage (skipped if all Teams have not played each other)
• Overall Match Win Percentage
• Overall Game Win Percentage
• Tiebreaker Match

Open Bracket Qualifiers

How do Open Bracket Qualifiers work in the U18 Call of Duty League?

Streaming and Monitoring Requirements

Player Streaming

• All PC players are required to stream their matches.
• If both teams mutually agree before the match:
  • Players may be exempt from streaming.
  • Teams may agree on a limited number of required streamers.
• All live streams must include a 30-second delay.
• Failure to comply may result in a forfeit.
• Teams must coordinate streams at least 24 hours in advance.

Monitor Cams

• If requested by the opposing team, * with reason * players must use a monitor cam.
• Refusal to comply results in the player being benched for the tournament.
• Requests must be submitted to an official U18 admin.

Additional Rules and Policies

Lagging / Disconnection Issues

Lagging

• Matches must be completed even if lag occurs.
• Players experiencing lag should capture video proof.
• Multiple submissions are recommended if lag is severe.
• Leaving due to lag may result in a forfeit.

Disconnection Procedures

Hardpoint

• If no team has reached 100 points, the map is fully reset.
• If 100+ points are reached, the map resumes from current status.

Search & Destroy

• Current round must be completed.
• Lobby is reset afterward and resumes correct round count.

Overload

• Current round must be completed.
• Lobby is reset afterward and resumes correct round count.

Streaks

• If a player disconnects while opponent has an active streak → round is forfeited.
• If both teams have identical streaks → streaks cancel out.

Glitches and Exploits

Glitch Usage

Results in forfeit of the round. Examples include:

• Planting/defusing through objects
• Wall exploits
• Out-of-bounds locations
• Object concealment
• Unintended visibility spots
• Unnatural rooftop access

Class Glitching

• Unintended attachments/loadouts may result in replay or map forfeit.

PC Reset Requests

• Only permitted during semifinals or later with admin approval.

Game-Altering Bugs

Minor Bug

Minimal impact. Teams must continue playing.

Major Bug

Significant competitive impact → Map restart at U18 Administration discretion.

No-Shows / Match Delays

• Teams have 20 minutes from match time to be in lobby.
• Teams have 5 minutes between maps.
• Players receive 1 warning for no-show before season ban.

Substitutes

General Substitutions

• Can be used any time.
• Must be admin approved.

Mid-Tournament

• Allowed for medical or major incidents.
• Substitution is permanent for the series.

Emergency Substitutes

• Free Agents may be used if no subs exist.
• Cannot use locked Partnered Team players.

Roster Changes

• Only Team Managers may request roster changes.
• Rosters lock during playoff cycles.
• Free Agents allowed if slot available.

Releasing Players

• Managers must notify admins.

GA’s and Banned Items

• All players must follow CDL ruleset and GA’s.

GA Forfeits

• Hardpoint → Map Forfeit
• SnD → Round Forfeit
• Overload → Round Forfeit

If a GA is broken, contact an admin immediately. Late reports will not be reviewed.

Subject to Change — All policies may be updated at U18 Administration discretion.