Official Rulebook of the

North American Open

Presented by the American Premier League

FOREWORD

The code of rules herein governs a participants’ in-game conduct when participating in an official game hosted by the North American Open (henceforth referred to as “the Open”), or the American Premier League (henceforth referred to as the “APL” or the “League”), in addition to the expectations of a participants’ conduct outside of an official game and in association with the Open.

The Rulebook contains the information required for staff members and participants of the Open and the APL to ensure they understand, in its entirety, the code of rules within. By participating in the Open and the APL, you are agreeing to abide by the contents within.

Table of Contents

Code of Conduct……………………………………………………...4

Article 1: Gameplay Rules and Regulations…………………….5

  1. Section A: Cheating/Hacking/Exploits in Gameplay
  2. Section B: Punishments for Infractions Against Section A
  3. Section C: Balancing/Community Rules and Implementation
  4. Section D: Punishments for Infractions Against Section C

Article 2: Roster Management……………………………………..10

  1. Section A: Roster Submission and Team Management
  2. Section B: Punishments for Infractions Against Section A

Article 3: Broadcasting and Streaming………………………….11

  1. Section A: Rules for Broadcasting and Streaming
  2. Section B: Punishments for Infractions Against Section A

Article 4: Disciplinary Review Committee………………………13

  1. Section A: Process of the DRC
  2. Section B: Statute of Limitations

Article 5: Default Times for Gameplay…………………………..16

  1. Section A: List of Default Times for All Regions

Article 6: Schedule…………………………………………………..17

  1. Section A: Important Dates
  2. Section B: Scheduling

Article 7: Tournament Format……………………………………..18

  1. Section A: Regular Season
  2. Section B: Promotion & Regulation
  3. Section C: Playoff Qualification & Standings
  4. Section D: Playoffs

Article 8: Registration & Participation…………………………..21

  1. Section A: Team Registration
  2. Section B: Player Registration
  3. Section C: Player Participation

Code of Conduct

All players, Team Managers, Team Representatives, members of staff and anyone involved in the League will be held to our Code of Conduct.

The APL will not permit toxic, racist, offensive, or derogatory language or conduct towards anyone participating in APL events (this includes in-game names). No team, member of a team, or staff member will conduct themselves in an unprofessional manner. Public humiliation of teams, players, or staff will be punished as the APL sees fit.

Teams will be notified of such occurrences. Staff will be working closely with Team Managers & Team Representatives to resolve the matter.

Depending on the severity of the toxic behavior, the first infraction will lead to a warning. The second will result in disqualification from the Open. If the infraction is deemed to be overwhelmingly negative, the first infraction punishment will be skipped.

By agreeing to participate in the Open and the APL, you agree to our Code of Conduct.

Article 1: Gameplay Rules and Regulations

Section A: Cheating/Hacking/Exploits in Gameplay

  1. Cheating is a deliberate attempt to gain an advantage that the game does not intend or support. The APL does not permit teams or individuals to gain an unreasonable advantage in gameplay. These advantages include but are not limited to:

  • Usage of external software to offer enhancements to a player’s ability
  • Usage of external software to alter the normal behavior/configuration of HLL as intended
  • Modifications to Vivox, Easy Anti Cheat, or Steam
  • Clear and deliberate attempt to collude or bribe Staff to gain an unfair advantage/ruling

Common examples of cheating include (but are not limited to):

  • Player/Personal Cheating (advantages gained by a single player)
  • Aim assistance
  • Wallhacks/ESP
  • Speed Enhancement
  • Unlimited Ammunition/No Reloading
  • Flying or Levitation
  • Admin Cam Abuse

  • Team Sponsored Cheating (advantages gained by an entire team)
  • DDosing attacks on a used server
  • Collusion or bribing League Officials to gain an unfair advantage/ruling

Not all cheats/hacks can be currently known, as providers and usage constantly update. If the APL discovers something that is not listed currently, but is deemed to provide an unfair advantage, the league will take action to outlaw/punish such behavior

  1. Glitching is opportunistically taking advantage of a random occurrence in game due to a flaw in the game’s code to gain an advantage over the enemy. Exploiting is repeatedly taking advantage of a non-random occurrence in game due to a flaw in the game’s code to gain an advantage over the enemy. Glitching and Exploitation will always somewhat occur in competitive HLL. Some exploits are critical to success in gameplay as some common instances of HLL do not naturally occur in the real world. We aim to outlaw the occurrences that give a player or team an unfair advantage over their opponents. These glitches and exploits include but are not limited to:

  • Map exploits causing a player, spawn point, or team asset to be immune from incoming fire, destruction, or disabling
  • A player colliding to enclose himself within a structure/ground/map asset to where he cannot be identified or engaged
  • A garrison or outpost being placed in an elevated or inaccessible location to avoid being taken down
  • A vehicle or buildable structure positioned in an enclosure or in a way that it cannot be engaged or taken down

  • Spawn exploits where players can spawn on specific spawn points not meant for their specific in-game character
  • Recon OP glitch
  • Unknown/undiscovered spawn glitches

  • Exploits to gain movement/height advantages not normally experienced in gameplay
  • Fish Flinger/player boosting
  • Using speed to ignore barriers/walls
  • Players levitating or gaining altitude without standing on something

  1. It is impossible to know every possible exploit or cheat within any game. League staff will exercise the right of discretion. Situations and occurrences that happen outside of the rulebook will be investigated to understand the advantages they provide. If something new is found to provide an unfair advantage like the situations above, it will be outlawed with possible retroactive punishment administered under a statute of limitations of one (1) week.

Section B: Punishments for Infractions Against Section A

  1. We start with the disclaimer that all players and teams are innocent until proven guilty. APL staff will conduct investigations with evidence provided to us as outlined in Article 4, or if we observe the behavior ourselves in streams or casts. If our investigation results in a guilty verdict, the following punishments will be provided to the players/teams involved as confidentially as possible.

  1. If any player or players are caught using cheats/hacks as outlined in Rule 01, they will be disqualified from the APL. Teams housing such players will forfeit the match that the cheating occurred in with a score of 0-5.

  1. If any team is caught cheating, colluding, or bribing as outlined in Rule 01, they will be disqualified from the APL. All matches played up to that point will be retroactively forfeited with a score of 0-5.

  1. If any player or players are caught using glitches or exploits as outlined in Rule 02, the first occurrence will result in a single or multiple game ban. The second occurrence will result in disqualification from the APL. Teams housing such players will forfeit the match the glitching or exploiting occurred in with a score of 0-5.

Section C: Other In-Game Rules

  1. The Open shall be implementing the one artillery player rule, which is as follows:
  1. One designated artillery player (DAP) is permitted to use one designated artillery gun (DAG).
  2. The DAP will be the first player to record a kill with an artillery gun
  3. The DAP may not:
  1. Be injured or killed by the opposition
  2. Be impeded in any way by the opposition. The APL reserves the right to punish any player/team who are proven to have violated the spirit of this rule even if it’s not written within this Rulebook
  3. Leave their DAG
  4. Kill or injure an opposing player with anything other than the DAG
  5. Use any artillery gun other than the DAG
  1. Loaders are not permitted
  2. Nodes are protected & may not be destroyed or dismantled by the opposition
  1. Nodes shall be built in the HQ column (A/J or 1/10)
  1. The DAP will record their gameplay and submit their unedited footage
  1. The length of the video must not be less than the length of the actual match
  2. An unlisted Youtube link or video file must be submitted to the teams’ private channel in the APL Discord server
  1. A new DAP may be assigned should the previous DAP disconnect from the server and 5 minutes have passed
  1. The Panther is not permitted to be used by any team in any official Open match
  1. The spawning of a Panther will not be punished
  2. The Panther shall not be moved beyond the HQ column (A/J or 1/10)
  3. No opposing player shall be killed by any weapon of the Panther or the vehicle itself, nor any enemy structure or vehicle destroyed or disabled

Section D: Punishments for Infractions Against Section C

  1. The HLL Log Scripts tool will be implemented on all tournament servers
  2. Unauthorized use of the Panther as outlined above in Section C 02, will result in:
  1. The entire tank crew being punished (killed) in-game, as well as seven (7) additional teammates being punished (killed)
  2. The team that used the Panther will receive one warning, beyond that, any further usage of the Panther will see teams awarded an 0-5 loss
  1. Should the DAP be killed by an opposing player
  1. That player will be punished (killed) along with nine (9) additional teammates if HLL tools is installed
  1. Should the DAP leave the DAG or use any firearm other than the DAG, will result in:
  1. The DAP being punished (killed) along with nine (9) additional teammates if HLL tools is installed
  1. Any interference with the DAP or DAG by the opposition will result in an initial warning and further instances will see teams awarded an 0-5 loss 
  2. The destruction of an opposing team's nodes shall see the destroying team receive one warning. Any additional instances will see the team awarded an 0-5 loss

Article 2: Roster Management

Section A: Roster Management and Submission

  1. Team Registration will officially be closed on January 12th, at 23:59.

  1. Initial Roster submissions are due January 24th, 2024 at 23:59 regardless of when a teams first match is scheduled. Initial Rosters must have a minimum of thirty-six (36) players. There is no maximum. Rosters must contain in-game names and Steam64 IDs for every player.

  1. Rosters can be edited each week before a team's next game. If edits are being made to a roster, the roster must be submitted twenty-four (24) hours before a team’s next game. This submitted roster will be “locked-in” until the conclusion of the next game.
  1. Ex: If your game is scheduled for February 3rd at 21:00, your roster will be locked-in by February 2nd at 21:00
  2. The only exception to this is for Week One, where Rosters will be submitted by January 24th
  3. If no updated roster is submitted twenty-four (24) hours before a team’s next game, it will be assumed that there are no changes to a team’s roster
  4. This applies to a team’s tournament roster, not a team’s game roster

  1. Rosters will be unlocked following the conclusion of a team’s previous game

  1. Players are only permitted to be on a single roster and are not permitted to play for different teams in the same season.
  1. This includes a player leaving one team and joining another competing team

  1. Accounts with VAC bans up to 2 years (730 days) from the start date of the tournament (January 26th, 2024) are not allowed to participate in the Open. Accounts with VAC bans older than that are permitted.

  1. Any player/steam account created less than one-hundred and twenty (120) days before January 26th, 2024 will not be eligible to participate.

  1. Players participating in any game must have their Steam64 IDs match the IDs included on the team’s most updated roster

  1. Each player must have their teams’ tags included in either their Steam name or via the in-game clan tag option.

  1. All tournament matches will be played on middle ground or North American hosted servers.

  1. Any teams from outside of North America will play on servers closest to their teams region
  1. EU vs NA teams will play on US East servers
  2. NA vs OCE will play on Japanese or US West servers
  3. EU vs OCE will play on US West servers
  4. EU vs EU will play on an EU server
  5. OCE vs OCE will play on an OCE Server

  1. Server stats will be provided to Team Reps after the match’s conclusion. The hosting team must make that information available. The player stats will only be posted in the private match thread.

  1. All teams are expected to be on time for their match. Teams will be given a maximum of 10 minutes after the agreed match start time to have their players on the server and ready to go. Once 10 minutes have passed, the map will be flipped & the match will commence.

  1. Should a team not be fielding a full team at the time of map flip and the commencement of the match, a team is not obligated to lower their player count to match the team with less players.

Section B: Punishments for Infractions Against Section A

  1. If a team has a player on the field that is not on their roster, or is on another roster under a separate team, both teams will be subject to a 3 strike penalty system. The penalties are as follows:
  1. First Infraction: A written warning to Team Managers/Team Reps
  2. Second Infraction: Forfeiture of all games with a score of 0-5 that the player participated in & the player’s disqualification from the Open
  3. Third Infraction: Team disqualification from the Open

  1. If a team fields a player with a VAC ban of 2 years (730 days) or fewer, the player will be disqualified from the tournament and the team will forfeit any match the player participated in with a score of 0-5. 

  1. If an account created less than one-hundred and twenty (120) days before July 8 participates in a match, the player will be disqualified from the tournament and the team will be subject to the 3 strike penalty system:
  1. First Infraction: A written warning to Team Managers/Team Reps
  2. Second Infraction: Forfeiture of any game the player(s) participated in with a score of 0-5
  3. Third Infraction: Disqualification from the Open
  1. If a player’s SteamID does not match the SteamID on the team’s roster, that player may be kicked from the server by the Admin if discovered anytime during the game. In addition, the player/team will be subject to the 3 strike penalty system as outlined in Rule 01 above.

  1. In a situation where a team isn’t fully present and accounted for at the 10 minute late map flip, those teams are still permitted to have players enter the match to fill their team size. The penalty for not being on time is simply starting the match down the amount of players that you do not have ready to go.

Article 3: Broadcasting and Streaming

Section A: Rules for Broadcasting and Streaming

  1. Broadcasting is defined as streaming the match from an elevated point of view to an audience at large. Streaming is when that is done from a participating player’s point of view.

  1. Broadcasters must stream with either a 15 or 30 minute delay, whichever is agreed upon by the teams participating. Streamers must follow the same delay as the broadcasters.

  1. Broadcasters must have their command and squad voice comm volume turned to 0% to preserve competitive integrity

  1. Broadcasters are not permitted to use pings on the map. This could give away enemy locations to the team they are casting from.

  1. Broadcasters are not permitted to communicate anything that would give the team they are casting from an advantage. The only types of communication that are permitted from broadcasters are as follows

  • What time is the map flip
  • What squad they should join
  • GLHF or GG style messages
  • Fun stream related content

Section B: Punishments for Infractions Against Section A

  1. If a broadcaster or streamer is caught without using a delay, the first infraction will result in a single game ban. The second infraction will result in disqualification from the APL

  1. If a broadcaster does not have their voice comm volume turned down to 0% they will suffer a single game ban on the first infraction. The second infraction is disqualification from the APL

  1. If a broadcaster is using pings on the map, unintentionally helping the team they are casting from, they are subject to a single game ban. If it is intentional or a second time offense, they will be disqualified from the APL.

  1. If a broadcaster is caught communicating with teams outside of what is specified above, the caster is subject to a written warning for a first offense. A single or multiple game ban for the second offense. If a caster is intentionally communicating with the team he is broadcasting from to give them an advantage, they will be disqualified from the APL

Article 4: Disciplinary Review Committee

Section A: Process of the DRC

  1. In order to keep accusations of infractions confidential, and direct to League Officials, we have implemented a ticketing system in the APL Discord called the Disciplinary Review Area. This is a direct communications outlet for teams to submit the infractions committed in APL matches with corresponding evidence. Any ticket submitted will receive attention from League Officials, the standard procedure to use this system will be outlined in this Section.

  1. Any ticket submitted to the DRC requires evidence. Claims against teams without evidence will simply be thrown out. The information needed in a DRC ticket is as follows,

  • The infraction being committed
  • The opponent committing the infraction
  • Time and date of the match
  • Video evidence of the incident (can be from the caster’s stream or caught on a player’s recording)

  1. Teams will have a maximum of 36 hours after a match’s conclusion to submit a ticket into the Disciplinary Review Area.

Section B: Statute of Limitations

  1. Once a ticket is received, the DRC will begin an investigation with the evidence provided in the ticket. Teams that are accused are innocent until proven guilty.

  1. Investigations can only have 3 outcomes, they are as follows

  • Innocent without suspicion
  • Innocent with suspicion
  • Guilty

  1. If a team or player is found innocent without suspicion, they will not be notified of the ticket, and the situation will end there

  1. If a team or player is found innocent with suspicion, then the team being investigated will be notified of our findings. No punishment will be administered, but they will be notified that they are about to cross the line.

  1. If a team or player is found guilty, then the team being investigated will be notified of our findings. Proper punishment as outlined in the rulebook will be administered.

  1. If a team that’s being investigated has evidence proving that they are innocent of the infractions they are being accused of, then they can submit an appeal with the evidence in the DRC ticket. These must be submitted within 12 hours of our notification.

  1. All DRC investigations will be concluded before the next week’s matchups begin. Teams can not retroactively submit a ticket after the 36 hour window has closed.

Article 5: Default Times for Gameplay

Section A: Default Times for All Regions

  1. Teams have the freedom to determine their match time. Matches can be held from Friday to Sunday.

  1. Teams from different regions are invited to play in the Open, therefore there will be default times for matchups to be played based on the regions they are from. Default times are only in effect if teams are unable or unwilling to agree to a time. Once the disagreement becomes the league’s issue, default times will be enforced.

  1. The default times are as follows. They are in EST since Daylight Savings will not be in effect at the start of our Season.

  • NA and NA Teams: Saturdays 20:00 EST/01:00 UTC
  • NA and EU Teams: Sundays 14:00 EST/20:00 CET
  • NA and Asian Teams: Saturdays 23:00 EST/ 11:00 CST
  • NA and OCE Teams: Saturdays 22:00 EST/ 12:00 AEST
  • EU and Asian Teams: Saturdays 15:00 CEST/ 21:00 CET
  • EU and OCE Teams: Saturdays 14:00 CEST/ 22:00 AEST
  • NA and SA Teams: Saturdays 20:00 EST/ 21:00 BRT
  • EU and SA Teams: Saturdays 20:00 CEST/ 15:00 BRT
  • SA and Asian Teams: Saturdays 23:00 BRT/ 10:00 CST
  • SA and OCE Teams: Saturdays 22:00 BRT/ 11:00 AEST

Article 6: Schedule

Section A: Important Dates

  1. The tournament’s opening day is January 26th, 2024
  2. The regular season will be five (5) weeks. The playoffs will run for three (3) weeks
  3. The final day of the tournament will be January 26th, 2024
  1. The Championship Game will be hosted on March 17th
  1. Initial rosters shall be submitted by January 24th. Rosters are locked-in until the conclusion of a team’s Week One matchup.

Section B: Scheduling

  1. The schedule for the season will be released at least three (3) weeks before opening day
  1. The Open will be utilizing the Map Ban bot, this Discord bot allows competing teams to take turns banning different maps and sides, until one map & side is remaining
  2. Teams will coordinate with their opponents to determine the day & time that the match will be played via the appropriate match channel within the APL Discord
  1. Should teams be unable to reach an agreement in terms of scheduling a match, the default times shall be followed as listed above in Article 5 Section A
  2. Each week will start on the Friday and end on the Sunday of each week
  1. Ex: Week One will run from January 26th, 2024 - January 28th, 2024. Week Two: February 2nd - February 4th, 2024 etc
  1. Teams have until the Tuesday of the match week to complete their map ban phase and schedule the match
  1. Ex: All games for Week One (beginning January 26th) must be scheduled and submitted by January 23rd. Games for Week Two (beginning February 2nd) must be scheduled and map ban completed by January 30th.
  2. Unless otherwise approved by the tournament staff, any match not scheduled with the tournament by the due date will be automatically scheduled per the default date & time listed above

Article 7: Tournament Format

Section A: Regular Season

  1. For our 2024 season, there will be 16 teams composing 3 divisions
  1. Two divisions will have 5 teams and one division will have 6 teams
  1. Teams will be seeded in these divisions based on their known competitive experience, previous results, roster composition, and participation in other tournaments
  2. Each division will play a match against each team in their division. The top 2 divisions will have a bye week for each team, while the 3rd division will have no bye weeks.
  3. The regular season will consist of 5 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of Playoffs
  4. Map Ban
  1. We will be utilizing the Map Ban bot for our 2024 season
  2. This bot allows teams to ban both maps and sides (Axis + Allies) until one single map and side is remaining

Section C: Playoff Qualification & Standings

  1. The top 4 placing teams in each group will qualify for the playoffs
  2. Placement in the Standings will be sorted by the following, in this order:
  1. Victories
  2. Head-to-head record
  3. Capture differential

Section D: Playoffs

  1. The playoffs will occur over a two (2) week period beginning March 1st & concluding on March 10th
  2. Playoffs will include two (2) rounds: Semifinals and the Championship Game. With a divisional play-in game being played afterwards.
  3. The top 4 teams of each division will make the playoffs, with the 1st seed playing the 4th, and the 2nd playing the 3rd.

Article 8: Registration & Participation

Section A: Team Registration

  1. Team Registration Deadline is January 12th, 2024
  2. Each team intending to compete in the Open must register via the registration form found through the Discord server
  3. A “team” may consist of two (or more) different clans/communities forming an alliance to compete together

Section B: Player Registration

  1. Each team must have every player intending to participate in the Open be included in the roster submitted by the team
  2. No player participating in the Open may have a VAC ban within the last two (2) years. Game Bans may also be subject to investigation within the last two (2) years
  1. Each player registered for the Open will be vetted by tournament staff to help ensure a fair competition is held
  2. The tournament reserves the right to refuse any player entry into the tournament based on findings of any players history that tournament staff feels may have a negative impact on the performance & fairness of the competition
  1. Any player/steam account created less than one-hundred and twenty (120) days before January 26th, 2024 will not be eligible to participate
  2. A team must have a minimum of thirty-six (36) players registered by the Roster Submission Deadline

Section C: Player Participation

  1. Each players’ participation will be logged via Steam IDs and tracked throughout the course of the season
  2. Players may register for only one team during a season
  1. Should a player leave a team and join another competing team, they will not be permitted to play for that second team during that season
  1. Players must be wearing their team’s tags during all tournament matches
  1. Whether this is in a player’s Steam name or the in-game tag option is the choice of each team