Condensed Website Rules for MPL-PH S12

Table of Content

1. TEAM FORMATION

2. TOURNAMENT FORMAT

3. PRIZE

4. SPECIAL AWARDS SCHEDULE

5. DEFINITION OF TERMS

6. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

7. TEAM NAMES AND TEAM LOGOS

8. COMMON RESTRICTIONS

9. GAME RULES

10. VENUE AND COMPETITION AREA LAYOUT, AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS

11. CODE OF CONDUCT

12. SPIRIT OF THE RULES

13. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

TEAM FORMATION

Each Team is required to maintain the following during the entirety of the MPL Season:

1. One (1) General Manager,
2. One (1) Head Coach,
3. Five (5) Players for their starting lineup ("Starters")
4. At least one (1) and a maximum of five (5) substitute Players ("Substitute")

The minimum requirement for each team to legitimately function in the MPL is to maintain at least five (5) starter players and one (1) substitute, along with a manager and coach. Failure to maintain this minimum standard shall subject the team to applicable penalties.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

REGULAR SEASON

1. There are 8 Teams in total for the regular season.
2. Each team will play TWO BO3s with the other seven teams.
3. The ranking of the competition will be determined by points.
4. Winning the BO3 game by 2:0 grants 3 points; Winning the BO3 game by 2:1 grants 2 points; Losing the BO3 game by 1:2 grants 1 point; Losing the BO3 game by 0:2 grants 0 points.

PLAYOFFS

The top six  teams in the Regular Season point rankings will enter the Playoffs. Teams that have qualified from the Regular Season will compete against each other in a fixed order. The Playoffs competition order is set out below and the MPL Operating Committee will notify teams of any adjustments made to this order ahead of time.

1. The 1st ranked team will decide the placement of the 3rd and 4th ranked teams. They will be placed on either Match 1 or Match 2.
   1. The 1st ranked team will be the first to decide their advantage. After they have decided, their choice will be aligned immediately with the rest of the Playoffs-qualified teams.
2. The 3rd ranked team will decide the placement of the 5th and 6th ranked teams. They will be placed on either Match 1 or Match 2.
   1. The 3rd ranked team will be second to decide their advantage, right after being aligned with the choice of the 1st ranked team.

• The deadline for the advantage decision of both teams must be submitted within two (2) days after the last broadcast day of the regular season. The 1st ranked team's deadline would be 11:00 on the second day and the 3rd ranked team's deadline will be right after at 12:00 on the same day.
• Failure to submit their choice on the deadlines stipulated above will be met with a penalization of their choice being randomized by the MPL Operating Committee.

Example:

The final day of the regular season is on Nov. 20.
The 1st ranked team must submit their decision by 11:00 of Nov. 22.
The 3rd ranked team must submit their decision by 12:00 of Nov. 22.

PRIZE

REGULAR SEASON PRIZE

During the Regular Season, every Team shall receive a reward of $170.00 for each match they play (Match Allowance). Also, teams shall have the opportunity to earn prize money based on their performance in each BO3 Match. The total prize for each BO3 Match is $900.00 based on the following formula:

1. if a team wins the Match by 2-0, the winning team shall get $900.00 while the loser gets $0.00;
2. if a team wins the Match by 2-1, the winning team shall get $600.00, and the losing team shall get $300.00.

PLAYOFFS PRIZE

During the Playoffs at the end of the Split, teams shall have the opportunity to earn prize money based on their performance as outlined below.

THE ALL-STAR TEAM

After the regular season concludes, the Top 5 players in each position shall be selected from the participants of the season and will be awarded a $500.00 bonus.

BEST TALENT(EN)

 After the regular season concludes, the MPL Operating Committee will select the best English language caster/analyst and award a $500.00 bonus.

BEST TALENT(PH)

After the regular season concludes, the MPL Operating Committee will select the best Filipino language caster/analyst and award a $500.00 bonus.

REGULAR SEASON MOST VALUABLE PLAYER(MVP)

After the regular season concludes, the MVP will be rated by the MPL Operating Committee and awarded a $1,000.00 bonus.

GRAND FINALS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER(MVP)

After the conclusion of the Grand Finals, the FMVP will be rated by the MPL Operating Committee and awarded a $1,000.00 bonus.

ROOKIE OF THE SEASON

After the regular season concludes, the Rookie of the Season will be rated by the MPL Operating Committee and awarded a $500.00 bonus.

COACH OF THE SEASON

After the regular season concludes, the Coach of the Season will be rated by the MPL Operating Committee and awarded a $500.00 bonus.

SPECIAL AWARDS SCHEDULE

DEFINITION OF TERMS

GAME

An instance of competition on the map designated by MPL that is played until a winner is determined by one of the following methods, whichever occurs first: (a) completion of the final objective (destruction of a base), (b) Team Surrender, (c) Team Disqualification, or (d) MPL Operating Committee deems a team has won.

MATCH

A set of Games that is played until one Team wins a majority of the total Games (e.g., winning two Games out of three ("BO3"); winning three Games out of five ("BO5")). The winning Team will either receive a win tally in a league format or advance to the next round in a tournament format.

SPLIT (a.k.a SEASON)

 There will be [2] splits (i.e. seasons) every year. Each split will consist of two phases:

1. Regular Season;
2. Playoffs

UNINTENTIONAL DISCONNECTION

A Player losing connection to the Game due to problems or issues with the game client, cell phone, network or other devices.

INTENTIONAL DISCONNECTION

A Player losing connection to the Game due to Player's actions (i.e. quitting the Game). Any actions of a Player which lead to a disconnection shall be deemed intentional, regardless of the actual intent of the Player.

SERVER CRASH

All Players losing connection to a Game due to an issue with a game server, Match Server, or venue internet instability.

BUG

Bug is defined as anything that causes an incorrect or abnormal effect in the game, that causes the game stats or hardware to malfunction, present incorrect data, lag or any defects.   

1. General Bug.
   General Bug is defined as hardware malfunction that will affect the player level of play during the competition, incorrect display of stats, game mechanics malfunction but will not heavily influence the outcome of the match.
2. Informed Bug.
   The league will inform all teams about bugs that the league is aware of but will not heavily affect the gameplay of the game before each match. (Such as heroes, in game equipment, animation effects etc. ) These bugs will only be “rectified” via banning of heroes, banning the usage of certain skins or in-game equipment to minimize the effect it has on the gameplay, therefore these bugs will not be an acceptable reason to conduct any rematch, the match will play on. 
3. Hardware Malfunction.
   Hardware malfunction includes server malfunction, hosting PC malfunction, or mobile phone malfunction or any hardware that is being used by the players during the course of the competition. 
4. Critical Bug.
   Critical Bug is defined as bugs that will cause a huge negative effect on any player's ability to perform at a professional competitive level, a huge change in the game stats or game mechanic or will heavily influence the outcome of the match results. Bugs that are outside of this definition will not be deemed as critical bug; or any unforeseen circumstances that do not allow the match to continue. The MPL-PH reserves the final rights of interpretation on what is a critical bug.
5. Terminal Situation.
   Terminal situation is defined as a situation whereby the match cannot continue due to a bug and the match needs to be remade. This includes situation such as (1) Bugs that are not rectifiable by any technical means to resume the game; (2) Bugs that are not rectifiable by any technical means to prevent or removed; includes situation where heroes or skin need to be banned; or (3) any situation that the MPL Operating Committee deems that the match cannot continue, includes change in the physical environment, natural disasters or hardware malfunction.
6. Prompt Reporting.
   Defined as a bug that is noticed by any players (inclusive of hardware malfunction) would require the player to pause the game and inform the MPL official immediately.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

PLAYER AGE

No Player shall be considered eligible to participate in any MPL competitions before having lived 14 full years. This shall not prevent the Teams from signing Free Agents who have not lived 14 full years, granted that they may not participate in an MPL competition until they have lived 14 full years. Players must pass the age of 14, otherwise, they will be considered as 13 years old and be banned from participating in MPL. The player's age will be counted according to the exact birthdate and not their birth year. The Team should submit the original copy of the players’ ID card or passport issued by any official government-released ID to testify the players have reached the age limit for participating in the competition. Any other certifications are invalid. Players without an ID or passport will be asked to provide other legal documents.

TEAM NAMES AND TEAM LOGOS

Teams are not allowed to have the same or similar names and Team logos cannot be similar-looking and must be unique in design. Moreover, Team names and logos must only contain English characters, numbers, single space between words only, plus sign (+), minus sign (-), underline (_) and single quotes (‘’).

For franchises that manage both of their MPL and MDL affiliates, the team names and logos must be visually unique but not entirely dissimilar. This provision also includes MPL and MDL team jerseys as they both must maintain a visually unique distinction from one another.

Example:

Overall Franchise Team - X Esports
MPL Team - X Esports
MDL Team - X Esports Dragon's Watch
The MPL Operating Committee reserve the final right to approve Team names and logos.

PLAYER NAMES

1. Player names must only contain English characters, numbers or single space between words only. The length should be 4 to 12 characters. Player Names cannot contain a sponsor's name.
2. In case of duplicated names, the player should change the name after consulting the authority.
3. Players and Coaches In-Game Nickname must be unique. There cannot be any repetition of In-Game Nickname within the Philippines' official esports ecosystem. Newly registered MPL Philippines Players and coaches cannot register In-Game Nicknames that are the same or similar to previously registered In-Game Nickname.

COMMON RESTRICTIONS

No additional special characters will be allowed for Team names, Logos or Player Names (including underscores, slashes, etc.). Team Names, Logos and Player Names may not contain: vulgarities or obscenities; names related to the hero characters in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang or other similar characters; or other contents that may create confusion.

THIRD-PARTY TOURNAMENTS

In order to unify the uniqueness and value of the MPL-PH, policies are imposed on teams who want to join third-party MLBB tournaments:

1. MPL-PH teams can only apply to join tournaments that have been granted the MPL's approval. Tournaments can apply for third-party tournament approval through this link: https://play.mobilelegends.com/thirdpartytournament/home
2. If a team wants to attend the third-party tournament which is approved by the MPL, the team needs to send an official application for it to the MPL Operating Committee  at least 1 week before the tournament. MPL-PH will still be the priority for teams if any conflict arises between MPL-PH and third-party tournaments.
3. Teams are not allowed to attend the-third party tournaments without official approval.
4. This policy is valid all the time. Even during season/split breaks.

GAME RULES

GAME OF RECORD

A game of record ("GOR") refers to a Game where all ten Players have loaded and which has progressed to a point of meaningful interaction between opposing Teams. Once a Game attains GOR status, the period ends in which incidental restarts may be permitted and a Game will be considered as "official" from that point onward. After the establishment of GOR, Game restarts will be allowed only under limited conditions.  Examples of conditions which establish GOR are as follows:

1. Any attack or ability is landed on minions, jungle creeps, structures, or enemy heroes.
2. Line-of-sight is established between Players on opposing Teams.
3. Setting foot, establishing vision or targeting skillshot ability in an opponent's jungle by either Team, which includes either leaving the river or entering brush connected to enemy jungle.
4. Game timer reaches two minutes (00:02:00).

STOPPAGE OF PLAY

If a Player intentionally disconnects without notifying the MPL Operating Committee or pausing, the MPL Operating Committee is not required to enforce a stoppage. During any pause or stoppage, Players may not leave the Match Area unless authorized by the MPL Operating Committee.

1. Directed Pause.
   The MPL official may order the pause of a Match or execute a pause command on any player station at the sole discretion of the MPL official, at any time.
2. Communication Between Players During a Pause.
   During a game pause, to ensure fair competition, players are not allowed to communicate with each other in any manner about the game or be permitted to leave their seats. Players may communicate with one another provided that their topics do not concern the game at hand. This is to be monitored by the main governing referee listening in on their team communications. Should any player instigate conversations about the game at hand, they will be initially warned by the referee. Should they continue to converse about it after the warning, the incident will be reported to the MPL Operating Committee and they will be penalized accordingly.
   In the event that a pause exceeds the 5 minute mark, the MPL Operating Committee may approve authorized communications between the team about the game. Should the pause exceed the 15 minute mark, the MPL Operating Committee may approve requests for bathroom usage.
3. Man Down
   In line with the lineup submission rules, all players are presumed to be fully capable of playing their games every broadcast day. Should a pause arise from a pre-existing condition from a player without informing tournament officials beforehand, it will be counted as an unreasonable pause and the team will be penalized accordingly.
   For other cases, the following protocol shall be followed.
   During the game:
   Should an illness, injury, or disability develop during the game, the team must immediately inform the referees as soon as possible. Referees may then, at their sole discretion, pause the game in order to evaluate the identified player suffering from an onset affliction. Should referees definitively find nothing wrong with said player, the game will resume and the player's team will be penalized according to the maximum penalty for unreasonable pauses.
   Should referees find the affliction of the identified player to be legitimate, they will then attempt to determine if the player is ready, willing, and able to continue with the game within 5 minutes of the pause.
   If a player requests the continuation of the game despite his current condition, the game may proceed. However, should another pause be caused due to the players' condition, referees will immediately call for the cessation of the game and the player's team will forfeit the game.
   If it is found that the player is truly unable to continue playing, then the player's team shall forfeit the entire game. League Operations will then have medical staff diagnose the player in question. This player, whether or not found to be fit after the diagnosis, will no longer be allowed to continue in their remaining games for that day. The rationale here being that the health and safety of a player are paramount and having them continue with their remaining games may exacerbate their condition, whatever it might be.
   The match will still continue provided that the team has a substitute at the ready. Should there be no substitute available, they will forfeit the entire match. However, at the discretion of the MPL Operating Committee and given the facts of the situation at hand, said match may be subject to a rematch or postponement instead.
   During the Draft:
   Should an illness, injury, or disability develop during the draft, the coach must immediately inform the referees as soon as possible. The draft will be finished and the game will be paused upon loading in. The player in question must then be checked by medical staff and diagnosed. A 15-20 minute timer will be initiated for the diagnosis. The opposing team will be free to leave the stage while this is happening.
   If the player is cleared by the medical staff as capable of playing, the game will continue as normal from where it was paused.
   If, on the other hand, the medical staff still cannot clear the player by the expiration of the 15-20 minute timer, the player in question and their team will lose the game. The player will not be allowed to continue with their remaining games of the day.
   Recording:
   Any player that goes through any of the procedures abovementioned will be recorded on a list for players with pre-existing conditions. Players found on this list will no longer be afforded the protocols abovementioned and will instantly lose games in future matches should they have issues once more regarding their condition. It is each team's responsibility to ensure that all of their players are capable of playing and ensuring their health and safety.
   A player will be removed from the list if they are able to make it through the entire season without incident concerning their condition.
   For clarity, in under no circumstances may a player be substituted once draft has starte
4. Resuming the Game
   After clearance from the MPL Operating Committee is issued and all Players are notified and ready at their stations, which will be contingent on the team captain confirming that both Teams are ready to resume play, the in-client spectators will unpause the Game.
5. Remaking the Game
   Under which conditions can a Game be reset is entirely decided by the MPL official. The following conditions are examples used to illustrate:
   1. Remakes Before GOR.
      The following are examples of situations in which a Game may be remade if GOR has not been established:
      1. If a Player notices that Player's emblems, battle spells or GUI settings have not applied correctly due to a bug between the game lobby and Match, Player can pause the Game to adjust these settings.
      2. If the settings cannot be correctly adjusted, then the Game may be restarted.If the MPL Operating Committee determines that technical difficulties will not allow for the Game to resume as normal (including a Team's ability to be in proper position for certain game events, such as minion spawn).
      3. Should any remakes happen because of the abovementioned situations, the gold and xp lane will not be counted towards keeping the same settings. In whatever way these two lanes randomize in the next game will be taken as is and the game must be played to completion.
   2. Remakes After GOR.
      The following are examples of situations in which a Game may be restarted after GOR has been established.
      1. If a game experiences a critical bug at any point during the Match which significantly alters game stats or gameplay mechanics.
      2. If the MPL Operating Committee determines that there are environmental conditions which are unfair (e.g. excessive noise, fan gank, hostile weather, unacceptable safety risks).
      3. Should a remake happen in this way, the game will start with no settings retained and with new picks and bans entirely. Teams will be given extra time of five (5) minutes to recoup and recount their strategy for the remake.
6. Restart Protocol.
   If a game experiences a critical bug at any point during the Match that significantly alters game stats or gameplay mechanics, or the external environmental conditions become untenable then a restart may occur.
   1. Certain circumstances must be met before a restart may occur. The MPL official must determine that the bug is critical and verifiable. For the bug to be considered critical, the bug must significantly damage a Player's ability to compete in the game situation. The determination of whether the bug has damaged a Player's ability to compete is up to the sole discretion of the MPL official. In order for a bug to be considered verifiable, the bug must be conclusively present and not possibly attributable to Player’s error. The spectator must then be able to replay the instance in question and verify the bug.
   2. If a Player believes she/he has experienced a critical bug, they must pause the Game and alert a referee in a timely fashion. If it is believed that a Player is attempting to delay reporting of a bug to wait for a possible restart at a more advantageous time, then a restart will no longer be granted.
   3. If the MPL official determines that the bug is critical and verifiable and that the Player followed the pause protocol, then the Team experiencing the bug will be presented with the option for a restart. If the Team accepts, officials will attempt to utilize the rules set in this Section to remake the Game.  An exception to this is if the restart occurred due to a hero bug, then settings no longer will be retained (including picks and bans) regardless of Game of Record status and the hero may be made ineligible for at least the remainder of the day's Matches unless the bug can be conclusively tied to a specific game element that can be fully removed (i.e. a skin that can be disabled).
   4. This section is applicable if the pause is directed as per Section ‘Directed Pause’ and does not limit the ability of the MPL Operating Committee to institute a restart.
7. Controlled Environment.
   Certain conditions may be preserved in the event of a restart of a Game that has not reached GOR, including, without limitation, picks/bans or battle spells. If, however, a Match has reached GOR then the MPL official shall not retain any settings. If an incident happens where a hero is banned/picked accidentally due to a serious bug, the game will be restarted. If the bug was resolved, the heroes banned/picked before the happening of the incident will be retained. If the occurrence of the bug was proven to be inevitable, the previously banned/picked heroes will not be retained.
8. Banning of Heroes and Skins.
   If a match restart was caused by a bug related to a specific hero, the settings for the match will not be retained (including the heroes picked/banned) regardless of the game record. The hero will then be banned in the following matches of the day or for a longer time, unless the bug is determined to be fully related to a specific element that can be completely removed from the game (for example, a hero skin bug).
9. Player Confirmation of Settings.
   Each team captain shall verify that every Player on his/her Team has finalized their intended game settings (including emblems, talents, controls, and GUI settings) before GOR is established. Any error in verification is not grounds for a game restart after GOR is established.
   Team captains must also verify that all equipment and phone settings are finalized by all members according to their preference.
10. Discretionary power.
    1. Forced Remake/Restart
       The MPL Operating Committee reserves the right to remake or restart a game, with any match settings to be the same or not, should they believe it necessary to ensure the best interests of the League. This discretionary power cannot be impeded regardless if this provision lacks language for certain rationale.
    2. Win Declaration
       1. At their sole discretion, the MPL Operating Committee shall have the right to reject a remake or restart of a compromised game provided that one team cannot reasonably avoid defeat.
          Example:
          Team B is wiped out and, in that time, Team A can reasonably destroy their base before any of their death timers finish the countdown for their heroes to respawn.
          In this scenario, should there be a full compromise of the game that would require a GOR remake, Team A will be declared the winner instead.
       2. If the game has been played for over 15 minutes (00:15:00), at their sole discretion, the MPL Operating Committee shall have the right to reject a remake or restart of a compromised game provided that one team cannot avoid defeat to a degree of reasonable certainty. Operating Committee have final approval and say on an awarded game victory. The following criteria may be used (but are not required to be used) in the determination of reasonable certainty when two (2) out of three (3) criteria are met:
       • Gold Differential　One team has earned more than 30% of the total gold earned by the other team; or
       • Remaining Turret Differential　The difference in the number of remaining turrets between the teams is at least seven; or
       • Hero Differential　The difference in alive heroes between the teams is at least four with more than 30 seconds of respawn time.

POSTPONEMENT

In the event of a technical difficulty which leads the MPL Operating Committee to declare a restart, they, in their sole discretion, may request a rematch or postponement of the game.

VENUE AND COMPETITION AREA LAYOUT, AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS

STAGE (ONSITE)

The stage onsite is considered the play area where official MPL games are to be conducted. Under no circumstances are other people allowed on stage outside of players of the next/current match and official MPL staff. Certain concessions may be made for other individuals provided that they have been cleared by the MPL Operating Committee.

CROWD CONTROL

Every team is obliged to cooperate with the MPL Operating Committee to actively manage fans on-site and guide fans to watch the match in order. Arranging or assisting (whether intentional or not) fans to disturb the order is strictly prohibited. The team shall be held responsible for consequences caused by the ill management of fans.

CODE OF CONDUCT

COMPETITION CONDUCT

1. Unfair Play.
   The following actions will be considered unfair play and will be subject to penalties at the discretion of the MPL official.
   1. Collusion.
      Collusion is defined as any agreement among two (2) or more Players, Head Coaches, Teams, and/or confederates to disadvantage opposing Players. Collusion includes, but is not limited to, acts such as:
      1. Soft play is defined as any agreement among two (2) or more Players to not damage, impede or otherwise play to a reasonable standard of competition in a Game.
      2. Pre-arranging to split prize money and/or any other form of compensation.
      3. Sending or receiving signals, electronic or otherwise, from a confederate to/from a Player.
      4. Deliberately losing a Game for prize money, or for any other reason, or attempting to induce another Player to do so.
   2. Competitive Integrity.
      Teams are expected to play at their best at all times within any MPL Game, and to avoid any behavior inconsistent with the principles of good sportsmanship, honesty, or fair play. For the sake of clarity, team composition and the pick/ban phase will not be considered when determining whether this rule has been violated.
   3. Hacking.
      Hacking is defined as any modification of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang game client by any Player, Team or person acting on behalf of a Player or a Team.
   4. Exploiting.
      Exploiting is defined as intentionally using any in-game bug to seek an advantage. Exploiting includes, but is not limited to, acts such as: glitches in buying items, glitches in neutral minion interactions, glitches in Heroes ability performance, or any other game function that, in the sole determination of the MPL official, is not functioning as intended.
   5. Spectator Monitors.
      Players who are playing in a Game are not permitted to look at or attempt to look at any screen or device that is displaying an observer level view of that Game (i.e., that is or is capable of showing a neutral view of the map).
   6. Ringing.
      Playing under another Player's account or soliciting, inducing, encouraging or directing someone else to play under another Player's account.
   7. Cheating Methods.
      The use of any kind of cheating device and/or cheat program, or any similar cheating method such as signaling devices, hand signals, etc.
   8. Intentional Disconnection.
      An intentional disconnection without a proper and explicitly-stated reason.
   9. MPL official Discretion.
      Any other further act, failure to act, or behavior which, in the sole judgment of the MPL official, violates these Rules and/or the standards of integrity established by MPL for competitive game play.
2. Insulting Behavior.
   Insulting Behavior. A team member may not take any gesture directed to an opponent, fan, or official, or incite any other individual(s) to do the same which is disparaging to a person's race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or cognitive ability (or disability as to whatever is applicable).
   Trashtalk is allowed provided that the abovementioned is strictly followed.
   Additionally, excessive profanity or obscene gestures directed at an opponent, fan, or official, or inciting any other individual(s) to do the same will be harshly penalized. This applies to before, during, and after the match, and beyond.

    

3. Studio Interference.
   No Team Member may touch or otherwise interfere with lights, cameras or other studio equipment. Team Members may not stand on chairs, tables or other studio equipment. Team Members must follow all instructions of MPL studio personnel.
4. Unauthorized Communications.
   All mobile phones, tablets and other voice-enabled and/or "ringing" electronic devices must be removed from the play area before the Game. Players may not text/email or use social media while in the Match Area. During the Match, communication by a Starter shall be limited to the Players on the Starter's Team.
5. Professional Manner.
   Players are expected to compete in a professional manner. Throwing a match, halting play without cause, or showing a flagrant lack of effort will be construed as a violation of player conduct, and will result in match penalties, forfeit and disqualification from the League.
6. Contest Manner.
   1. All MPL players must sit upright during online contests when live-streaming, and may not put their feet on the seat, sit cross-legged or act in an otherwise unseemly manner. Mobile phones must also only be used on the desktop.
   2. Competitors and team members must respect the backstage order; refrain from making loud noises, fool around or negatively affect other teams’ preparations; and shall keep the team lounge clean and tidy.
   3. During the contest, competitors are not allowed to stand-up or leave their seats without the referee’s permission. In the case of special circumstances, players should raise their hand and obtain permission from the referee.
   4. Before the start of a series contest, competitors from both teams shall take to the center of the stage and shake hands (right hand) as a mark of respect. They shall then return to their team zone after shaking hands.
   5. No team member shall maliciously commit any act that negatively affects the contest during the contest period.
7. Identity.
   A Player may not cover his or her face or attempt to conceal his or her identity from the MPL official. The MPL official must be able to distinguish the identity of each Player at all times and may instruct Players to remove any material that inhibits the identification of Players or is a distraction to other Players or the MPL official.

ETIQUETTE AND SOCIAL MEDIA SPEECH

MPL-PH league participants (including but not limited to: clubs, players, coaches or other members) in any place (including online and offline private and public places, including but not limited to games clients, game platforms, social software, social media, live broadcast platforms, media reports, etc.) must comply with the norms required by this chapter, and must not make any discriminatory (including race, color, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion beliefs, political opinions, etc.); derogatory personality of others (including but not limited to: name, name, portrait, reputation, honor, privacy, etc.); content that is excessive or morally controversial, fabricated facts, and any other speech or behavior that may affect the league, MPL-PH official and its related parties (including but not limited to league sponsors, other participants) caused damage; negative impact and risk remarks. Otherwise, MPL-PH officials have the right to make severe punishments based on the nature and consequences of the behavior.

The above-mentioned speech acts include but are not limited to:

1. Prohibited Gestures.
   Any action that is generally considered to be insulting or any action prohibited by MPL-PH is forbidden to be shown in any place (including online and offline private and public places, including but not limited to games clients, game platforms, social software, social media, live broadcast platforms, media reports, etc.)
   These poses include, but are not limited to, a list below:
   1. The middle finger
   2. The nazi salute
   3. Any form of gang signs
   4. Gestures involving the male or female genitalia
   5. Gestures implying anything sexual in nature
   6. Any hand signs or gestures that are intentionally political in nature

At the discretion of the tournament operating committee, this list may be expanded whenever necessary at any point in time.

1. Abusive Behavior.
   Abuse (including but not limited to the MPL official, opposing Team Members, or audience members) on any occasion (including but not limited to social media, live streaming) and at any time will not be tolerated. Repeated etiquette violations, including but not limited to touching another Player's cell phone, body or property will result in penalties. Team Members and their guests (if any) must treat all individuals attending a Match with respect.
2. Profane and Hostile Speech.
   A Team Member may not use language that is obscene, foul, vulgar, insulting, threatening, abusive, libelous, slanderous, defamatory or otherwise offensive or objectionable; or promote or incite hatred or discriminatory conduct, in or near the Match Area, at any time. A Team Member may not use any facilities, services or equipment provided or made available by MPL or its contractors to post, transmit, disseminate or otherwise make available any such prohibited communications. A Team Member may not use this type of language on social media or during any public facing events such as streaming.
3. Defamation toward the Organizers.
   Statements Regarding MPL, Moonton, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Team Members may not give, make, issue, authorize or endorse any statement or action having, or designed to have, an effect prejudicial or detrimental to the best interest of MPL, Moonton or its affiliates, or Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, as determined in the sole and absolute discretion of the MPL official.
4. Releasing Information without Approval.
   Teams will be asked to submit paperwork for approval or visibility throughout the MPL. This paperwork is necessary for maintaining expectations throughout the MPL. Early announcements can disrupt the competitive scouting a Team would use to create strategies for upcoming Matches. For this reason, if a Team Member has been told not to release information, as it may undermine the competitive process, and the Team Member proceeds to release said information, then the Team Member and/or Team will be subject to penalties.
5. Confidentiality.
   A Team Member may not disclose any confidential information provided by MPL official, the MPL or any affiliate of the MPL, by any method of communication, including all social media channels.

UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR

1. Responsibility under Code.
   Unless expressly stated otherwise, offenses and infringements of the Official Rules are punishable, whether or not they were committed intentionally. Attempts to commit such offenses or infringements are also punishable.
2. Harassment.
   Harassment is forbidden. Harassment is defined as systematic, hostile and repeated acts taking place over a considerable period of time, or a singular egregious instance, which is/are intended to isolate or ostracize a person and/or affect the dignity of the person.
3. Sexual Harassment.
   Sexual harassment is forbidden. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances. The assessment is based on whether a reasonable person would regard the conduct as undesirable or offensive. There is zero tolerance for any sexual threats/coercion or the promise of advantages in exchange for sexual favors.
4. Discrimination and Denigration.
   Team Members may not offend the dignity or integrity of a country, private person or group of people through contemptuous, discriminatory or denigrating words or actions on account of race, skin color, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, financial status, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason.
5. Criminal Activity.
   A Team Member may not engage in any activity which is prohibited by common law, statute, or treaty and which leads to or may be reasonably deemed likely to lead to conviction in any court of competent jurisdiction.
6. Behavior contrary to morality.
   Team members can't participate in any actions considered by the MPL official to be immoral, disgraceful or contrary to traditional morals and ethics.
7. Bribery.
   No Team Member may offer any gift or reward to a Player, coach, manager, MPL official, Moonton employee, or person connected with or employed by another MPL Team for services promised, rendered, or to be rendered in defeating or attempting to defeat a competing Team.
8. No Poaching or Tampering.
   No Team Member or Affiliate of a Team may solicit, lure, or make an offer of employment to any official coach or Player who is signed to any MPL Team, nor encourage any such official coach or Player to breach or otherwise terminate a contract with said MPL Team. An official coach or Player may not solicit a Team to violate this rule. An official coach or Player may express publicly their desire to leave the Team and encourage any and all interested parties to contact their management (i.e. a general statement aimed at the entire marketplace) after obtaining the consent of the Team. But, to be clear, the Head Coach or Player may not entice a Team directly to reach out to their management or attempt to violate their contractual obligations (i.e. a Player cannot contact or callout a Team and suggest that they inquire about the Player). Violations of this rule shall be subject to penalties, at the discretion of the MPL official. To inquire about the status of an official coach or Player from another Team, managers must contact the management of the Team that the Player and/or official coach is currently contracted with. The inquiring Team must provide visibility to the MPL official before being able to discuss the contract with a Player.
9. Gifts.
   No Team Member may accept any gift, reward or compensation for services promised, rendered, or to be rendered in connection with competitive play of the Game, including services related to defeating or attempting to defeat a competing Team or services designed to throw or fix a Match or Game. The sole exception to this rule shall be in the case of performance-based compensation paid to a Team Member by a Team's official sponsor or owner.
10. Non-Compliance.
    No Team Member may refuse or fail to apply the reasonable instructions or decisions of the MPL official.
11. Match-Fixing.
    No Team Member may offer, agree, conspire, or attempt to influence the outcome of a Game or Match by any means that are prohibited by law or these Rules. Any team or player has the responsibility to report any match-fixing activities to the league. Teams or players who have knowledge of match fixing but have not reported it to the league will be deemed as an accessory to the violation and shall be penalized by the league.
12. Detrimental Service.
    Team members cannot take part in any event or business which is related to Booster, Unofficial Top-Up Platform, account selling etc. Any teams or players have the responsibility to report any team members Detrimental Service to the league and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Teams or players who have knowledge of detrimental service but have not reported it to the league will be deemed as an accessory to the violation and shall be penalized by the league.
13. Document or Miscellaneous Requests.
    Documentation or other reasonable items may be required at various times throughout the MPL as requested by the MPL official. If the documentation is not completed to the standards set by the MPL then a Team may be subject to penalties. Penalties may be imposed if the items requested are not received and completed at the required time.
14. No Smoking.
    It is not permitted to smoke inside non-smoking areas or other actions which violate venue rules when in the venues provided by the official. Vaping is considered the same as smoking. For off-site matches, the match area or any area captured by official cameras are considered non-smoking areas.
15. Account Transaction.
    Any team members are not allowed to transfer the account and benefit from it. And MPL official will not solve any issues caused by account transactions. People who made the transaction will be penalized.
16. Piloting.
    Any MPL team members are not allowed to pilot for other teams in MPL-PH or other players in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

ASSOCIATION WITH GAMBLING

No Team Member or MPL official may take part, either directly or indirectly, in betting or gambling on any results of any MPL Game or Match.

COMPETITOR GAMES

Players, Managers, and Coaches shall not engage in any competitor games’ event/ activity/ livestream or other way to give the competitor games’ exposure. The competitor games are defined as Mobile Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) Game.

TEAM CONDUCT

1. Team Activities.
   Before any team’s player partake in a non-official marketing/commercial activities by third party entities, an official notice to the league would need to be submitted. Permission would need to be obtained from the league for activities such as show matches or anything that is related to MLBB game. Any team activities should not in anyway directly or indirectly affect the league image in a negative way. Violators will be subjected to penalties.
2. Media Shoot Activities.
   MPL would have requirements throughout the season for teams and their personnel to conduct and participate in a league sanctioned media shoot. This includes but is not limited to profile shoot, video shoot etc. Teams and players need to cooperate with the league to complete such requirements within the timeline and other requirements set by the league. Any misconduct such as lateness during the activity will be subjected to league penalties.

INDIRECT VIOLATION

Any teams or players are not allowed to directly or through any third parties, entice, encourage, assist, force, etc. anyone to break the rules and regulation of the league.

SPIRIT OF THE RULES

FINALITY OF DECISIONS

All decisions regarding the interpretation of these rules, player eligibility, scheduling and staging of the MPL, and penalties for misconduct, lie solely with MPL, the decisions of  which are final. MPL decisions with respect to these Rules cannot be appealed and shall not give rise to any claim for monetary damages or any other legal or equitable remedy.

RULE CHANGES

These Rules may be amended, modified or supplemented by MPL, from time to time, in order to ensure fair play and the integrity of MPL.

BEST INTERESTS OF THE THE MPL

The MPL and its Operating Committee will, at all times, may act with the necessary authority to preserve the best interests of the MPL. This power is not constrained by the lack of any specific language in this document. The MPL Operating Committee may use any form of punitive actions at their disposal against any entity whose conduct is not within the confines of the best interests of the MPL.

RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

League Operations reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify MPL competition, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures, human error or any other factor within or outside of League Operations’ control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the competition, as determined by League Operations.  If the competition is so terminated, League Operations reserves the right to determine the winners of said competition from among all non-suspect, eligible Participants.