MSEL Spring Major 2023 Playoff Guide

This article explains all the necessary information about the MSEL Playoffs, such as days/times of matches, where to find the bracket, how many teams qualify, etc. 

How Many Teams/Players Make the Playoffs?

Playoff brackets will be generated during the week of April 3, prior to the end of business April 6th. Team administrators will be notified of qualification via email to the address they use to log in.

• The amount of participants qualifying for playoffs is determined by the number of active teams/players through the first four weeks of competition.
• Every competition will have at least two playoff brackets: a "Championship" (Champ) bracket for the top-seeded teams, and a secondary "Redemption Road" (R.R.) bracket for strong-performing teams/players that did not qualify for the "Championship" bracket. 

*Top 4 seeds receive a 1st-round bye. 

**No players will be eliminated round-to-round. The winner will be determined after the culmination of all 3 rounds. Minecraft will still use the queue system. Please see the Minecraft Troubleshooting Guide to ensure players are properly set up to compete. 

Rocket League

Rocket League playoff brackets will be split into 2 conferences, each with a Champ bracket that will max out at the # of teams below. Based on eligible rosters, conference brackets could be smaller.

• Atlantic Conference (Eastern & Central time zones) 
• Pacific Conference (Pacific & Mountain time zones)
• If your school is in an area near a time zone border, please feel free to contact our team to ensure your correct placement prior to April 3rd.

Match Times & Schedule

• Default match times for Brawlhalla, Chess, and Minecraft will be 8:00 pm Eastern Time. 
• Default match times for all Rocket League brackets:
  • Atlantic Conference - 5:00 pm Eastern 
  • Pacific Conference - 5:00 pm Pacific 
• You may only reschedule a playoff match if you meet all of the following criteria: 
  
  • Your competitor agrees to the new time in the match chat on the Generation Esports platform.
  • You notify and receive approval from MSEL admins for the new time here.
    
  • The match score is reported before midnight Pacific Standard Time the day prior to the next round (i.e. reschedules must not impede the bracket from advancing).
    
  • Your opponent must agree to the rescheduled time in match chat on the Generation Esports platform or the default time will remain.
• Note: Playoffs/finals matches are seeded by Generation Esports; players will not use the queue system.*
  • *Minecraft will still use the Queue System.

Week 1 

Week 2  

Week 3 (Finals)

How to Qualify

• A roster/player must:
  • .Play at least 6 matches in order to be eligible for playoff qualification
  • End the season at a high enough leaderboard placement (see tiebreakers below). 
  • Note: Any unplayed regular-season matches will be counted as a loss against the player's/roster's record at the end of the regular season, per rule 2.11.7.1.
• The tiebreaker system will be run as a tiered protocol that will be used if multiple teams finish the regular season with the same overall record, pursuant to rule 2.11.8.1: 
  
  1. Wins. (Forfeit wins and bye wins are scored as a full series undefeated win)
  2. Head-to-head record. (If the two tied teams have played each other, their match record against each other is compared)
  3. Overall game win percentage. (e.g. winning a match 3-0 is better than 3-2)
  4. Higher opponents’ game win percentage. (e.g. it is better to beat an opponent who  consistently won 3-0 than 3-2)
  5. Fewer forfeit losses.
  6. Fewer bye wins.
  7. The team which had a higher number of wins before their first loss.
  8. If the first loss is received after the same number of wins, then the team which lost to the stronger opponent (as defined by game win percentage) will be ranked higher.

Where can I view the playoff bracket?

• Select "Tournaments" from the left-hand menu. 
• Under "My Tournaments", choose the tournament whose playoff bracket you want to view.
• Scroll down until you have found the “Leaderboard” section and click “Playoffs”.
• Click the “Bracket View” button to open the playoff bracket for that specific game.

Roster Rules and Substitutes

• Per MSEL General Competition Rule 2.8.4: "Roster changes may be made at any point during or in-between seasons except during the time a team has queued for their match, during live matches, or once the playoffs have begun. Roster changes are prohibited for single-player and partnered (duo) game tournaments." 
• In the case an emergency substitute is needed, the Team Admin must reach out to competition@highschoolesportsleague.com to request permission. 
  • If you have not heard back after 24 hours of making an emergency substitute request, please contact support here. 

Things to know

• You can find prizing information here.
• Your admin will be emailed a form to fill out to ensure you receive your prizing. Forms will be sent out within 5 business days after the tournament's conclusion. 
• Any admin with a team/player who made it to the playoffs will be notified via the email they use to sign in to Generation Esports.
• Match format is located in the specific tournament overview. You can find the overview in the MSEL community section of our help site.