Valorant

The rules contained on this page only cover this specific game, please review the HSEL General Competition Rules for information covering all official tournaments. 

This competition is not affiliated with or sponsored by Riot Games, Inc. or VALORANT Esports.

1. Anti-Cheat

No additional anti-cheat is required for official matches.

2. Match Procedure

Supported platforms

• PC

2.1. Series Lengths

Matches are played as a best of 1 series.

2.2. Game Settings

The home team will host the lobby and invite the away team.

• Lobby: Custom (closed)
• Mode: Standard
• Allow Cheats: Off
• Tournament Mode: On
• Server: US East (N. Virginia)
• Overtime Win by Two: On
• The away team will choose which team starts of as attack and defense

In the event that an incorrect rule set is loaded on the server, the match should be stopped and reset. Previously played rounds with incorrect format will not count towards the match outcome.

2.3. Map Selection (Best of 1)

• The home team bans a map
• The away team bans a map
• The home team bans a map
• The away team bans a map
• The home team bans a map
• The away team bans a map
• The remaining map will be played

2.3.1. Multiple Game Series Map Selection (Best of 3)

• The home team bans a map
• The away team bans a map
• The home team selects the game for game 1
• The away team selects their side for game 1
• The away team selects the map for game 2
• The home team selects their side for game 2
• The home team bans a map
• The away teams bans a map
• The remaining map will be used for game 3, with starting sides determined by default side selection. 

2.5. Map Pool

The following maps are permitted to be used in official matches

• Haven
• Ascent
• Icebox
• Fracture
• Pearl
• Split
• Lotus

3. Tournament Rules 

3.1. Game Connections

All players taking part in High School Esports League tournaments are required to have an active game account for the tournament they’re participating in connected to their Generations Esports account. All game connection information shown on a team’s roster must match with the accounts in game. Players using different accounts or those not officially on the roster are prohibited from playing in matches. Only one account connection is allowed per game, the use of alternate accounts is prohibited. All account connections are prohibited from being changed after the team has participated in its first match of a tournament’s regular season.

If a player’s name does not match what is shown on their roster, please reach out to a HSEL Administrator through the live chat service for assistance while the game is still being played. Name discrepancy reports will not be accepted after a match has been completed. 

3.1.1. Account Ownership

Game accounts used in official tournaments must belong to the student participating using that game connection. At no point in time may players share accounts with each other or use an account of another person, regardless of if they are in the tournament or not.

3.1.2. School-Purchased Accounts

Schools may create accounts or purchase game licenses for their students participating in a tournament if they do not already have an active one. These accounts will be considered the students’ personal account and may only be used by one student each. These accounts and licenses may not be transferred to another student upon the previous student’s graduation or leaving the team, as this would be against any publisher’s Terms of Service or End User License Agreement.

3.2. Match Streaming

3.2.1. Spectators

Spectators are permitted in game lobbies for the sole purpose of streaming their team’s match to the School’s Twitch or Youtube channel or to record the match. Spectators may not have any communication with team members while the game is currently being played and must not be a member of the roster participating in the match. All spectator streams must be from the player point of view, or a 3rd person chase cam. The use of the skybox camera, director camera, or the point of view of another team’s player is prohibited. At the end of the match, the stream vod or an unedited copy of the recording must be shared with the other team. The use of the Generation Esports Wizard streaming service is prohibited for broadcasting spectating games.

3.2.2. Player Streaming

Players may stream to their personal twitch or youtube channel if they are participating in the match. The match may only be streamed from the player’s in-game point of view and should have at least a 3 minute delay set to prevent possible incidents of stream sniping.

Players may not at any time stream another player or roster’s match on their personal channel.

3.3. Coach Slot

Coaches are permitted to be in the coach’s slot during official matches with a limit of 1 coach per team. While the game is live, coaches may not have any sort of communication with players or the other team, nor may they call for timeouts or gameplay pauses. Coaches are prohibited from streaming while they are in the coach’s slot, any match streaming must be in line with Rule 3.2.1 as stated above. 

If players or coaches notice or suspect misconduct from someone in the coaches slot, please contact an HSEL Administrator immediately. 

3.4. Playoff Qualification

Teams must compete in and complete 75% of their Regular Season matches in order to be considered for playoff qualification. Teams who do not meet this requirement will be removed from qualification consideration regardless of their final record. 

3.4.1. Unplayed Matches

Any match or queue that a team misses or does not complete will result in the match being counted as a loss against the team's record at the end of the regular season.

3.5. Playoff Qualification Tiebreakers

The tie breaker system will be run as a tiered protocol that will be used if multiple teams finish the regular season with the same overall record. 

• Wins. (Forfeit wins and bye wins are scored as a full series undefeated win)
• Head-to-head record. (If the two tied teams have played each other, their match record against each other is compared)
• Overall game win percentage. (e.g. winning a match 3-0 is better than 3-2)
• Higher opponents’ game win percentage. (e.g. it is better to beat an opponent who  consistently won 3-0 than 3-2)
• Fewer forfeit losses.
• Fewer bye wins.
• The team which had a higher number of wins before their first loss.
• 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.

4. Restrictions

Any Agents, Weapons, Sprays, Weapon Skins, Weapon Buddies, and Maps currently disabled in other game modes are prohibited from use in official matches.

4.1. Blood

Blood must be disabled in the game settings

4.2. New and Reworked Agents

The use of New or Reworked Agents released during the season will be prohibited from use in official matches for the remainder of the season. A reworked operator is defined as an Operator having 50% or more of their kit change that directly impacts game play, for example the Tachanka rework. Normal gameplay patches (buffs/nerfs) are not considered to be reworks. 

4.4. Round Rollback

Use of the Round Rollback feature is prohibited unless otherwise okayed by an HSEL Administrator. Spectators or Moderators are prohibited from using the Round Rollback feature in official matches.

4.5. Tactical Pauses

The use of a tactical pause is prohibited in official matches.

5. Stoppage of Play

The game may only be paused for the following reasons:

• Player drop
• Player disconnect
• Technical issues

Stoppage of play may be requested at any time for the above reasons. The team initiating a pause must first call the pause in chat. A pause may not be called during combat, or once the Spike has been planted. Player's may not move around the map when a pause is in effect. Once both teams are ready, the team who paused the match will unpause it. Each team will have 5 total minutes of pause time per map. Players pause the game by pressing the Esc key and selecting "cheats". Abuse of the pause feature may result in punishment for the team abusing it.

6. Team Rosters

Valorant  team rosters require a minimum of 5 players and are limited to a maximum of 10 players (5 starting players and 5 substitute players). Rosters that do not meet the minimum or exceed the maximum number of players will not be allowed to participate in official matches until their roster size meets the set requirements. Player Substitutions may be made between maps.