UKNSL Rules

The following rules apply to the UKNSL and all games played as part of the UKNSL. It is understood that all clans have read and understood these rules. Clan leaders/managers are responsible for making sure all their players are aware of these rules, especially those concerning the players themselves and their behaviour.

1. League Structure

I. League Overview

• All clans play in one of two UK-orientated Leagues.
• The two UK-orientated Leagues will contain 16 teams.
• The top 8 from each league will then be entered into a Winners cup-style knockout stage.
• The bottom 8 from each League will also be entered into a Runners Up Cup using a knockout based system.
• Clans from all of Europe are invited.
• Only 32 Clans will be accepted into the League, as a new season no previous participation or seedings will define prioritised entry.
• This is the first run of UKNSL sponsored by Far2Cool and we hope that it will be successful enough to allow an even bigger League next season.
• Games are completely scheduled by Date/Time/Server/Clan A/Clan B. See 2. Schedules.

II. Season Time Length

• Each League lasts 15 weeks and the cup stage should last an extra 4 weeks.
• Season 'weeks' are played from Monday to Sunday.
• Number of games played:
  • Each clan will play 15 games in total during the League stage.
  • Each clan will play then play a further possible four games depending on progress in the Cup stage.

III. Match Scoring

• All League and Cup matches use the standard NS scoring system except there will be no timelimit and therefore no wins based on the NS internal scoring (which takes into account kills and resources).
• All League matches are played on two maps, which are selected by UKNSL each week; each clan will then play one Alien and One Marine round on each of the chosen maps. A Win/Loss/Draw is decided as depending on the number of rounds won by each clan. The following league points are gained:
  • Win +3 Points to the winning clan.
  • Loss +0 Points to the losing clan (only if the clan plays the full match, does not apply to default losses).
  • Draw +1 Points to both clans.
  • Default Win (No-Show) +3 Points to clan that turned up. 1 Point deducted from the clan that did not show.
  • Default Win (Admin Decision) +3 Points to the winning clan. Points will be deducted from the clan that broke the rules depending on the circumstances.
  • Domination Bonus +1 point for winning the match with an overall score of 4-0
• This means that in one match, a winning clan can obtain a maximum of 4 points (Win + Domination Bonus).
• All Cup matches are again played on two maps, which are selected by UKNSL each week; each clan will then play one Alien and One Marine round on each of the chosen maps. A Win will see the victorious team through to the next stage of the Cup. Consequently the losing team will be out of the competition.
• NOTE: All the points are calculated automatically. As long as you entered the scores correctly, there will be no error in the point allocation. Please do not tell the Admins that your points are incorrect, as we will only tell you this. The Admin Team does not have any access to the point allocation.
• If a clan does a complete no show, i.e. a team does not turn up to the server within 10 minutes of the allocated time, then the clan that did turn up obtains a default win. To get this confirmed, visit #far2cool.uknsl-admin after 10 minutes and ask an admin to check the server (which has at least 4 members of the attending clan waiting) and confirm the result.
  • If the connection to the server is 'dodgy' and the opposition team is just having trouble getting their players into the server on a stable connection then some leeway must be given by the clan waiting.

IV. Servers

• League Games, where possible, will be played on official UKNSL servers provided by BurstFire. However, approved clan servers may also be used.
• To get a clan server approved for UKNSL use, you must visit #far2cool.uknsl-admin and ask the Server Admin to approve your server.
• For more information on servers, see 4. Servers

V. Clans Dropping/Splitting

• Any clan that "drops" from the League or Cup, meaning it decides not to continue playing in the current UKNSL Season, may be banned from playing in the UKNSL for the duration of the next Season and possibly future UKNSL seasons, depending on the situation.
• Clans that drop within the first two weeks of a new season will be replaced by another clan on the waiting list that is willing to participate. Clans dropping after this time will not be replaced.
• If a clan fails to play 1 game in the first week then an Admin will warn it. If that clan then fails to play another match it will be removed from the league and banned for the rest of the season and the length of the next season. A replacement clan will be entered.

2. Schedules

I. Clan Match Schedules

• Games in both the League and Cups are scheduled.
• Games can be played on any night of the week.
• All the times given in schedules are UK times (GMT). Clans in different time zones should take this into account.

II. Cancellations and Reschedules

• All the matches for a season are scheduled usually a week before the season. The fixtures for the season can be found on the league site.
• If, for any reason, you cannot play a game at the time given, inform your divisional admin, who will suspend your match so you can reschedule it for a time agreed with the other clan.

III. Catch-up Games

• Catch Up Games are games scheduled to be played during the season that were not played for some reason. They can be played at any available and convenient time during the season.

IV. Unapproved Servers

• Un-Approved Servers - If you have any problems on an un-approved UKNSL server then the UKNSL and its Admin's will not get involved in the resolving of this dispute whatsoever. If the dispute is unresolved the match will be voided.

3. Match Format

I. Team Sizes

• Teams are 6v6 in both the League and Cup.

II. Game Length and Gameplay Variables

• Games are played using the standard NS scoring system, except with infinite timelimit which means no wins based on internal scoring system (which is based on resources and kills). A round may only be won by killing the opposing team ultimately.
• Each round lasts until a team wins.
• Friendly fire is on (part of mp_tournamentmode 1)

III. Maps

• For the first week, a public vote will be taken for the first two maps.
• Matches must be played on the maps selected for that week by the UKNSL.
• Any matches played on a map that is not designated for that match will be considered void.
• Each Clan will play as both Aliens and Marines.

IV. Replacement/Standby Players

• If a player drops mid-way through the match then it is the side with more players' decision whether or not they even the sides, and no one else's. We hope that clans have the sportsmanship to allow the other clan to bring in a different player if necessary. The game will not be paused; clans will have to play at a disadvantage until a player reconnects.
• Clans may make substitutions during a map change (after 2 rounds) without any agreement from the opposing team. However, an admin MUST be informed of the change, and within reason, may refuse.
• Substitutions may be made between rounds on the same map if the opposing clan agrees and this is seen and approved by an admin.
• No-one other than the 12 players, UKNSL staff or a delayed HLTV proxy may be on a server during a game.

V. Side choice

• At the start of a map, an admin will ask a member of a clan to enter the random portal, whichever side the portal selects, will be the side played by that clan.

4. Servers

I. Match Servers

• The League has several dedicated NS servers which will be used for League and Cup matches where possible.
• If a non-UKNSL server is used, log files should be recorded during every game and should be available to the UKNSL admins upon request.

II. Server Configuration

• All servers used for UKNSL games must be running the UKNSL configuration.
• Match Specific Server Variables are as follows:
  • mp_tournamentmode 1, Sets competition mode, includes friendly fire
  • mp_timelimit 999, Sets a huge timelimit (timelimit 0 does not currently work with ns 2.xx)
  • mp_consistency 1, To stop any attempt to alter models or sounds for unfair advantages
  • cdrequired 1, All servers WILL be running Cheating-Death in required mode. There will be absolutely no excuses accepted for failure to run it on a client or server basis.

III. Lag

• If you feel that the server is unplayable, that you have a high ping, packet loss, choke and such, then consult with the Admins before you all decide to leave the server. They will then check the server. The match may be voided and replayed either as a catch up game on a different server. If you all stomp off behaving like little kids it will only act to your detriment.
• Respect the fact that this is a competition organised by and within the United Kingdom; no clan is expected to play on a server outside of the UK unless they want to. Therefore, if unfortunately you reside in a country a long way away from the UK, complaints of lag and a bad connection will be likely disregarded, depending on the Admin's discretion.

5. Clans

I. Clan Approval

• Clans go through quite a strict approval process, before they can apply to enter either the League or a Tournament. Clan Approval usually only takes a couple of days, but it can take longer than this.
• To be approved, a clan needs:
  • An active IRC channel, for more information on IRC see the F2C.NET IRC Guide
  • At least 6 members

II. Clan Information

• Clan information is expected to be kept up-to-date. If a clan changes its website URL, or its IRC room, these changes must be recorded in the case that the League Admins need to contact your clan. If they are unable to contact you with the information given then the clan faces removal from all F2C.NET run competitions.

III. Dual Clanning and Mercing

• Mercenaries are NOT allowed! Teams will be penalised as seen fit by the Admin's, which may be in the form of penalty points or expulsion from the UKNSL. Definition of a Merc is where the player is not mentioned on your clan web site nor are they under your clan's details on the UKNSL website (this includes an incorrect WON or STEAM id). Additional proof may be required in the form of screenshots of the alleged Merc from previous games.
• Further to this, all dedicated UKNSL servers are scanned at 1-minute intervals and a database of Won IDs and player nicknames is populated.
• Merc Information:
  • A Merc is a player that is not a full member of the clan, we will not accept any excuses that the player is "trialling".
  • Mercs within the UKNSL are not allowed. If any clan is caught using a Merc in one of their matches, disciplinary action will be taken.
  • It will make it harder for you to defend yourself from using Mercs (If you get accused of it) if the player(s) are not registered on the UKNSL website or your personal Clan website. As a rule, All players in your clan must be registered as a player on the UKNSL website.
• Mercs are detected in numerous ways:
  • The use of the WONid scanner that is active on all UKNSL servers
  • Accusations of Mercing will be investigated by the UKNSL Anti-cheat Admins. To assist them, you can take a screenshot of what is written in the console when you type 'status'.
• The following is the standard punishment, although different action may be taken depending on the situation:
  • Players who have a WONid not matching the one listed on the UKNSL site, 2 match ban for that player/WONid.
  • Players who are registered as playing for another clan, permanent ban for the player, penalty points and a default loss for the clan.

IV. Cheating

• Clans found guilty of cheating will be heavily punished. This could be removal from the league, and all other NS leagues in Europe being informed of the clan's and leagues actions.

6. Players

I. Player Information

• All players who wish to participate in the UKNSL must have a F2C.NET player account, containing their player nickname, WONID, E-mail address and password. All but the nickname are hidden as default, and can only be accessed by certain Admins (the exception being password which is not accessible to anyone).
• Your WONID should be up-to-date every time you participate in an UKNSL match. If for some reason you are playing away from home, then you must update your WONID in your player profile and it should not be changed back until the following day.
• To find out your WONID, join any Internet NS server; bring down the console and type 'status'. Then record your WONID down, it is listed next to your name in the list. If you reinstall Half-Life, then your WONID may change. It is recommended that you check it once you have reinstalled, updating your player profile if necessary.

II. Chatting

• We ask that you do not spam the universal chat by repeating one or more lines of text. We also ask that you do not throw any form of insult or abuse at the other clan. Failure of this could result in penalty points. Remember we have access to log files.

III. Cheating

• If you suspect an individual to be cheating then do not scream abuse at them, as in many cases you will be wrong. Record a demo and then speak to an UKNSL Admin after the match. Excessive abuse at accused players will lead to you facing penalisation.
• Allegations of cheating are taken very seriously. Our guidelines are as follows:
  • All players must record demos during any league game. These demos must then be kept for a week after your game. If any allegations against you arise, they can be used to defend you. After a week, you may safely delete your demo. A valid excuse must be given to the Admins of why a demo was not recorded. An admin will decide if your excuse is valid or not. If a demo is not produced for any reason, you will face a 1 match ban.
  • Certain maps have exploits that were not intended by the map maker. These include general exploits such as building outside of the map. Don't use them or you may face a default loss and/or penalty points.
  • You may boost/bunk a teammate to areas they cannot reach alone, unless it is considered an exploit.
  • All and any programs running outside of the Half-Life Engine that improves the gameplay for that individual player and hence gives them an advantage over other players, is considered illegal in the UKNSL. External voice communications software such as Roger Wilco, Teamspeak or Ventrilo is allowed.
  • Anti-Cheat software is installed on the UKNSL Dedicated servers, anything caught by them will be banned and will not be lifted for any reason. We reserve the right to change/update the anti-cheat software without prior notice.
  • Any server logs that are given to the UKNSL from 3rd party servers, that show an UKNSL Player/Clan cheating will also be banned under new rulings. However, we reserve the right to dismiss any logs as we see fit.
• The UKNSL reserves the right to scan your hard drive for installed cheats when you use our servers. If you do not agree to this then you should not attempt to connect to any of our servers. We have a zero tolerance policy on cheating, and once banned you will not be un-banned.

IV. Dual Clanning

• It is also not allowed for any players to play in more than one clan in the UKNSL, meaning the same player who plays for 2 clans in the UKNSL database. Dual Clanners will cause their clans to be either penalised and the players may face a ban should there be evidence showing them playing for both clans. Playing in another clan that does not partake in the UKNSL, however, is perfectly acceptable.

7. Behaviour

I. Clan and Player Behaviour

• The Admin's and Referee's work constantly behind the scenes of the UKNSL for your good and enjoyment. They will not and never deserve to take abuse from anyone as they do this out of their spare time and voluntarily. If you slag off clans during a match, on the IRC servers or in the forums, then your clan will face penalisation, or face banning from all of the UKNSL servers and the UKNSL league. Sorry no behaving like kiddies in this League.
• Racism and Sexism of any kind will NOT be tolerated.
• In extreme cases of a clan's misbehaviour, we shall inform all other NS leagues within the UK and Europe of what the clan in question clan did, and the punishment they received.

II. IRC Guidelines

• When you need help with a UKNSL related problem, then the channel #far2cool.uknsl-admin on QuakeNet is an easy way to get a quick response. Admins are people that are Op'd in this channel, and although we try to help everyone as quickly as possible there are times when we are away or dealing with other problems,so please be patient.
• To get an Admin's attention, the command '!admin' will inform them that their assistance is required. However, excessive use of this command will result in you being banned from all UKNSL channels.
• Please do not spam or use excessive caps, spamming will just get you banned from the channel.
• State your problem clearly and politely, swearing at Admins will not make them work any faster, it is more likely to lead to a ban from the channel, meaning you will not get problem sorted.
• UKNSL channels are located on QuakeNet, and are:
  • #far2cool.uknsl, Community room, all Admins have @, All clanleaders of the clans participating in UKNSL have +.
  • #far2cool.uknsl-admin, Home of the Admins and Referees. Visit if you need help. However, do not idle in this room.

If you notice any typing mistakes, spelling errors or can think of any beneficial additions to these rules (including rewording, and layout of the rules), please contact G, or one of the other UKNSL Admins.