MNVL Rules Handbook

Please read the general rules, then see the game-specific rules below.

 

  • Subscribe to the MNVL Google Calendar here: MN Esports

    Important Dates: Winter Varsity

    • Esports Development Clinic: TBA at TBD!

      • More information and registration link TBA soon!

    • Registration Period: October 26th – November 25th

      • Teams need to be created and signed up for their respective seasons by this date.

    • Preseason Dates: December 7th – December 18th

    • Regular Season Dates: January 4th – February 26th

      • Playoffs/Divisionals: February 22nd – February 26th

    • Prep Time for Tournament: February 27th – March 19th  

    • State Tournament Dates and Location: Saturday and Sunday, March 20th – March 21st at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN.


    Game Titles: For the Varsity Winter Season

    • Chess (1v1 – Chess.com) 

    • Fortnite Build Arena (2v2)

    • League of Legends (5v5) 

    • Mario Kart 8 (2v2) 

    • Marvel Rivals (6v6)

    • Minecraft Bedwars Java Edition (4v4) 

    • Rocket League (3v3) 

    • Super Smash Bros Ultimate (1v1) 

    • VALORANT (5v5) 

    *Note: A season may be canceled due to low registrations, as determined by Fenworks.

    Important Dates: Spring Club

    • Registration Period: March 22nd - March 31st

      • Teams must be created and signed up for their respective seasons on the league platform by this date. Fenworks will allow late registrations for club leagues at admin request.

    • Preseason Dates: April 5th- April 9th

    • Regular Season Dates: April 12th - May 14th

    • Club Finals:  May 17th - May 21st

  • The spirit of MNVL is to always play if you can and never take a forfeit win unless you absolutely must. Although not a rule, this is a standard we hope all our teams and players try to live up to!

    1.Default Game Times
    The regular season will consist of one weekly game, as outlined below.  

    Some titles use our queue system (indicated by a *) and these titles will have multiple days where teams can queue up for a match. Teams participating in queue leagues can only queue up for one time slot each week (for example, if you play a Mario Kart match on Monday, you cannot queue again on Tuesday). 

    Monday 

    • 4:30PM CT: 

      • Super Smash Bros Ultimate 1v1* (Time Slot A) 

      • Mario Kart 2v2* (Time Slot A) 

      • Fortnite 2v2* (Time Slot A) 

    • 5:30 PM CT:

      • Minecraft 4v4  

      • League of Legends 

    Tuesday 

    • 4:30PM CT: 

      • Super Smash Bros Ultimate 1v1* (Time Slot B) 

      • Mario Kart 2v2* (Time Slot B) 

      • Fortnite 2v2* (Time Slot B)   

    • 5:30PM CT: 

      • Marvel Rivals 

      • Chess* (Time Slot A) 

    Wednesday

    • No Matches: Scrimmage Day

    Thursday

    • 4:30PM CT: 

      • Rocket League 

      • Chess* (Time Slot B) 

    • 5:30PM CT: 

      • Valorant 


    2. Season Structure: Please see the "League Structures: Open/Varsity/JV" section below for all season structure information. Each season will have one of these indicators listed in the name of the season (E.G. Winter 25-26 Rocket League Varsity) to indicate what structure it adheres to.  

    League Structure - Open

    A. Teams 
    Schools are allowed to field unlimited Open league teams.  

    B.Divisions 
    Open leagues will be sectioned into divisions of eight or more teams. The following considerations will determine divisions:  

    • Region/Location  

    C. Season
    Open league seasons will have a two-week preseason, followed by eight weeks of regular season, and end with an in-person LAN State Tournament.  

    D.Format 
    Open leagues use the following formats:  

    a. Round Robin  
    b. Double Round Robin  
    c. Swiss  
    d. Swiss (queue)

    E. State Tournament Qualification 
    A roster must compete in 7 or more matches to be eligible to participate in the State Tournament. See section 3 for the number of teams that make it for each league.  

    League Structure – Varsity 

    A. Teams 
    Only one team per school or co-op will be allowed to compete in Varsity leagues. 

    B. Divisions 
    Varsity leagues will be sectioned into divisions of eight or more teams. The following considerations will determine divisions: 

    • Regions/Location 


    C.Season 
    Varsity league seasons will have a two-week preseason, followed by seven weeks of regular season, an online divisional playoff tournament in the 8th week, and end in an in-person LAN State Tournament. Divisional and State Tournament playoff dates and times will be announced each season on the Discord, Calendar, platform, and other channels. It is recommended that the average rank for a Varsity roster is Gold or higher. This is a suggestion but not a requirement.

    D. Format 
    Varsity leagues use the following formats: 

    • Round Robin 

    • Double Round Robin 


    E. State Tournament Qualification 

    The top teams from Varsity leagues make it to the State Tournament based only on divisional playoff results. Regular season record affects divisional playoff seeding but does not affect the State Tournament qualification. See section 3 in “General Rules” for the number of teams that make it for each league.  

    League Structure - Junior Varsity (JV) 

    A. Teams 
    Schools are allowed to field unlimited JV teams.  

    B. Divisions 
    There are no divisions in JV. All teams compete in the same pool.  

    C. Season 
    JV league seasons will have a two-week preseason, followed by seven weeks of regular season, and an online JV Finals tournament during the eighth week. The top two teams from the JV League will be invited to play the JV Finals championship match live at the State Tournament. It is recommended that the average rank for a JV roster is Silver or lower; this is a suggestion but not a requirement.

    D. Format 
    JV leagues use the following formats:  


    E. State Tournament Qualification 
    In the eighth week of the season there will be an online JV Finals tournament consisting of the top teams from the regular season. The top two teams from the JV Finals tournament will be invited to play their JV Championship match at the State Tournament. 

    2.1 Regular Season League formats

    • Round Robin / Double Round Robin 

    Formats are determined for each season based on registrations, and that information is sent to all coaches before the start of the regular season. 

    What is a Swiss: This is a format where teams play against another team with the same record (e.g. a 2-0 team will play against another 2-0 team). Schedules for Swiss leagues are released weekly on the day after your title’s default game time. Our queue system leagues also follow the Swiss format. Learn more about our queue system HERE

    What is a Round Robin: All teams in a group play against each other one time. In a double round robin all teams play each other twice. Full season schedules for a round robins are released at the start of the season.  2.2 Preseason Preseason matches will function like a regular season match, in that players will still need to check-in and connect with their opponent on Fenworks platform and report their scores. Results of preseason matches do NOT count towards your regular season record and do not affect qualification for the state finals. Players or teams that miss all of their scheduled preseason matches will be dropped from the league unless there is prior communication with MNVL staff and permission is given to miss the matches. 

    3. Divisional Playoffs and State Tournament Below you will find information on how MNVL runs playoffs and the State Tournament. All information below is subject to change, pending time, equipment capacity at the State Tournament venue, and the number of teams competing in each game title. This will be confirmed once registration closes. 

    Please note that game titles may overlap at the State Tournament. MNVL will not rearrange the State Tournament schedule to accommodate students participating in multiple game titles. Please make sure that all students understand this prior to the State Tournament, and make sure that all teams have substitutes to accommodate this potential issue. 

    3.1 Divisional Playoffs 
    Divisional playoff tournaments are single elimination tournaments consisting of teams within each regular season division. All teams in the division that have played in a minimum of four matches during the regular season will qualify for the Divisional Playoff Tournament. Seedings for the tournament will be based on regular season results. The top specified number of teams per division will advance to state based on tournament results (See section 3.2). There are no Divisional Playoffs for Open and JV leagues. 

    Divisional playoffs will follow the game rules posted in the title ruleset. 

    Dates and Times: All divisional tournaments start at 4PM CT during the final week of the season (Week 8 for most titles, and week 9 for Rocket League in order to avoid overlap with Valorant): 

    Week 8: 

    • Monday: Minecraft 

    • Tuesday: Marvel Rivals 

    • Thursday: Valorant 

    Week 9: 

    • Thursday: Rocket League 

    More information about how the playoffs will run will be available after season registration closes, as the number of divisions and teams from each division advancing are contingent on team registration numbers for each game title.

    3.2 State Tournament
    The State Tournament will be executed as a single-elimination, double-elimination, or pool play into single elimination formats, with a match for third place. Seeding will be based on the regular season and/or divisional playoff results. Players and teams in our JV leagues do not qualify for the State Tournament.  

    Number of State Participants:

    • Super Smash Brothers Ultimate: Top 32 Players 

    • Minecraft Bedwars 4v4: Top 8 Teams 

    • League of Legends: Top 8 Teams 

    • Fortnite 2v2: Top 16 Teams 

    • VALORANT: Top 8 Teams 

    • Chess: Top 16 Players 

    • Rocket League 3v3: Top 16 Teams 

    • Mario Kart 8 2v2: Top 16 Teams 

    • Marvel Rivals: Top 8 Teams 

    (*The number of teams/players entered are subject to change based on needs or considerations by the league admin) 

    State Tournament Formats:

    Titles that will be a pool play into single elimination tournament:

    • Rocket League 

    • Minecraft 

    • Mario Kart 8 

    • Fortnite 2v2 

    Titles that will be a single elimination tournament:

    • VALORANT 

    • League of Legends 

    • Marvel Rivals 

    Titles that will be a double elimination tournament:

    • Super Smash Brothers 

    • Chess  


    3.3 All Around Champion One school will be named the All-Around State Champion based on placement points accrued across all of their state qualifying teams. A school may only have one point scoring team per title. The school with the most points will be crowned the All-Around State Champion at the conclusion of the State Tournament. The point distribution for the All-Around State Champion are as follows:  

    • 10 Points for a 1st place finishing team 

    • 7 Points for a 2nd place finishing team 

    • 4 Points for a 3rd place finishing team 

    • 2 Points for a 4th place finishing team 

    In the event of a tie in points, the team with the most 1st place finishes, then 2nd place finishes, etc., will be ranked higher. 

    3.4 Tiebreakers Teams/Players making the playoffs will be based on seeding, which considers standings score first, then average game/round differential, then head-to-head (if applicable), and difficulty of schedule. 

    Standings Score will be calculated with the following values: 

    • Win by Play: 4 points

    • Forfeit Win: 4 points (not counted in game differential)

    • Bye Win: 4 points (not counted in game differential)

    • Tie: 2 points

    • Loss by Play: 1 points

    • Loss by Forfeit: 0 points


    4. Checking In and Reporting Scores
    A team or GM should check in all participating players for that match on the Fenworks platform match page before starting their match. If a team decides to play with a reduced player count, the Fenworks platform still requires you to check in a full roster. In this scenario, a team should declare in the match chat which players are missing before checking them in.  

    If both teams fail to check in to their match on Fenworks platform at the default time, both will receive a forfeit loss for the match. If one team is checked in and the other is not after the check-in time has expired, the team present is expected to wait 15 minutes after the start time of their match for their opponent. Once 15 minutes have expired, the absent team will receive a forfeit loss automatically on the Fenworks platform.  

    Scores will be reported using the Fenworks platform score reporting tool  

    • Both teams are responsible for reporting scores and saving replays/screenshots that prove their claim 

    • All reported matches must have a screenshot attached on Fenworks platform  

    • Procedures on how to report scores can be found in each title’s separate rules section  

    All scores must be reported directly following the match, or it will be considered a loss for both teams. MNVL staff have the right to adjust the score if evidence is presented that the match was played.  

    5. Rescheduling Matches
    Matches are NOT allowed to be rescheduled EXCEPT in the following cases: 

    • School holidays (building is closed)  

    • Both teams agree to play in person (in the same room) 

    • School closures due to extreme weather events 

    If teams decide to reschedule a match, contact an admin on the Fenworks platform or email us at esports@fenworks.com, and we will assist you. 

    If teams must reschedule their game to another time, both coaches must agree on a new time. Games may be rescheduled to another week but MUST be played before the last week of the regular season. 

    If a team/player drops out of the league during the regular season, the league reserves the right to reschedule the remaining matches to reduce the number of forfeits the dropout would have caused. 

    6.Home/Away
    The team shown on the left on the Fenworks platform match page is the home team, and the team shown on the right is the away team for that match. This is not in effect for playoffs, where teams gain home advantage based on seeding. Refer to the game title for specific rulesets on how home and away affect pick/ban processes.  

    7. Player Eligibility
    A player is any participant who plays in an official match. All players: 

    • Must be enrolled in the school they are representing

      • Homeschooled players may participate with a school if they live within the defined district lines for the school district in question and have received approval from the school district to participate. 

    • Must be 13 years or older, in 7th – 12th grade, and be 21 years old or younger. 

      • A player may play for only one high school in the same school district. 

      • Players who are 12 years of age or younger are not eligible to compete in the MNVL high school league. However, if a player turns 13 in the middle of the season, they are eligible to compete on and after the day of their 13th birthday. 

    • Must meet and maintain the district’s eligibility requirements for GPA and attendance to be eligible to play. School Administrators and GMs are responsible for following and enforcing this policy and their school policy. MNVL suggests a 2.0 GPA or higher to participate. 

    • Can only be on one roster per game title

      • A player can only be rostered to one team and play in one weekly match per title. If a player plays in more than one match of the same title, those games will be forfeited. Players can, however, play in multiple titles in a season. 

        • For example, Student A cannot compete or be rostered on two Rocket League teams but can compete on one Rocket League team and one Minecraft team.  

      • There is no restriction on the number of teams or players that can compete from each school.  

    • A player cannot compete in the MNVL High School League and the MNVL Jr League simultaneously.

    *Eligibility is subject to change at the League’s discretion but must be communicated to all schools before any changes take effect.

    7.1 Roster Changes and Substitutions
    Any changes to rosters must be made by noon on the day of the scheduled match. If noon has passed on the day of the match, then the general manager must wait until after the match to add the new player to the roster.  

    Substitutions are allowed if players involved are currently on the roster. Substitutions can be made between games in a series but not during a game currently in play. Teams should never substitute during an individual game (I.e., passing their controller off).  

    Substitute players are not allowed for individual game titles (1v1s). If one of those students cannot play their match in a week, they will have to forfeit their match.  

    7.2 Varsity and JV Substitution Rules
    Teams must maintain a full, active Varsity roster for the entirety of the season, with the minimum number of players required per game.  

    • Players on a Varsity roster cannot participate in JV matches.  

    • Players on an active JV roster can substitute for official Varsity matches.  

    To substitute a player from JV onto the Varsity team for a match, the captain and/or coach need to notify their opponent through the Fenworks platform match chat. They must communicate which player from the Varsity roster will not be playing and the name and account of the sub from the JV roster filling their spot. After the opponent has acknowledged they have seen your message, you will check your full Varsity roster on the Fenworks platform. This will include the player being subbed out (who is absent), and once checked in, simply add the JV player to the game lobby instead of the absent Varsity player.  

    8. Spectators
    Only the players from the two teams competing in the official MNVL match are allowed in the game lobby. The one exception is if a spectator is joining to stream their team's point of view (POV) for their official school stream and the opposition is made aware. The spectator position in game lobbies does not give privileged information and does not require opponent permission to stream, except for the following titles:  

    • Valorant:When streaming Valorant, the spectator MUST choose the coach position in the lobby for their team only. The spectator in this situation must not have communication with their team or they will forfeit the match. 

    • League of Legends: Spectator Delay is set to “Add Delay”

    Players competing in the match may stream their own POV. Stream malfunctions do not qualify as a reason for pausing a match. 

    Any team caught breaking these rules are subject to penalties listed in section 12. 

    9.Names/Usernames
    A player’s name in-game must match the name they registered for that game on their Fenworks platform profile. This includes our Discord community. See the Code of Conduct as well for additional guidelines. All participants' names or profiles are prohibited from including:  

    • Gang Affiliation  

    • Drugs (including alcohol and tobacco)  

    • Sexual Material  

    • Offensive Material  

    • Politically Charged Symbols/Images  

    • Homophobic or Racially Insensitive Material  

    • Anything else at the discretion of Fenworks Staff


    10.Cheating
    Any manipulation of gameplay including, but not limited to, scripts, wallhacks, aimbot, 3rd party applications, sound changes, or having another person play on an official player’s account during match time will be considered cheating. Players must also follow the Code of Conduct. Any team or player caught cheating will be subject to the items outlined in section 11. 

    11.Harassment 
    Players and coaches must always abide by the MNVL Code of Conduct. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action, as outlined in the following section.  

    12.Disciplinary Action
    If MNVL decides that a Player has violated any of the Rules, MNVL may take the following disciplinary actions (as applicable). More information can also be found in the Code of Conduct:  

    • Verbal Warning  

    • Game and/or Match forfeiture  

    • Issuance of Public warning (Verbal or written) to the Player  

    • Disqualification of the Player from participating in one or more Matches of the Tournament.  

    • Stoppage of the Player from participating in one or more future competitions hosted by MNVL.  

    • Stoppage of the School from participating in one or more future competitions hosted by MNVL.  

    If a Player is suspended/banned by MNVL Representative, they will be notified via email and/or Discord. Within 30 days of the initial penalty, an appeal can be sent by the coach or program coordinator representing the Player. Please send all appeals via email to mnvl@fenworks.com.  

    Spirit of the Rules
    Finality of Decisions
    All decisions regarding the interpretation of these rules, player eligibility, scheduling and staging of the Tournaments, and penalties for misconduct lie solely with MNVL Officials, and their decisions are final. This includes the exclusive right to make definitive rulings on matters not specified within the rules and handbook. 

    Amendments
    MNVL may update, revise, change, or modify these Rules at any time to ensure fair play and the league's integrity. Each Player’s participation in MNVL after any update, revision, change, or modification to these Rules will be deemed as acceptance by such Player of these Rules as updated, revised, changed, or modified.