CHALLENGE RULES

CHALLENGES

In the Pack everyone is free to arrange games as they see fit, but once a team moves to Aspirant or higher the Challenge system is used.

Challenges are made using the FUMBBL PM system. A challenge can be made against any team in the same or adjacent layer. The first challenge issued is to be played first, this is easily trackable by the timestamps in those messages. A team may only send one challenge at a time, and can only cancel their challenge according the rules below. Please send a PM to confirm even if you agree to a game on discord. Maybe someone sent a challenge just seconds before you were going to do so?

Challenges must be replied to, so that the order is confirmed. The following rules regulate how to handle the challenges.

A team MAY NOT play another team if:
those two teams have met twice out of the last three games (for either team)
those two coaches have met thrice out of the last five games (for either coach)
They are two or more layers apart from each other

A team MAY POSTPONE a challenge in these situations:
Their last game was not their own challenge. They may then play their own challenge before returning to play the challenger, even if that challenge was sent earlier.
Their last game was versus the challenger. They may then play another game before taking up the challenge.
They moved up a layer after last game. They may then play their own challenge before returning to play the challenger, even if that challenge was sent earlier.
Their own challenge is their next game. They may then, once, play a challenge sent to them before taking up their own challenge.

CANCEL/REFUSE a challenge
Any team can always REFUSE a challenge. This moves your team to the Pack, regardless of previous standing, and the challenger counts as winning that game.
In the following scenarios you can CANCEL/REFUSE a challenge without being relegated to the Pack or suffer any other consequences:

* If any team involved changed layers since the challenge was sent. Either team may cancel the challenge in this situation.
* Upon receiving confirmation of challenge and there are 2 or more other challengers before you - the challenger may then cancel the challenge.
* A coach has not replied to your challenge for 6 days. May then cancel the challenge.
* The teams are not allowed to play according to the MAY NOT above. Refuse the challenge by stating on what grounds you may not play.

A team will FORFEIT their game in the following situations:
If you do not cancel a challenge after 6 days of no reply and do not receive a reply for 12 days your opponent forfeits that game.
A coach that cannot schedule a challenge within 14 days after the last finished tournament game (or 14 days after challenge timestamp, whichever gives more time) forfeits that game if the opponent demands it. This may be subject to tournament administration oversight depending on circumstances.
A FORFEIT will count as losing the game in question, but not automatically move the losing team to the Pack. If a coach repeatedly forfeits games this will be looked into.

ISSUING AND REPLYING TO A CHALLENGE

PM the coach you want to play. Use “Challenge” as topic name. In the PM state which teams you are challenging. For example: “Lords of the Underworld challenge Orcs of Orcia”.

As a reply, send back an ok and start trying to schedule a game within 14 days. If there are any other challenges made to your team before this one, instead reply: “I have X number of challengers before you.”

If the challenge remains once you have played your other challengers, please send a new PM to start arranging the game.

If you postpone a challenge please reply “I am postponing this challenge until…….”

If you cancel or refuse a challenge please reply “I am cancelling/refusing this challenge because…...”

OVERVIEW

Teams compete in an open environment without scheduling to become the King of the Hill by staying at the top of the heap for long enough. Seasons end once a King has been produced, and play starts anew. Each coach is allowed to enter two teams, and it is possible to join at any point in the season, as well as retiring a team and starting a new one.

Teams are organised in layers, with everyone starting in the Pack. Above the Pack are the Aspirants, the number of which vary depending on the number of teams in the tournament. Above them are the Contenders, of which there are only ever 2. Above them is the King, a position that only one team can hold at a time.

Only Contenders may play the King, so teams must first fight to rise from the Pack, and then fight to ascend higher. The victor of any game between layers takes the spot higher up, pushing the other down. In case of a draw positions remain where they were. At season start the first team to win a Pack vs Pack game becomes the first Aspirant, and as long as there is any open spot in a layer above, these keep being filled by games vs other teams in the same layer. The first King will therefore be produced in a Contender vs Contender game.

A team is pronounced King of the Hill if they have been King after 3 out of their last 4 games. The final game must be a victory - a draw is not enough to win the season.

Create teams here:
https://fumbbl.com/p/createteam?op=race&league=10263

OTHER RULES

Teams start with TW 1000 limit in season 1. In later seasons the TW limit will be decided as below. Any Secret League team may join.

When a season ends, the King of the Hill picks one of the Contenders. That team’s TW becomes the roof for the next season starting point. All teams must be at or below that TW when next season starts. This cannot be below TW 1000. Any teams that don’t arrange for this before season start are removed from the tournament, and may join at a later point if they meet the TW limit. All teams start the new season in the Pack.

Team bio must reflect the current status of your team’s layer, Pack/Aspirant/Contender/King. While the team plays a season of KotH they are prohibited from playing games outside the tournament. In season breaks or if they skip a season they are free to play any games they like, and remember you can leave the tournament at any time.

Changes in Layers are reported to a common FUMBBL PM thread for all tournament coaches - when you win and ascend you are expected to report this for everyone to see. Other tournament news and updates will also be sent through this channel, but please no banter - it needs to be easy to scroll through.

Be informative and respond to challenges. For example, you play one challenge and move up a layer, so you decide to refuse another challenge sent before that game. You must then actually send a reply that you are refusing that challenge, otherwise they will be waiting for you to schedule a game.

If you do not respond to challenges or in other ways don’t follow challenge rules there are some consequences. If you break the MAY NOT play rule your team is moved to the Pack, regardless if this is discovered long afterwards, including stripping a team of a won trophy. For next season’s TW limit you will suffer a 50k penalty.

If you break other rules or play a challenge in the wrong order penalties will vary. Tournament administrators will hear the case and judge based on that, but every fault will have the minimum penalty of 10k reduced TW limit for next season. Playing a game outside of the tournament will see your team kicked off the current season, and welcome back at another time (any time they meet the TW limit for joining!)

Repeated infractions or abusive behaviour can lead to being removed from the tournament. We are here to have fun in a friendly way and to have a fair competition - let’s work together to make it happen.

If a space opens up at Aspirant, Contender or King level during the tournament, that spot is filled as at the beginning of the season, by the first winner of a Pack-Pack, Aspirant-Aspirant or Contender-Contender game.

The number of Aspirants is a minimum of 3, and one more spot is added when the total number of tournament teams is more than Aspirants^2+3 (total of 13, 20, 29, 40 etc.) The number of Aspirants does not drop during a season even if teams would leave to bring the total below a threshold.

*** Did you know...

Replace with your own anecdote/fact:
Season tickets for Blood Bowl games can cost anything from 220 gold crowns for a Reikland Reavers cards, to a huge basket of iced buns for the Halfling Greenfield Grasshuggers team, to three chickens and a bag of rats for a lifetime of free Scarcrag Snivellers games!