Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Pro League Official Rules
Introduction and Purpose
These official rules of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang ("MPL") apply to each of the Teams who have qualified to play in the MPL in 2019. These rules also apply to the Teams' Team Coaches, Managers, Owners,
Starting Lineup, Substitutions (collectively "Team Members) and other employees
These rules apply to all the splits of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang's 2019
Pro League
These rules have been enacted to ensure the maintained stability of a complete Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament system, and the fairness of competition between professional teams. Standardized rules benefit all parties who are involved in the professional play of Mobile
Legends: Bang Bang, including the teams, players and general managers.
These rules shall not restrict the competitive performance of Players.
The articles of any Player or Team's agreement will be determined by each Team and Players themselves. Table of Contents
1 Team Member Eligibility
1.1 Player Age
1.2 Regional Residency Requirement
1.3 Work Eligibility
1.4 No Official Employee or Relevant Personnel
2 Payments to Teams and Players: Prizes
2.1 Player Minimum Compensation
3 Team Ownership and Roster Rules
3.1 Team Ownership Restriction
3.2 Roster Requirements
3.3 Head Coach
3.4 Submission of Active Roster
3.5 Substitutions
3.6 Team Names, Team Tags, and Player Names
3.7 Sponsorship
4 Roster Change Autonomous Rights
4.1 General Roster Change Rules
4.2 Transfer
4.3 Free Agents
4.4 Player Retirement
4.5 Active Roster Submission Requirements
5 Player Equipment
5.1 MPL Provided Equipment
5.2 Replacement of Equipment
5.3 Player and Coach Apparel
5.4 Computer Programs Usage
5.5 Client Accounts
5.6 Audio Controls
5.7 Equipment Tampering
6 Venue, Competition Area Layout, and Schedule
6.1 Match Area
6.2 Wireless Equipment
6.3 Food and Drink Restrictions
6.4 Green Room 6.5 Other Team Member Areas
7 League Structure and Schedule
7.1 Definition of Terms
7.2 Schedule
7.3 Phase Details
8 Match Process
8.1 Changes to Schedule
8.2 Arrival at Studio
8.3 Role of Referees
8.4 Competitive Patch Match Server
8.5 Pre-Match Setup
8.6 Game Setup
8.7 Pick- -Ban Phase and Side Selection
9 Game Rules
9.1 Definition of Terms
9.2 Game of Record
9.3 Pause
9.4 Resuming the Game
9.5 Awarded Game Victory
9.6 Post-Game Process
9.7 Post-Match Process
10 Team Member Conduct
10.1 Competition Conduct
10.2 Unprofessional Behavior
10.3 Association with Gambling
10.4 Subjection to Penalty
10.5 Penalties
10.6 Right to Publish
11 Spirit of the Rules
11.1 Finality of Decisions
11.2 Rule Changes
11.3 Best Interests of the MPL 1. Team Member Eligibility
To be eligible to compete in the MPL, each player must satisfy the following conditions:
1.1. Player Age
1.1.1 No Player shall be considered eligible to participate in any
MPL Match before having lived 12 full years. This shall not prevent Teams from signing Free Agents who have lived 11 full years, granted that they may not participate in an MPL
Match until they have lived 12 full years.
1.2. Regional Residency Requirement
1.2.1. Forming of Team
A team starting line-up must consist of at least 3 residence of the country or region where the MLBB
Pro League (MPL) are held. A team may have at maximum 2 foreign players however the foreign players must have a residential status within the country or region where the MLBB Pro League (MPL) are held.
1.2.2. Citizenship
A player is considered a "Citizen" if the player is a lawful permanent resident in the region or country or a holder of ID cards of the region of country upon the legal status in that region or country. (If it is Indonesian MPL, the participants must be the residents of Indonesia, including dual citizenship.)
1.2.3. Single Residency Status. A player may only be a Resident of a single region at any point in time.
1.2.4. Starters a "Starter" is defined as one of the five players established in the Team's starting lineup
1.2.5. Official Players: All players that are submitted on the official MPL Summary Sheet within the stipulated date will be considered official players.
1.2.6. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Pro League (MPL) any MPL Matches (including qualifying matches, regular seasons, playoffs, finals) is intended to single out the champion of each split.
1.2.7. A team must have one substitute any given time.
Teams are not allowed to violate rule 1.2 regarding substitutions at any time. A Substitution refers to a player that has been replaced through the instruction of a Coach in order to maintain a balanced number of players for a match, due to a starter being unable to participate due to an unforeseen event. This player must be a member of the team's Active Roster which was submitted to MPL officials.
1.3. Work Eligibility
All Coaches and players must submit the following documents as proof of identity when participating in any MPL tournament:
1.3.1. Legal proof of the right to reside in the country (in accordance with local laws) of the region in which the player is participating in, and 1.3.2. permission to work in the country of the competition.
Players which are not citizens of the country they are participating in require a work visa (specific details are determined by local law)
1.4. No Official Employee or Relevant Personnel
Team employees may not be affiliates, employees, agency or other contractors of SHANGHAI MOONTON TECHNOLOGY CO.,
LTD at the start of or at any point during the WCE. "Affiliate" is defined as any person or other entity which is under common direct or indirect control with another party or have direct (e.g.
Ownership) or indirect (e.g. contractual arrangement) interest.
"Control" shall mean the power, through any means, to determine the policies or management of an entity, whether through the power to elect, appoint or approve, directly or indirectly, the directors, officers, managers or trustees of such entity or otherwise. 2. Team and Players Compensation: Bonus
2.1. Player Minimum Compensation
Each team must distribute the required Minimum Player
Compensation (Minimum $200/month per player during the first split of 2019 season) to its players, in accordance with the terms of the applicable Team Agreement. Each team must, also, distribute the coach stipend (Minimum $200/month during the first split). Under no circumstance, shall any player or coach choose to accept compensation lower than the aforesaid
Minimum Compensation. Nothing in these Rules is intended in any way to limit the compensation a team pays to its players.
3. Team Ownership and Roster Rules
3.1. Ownership Restrictions
3.1.1. "Club Sole Owners"
In a single region, when a team qualifies for the MPL through qualifiers or from directly qualifying from the last split, MPL officials will recognize this team's eligibility to compete in the MPL. If the team has been formed from a group of individual players, they must first register as a team with the MPL officials before they can obtain eligibility to compete in the MPL. No Team Owner or Team Manager or Affiliate of an Owner may own or control, directly or indirectly, or have a direct (e.g., ownership) or indirect (e.g., a contractual arrangement) financial interest, or be an employee or contractor of, more than one Mobile Legends:
Bang Bangs team in MPL. Any buyback provision, right of first purchase, or similar interest in a team shall be treated as a controlling interest in such team for the purposes of enforcing ownership restrictions.
The definition of a "Club Sole Owner" is as follows:
A）Company Name: MPL teams must belong to an independent company entity, multiple teams cannot be managed by a single company.
B）Team names and logos: All MPL team names and logos must be unique, names cannot be shared, and there cannot be any team names or logos which are subordinate to another team. C）Legal Persons/Shareholders: Each MPL team must have their own individual legal persons/shareholders, multiple teams are not allowed to have the same legal persons/shareholders belonging to them.
D) Coaches/Leaders: Each MPL team can have their own independent coaches/leaders (only in the service of that team), coaches/leaders are not allowed to be members of more than one team.
E) Team Base: Each MPL Team must have their own individual
"Team Base", a Team Base cannot be used by multiple teams.
F) Transfer Rules: Every MPL team must adhere to the MPL official transfer system, teams are not allowed to privately allocate or transfer players within their own team. For further details, please consult Section 4.
MPL match area/any other team members that participate in the league through any capacity are not allowed to purchase or attempt to possess/control any other MPL team through any other means before the end of the final MPL which they are participating in.
The League shall have the right to make final and binding determinations regarding Team ownership, issues relating to the multiple team restriction and other relationships that may otherwise have an adverse impact on the competitive integrity of the MPL. Any person that petitions for ownership into the MPL can be denied admission if they are found to have not acted with the professionalism sought by the MPL. Someone seeking admission into the MPL must meet the highest standards of character and integrity. Candidates who have violated this rule set or attempted to act against the spirit of these rules, even if not formally contracted to the rule set, can be denied admission into the MPL. Team Owner agrees that it will not contest any final determination of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in connection therewith.
3.1.2. Sponsorship and Naming Rights
Changes in Ownership and Sponsors with naming rights may only occur during the designated transfer window by MPL. 3.1.2.1. Sale of Sponsorships and Related Issues
Any Team Manager may only sell or manage sponsorships or brand elements for the team with which he or she is affiliated. The Team Owner may not provide any ownership interests in the Team Owner or team or any brand elements thereof to any third party person or entity who engages in the business of selling or managing of MPL or "Challenger Series" eSports teams.
3.1.2.2. Sale of Sponsorships Cooldown Provision
Any person or entity who engages in the sale or management of sponsorships for multiple
MPL teams during the course of an MPL split may not hold a controlling interest in any MPL team for a period of no less than two years following the last day of the MPL split during which he/she represented multiple teams.
3.2. Roster Requirements
Each Team is required to maintain keep under contract one General
Manager ("GM"), five players ("Starts") across their starting lineup and one substitute player ("Substitute") during the entirely of MPL split.
Collectively Starters and Substitute forms the "Active Roster". No individual may simultaneously hold two or more of the roles listed above.
All official players of a club and other members in service of a team must have a written contract, teams which are formed from a group of individuals must submit a group registration form to MPL officials. An MPL Player is only allowed to compete for the one Team the Player has a contract with. A Player will not be allowed to compete for more than one Organization simultaneously and cannot be listed on the Roster of more than one Team. To verify that these Players are officially under contract, each Team must submit the Summary Sheet from the Player
Agreement ("Summary Sheet") for each Player they wish to designate as under contract, including starters and substitutes. Changes to the Roster may occur as described in Section 4 below
The Roster will be displayed on the official website of MPL. The Roster on the website will be updated upon proper filing of documentation Once an acquisition is confirmed, the acquisition will be placed on the website. The MPL Roster on that website will be considered the most up to date roster that could be applied within a reasonable time. Roster eligibility is still at the discretion of MPL officials.
In the event where teams only register the main roster of 5 players only without the substitute player:
(A) Teams are only allowed to register the 6th substitute player if one of the main roster players is not able to participate for Mobile
Legends Professional League Season 3.
(B) Once confirmation of the 6th substitute player has been made, strictly no changes is allowed to the team’s roster.
3.3. Head Coach
Each Team is allowed but not required to maintain a designated head coach who will be considered the official coach for the Team. If a team designates a Head Coach, they must undergo registration and approval from MPL officials before being published on the official MPL website.
The Head Coach cannot be the Starter or Substitute for any MPL Team
(domestic or abroad) this split. The Head Coach can only represent one
Team. The Head Coach cannot be affiliated with more than one
Organization in any capacity The Head Coach is required to be on-site for every Game that the Team participates in. Changes to Head Coaches must be submitted to the MPL organizing committee for approval at least 5 days prior to the next match, the change can then be carried out after undergoing approval.
3.4. Submission of Roster
At a time designated by MPL officials before the start of each league, each team must submit their active roster to the MPL, including five members of the Starters and one Substitution. In the event that a GM elects to modify the Active Roster, the GM must submit requests in compliance with Section 4. In the event that a team selects to modify the starting lineup, the team's head coach must make a request to revise the roster to MPL officials in compliance with Section 4 below. The request must be submitted in advance of any proposed effective date of any such change. If a request is submitted too late for MPL to make reasonable arrangements for a new player to travel to an MPL match,
MPL may, at their discretion, hold the team responsible for the incremental costs of such player's travel, regardless of any other rules to the contrary. MPL reserves the right to approve or deny any such request, based upon the eligibility of the players involved and the compliance with the Rules of such request.
3.4.1 No roster changes is to be allowed in the Mobile Legends
Professional League MY/SG Season 3. Teams are required to confirm and submit the Team’s Roster respectively at team@egg.network.
3.4.2 Regular Season Invitation Teams [Dateline: 14th December
2018]
(A) The players confirm will be cordially invited to the Regular Season of MPL Season 3.
(B) Player changes are not allowed as this will revoke the invitation rights to play in Regular Season. Teams will then have to go through Open Qualifier if they wish to participate in MPL Season 3.
(C) A minimum of 3 players from the previous season is required to be eligible for Regular Season 3 Invitation.
(D) Teams are required to confirm and submit new sponsors and/or acquisition of any organization latest by 10th
February 2019. Changes to any sponsors or acquisition is strictly not allowed after the said mention date.
3.4.3 Open Qualifier Teams [Dateline: 10th February 2019]
(A) Teams that qualified for Regular Season 3 through the Open Qualifiers are required to confirm and submit new sponsors and/or acquisition of any organization latest by
10th February 2019. Changes to any sponsors or acquisition is strictly not allowed after the said mention date.
3.5. Substitutions
Requests to modify the active roster (including starters and substitutes for the team's first games on a regular season week may not be submitted any later than 2 hours prior to the start of that broadcast and/or webcast. A Team may substitute Players between Games of a Match. The Team must notify an MPL referee and have the substitution approved, no later than 5 minutes after the previous Game. For example, if a team wishes to substitute a player in for game 2, then the coach must notify an MPL referee no later than 5 minutes following game 1. In the event of an emergency, a Team will be given certain time to find an immediate Substitute. If a replacement cannot be found, the Team will forfeit. League Officials will determine if an event qualifies as an emergency.
3.6. Team Names, Team Tags, and Player Names
3.6.1. Team Names and Team Tags
According to the "Club Sole Owner" criterion, professional teams are not allowed to have the same or similar names, team logos cannot be similar-looking and must be unique in design.
Moreover, team names logos must only contain English characters and numbers. Team Logos cannot use the logo of a sponsor or any logo with which exists any copyright issues.
Any applications regarding changes to team names or logos must be submitted to the MPL officials at least 10 days in advance, the new name or logo can only be subsequently used after undergoing approval. Teams can only apply to change their name during the transfer window period and can only apply to change their name once within each trade window period. When changing names, the new team name cannot contain any elements similar to another team's name, nor can a team directly use their sponsor's logo as their team logo. MPL officials reserve the final right to approve names and logos.
3.6.2. Player Name
Player Name may include upper-case letters, lower-case letters, digits. Summoner Names must not exceed 12 characters including spaces. No additional special characters will be allowed for team names, player Names, or tags (including underscores, spaces, etc.). Player Names and Team Names may not contain: vulgarities or obscenities; Mobile Legends: Bang Bang hero derivatives or other similar character names; or derivatives of products or services that may create confusion.
All Team Tags, Team Names, and Player Names cannot contain a sponsor’s name and/or brand names. All Team Tags, Team Names, and Player Names must be approved by MPL officials in advance of use in play. Name changes are not allowed except under certain extenuating circumstances, but must be approved by MPL officials prior to use in an MPL game. Any cosmetic change to logos, team names, etc. must be made before designated date. MPL officials have the ability to deny a team name if it does not reflect the professional standards sought by the MPL and the team will be required to change their name. MPL officials reserve the final right to approve names and logos.
3.7. Sponsorship
An MPL team has the ability to acquire sponsors. No restrictions shall be applied in acquiring sponsorship. Sponsor names and related information are only allowed to be displayed on team uniforms during a match. If sponsors belong to the following list of restricted sponsor types then the sponsor's company name cannot be displayed during Mobile
Legends: Bang Bang games, any documents related to Mobile Legends:
Bang Bang MPL or any game, competition, league or tournament related to Moonton. The MPL officials have the ability to update the category list at any time. The following is a nonexclusive list of limited sponsors: