STA TFC Rules I. Introduction II. Match Scheduling III. Servers and Settings IV. Match Conduct (Prematch, During, and Postmatch) V. Ties & Overtime VI. Strategy and Gameplay Rules VII. Player Rules VIII. Cheat Prevention and Detection - HLTV Proxy and Demo IX. Cheat Prevention and Detection - Personal Demos X. Clan Member Rules (Rosters, Ringers and Multi-Clanners) XI. STEAM Account/Login Sharing XII. Clan Placement and Ranking XIII. Featured Maps XIV. Rule Updates XV. Match Disputes XVI. STA Cheat Ban Policy XVII. Sportsmanship I. Introduction Revised July 4, 2008 NOTE: This rule set is for our GOLD 8vs8 League only. STA-TFC rules are designed to to promote fair play, good sportsmanship and enjoyable contests for all Clans. Each Clan's Captains and Players should be familiar with the rules listed below and these rules should be used as a guideline for League participation. STA-TFC encourages friendly cooperation between Clans and between Players in all League events. If the rules do not cover a specific situation, or if you cannot resolve a disagreement on your own, or if you find a rule to be unclear in it's meaning, please contact a STA-TFC Admin. Contacting STA-TFC Admins A list of all STA-TFC Admins can be found on our Staff Contact page. The preferred method for contacting Admins is in IRC. All STA-TFC Admins can be found in the irc.gamesurge.net channel #sta-tfc. Please be patient when posting questions to that channel, as Admins cannot be present at all hours. Private Messages are welcomed. Alternately, Email info is on the Staff Contact page and STA has provided a Public Forum and a Clan Captains Forum for STA-TFC. League Format STA-TFC GOLD is now an 8vs8 League. Our Gold Division conducts a Title Match to determine a weekly Division Title holder. Scheduled matches are normally between clans from within each division and will generally follow the clan ranking list. Clan Captains Clan Captains or their representative(s) should be present in #sta-tfc on match nights, to facilitate contact between Clans and with Admins. This IRC channel also provides a public record for discussion and agreements between Clans. Each Clan is allowed access to our Clan Captains Forum for two Captains. Captains are encouraged to participate in League issues via that Forum. II. Match Scheduling Clans are scheduled to play on Monday nights at 9:30PM EST. Scheduling Format 1) Each Division's Title Match will be between the current Title holder and the highest ranked clan with a +2 winstreak. 2) All other matches will be based primarily on your Rank within your Division. Rescheduling Rescheduling is strongly discouraged, clans join STA-TFC so that they may play on a set day and time each week. III. Servers and Settings III. Servers and Settings Server Requirements 1.) All servers must be using the version of the map that is on the STA Files page. 2.) Servers must have logging turned on. Server logs must be made available on request, within 24 hours of the match, to STA-TFC admins and opposing clans. 3.) Use of the STA server configuration (statfc.cfg) file is mandatory which is also found on our Files page. Any settings NOT covered in the config should be set to the Half-Life server defaults. If any of the settings are not correct, the opposing clan should refuse to play the round on that server. Most STA settings are default for clan matches, here is a quick summary of some important server settings: * 2 rounds of 30 minutes (with 5 minutes prematch) * mp_teamplay 11 (team damage on) * cr_hwguy 1 (Some maps such as cz, cz2, pz, run, etc will be cr_hwguy 2) 4.) Server Plugins - The server plugin ETANA2 is required on all STA-TFC match servers. The ETANA22 plugin can be downloaded from the STA files page and includes installation intructions. In order to use the ETANA2 plugin, a server must be have the metamod server addon, which is freely available, and is typically installed with all commercially available HLDS. Other server plugins such as Adminmod/HLGuard are not specifically forbidden, however all other server rules apply. Server plugins (other than ETANA) can not interfere with the match in any way. Plugins such as Adminmod/hlguard should not kick/ban anyone or restrict usage of anything that is legal for play in STA. 5.) HLTV is required for all Match Servers (see Section VIII below) IV. Match Conduct (Prematch, During, and Postmatch) Server Choice per Round Each clan will have the choice of server, alternating by round. The Home Team (Listed first on the Schedule) decides which server is used in the first round, the Opposing Team decides the second round server. If there is Overtime(OT), the Home Team chooses the server for the first overtime round. If there is a second OT, the Opposing Team gets to choose server, and so on. Team Color per Round Since the Home Team chooses the server in the first round they must defer the first round team color choice to the Opposing Team. Thereafter, it is mandatory that teams switch team colors after each round, including overtime. Punctuality and Forfeits Matches should start no later than 15 mins after the official start time. The match server should be setup and all players should join prior to that time. Each clan must have a minimum of 6 players ready prior to the 15 minute mark after start time. If a clan can not properly setup the server, can not produce enough players, or refuses to join the server within 15 minutes of the official match time, they can be forced to forfeit if their opponent chooses that option. If only one clan is present at an agreed-upon match time or on the default night at match time, it will also be considered a forfeit for the clan that is not present. If there are extenuating circumstances (steam crashing, some can't join a particular server, etc) then both team leaders are to join #sta-tfc and discuss the matter in public, whether or not an admin is present. The public record will stand in case of a dispute. If there is no public record, the clan that could not produce enough players or refused to start the match within 15 minute of the official match time, will forfeit the match upon the request of the opposing clan. Prematch Behavior In maps where you may leave your respawn during prematch, you may leave your spawn and stay in your base. You should not enter the yard or enemy base. Prematch actions that effect the match are prohibited. Dropping dets, spamming the enemy respawn as PM ends, caltropping their entrance, etc will be grounds for immediate forfeit. The ONLY action that affects the match that you can take during prematch is positioning yourself (in your base) so that at the end of prematch your bag will be dropped in a strategic location. Rounds After the first round is completed, clans should leave the server for a midround break. The break should be a minimum of 5 minutes to a maximum of 15 minutes, the subsequent Round should begin at or prior to 15 minutes. If one clan has a Full team and the other is short of 9 players, it is at the sole discretion of the Full team whether or not the round starts at the end of the 15 minute break. Even when the Short clan has control of the server, the Full clan can dictate the start of the match at the 15 min mark. MM1 Comms Officially, *ONLY* leaders are allowed to use mm1 during a match. If a player on your team has a problem with something that the other team is doing, you must discuss it over voice communications or in mm2 with your leader, the leader will decide whether it is appropriate to use mm1, and proceed accordingly. If someone other than leaders are using mm1 to communicate with the other team, you will be at the mercy of the dispute admins, assuming the opposing clan disputes. Your team can and probably will forfeit the match if such action is deemed distracting. The decision of whether or not the mm1 was distracting is at the sole discretion of STA's dispute admins. Bottom line, do not use mm1 unless you are a clan leader listed on STA's contact page. Note: The intent of this rule is to prevent malicious mm1 spam or taunts during the match. STA recognizes that many clans have a friendly and fun competitive environment in which mm1 is expected and enjoyed. STA expects everyone to recognize the difference. When in doubt, refer to the stated rule that only leaders use mm1. Agreements Between Clans Agreements between clan leaders can override stated STA rules, if the agreements are made in #sta-tfc among the opposing clan leaders for public record. These agreements can supersede standard STA rules, with the exception of the rules regarding cheating, hacks and login-sharing. Also, these agreements may not allow any person banned in STA to participate in a match. These agreements may not be changed after being made except with the consent of the contacts of both clan leaders in #sta-tfc. In the event that an agreement is disputed, #sta-tfc public logs will be used to determine the agreement. If an STA public forum was not used, the match and agreement are subject to the sole discretion of STA. Submitting Scores After the match is done, the winning clan will go to the STA scores page to fill out the match form. All results must be turned in at the latest on Tuesday 12:00 noon CST. If a leader who can report the scores is not available for your team, then someone from the clan must let the STA admins know in #sta-tfc. Once again, a public transaction in #sta-tfc will prove to be the cover for any extenuating circumstances. Failure to report scores on time may subject the match to deletion. Match Disputes If a match must be disputed, please follow the steps listed under the section XV. Match Disputes, below. V. Ties & Overtime Clan Agreements As with most other rules in STA-FF, OT rules can be changed by clan agreement. The only condition is that any OT must be fair and equal for both teams. IF you need OT assistance, see an ADmin in #sta-ff. Ties The definition of a tie is when the sum of both team's score in round 1 and round 2 are equal. There are no ties as a final result in STA-FF matches, an Overtime Round(s) will be conducted to find a winner for each match. Official Score The server log files will be the score used to determine the actual score. Standard Map OT is 'Sudden Death Overtime' Capture the Flag Maps If the match is tied after two rounds of regular play, the match will continue as a 30 minute overtime round of the default team size for the map. This is sudden death overtime where the first flag capture wins the match and ends the round. For maps that have both flag capture points and points for other map objectives, only a flag capture will award a sudden death winner. If there is no flag capture in the 30 minute period, then any other points awarded by the map will be used to determine the winner. If it is still tied after this 30 minute period, the match continues for another 15 minute round of 6 on 6. If this round also ends with a tie, then there will be another 15 minute round of 5 on 5. The match will continue (indefinitely) as such, alternating 15 minute rounds until a victor is determined. Special OT Rules for Non-Standard Maps Symmetrical Commandpoint Maps If the map being played is a symmetrical command point map (ie: cz2 ), or any map without standard flag captures, then the winner is decided by the overall score at the end of the 15 minute overtime period. Non-Symmetrical Commandpoint Map If the map being played is a non-symmetrical map (ie: attack defend maps), there will be two 15 minute overtime rounds (alternating between servers as required) with the clan leading at the end of the two rounds being declared the winner. Lateness of OT Rounds If at such time a match is too late to continue, a clan can ask an STA admin to have both clans reschedule the unresolved overtime for another day. A minimum of one overtime round should be played before reschedule for lateness is considered. VI. Strategy and Gameplay Rules Maximum Defense Player Limit No team is allowed to use more than the Maximun number of defenders at any point in a match. The rules below, as well as the definition of a defender, will apply for Standard and Reverse CTF maps. The maximum defense number varys by map player size: 8vs8 and 7vs7 Max D = 4 players. A defender is defined a player who is defending their base/flag/dropped flag from the enemy offense, as anyone spending an excessive amount of time in their home base, or as anyone excessively attacking an enemy offense. Any clan deemed to have been using more than the maximum allowed number of defenders will be in violation of the Max Defense rules. The penalty invoked is the sole discretion of STA admins. There are certain areas of game play that are also be covered within the Maximum Defense Player Limit and are addressed as follows: 1. Offensive Crossfire: a.An offensive player who clearly disregards his own objectives to engage the enemy offense or defend a dropped flag will be defined as a member of the defense (and included in Max D considerations). 2. Offensive Engineers: a. Any engineer that builds a sentry gun OR a dispenser in a defensive position (ie - a location that will impact or impede the opposing offense) will be deemed to be part of the defensive squad. Engineers as a class are NOT limited, however the number of defenders are. b. An engineer may build a teleporter for offensive use and not be considered a member of the defense. However if the engineer builds a teleporter for the use of the defense and then plays offense himself, he WILL be considered a member of the defense and will count towards the maximum defense limit. c. Offense engineers can repair objective points and not be considered a member of the defense, however they should maintain subsequent progress towards an offense goals. Offense Crossfire, Spawns and Choke Points *Excessive* Offensive Crossfire/Death-Matching is prohibited. 1.)Offense Crossfire is first limited through the defense player definition in the Maximum Defense Player Limit above. 2.)An excessive pattern of Offensive Crossfire is also prohibited, determined solely at the discretion of STA-TFC. 3.)Prohibited Offensive Crossfire can also be an excessive 'O vs O' use of certain map choke point and spawn locations. (for example: excessive, continuous spy pilling at an offensive exit choke point or players consistently attacking/spamming the enemy offense's respawn exit/points of exit.) The rules covering Offensive Crossfire are formed with the intent of leaving room for interpretation. The rules are in place to discourage O vs O crossfire, however, they do not specifically forbid the action. Players will keep in mind that any O vs O *can* be deemed excessive by STA admins and penalties are at the sole discretion of STA. Clans are best advised to keep Offensive Crossfire to a minimum, and to instruct O players to remain focused on Offense Objectives. Commandpoint Maps and Strategy Rules When playing commandpoint maps such as CZ2 and Canalzon, the Strategy Rules for 'Maximum Defense Player Limit' and 'Offense Crossfire' do not apply. Engineer's Teleporter Build Locations Engineers may not build a teleporter in team-only Spawn Rooms or Resupply Rooms or any other area not fully accessible by the enemy at all times. If a map is an exception to this rule, we will announce that before play. (Examples: Tempest - no teles in spawns, Run - teles allowed everywhere) Elevators You may block/keep elevators up as long as: 1. A person is to holding it up. 2. Or, The obstruction is placed under the elevator. (ie: - the opposing team is able to destroy the obstruction at the intended entry point of the elevator) The above definition prohibits the placement at the top of the lift a dispenser to keep the elevator up. However, a dispenser under the elevator, or someone standing on it to make it go up is allowed. This rule also allows an engineer to build a gun, and then stand on the elevator, repairing the SG when it is damaged, such as in shutdown2. VII. Player Rules Player Agreement By joining an STA roster, a player agrees not to use a cheat in any of the following: Any unlocked servers, any pickups, scrimmages, or competitive environments (such as 2v2, 3v3, tryouts, practice, official matches, etc). Regarding Modified UI/Sprites/Sounds/Textures Explosion sprites that are of the same size and translucency as the default are mandatory in STA. STA will not entertain frivolous disputes regarding sprites, but reserve the right to discipline players if they are found to be abusing the spirit or intent of explosion sprites, which is to say you should not be able to see through them. Any non-default ax1.wav sound file is illegal in STA. Modifying sounds is generally considered acceptable, but at no point will an excuse such as "I could hear them coming around the corner because of my modified sounds." be considered as a reasonable defense from apparent cheat use. Map textures are allowed to be modified, assuming once again that they are the original size and opacity as the defaults that are being replaced. Exploits Exploiting a map's configuration, build, or flaws is not allowed. (example: nail grenades into a thin texture) Unrecognised engine exploits are not allowed. Exploited use of any regular command, netcode command, or cvar is prohibited. (timerefresh would be an example) Speed exploits are also prohibited with the noted exceptions of bunnyhopping (170% cap), sharking and ramp sliding. Scripted chop-hopping is not allowed. Note that manually pressing "duck" when you land is not illegal. Client Settings and/or Scripts 1) The use of cl_lw or cl_lc with any value other than 1 is prohibited from STA. 2) Fullupdate, axis locks/-mlook/pitchup&down, forcecenterview and any console command are all prohibited in regards to being used as an anti-conc exploit. 3) Pitchup and pitchdown settings are to be capped at 108. (Pipedown scripts are allowed) 4) Use of the command "_special" is not allowed. 5) Use of any console command or script that gives an overwhelming unfair advantage is prohibited, at the discretion of STA-TFC 3rd Party Client Utility Addons STA no longer endorses the use of any 3rd party client addon (ie darkies, sparkies, etc). These addons are an inherent risk for a STEAM VAC ban. If any STA-TFC player or clan has a 3rd party addon they would like to use, they must get specific permission from STA-TFC Admins prior to use. The conditions for this consideration are 1.) the safe use of the addon, 2.) full public disclosure of the addon on the STA Forums and 3.) the public availability of any files. No current addon has met these requirements. Match Related Conduct Any exceptionally offensive conduct affecting match play is prohibited in STA (including but not limited to: malicious Internet attacks, match intrusions, abuse of rcon/admin_mod/etc., remote match server and HLTV interference, and server crashing). STA has the final say over the definition and scope of such conduct, as well as any applicable penalty. VIII. Cheat Prevention and Detection - HLTV Proxy and Demo HLTV is required for each round of STA-TFC 9vs9 matches. The HLTV proxy must record a demo of the entire round and that demo must be released to the opposing clan and admins within 24 hours of a request. At least one spectator per team must be allowed, unless the HLTV proxy is hosted from a players connection. An HLTV with spectators must have a slot for the opposing team, and the HLTV broadcast delay must be set to 90 seconds (see stahltv.cfg below). If the hosting clan cannot provide a server with HLTV, the visiting clan can choose to: 1) Connect their HLTV proxy to the opponents TFC server. 2) Play each round on their TFC server if it has HLTV. 3) Agree to play the match without HLTV running/recording on the opponent's TFC server. This agreement must specifically be made between clan contacts/leaders prior to the beginning of the round. In the event that an HLTV proxy disconnects or crashes before the end of the round, the visiting clan may require the cessation of the match until such time as an HLTV proxy is once again connected to the server and recording a demo; or continue the match without a proxy present. The scores up until the disconnection point are counted, and the remaining time played. The HLTV demo is an essential tool in resolving disputes. If clans agree to play without recording an HLTV demo, Admins may decline to review certain disputes. With some disputes that are lacking the HLTV demo, Admins may request some or all of a teams personal demos as a substitute. Please note: it is the visiting clan's responsibility to notice that the proxy is not present. Under no circumstance will an admin consider a "no HLTV" dispute if the visiting clan takes no action when the proxy disconnects. In other words, if a proxy is missing and neither clan says or does anything about it, no dispute will be entertained regarding this issue. The stahltv.cfg: STA-TFC has created an official configuration file for use with HLTV proxies, which can be downloaded from the Files page. Clan leaders should confirm HLTV settings on away servers, a "status" command will show the HLTV IP, Spectator numbers, and delay settings. IX. Cheat Prevention and Detection - Personal Demos Personal Demos All Players must record a Personal Demo for each round of play. Each recorded Personal Demo must be kept for two full weeks after the match. The demo must be made available to STA, upon STA Admin request. Failure to provide a personal demo when requested by an STA Admin (for any reason) may result in a penalty at STA's discretion. This is usually a player suspension, typically 1-2 weeks on the first offense, with longer penalties for players who habitually fail to record or provide demos. Clan Captain Personal Demo Exchange Policy Clan Captains may request a single personal demo from their opponent after the match. The request is limited to one round and one player, and must be made Captain to Captain shortly after the conclusion of the match. Each Captain is responsible for ensuring their players fulfillment of the demo request. The personal demo must be made available within 24 hours of the request, preferably at the time of the request. If a team does not comply, a STA admin may have to be contacted to ensure that the rules are followed. Each clan is responsible for working out the details of file transfer for their players. Technical inability is no excuse, so Clans are encouraged to make prior arrangements for file hosting or file transfers for each of their players. X. Clan Member Rules (Rosters, Ringers and Multi-Clanners) Clan Rosters Only your Clan Members are allowed to play in matches for your Clan. Each clan must keep an official Roster of Clan Members on the STA-TFC website. Clan Rosters are managed by Clan Captains on our "Operations" page. New members can be added up to 24 hours before a match, the web-based Clan Rosters will lock at that time. NOTE: Prior to a Match, you may seek your opponents permission for the use of a non-rostered player. The player must be an actual Member of your Clan and can not violate our Ringer/Multi-Clanner Rule. The Roster rules are NOT designed so that a team may get a forfeit win merely because a clan forgot to update their STA roster. However, any Clan abusing our leniency on their inability to properly maintain their own roster will be subject to STA-TFC action. The Clan Roster rule is designed to prevent ringing and multiclanning. In the event that a player is found to have played a match, yet is not on the official roster, STA-TFC may determine whether or not the intent was malicious using any available information. This includes rosters from other leagues, match records, trackers, private log files and other sources. Simply having a player on another league's website roster system will not be considered as complete proof of clan membership. This determination is solely at STA-Admin discretion. Malicious use of a non-rostered player is covered in the Ringer/Multiclanner rule below as well as considered in the Login Sharing Rules. Ringer-Free Utility The RingerFree Program is now allowed in STA-TFC 9vs9. As of 05/07/2007 any clan may use RF on their server. This program will check that each player in the match is a rostered player, and not on the League Banlist. Note 1: If your clan wishes to use an unrostered player that is a real member of your clan - you must ask permission from your opponent as stated above. RingerFree will announce an unrostered player, but he is not kicked by the program. This is not a permission to play, your opponent must give specific permission for the player to legally play. Without that permission, the match is under dispute and the round result may not be accepted. Note 2: RingerFree use should begin before the official match start, so that problems are detected, announced and corrected before the match is underway. When problems are announced by RF before the round begins, they will be corrected or you can reach an agreement with your opposing Clan Leader before the match begins. Problems that are detected and announced during the match, that can not be solved without match disruption, will be solved by an Admin after the conclusion of play (as a Disputed Match). Terms: The STA definition of a Ringer is as follows: Any person playing for a clan of which they are not currently a member or recruit. The STA definition of an Unrostered Clan Member is as follows: Any person playing for a clan of which they are not currently listed on STA official roster but are a provable clan member. The STA definition of a Multi-Clanner is as follows: Any player currently participating in match play with a TFC 9vs9 clan other than their current, single STA-TFC 9vs9 Clan will be considered to be multi-clanning. Ringer and Multi-Clanner Rules: The STA does not allow ringers or multi-clanners. The penalty for the first offense of Ringing will be the forfeit of all matches in which a ringer played and up to a 2 week suspension from STA-TFC. The second offense may result in expulsion from the STA-TFC league. STA may make exceptions to this rule on a case by case basis. STA reserves the right to determine or adjust any appropriate penalty for ringing The bottom line is, don't use a ringer. The best option is to let the opposing clan know if you are going to be short players as soon as possible. Find alternatives to the problem thru agreements and get STA-TFC involved, at a minimum you should discuss options in #sta-tfc with the opposing team. Penalties for multiclanning will be determined on a case by case basis. XI. STEAM Account/Login Sharing "Login Sharing" is defined as giving out the username/e-mail and password associated with your STEAM Account to a third-party whom the STEAM account does not belong to. This is a violation of the STEAM Subscriber Agreement. The following policies apply to Login Sharing: 1. Login sharing with a banned player on or after October 5th, 2005 (10/05/05) is a permanent-ban offense, regardless of what situation the login sharing occurs in. 2. Login sharing with a non-banned player in a league that has policies against login sharing is illegal if the login sharing was used to allow a non-rostered player to participate in a match. It will result in a 6 month ban for BOTH the PROVIDER of the ID as well as the USER/receiver of the ID. 3. Login sharing with a non-banned player in a league that does NOT have policies against login sharing is illegal if the login sharing was used to allow a non-rostered player to participate in a match. It will result in a 3 month ban for BOTH the PROVIDER of the ID as well as the USER/receiver of the ID. The sale, transfer, or gift of SteamIDs to a friend or family member is not a bannable offense, although it DOES violate the Steam Subscriber Agreement. If you still choose to hand your account information to a third party, it is in your best interest to notify the leagues in which you play that you have given away that SteamID and no longer have access to it. May these rules be incentive NEVER to share your login with ANYONE, and to NEVER accept or use the login information of another player. If you are unsure of the security of your account, we advise you to change your password. XII. Clan Placement and Ranking Initial placement All clans wishing to join, or re-join STA-TFC should start here. Clans that are accepted will be assigned a division based on their previous experience, or teh experience of their players, in TFC. All clans will be reviewed during their first weeks of match play, for any needed division changes. Movement to Other Divisions The STA encourages clans to strive to reach the next level. Therefore division assignments are not static. Clans may move to a new division based on certain factors listed below. If a clan changes division, it keeps its win/loss record for STA, but has a separate record for the new division. Movement to a higher division: By winning the title for the division and defending the title for one week OR a clan attaining a +7 record for the current division will require that a clan be moved to a higher division. Movement to a lower division: Clans attaining a -7 record for the current division requires that the clan be moved to a lower division. Also, a clan may ask to be moved to a lower division. The STA admins will consider the request and, for the most part, the request will be granted. 2 games will be required to be played in a division before a move request is considered. To ensure that the divisions are balanced, when a clan retires from competition or moves up/down from one division to another, the title holder from the lower division will be invited to replace them. If the title holder declines the invitation, the next ranked clan will be invited in their place. If there is no title holder currently from the lower division, then the next title match will not only determine the title holder but also who will move up to the upper division. Administrators from time to time will move clans from one division to another to balance the divisions. These movements will be based upon their STA record (i.e. division ranking, win streak, overall record, etc.). Alignments such as these will be kept to a minimum and only performed as necessary for parity in the divisions and league as a whole. These movements are the sole discretion of STA. XIII. Featured Maps STA-TFC Matches will be played on a variety of stock and custom TFC Maps. Suggestions for the addition of new maps for match play should be directed to a STA admin or posted on our Forums. All maps currently used in STA matches can be downloaded from our Files Page. XIV. Rule Updates It is your responsibility to periodically check for updates on this page. These rules may be updated or changed to reflect the consensus of the STA on rulings that may occur in the future. XV. Match Disputes Filing a Match Dispute STA encourages Clans to work together to create fun matches for all and to resolve conflicts on their own. If you must file a dispute with STA-TFC, follow the guidelines below. The first step when filing a dispute is to contact your division admin in the STA-TFC IRC channel, #sta-tfc on irc.gamesurge.net. Try to do this as soon after the match as possible (within 24 hours), even if it is prior to assembling your dispute evidence. After this initial contact with admins a written dispute should be submitted. Clan leaders should gather any evidence (HLTV demos, raw server logs, personal demo, irc chat, etc) that will be needed by admins. Your dispute should include any information that will give a complete and fair picture of the disputed match. You will need the following information; the round(s) you are disputing, what player(s) you are disputing, what rule violation(s) are alleged, and the match timestamps for any relevant events. Also include links to the HLTV demo and server logs for all rounds. Once all information is gathered, submit your written dispute. You can do this in either of two ways. You can use the "Report Dispute" link on the Operations page, provided that the final match result has yet to be accepted and posted on the STA website. You can also submit the written dispute via email to your division admin. (Check the Staff Contacts page for e-mail addresses). Please try to submit the written dispute during the first 24-48 hours following a match. There is no time limit for cheat related disputes, but admins may decline to accept lesser disputes that are more than 72 hours old. STA admins will do their best to resolve disputes prior to the next scheduled match day. Once your Dispute details are received, your Dispute will be handled by the appropriate admins. Currently we have STA-TFC 9vs9 Division/Dispute admins and the STA-TFC Anti-Cheat Team ready to resolve problems asap. During the dispute process we ask that you refrain from public discussion of the dispute details, or at least to keep them to a minimum. We welcome discussions, suggestions and criticisms about the dispute process on the Captians forum. If the dispute involves a clan with a STA admin as a member or leader, that Admin will be instructed to remain completely clear of the dispute process. XVI. STA Cheat Ban Policy The STA League has an overall cheat ban policy which covers all game divisions. It is found here. XVII. Sportsmanship Last, but certainly not least, a word on sportsmanship. STA not only appreciates, but also rewards good sportsmanship in the game and beyond. A courteous, honest, and respectful attitude displayed towards the league, towards opposing clans, and while dealing with the league staff will go a long way in helping you achieve an enjoyable league experience. Last Updated on July 4, 2008